John 12:42-43

12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers ¹  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ²  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ³  so that they would not be put out of ⁴  the synagogue. ⁵  12:43 For they loved praise ⁶  from men more than praise ⁷  from God.

[12:42]  ¹ sn The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.

[12:42]  ² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:42]  ³ tn The words “Jesus to be the Christ” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb ὡμολόγουν (Jwmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous “it,” or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause “believed in him” so that the rulers would not confess “their faith” or “their belief.” However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been “Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah).”

[12:42]  ⁴ tn Or “be expelled from.”

[12:42]  ⁵ sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[12:43]  ⁶ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ⁷ tn Grk “the glory.”