23. And because it was winter, Jesus was walking in Solomon’s porch. This was probably a cloister, open on one side, and covered overhead, and stood, according to Beel. (Comm. on Acts iii. 11), on the eastern side of the court of the Gentiles. That the Porch of Solomon referred to in 3 Kings vi. 3; 2 Paral. iii. 4, is not meant here (as Mald. holds), we feel certain; for that being within the court of the priests, Christ would not have been permitted by the Jewish priests to approach, much less walk, there. 24. Circumdederunt ergo eum 24. The Jews therefore came Iudaei, et dicebant ei: round about him, and said to Quousque animam nostram him: How long dost thou hold tollis? si tu es Christus, dic our souls in suspense? if thou nobis palam. be the Christ tell us plainly. 24. *How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense?* The phrase here used by the Evangelist to record the words of the Jews is a Hebraism (see Exod. xxxv. 21; Deut. xxiv. 15; Prov. xix. 23). They wished Christ to state openly that He was their Messias, their King, probably in order that they might accuse Him before the Roman authorities of treason against Rome. 25. Respondit eis Iesus. 25. Jesus answered them: I Loquor vobis, et non creditis: speak to you, and you believe opera quae ego facio in nomine not: the works that I do in Patris mei, haec testimonium the name of my Father, they perhibent de me: give testimony of me. 26. Sed vos non creditis, quia 26. But you do not believe: non estis ex ovibus meis. because you are not of my sheep. 25, 26. He again appeals to His miracles, and upbraids their incredulity. 27. Oves meae vocem meam 27. My sheep hear my voice: audiunt: et ego cognosco eas, and I know them, and they et sequntur me: follow me. 27. We prefer to understand the *sheep* here, as in verse 14, not of the just merely, nor of the elect only, but, with A Lap., of all the faithful. All the faithful hear Christ, so as to _believe_, and in this they are contrasted with those addressed in the preceding verse, who believe not; and all too follow Christ so as to imitate His example, _as far as lies in Him_. 28. Et ego vitam aeternam do 28. And I give them life eis: et non peribunt in everlasting; and they shall aeternum, et non rapiet eas not perish for ever, and no quisquam de manu mea. man shall pluck them out of my hand. 28. In the same sense He gives them life eternal, and they shall not perish, and (= for) no one can snatch them from His hand. As far as their salvation depends upon Him, they shall be saved; they may indeed fail to correspond with His grace, but they shall not perish through His fault. They may desert Him themselves, but no one shall snatch them from Him.