SEV Biblia, Chapter 15:13
Nadie tiene mayor amor que este, que ponga alguno su alma por sus amigos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 15:13
Verse 13. That a man lay down his life for his friends.] No man can carry his love for his friend farther than this: for, when he gives up his life, he gives up all that he has. This proof of my love for you I shall give in a few hours; and the doctrine which I recommend to you I am just going to exemplify myself. There are several remarkable cases, in heathen antiquity, where one friend offered his life for another. The two following will not stand dishonourably even in the book of God; became every thing loving and pure, in heathen, Jew, or Christian, must come from the God of love and purity. When Cyrus had made war on the king of Armenia, and had taken him, his wife, and children, with Tigranes his son, and his wife, prisoners; treating with the old king concerning his ransom, he said, How much money wilt thou give me to have thy wife again? All that I have, replied the king. And how much wilt thou advance to enjoy thy children again? All that I can produce, answered the king. By reckoning thus, said Cyrus, you prize these at twice as much as you possess. Then, turning to Tigranes, he said, How much wilt thou give as a ransom, that thou mayest have thy wife? (Now Tigranes had been but lately married, kai uperfilwn thn gunaika, and loved his wife exceedingly.) He answered, I will indeed, O Cyrus, kai thv yuchv priaimhn, ransom her even with MY LIFE, that she may be no longer in thraldom. See XENOPH. Cyrop. lib. iii. c.
The second example, which is too long to be inserted, is that affecting account of the friendship of Nisus and Euryalus, given by Virgil, in the ninth book of the AEneis. These two friends, leagued together, had slain many of the Rutulians in a night attack: at last Euryalus was taken prisoner. Nisus, concealed in a thicket, slew several of the enemy's chiefs with his javelins: Volscens, their general, not seeing the hand by which his officers were slain, determines to wreak his vengeance upon his prisoner.
Nisus, seeing his friend about to be transfixed with the sword, rushing out of the wood where he lay hidden, suddenly cries: - ME! ME! adsum qui FECI! in ME convertite ferrum, O Rutuli! MEA fraus omnis:-nihil ISTE-nec ausus, Nec potuit- Caelum hoc, et conscia sidera testor! TANTUM infelicem NIMIUM DILEXIT AMICUM. AEN. lib. ix. l. 427, &c.
"ME! ME! he cried, turn all your swords alone On ME!-the fact confess'd, the fault my own.
HE neither could, nor durst, the guiltless youth; Ye moon and stars, bear witness to the truth! His only crime (if friendship can offend) Is too much love to his unhappy friend." DRYDEN.
Those who understand the beautiful original will at once perceive that the earnestness, confusion, disorder, impatience, and burning love of the FRIEND, are poorly imitated in the above tame translation.
The friendship of David and Jonathan is well known: the latter cheerfully gave up his crown to his friend, though himself was every way worthy to wear it. But when all these instances of rare friendship and affection are seen, read, and admired, let the affected reader turn his astonished eyes to Jesus, pouring out his blood, not for his friends, but for his ENEMIES; and, in the agonies of death, making supplication for his murderers, with, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!-and then let him help exclaiming, if he can, "O Lamb of God, was ever pain, Was ever LOVE like THINE!"
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 13. Greater love hath no man than this , etc.] By these words our Lord shows, how far love to another should extend, even to the laying down of our lives for the brethren; which is the highest instance of love among men; that a man lay down his life for his friends ; and in which believers, should not come short of them; and also his great love to his people, and explains what he had just said, as I have loved you, ( John 13:34 15:12); which in a little time would be seen, by his laying down his life for them: for he not only came down from heaven, and laid aside his glory and royal majesty, but he laid down his life; not his gold and silver, and the riches of this world, which were all his, but his life; than which, nothing is dearer to a man, is himself, his all: and besides, Christs life was not a common one, it was not the life of an innocent person only, or the life of a mere man, but of a man in union with the Son of God; it was the Lord of glory and Prince of life, who was crucified, and slain; a life that was entirely at his own dispose; it had never been forfeited by sin, nor could it have been forced away from him by men or devils; it was laid down of and by himself, freely and voluntarily; and that for, in the room, and instead of his people, as a ransom for them; he being their surety and substitute, and standing in their legal place and stead, he took their sins upon him, bore the curse of the law, sustained his Fathers wrath, and all the punishment due to sin; and so suffered death, the death of the cross; the just, in the room and stead of the unjust; the persons for whom be laid down his life, are described as his friends; not that they were originally so; being enemies and enmity itself to God, when he laid down his life for them, and reconciled them; they were not such as had carried themselves friendly, or had shown any love and affection to him, but all the reverse: but they are so called, because he had chosen them for his friends; he had pitched upon them, and resolved to make them so; and by dying for them, reconciled them who were enemies; and in consequence of this, by his Spirit and grace, of enemies makes them friends; so that his love in dying for his people, is greater than any instance of love among men: he laid down his life for his enemies, without any sinister selfish views, and that freely and voluntarily; whereas among men, when one man has laid down his life for others, either they have been very deserving, or he has been forced to it, or it has been done with the view of popular applause and vain glory.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 9-17 - Those whom God loves as a Father, may despise the hatred of all the world. As the Father loved Christ, who was most worthy, so he loved his disciples, who were unworthy. All that love the Saviour should continu in their love to him, and take all occasions to show it. The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment, but the joy of those who abide in Christ's love is a continual feast. They are to show their love to his by keeping his commandments. If the same power that first shed abroa the love of Christ's in our hearts, did not keep us in that love, we should not long abide in it. Christ's love to us should direct us to love each other. He speaks as about to give many things in charge, ye names this only; it includes many duties.
Greek Textus Receptus
μειζονα 3173 A-ASF-C ταυτης 3778 D-GSF αγαπην 26 N-ASF ουδεις 3762 A-NSM εχει 2192 5719 V-PAI-3S ινα 2443 CONJ τις 5100 X-NSM την 3588 T-ASF ψυχην 5590 N-ASF αυτου 846 P-GSM θη 5087 5632 V-2AAS-3S υπερ 5228 PREP των 3588 T-GPM φιλων 5384 A-GPM αυτου 846 P-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
13. Greater love hath no man than this, that (ina). Some of the more subtle phases of John's thought cannot be apprehended without a careful study of this often-recurring conjunction. It is still claimed by some grammarians that it is used to mark, not only design and end, but also result. 50 But it may fairly be claimed that its predominant sense is intent, purpose, purport, or object. Hence that, as representing ina, is to be taken in the sense of to the end or intent that; in order that. Here the use of the word is very subtle and suggestive, as well as beautiful. No man hath greater love than this (love), which, in its original conception, was intended and designed to reach to the extent of sacrificing life for a friend. Christ, therefore, here gives us more than a mere abstract comparison and more than a merely human gauge of love. He measures love according to its divine, original, far-reaching intent.Lay down his life. See on x. 11.
