Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 17:14
Verse 14. I have given them thy word] Or, thy doctrine-tou logon sou. In this sense the word logov is often used by St. John.
And the world hath hated them] The Jewish rulers, &c., have hated them.-Why? Because they received the doctrine of God, the science of salvation, and taught it to others. They knew Jesus to be the Messiah, and as such they proclaimed him: our Lord speaks prophetically of what was about to take place. How terrible is the perversion of human nature! Men despise that which they should esteem, and endeavour to destroy that without which they must be destroyed themselves!
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 14. I have given them thy word , etc.] The Gospel, and a commission and abilities to preach it, and which is a reason of what follows, namely, the world’s hatred of them; because this word is not of men, nor agreeably to carnal reason; it magnifies the grace of God, and destroys boasting in men; it is against the carnal interest, worldly views and lusts of men: and the world hath hated them ; the inhabitants of the world, worldly men, such as are what they were when they first came into the world; are under the influence of the god of the world, and led by the spirit of it, and are wholly taken up with the things thereof: the unbelieving Jews are chiefly designed, who bore an implacable hatred to Christ and his apostles; and the same fate do the faithful ministers of Christ and his members share, in all ages and places, more or less: the men of the world gnash their teeth at them, secretly plot against them, and inwardly curse them; rejoice at any evil that befalls them; greedily catch at anything to reproach them; stick not to say all manner of evil of them, and to do all manner of evil to them: because they are not of the world ; they were of the world by their natural birth, and had their conversation with the men of it, whilst in a state of unregeneracy; but now they were called out of it, and were guided and led by another spirit; and were separate from the world in their lives and conversations, and which brought the hatred of the world upon them; inasmuch as they had been of them, but now had left them, and professed they did not belong to them; and because their religious lives put a distinguishing mark on them, and reproved and condemned them: even as I am not of the world ; not that Christ and his people are alike in their original; they are of the earth earthly, he is the Lord from heaven; nor are they so perfect in their walk and conversation in the world, and separation from it as he; yet there is some likeness between him and them, and some conformity in them to him, which makes the world hate them.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 11-16 - Christ does not pray that they might be rich and great in the world but that they might be kept from sin, strengthened for their duty, an brought safe to heaven. The prosperity of the soul is the bes prosperity. He pleaded with his holy Father, that he would keep them by his power and for his glory, that they might be united in affection an labours, even according to the union of the Father and the Son. He di not pray that his disciples should be removed out of the world, tha they might escape the rage of men, for they had a great work to do for the glory of God, and the benefit of mankind. But he prayed that the Father would keep them from the evil, from being corrupted by the world, the remains of sin in their hearts, and from the power and craf of Satan. So that they might pass through the world as through a enemy's country, as he had done. They are not left here to pursue the same objects as the men around them, but to glorify God, and to serv their generation. The Spirit of God in true Christians is opposed to the spirit of the world.
Greek Textus Receptus
εγω 1473 P-1NS δεδωκα 1325 5758 V-RAI-1S αυτοις 846 P-DPM τον 3588 T-ASM λογον 3056 N-ASM σου 4675 P-2GS και 2532 CONJ ο 3588 T-NSM κοσμος 2889 N-NSM εμισησεν 3404 5656 V-AAI-3S αυτους 846 P-APM οτι 3754 CONJ ουκ 3756 PRT-N εισιν 1526 5748 V-PXI-3P εκ 1537 PREP του 3588 T-GSM κοσμου 2889 N-GSM καθως 2531 ADV εγω 1473 P-1NS ουκ 3756 PRT-N ειμι 1510 5748 V-PXI-1S εκ 1537 PREP του 3588 T-GSM κοσμου 2889 N-GSM
