SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:39
Escudriad las Escrituras; porque a vosotros os parece que en ellas tenis la vida eterna; y ellas son las que dan testimonio de mí.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 5:39
Verse 39. Search the Scriptures] ereunate tav grafav. This should be translated, not in the imperative, but in the indicative mood-thus, Ye search the Scriptures diligently. That these words are commonly read in the imperative mood is sufficiently known; but this reading can never accord well with the following verse, nor can the force and energy of the words be perceived by this version. The rabbins strongly recommend the study of the Scriptures. The Talmud, Tract. Shabbath, fol. 30, brings in God thus addressing David: "I am better pleased with one day in which thou sittest and studiest the law, than I shall be with a thousand sacrifices which thy son Solomon shall offer upon my altar." Perhaps the Scriptures were never more diligently searched than at that very time: first, because they were in expectation of the immediate appearing of the Messiah; secondly, because they wished to find out allegories in them; (see Philo;) and, thirdly, because they found these scriptures to contain the promise of an eternal life. He, said they, who studies daily in the law, is worthy to have a portion in the world to come, Sohar. Genes. fol. 31. Hence we may infer: 1st. That the Jews had the knowledge of a future state before the coming of Christ; and 2ndly. That they got that knowledge from the Old Testament Scriptures.
The word ereunate, which might be translated, Ye search diligently, is very expressive. Homer, IL. xviii. l. 321, applies it to a lion deprived of his whelps, who "scours the plains, and traces the footsteps of the man." And in ODYSS. xix. l. 436, to dogs tracing their game by the scent of the foot.
In the Septuagint, the verb ereunaw answers to the Hebrew pj chapash, to search by uncovering; to rqj chakar, to search minutely, to explore; to Pj chashaph, to strip, make bare; and to m mashash, to feel, search by feeling. It is compounded of erew, I seek, and eunh, a bed; "and is, "says St. Chrysostom, "a metaphor taken from those who dig deep, and search for metals in the bowels of the earth. They look for the bed where the metal lies, and break every clod, and sift and examine the whole, in order to discover the ore." Those who read the verse in the imperative mood consider it an exhortation to the diligent study of the Sacred Writings. Search; that is, shake and sift them, as the word also signifies: search narrowly, till the true force and meaning of every sentence, yea, of every word and syllable, nay, of every letter and yod therein, be known and understood. Confer place with place; the scope of one place with that of another; things going before with things coming after: compare word with word, letter with letter, and search the whole thoroughly. See Parkhurst, Mintert, and Leigh.
Leaving every translation of the present passage out of the question, this is the proper method of reading and examining the Scriptures, so as to become wise unto salvation through them.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 39. Search the Scriptures , etc.] The writings of Moses, and the prophets, which were of divine inspiration and authority, and are often appealed unto by Christ, and his apostles, for the truth of what they delivered; and were the standard of faith, and the test of doctrines; and therefore to be searched diligently into, for finding divine knowledge and improvement in it, and for the trial of doctrines. The words may be rendered in the indicative, as an assertion, ye do search the Scriptures: the Jews had the sacred oracles committed to them, and these they read, not only their kings, princes, and judges, but the common people, who brought up their children to the reading of them, and instructed them in them: and besides this, these writings were read, and expounded publicly in their synagogues every sabbath day; and at this time especially these records were examined, and particularly those of them which respected the Messiah, since there was now a general expectation of him: and certain it is, that the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, or the sanhedrim, were very much versed in the Scriptures, and could readily refer to those which concerned the Messiah; see an instance of this in ( Matthew 2:4-6); for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; not the doctrine of eternal life, nor the promises of it, nor the way to it; though all these are contained in them, and pointed out by them: for though life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel, and the promise of eternal life belongs to the covenant of grace, and the way of life and righteousness by Christ is manifested without the law, and not by it; yet there is much of the Gospel, and an exhibition of the covenant of grace, and its promises, and Christ, the way of life, is directed to typically by the tree of life, and the brazen serpent, and other things in those writings. But the meaning here is, that they imagined, by having these writings in their hands, and by their reading them, and hearing them expounded every sabbath day, they should obtain and inherit everlasting life: hence they call the law eternal life, and say concerning the reading of it, that he that begins to read in the book of the law is obliged to bless after this manner: blessed be he that has chosen us above all nations, and hath given us his law. And he that finishes blesses after him in this manner: blessed is he who hath given us his law, the law of truth, and has planted eternal life in the midst of us.
This was an opinion of theirs: so the Persic version reads, for such is your opinion; and though this was a very vain one, yet it shows what a very high opinion they had of the Scriptures: and now to these our Lord appeals as witnesses for him, and against which they could not object, upon their own principles: and they are they which testify of me ; as they do of his proper deity and divine sonship, calling him Jehovah, God, the mighty God, and the Son of God; and of his offices as prophet, priest, and King; and of his incarnation of a virgin; and of the tribe, family, and place of his birth; of the miracles which he should work; of the treatment he should meet with from men; of his sufferings and death; of the circumstances leading on to them, and attending them; as his riding on an ass into Jerusalem, the betraying him by one of his familiar acquaintance, the selling him for thirty pieces of silver, the spitting upon, and scourging him, giving him gall for his meat, and vinegar for his drink, and parting his garments, and casting lots for his vesture, and the crucifixion of him, and that between two thieves; and of his burial, resurrection from the dead, ascension to heaven, and session at the right hand of God, and of his future coming to judgment.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 39-44 - The Jews considered that eternal life was revealed to them in their Scriptures, and that they had it, because they had the word of God in their hands. Jesus urged them to search those Scriptures with mor diligence and attention. "Ye do search the Scriptures," and ye do wel to do so. They did indeed search the Scriptures, but it was with a vie to their own glory. It is possible for men to be very studious in the letter of the Scriptures, yet to be strangers to its power. Or, "Searc the Scriptures," and so it was spoken to them in the nature of a appeal. Ye profess to receive and believe the Scripture, let that be the judge. It is spoken to us as advising or commanding all Christian to search the Scriptures. Not only read them, and hear them, but searc them; which denotes diligence in examining and studying them. We mus search the Scriptures for heaven as our great end; For in them ye thin ye have eternal life. We must search the Scriptures for Christ, as the new and living Way, that leads to this end. To this testimony Chris adds reproofs of their unbelief and wickedness; their neglect of his and his doctrine. Also he reproves their want of the love of God. But there is life with Jesus Christ for poor souls. Many who make a grea profession of religion, yet show they want the love of God, by their neglect of Christ and contempt of his commandments. It is the love of God in us, the love that is a living, active principle in the heart which God will accept. They slighted and undervalued Christ, becaus they admired and overvalued themselves. How can those believe, who make the praise and applause of men their idol! When Christ and his followers are men wondered at, how can those believe, the utmost of whose ambition is to make a fair show in the flesh!
Greek Textus Receptus
ερευνατε 2045 5719 V-PAI-2P 2045 5720 V-PAM-2P τας 3588 T-APF γραφας 1124 N-APF οτι 3754 CONJ υμεις 5210 P-2NP δοκειτε 1380 5719 V-PAI-2P εν 1722 PREP αυταις 846 P-DPF ζωην 2222 N-ASF αιωνιον 166 A-ASF εχειν 2192 5721 V-PAN και 2532 CONJ εκειναι 1565 D-NPF εισιν 1526 5748 V-PXI-3P αι 3588 T-NPF μαρτυρουσαι 3140 5723 V-PAP-NPF περι 4012 PREP εμου 1700 P-1GS
Vincent's NT Word Studies
39. Search (ereunate). Rev., rightly, ye search. Jesus is appealing to a familiar practice of which for in them ye think is explanatory. See 1 Peter i. 11; Rom. viii. 27; 1 Cor. ii. 10; Apoc. ii. 23.The scriptures (tav grafav). Literally, the writings; possibly with a hint at the contrast with the word (ver. 38).
They (ekeinai). Those very scriptures.
