John 1:40-42 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

One of the two who heard John speak In the manner above related; was Andrew And probably this evangelist, John, was the other, it being his custom to conceal his own name in his writings. He Andrew; first findeth his own brother Simon Simon may perhaps be here called Andrew's own brother, to distinguish him from some other person that belonged to the family, who possibly might be his brother-in- law, or related to him only in half-blood. Peter was so remarkable a person, that it was proper to mention who was the first means of bringing him acquainted with Christ; and if John was the other disciple that is here referred to, he might intend this as an humble intimation that Andrew's zeal was, in this respect, greater than his own. We see here, that Peter was not the first of Christ's disciples, but that another was the means of bringing him to an acquaintance with him. In that respect, therefore, the Papists have no room for glorying. And saith unto him, We have found the Messiah It seems the Baptist's testimony, joined with the proofs offered by Christ himself, in the long conversation which the two disciples had with him, fully convinced Andrew. And he brought him to Jesus That by conversing with him he might be satisfied of the truth of what he had told him. And when Jesus beheld him Εμβλεψας αυτω, looking steadfastly upon him, as if he had read in his countenance the traces of his character, and of his future service in the church; he said, Thou art Simon Though Jesus had never seen Simon before, and no one had told him his name or his parentage, immediately on his coming in Jesus saluted him by his own and his father's name, which could not but greatly strike Peter. He added, Thou shalt be called Cephas, which Says the evangelist, (for they are his, and not Christ's words,) is by interpretation, a stone Or rock, that is, it signifies the same in the Syriac which the word Peter does in Greek. It must be observed, to account for the insertion of this explanatory clause, that John “wrote his gospel in Greek, and in a Grecian city of Asia Minor; and therefore was the more careful to translate into Greek the Hebrew, Chaldee, or Syriac names, given for a special purpose, whereof they were expressive. And there was the greater reason for doing so in the two cases occurring in this and the preceding verse, as the Greek names were become familiar to the Asiatic converts, who were unacquainted with the oriental names. The sacred writer had a two-fold view in it: 1st, To explain the import of the name; 2d, To prevent his readers from mistaking the persons spoken of. They all knew who, as well as what, was meant by Χριστος, Christ, but not by the Hebrew word, Messiah. In like manner, they knew who was called Peter, but might very readily have mistaken Cephas for some other person.” Campbell.