Charles Ellicott Commentary John 17:5

"And now, Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." — John 17:5 (ASV)

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self.—These words are exactly parallel with the commencement of the previous verse: “I,” “Thou,” “Thee—Me,” “on earth,” “with Thine own self.” .

With the glory which I had with thee before the world was.—This clause admits of but one meaning: namely, that Jesus claimed for Himself the possession of the divine glory in His pre-existent state before the world was, and that He claimed this in personality distinct from, but in essence one with God. (John 1:18, and on the whole passage, Notes on Philippians 2:4-9).

The special importance of the thought here is that it is uttered in the words of Christ Himself, and that these words are a prayer to the Father.

There can be no explanation of John 17:1-5 of this chapter which denies that our Lord Jesus Christ claimed for Himself that He was divine and co-eternal with the Father.