John Gill Commentary John 2:25

"and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man." — John 2:25 (ASV)

And needed not that any should testify of man
Of this or the other man, that he was a good or a bad man; he needed no proofs to be made, or testimonies bore, or evidence given of men's characters and actions; he was of quick understanding, and could distinguish at once between a wicked man and a good man; and so had the characteristic which the Jews require of the Messiah; for they rejected Bar Cozba from being the Messiah, and slew him, because he could not smell, referring to (Isaiah 11:3) , or discern a bad man from a good man ^F14 ; but this Jesus could do, without any external evidence:

for he knew what was in man ;
which none but the spirit of a man can know; his inward thoughts, the secrets of the heart; thus Christ knew the thoughts of the Scribes and Pharisees, (Matthew 9:4) , being a discerner of the thoughts, and intents of the heart, (Hebrews 4:12) . This Apollonius Tyaneus, the ape of Christ, ascribed to himself ^F15 ; but is what is peculiar to God; and Christ being God, knows all that is in man; that there is no good in him naturally, nothing but what comes from his Father, is imparted by himself, or implanted by his Spirit; he knows the wickedness there is in man, that his heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, and full of all manner of iniquities; he knows in what condition all the and faculties of the souls of men are; what their affections are set upon, on earthly or heavenly things; whether there is any light in their understandings, or not; whether their wills are subdued and resigned to the will of God, or not; whether their minds and consciences are defiled, or their hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience;

in short, whether the internal good work of grace is begun upon their souls, or not; and he knows the secret springs of all actions, good and bad; all which prove his true and proper deity, and show him to be a suitable Saviour of sinners, and qualify him to be the Judge of the whole earth.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 93. 2.
• F15: Philostrat. Vit. Apollonii, l. 1. c. 13.