Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
He hath borne witness (ekeinov memarturhken). Ekeinov (that one; cf. John 5:35, John 5:38), not autov. Perfect active indicative of marturew, the direct witness of the Father, besides the indirect witness of the works. Jesus is not speaking of the voice of the Father at his baptism (Mark 1:11), the transfiguration (Mark 9:7), nor even at the time of the visit of the Greeks (John 12:28). This last voice was heard by many who thought it was thunder or an angel. The language of Jesus refers to the witness of the Father in the heart of the believers as is made plain in I John 5:9-10. God's witness does not come by audible "voice" (fwnhn) nor visible "form" (eidov). Cf. John 1:18; John 6:46; I John 4:12. Akhkoate is perfect active indicative of akouw, to hear, and ewrakate is perfect active indicative of oraw, to see. It is a permanent state of failure to hear and see God. The experience of Jacob in Peniel (Genesis 32:30) was unusual, but Jesus will say that those who have seen him have seen the Father (John 14:9), but here he means the Father's "voice" and "form" as distinct from the Son.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 5:37:
John 1:18
John 5:31
John 5:32
John 5:33
John 6:27
John 7:16
John 8:13
John 8:17
John 8:19
1 Thessalonians 5:22
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