John 13:32

If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) If God be glorified in him.—These words are omitted by a majority of the best MSS.

God shall also glorify him in himself.—The tense now changes to the future, and the glory thought of is that of the Father’s throne. The words “in Himself,” refer to “God,” not to “the Son of Man.” The thought is that the humiliation by which God is manifested to the world is the glory of God in the person of the Son of Man, and that this shall be followed by the glory of the Son of Man in the person of God, not simply and generally by His return to the glory of the pre-incarnate state, but by His return to it as the Son of Man. (Comp. Notes on John 17:4-5.)

And shall straightway glorify him.—This accounts for the present tense of the last verse. The whole is present to His mind as occurring forthwith.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:31-35 Christ had been glorified in many miracles he wrought, yet he speaks of his being glorified now in his sufferings, as if that were more than all his other glories in his humbled state. Satisfaction was thereby made for the wrong done to God by the sin of man. We cannot now follow our Lord to his heavenly happiness, but if we truly believe in him, we shall follow him hereafter; meanwhile we must wait his time, and do his work. Before Christ left the disciples, he would give them a new commandment. They were to love each other for Christ's sake, and according to his example, seeking what might benefit others, and promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one soul. But this commandment still appears new to many professors. Men in general notice any of Christ's words rather than these. By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If God be glorified in him - If God is honored by him. If the life and death of the Messiah be such as to lead to the honor of God, such as shall manifest its perfections, and show his goodness, truth, and justice, then he will show that he thus approves his work.

God shall also glorify him - He will honor the Messiah. He will not suffer him to go without a proper attestation of his acceptance, and of the honor that God puts on him. Jesus here confidently anticipated that the Father would show that he was pleased with what he had done. He did it in the miracles that attended his death, in his resurrection, ascension, exaltation, and in the success of the gospel. We may remark that God will always, in the proper time and way, manifest his approbation of those who live so as to promote the honor of his name.

In himself - Or by himself; by a direct and public expression of his approbation. Not by the ministry of angels or by any other subordinate attestation, but by an expression that shall be direct from him. This was done by his direct interposition in his resurrection and ascension to heaven.

Shall straightway - Immediately, or without delay. This refers to the fact that the time when God would put this honor on him was at hand. His death, resurrection, and ascension were near.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32. If God be glorified in him, God shall also—in return and reward of this highest of all services ever rendered to Him, or capable of being rendered.

glorify him in himself, and … straightway glorify him—referring now to the Resurrection and Exaltation of Christ after this service was over, including all the honor and glory then put upon Him, and that will for ever encircle Him as Head of the new creation.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

God was glorified in Christ by his death upon the cross in obedience to his Father’s will; (thus Peter, John 21:19, is said by his death to glorify God); and as he was declared to be the Son of God; and as by him the world was brought to the knowledge of God, as by his spiritual and heavenly doctrine, so by the miracles he wrought. From hence our Lord concludes, that God should glorify Christ in himself; so as the glory of the Father and the Son are the same, they are mutually glorified each in other: if the Son be glorified, the Father is also glorified; and if the Father be glorified, the Son is also glorified; the Father and the Son are mutually glorified each in other. And the Father (saith our Saviour) in a short time will further glorify him, by taking him up into heaven, and making the whole person of the Mediator glorious in heaven.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

If God be glorified in him,.... Seeing this is a certain truth, is indisputably matter of fact, that all the perfections of God are glorified in Christ, by his sufferings and death:

God shall also glorify him in himself; either "with himself"; with his own glory, which was promised to Christ, and which he had before the world was, and for which he prays, John 17:5, or by himself: by his own power, in raising him from the dead, setting him at his own right hand, and crowning him with glory and honour:

and shall straightway glorify him; this he will do very quickly, he will not leave him in the grave, nor suffer him to see corruption; he will raise him again the third day, and give him glory.

Geneva Study Bible

If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 13:32. Necessarily therefore when He is glorified ὁ Θεὸς ἐδοξάσθη ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ ὁ Θεὸς δοξάσει αὐτὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ. God is more definitely named as the source of the glorification of the Son of Man; and as God was glorified “in” Jesus, so shall Jesus be glorified “in” God. It is not only παρὰ σεαυτῷ, as in John 17:5, but ἐν ἑαυτῷ, which does not merely mean that He will be taken up into the eternal blessedness of God, but that His glory will be the Divine glory itself.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. If God be glorified in him] These words are omitted in the best MSS., and though they might easily be left out accidentally owing to the repetition, yet they spoil the balance and rhythm of the clauses.

God shall also glorify him] Better, And God shall glorify Him. This refers to the heavenly glory which He had with the Father before the world was. Hence the future tense: the glory of completing the work of redemption has already begun; that of departing to the Father as the Son of Man and returning to the Father as the Son of God will straightway follow.

in himself] i.e. in God: as God is glorified in the Messianic work of the Son, so the Son shall be glorified in the eternal blessedness of the Father. Comp. John 17:4-5; Php 2:9.—Between this verse and the next some would insert the institution of the Eucharist.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 13:32. Δοξάσει, shall glorify) by His being lifted up. The connection of the if with the also is striking. Comp. Colossians 3:3-4, “Your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory.”—ἐν ἑαυτῷ, in His own self) This is correlative to ἐν αὐτῷ.

John 13:32

Vincent's Word Studies

If God be glorified in Him

The most ancient authorities omit.

In Himself (ἐν ἑαυτῷ)

His glory will be contained in and identified with the divine glory. Compare "the glory which I had with thee," παρὰ σοί (John 17:5). Ἑν in, indicates unity of being; παρά with, unity of position.