{At that season Jesus answered and said} (en ekein(9369) t(9369)
kair(9369) apokritheis eipen). Spoke to his Father in audible voice.
The time and place we do not know. But here we catch a glimpse of
Jesus in one of his moods of worship. "It is usual to call this
golden utterance a prayer, but it is at once prayer, praise, and
self-communing in a devout spirit" (Bruce). Critics are disturbed
because this passage from the Logia of Jesus or Q of Synoptic
criticism ( Mt 11:25-30  Lu 10:21-24 ) is so manifestly Johannine
in spirit and very language, "the Father" (ho pat(8872)), "the son"
(ho huios), whereas the Fourth Gospel was not written till the
close of the first century and the Logia was written before the
Synoptic Gospels. The only satisfying explanation lies in the
fact that Jesus did have this strain of teaching that is
preserved in John's Gospel. Here he is in precisely the same mood
of elevated communion with the Father that we have reflected in
John 14 to 17. Even Harnack is disposed to accept this Logion as
a genuine saying of Jesus. The word "thank" (homologoumai) is
better rendered "praise" (Moffatt). Jesus praises the Father "not
that the sophoi were ignorant, but that the 
(8870)ioi knew"
(McNeile).