{He saved others; himself he cannot save} (allous es(9373)en;
heauton ou dunatai s(9373)ai). The sarcasm is true, though they do
not know its full significance. If he had saved himself now, he
could not have saved any one. The paradox is precisely the
philosophy of life proclaimed by Jesus himself ( Mt 10:39 ). {Let
him now come down} (katabat(9320)nun). Now that he is a condemned
criminal nailed to the Cross with the claim of being "the King of
Israel" (the Jews) over his head. Their spiteful assertion that
they would then believe upon Jesus (ep' auton) is plainly
untrue. They would have shifted their ground and invented some
other excuse. When Jesus wrought his greatest miracles, they
wanted "a sign from heaven." These "pious scoffers" (Bruce) are
like many today who make factitious and arbitrary demands of
Christ whose character and power and deity are plain to all whose
eyes are not blinded by the god of this world. Christ will not
give new proofs to the blind in heart.