{The same} (houtos). "This one." {By night} (
uktos).
Genitive of time. That he came at all is remarkable, not because
there was any danger as was true at a later period, but because
of his own prominence. He wished to avoid comment by other
members of the Sanhedrin and others. Jesus had already provoked
the opposition of the ecclesiastics by his assumption of
Messianic authority over the temple. There is no ground for
assigning this incident to a later period, for it suits perfectly
here. Jesus was already in the public eye ( 2:23 ) and the
interest of Nicodemus was real and yet he wished to be cautious.
{Rabbi} (Rabbei). See on 氣:38|. Technically Jesus was not an
acknowledged Rabbi of the schools, but Nicodemus does recognize
him as such and calls him "My Master" just as Andrew and John did
( 1:38 ). It was a long step for Nicodemus as a Pharisee to take,
for the Pharisees had closely scrutinized the credentials of the
Baptist in  1:19-24  (Milligan and Moulton's _Comm_.). {We know}
(oidamen). Second perfect indicative first person plural. He
seems to speak for others of his class as the blind man does in
 9:31 . Westcott thinks that Nicodemus has been influenced partly
by the report of the commission sent to the Baptist ( 1:19-27 ).
{Thou art a teacher come from God} (apo theou el(886c)uthas
didaskalos). "Thou hast come from God as a teacher." Second
perfect active indicative of erchomai and predicative
nominative didaskalos. This is the explanation of Nicodemus for
coming to Jesus, obscure Galilean peasant as he seemed, evidence
that satisfied one of the leaders in Pharisaism. {Can do}
(dunatai poiein). "Can go on doing" (present active infinitive
of poie(935c) and so linear). {These signs that thou doest} (	auta
ta s(886d)eia ha su poieis). Those mentioned in  2:23  that
convinced so many in the crowd and that now appeal to the
scholar. Note su (thou) as quite out of the ordinary. The scorn
of Jesus by the rulers held many back to the end ( Joh 12:42 ),
but Nicodemus dares to feel his way. {Except God be with him}
(ean m(8820)(8869) ho theos met' autou). Condition of the third class,
presented as a probability, not as a definite fact. He wanted to
know more of the teaching accredited thus by God. Jesus went
about doing good because God was with him, Peter says ( Ac
10:38 ).