John 6:30

Sign. Gr. semeion, the same word translated “miracles” in v. 26. See pp. 208, 209. Jesus’ questioners had already seen the miracle of the loaves and fishes and had come to believe that He was the Messiah, but because He did not fulfill their expectation of what the Messiah would do, they had become disappointed. Now as He began to probe into the true condition of their hearts and to demand that they believe in spite of their disappointment, they clamored for an added miracle. Their attitude in making this demand is probably the same as that indicated by an ancient Jewish commentary on Deut. 18:19, which says: “If a prophet begins to prophesy and gives a sign and wonder, then men listen to him; but if not, then men do not listen to him” (Siphre Deuteronomy 18, 19, sec. 177 [108a], cited in Strack and Billerbeck, Kommentar zum Neuen Testament, vol. 1, p. 727).

We may ... believe thee. Gr. pisteusomen soi. This statement is in sharp contrast with Jesus’ admonition in v. 29, pisteusete eis hort, “ye believe on him whom” God sent. Jesus had declared that they should believe on Him; the Jews replied by demanding a miracle so that they might believe Him, that is, believe what He told them. Once again they failed to realize that salvation lies not simply in intellectual assent but more importantly in union by faith with a Person.