Sought again to take him - They evidently understood him as still claiming equality with God, and under this impression Jesus left them. Nor can it be doubted that he intended to leave them with this impression; and if so, then he is divine.

He escaped - See John 8:59.

They sought again to take him - They could not reply to his arguments but by stones. The evidence of the truth could not be resisted; and they endeavored to destroy the person who spoke it. Truth may confound the obstinately wicked, but it does not convert them; and it is a just judgment of God, to leave those to perish in their gainsayings who obstinately continue to gainsay and disbelieve.

But he escaped - In such a way as we know not, for the evangelist has not specified the manner of it.

Therefore they sought again to take him,.... Not to take away his life by stoning him, as before, in the manner the furious zealots did, and was the part they were about to act just now; but to lay hold upon him and bring him before the sanhedrim, as they had done in John 5:18, he being so far from clearing himself from the charge of blasphemy, they had brought against him, that in their opinion he had greatly strengthened it; and they thought they had now sufficient proof and evidence to convict him as a blasphemer, in their high court of judicature; and therefore attempted to lay hands on him, and bring him thither:

but he escaped out of their hands; either by withdrawing from them in some private way; or by open force, exerting his power, and obliging them on every side to fall back, and give way to him; or by rendering himself invisible to them; and this he did, not through fear of death, but because his time was not yet come, and he had other work to do, before he suffered and died.

Again

Pointing back to John 7:30, John 7:32, John 7:44, where the word πιάσαι, to seize, is found.

Escaped out of (ἐξῆλθεν ἐκ)

Rev., literally, went forth out of. The phrase occurs only here.

{11} Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

(11) Christ flees danger, not because of mistrust, nor for fear of death, nor that he would be lazy, but to gather a Church in another place.

10:39 Therefore they sought again to take him. A few moments before they would have stoned him by mob violence (Joh 10:31), but when they had cooled somewhat they sought to arrest him.

Margin escaped

Or, went forth out of their hand. See, Lk 4:30 Jn 8:59.

39. Therefore they sought again to take him-true to their original understanding of His words, for they saw perfectly well that He meant to "make Himself God" throughout all this dialogue.

he escaped out of their hand-(See on [1826]Lu 4:30; Joh 8:59).

10:39-42 No weapon formed against our Lord Jesus shall prosper. He escaped, not because he was afraid to suffer, but because his hour was not come. And He who knew how to deliver himself, knows how to deliver the godly our of their temptations, and to make a way for them to escape. Persecutors may drive Christ and his gospel our of their own city or country, but they cannot drive him or it out of the world. When we know Christ by faith in our hearts, we find all that the Scripture saith of him is true.