This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God; for no man can do these signs which thou dost, unless God be with him.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
came to Jesus by night--One of those superficial "believers" mentioned in Joh 2:23-24, yet inwardly craving further satisfaction, Nicodemus comes to Jesus in quest of it, but comes "by night" (see Joh 19:38-39; Joh 12:42); he avows his conviction that He was come from God--an expression never applied to a merely human messenger, and probably meaning more here--but only as "a teacher," and in His miracles he sees a proof merely that "God is with Him." Thus, while unable to repress his convictions, he is afraid of committing himself too far.
Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.