John 7:1-49

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this¹ Jesus traveled throughout Galilee.² He³ stayed out of Judea⁴ because the Jewish leaders⁵ wanted⁶ to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles⁷ was near.⁸ 7:3 So Jesus’ brothers⁹ advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing.¹⁰ 7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself¹¹ does anything in secret.¹² If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.)¹³

7:6 So Jesus replied,¹⁴ “My time¹⁵ has not yet arrived,¹⁶ but you are ready at any opportunity!¹⁷ 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up¹⁸ to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast¹⁹ because my time²⁰ has not yet fully arrived.”²¹ 7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus²² himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders²³ were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?”²⁴ 7:12 There was²⁵ a lot of grumbling²⁶ about him among the crowds.²⁷ Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.”²⁸ 7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders.²⁹

Teaching in the Temple

7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts³⁰ and began to teach.³¹ 7:15 Then the Jewish leaders³² were astonished³³ and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”³⁴ 7:16 So Jesus replied,³⁵ “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me.³⁶ 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will,³⁷ he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.³⁸ 7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority³⁹ desires⁴⁰ to receive honor⁴¹ for himself; the one who desires⁴² the honor⁴³ of the one who sent him is a man of integrity,⁴⁴ and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps⁴⁵ the law! Why do you want⁴⁶ to kill me?”

7:20 The crowd⁴⁷ answered, “You’re possessed by a demon!⁴⁸ Who is trying to kill you?”⁴⁹ 7:21 Jesus replied,⁵⁰ “I performed one miracle⁵¹ and you are all amazed.⁵² 7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision⁵³ (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child⁵⁴ on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child⁵⁵ is circumcised⁵⁶ on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken,⁵⁷ why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well⁵⁸ on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance,⁵⁹ but judge with proper⁶⁰ judgment.”

Questions About Jesus’ Identity

7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem⁶¹ began to say, “Isn’t this the man⁶² they are trying⁶³ to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly,⁶⁴ and they are saying nothing to him.⁶⁵ Do the rulers really know that this man⁶⁶ is the Christ?⁶⁷ 7:27 But we know where this man⁶⁸ comes from.⁶⁹ Whenever the Christ⁷⁰ comes, no one will know where he comes from.”⁷¹

7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts,⁷² cried out,⁷³ “You both know me and know where I come from!⁷⁴ And I have not come on my own initiative,⁷⁵ but the one who sent me⁷⁶ is true. You do not know him,⁷⁷ 7:29 but⁷⁸ I know him, because I have come from him⁷⁹ and he⁸⁰ sent me.”

7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus,⁸¹ but no one laid a hand on him, because his time⁸² had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd⁸³ believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ⁸⁴ comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?”⁸⁵

7:32 The Pharisees⁸⁶ heard the crowd⁸⁷ murmuring these things about Jesus,⁸⁸ so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers⁸⁹ to arrest him.⁹⁰ 7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer,⁹¹ and then⁹² I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me⁹³ but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders⁹⁴ said to one another, “Where is he⁹⁵ going to go that we cannot find him?⁹⁶ He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed⁹⁷ among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?⁹⁸ 7:36 What did he mean by saying,⁹⁹ ‘You will look for me¹⁰⁰ but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day,¹⁰¹ Jesus stood up and shouted out,¹⁰² “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink.¹⁰³ Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him¹⁰⁴ will flow rivers of living water.’”¹⁰⁵ 7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given,¹⁰⁶ because Jesus was not yet glorified.)¹⁰⁷

Differing Opinions About Jesus

7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd¹⁰⁸ began to say, “This really¹⁰⁹ is the Prophet!”¹¹⁰ 7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!”¹¹¹ But still others said, “No,¹¹² for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he?¹¹³ 7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant¹¹⁴ of David¹¹⁵ and comes from Bethlehem,¹¹⁶ the village where David lived?”¹¹⁷ 7:43 So there was a division in the crowd¹¹⁸ because of Jesus.¹¹⁹ 7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.¹²⁰

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers¹²¹ returned¹²² to the chief priests and Pharisees,¹²³ who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?”¹²⁴ 7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered,¹²⁵ “You haven’t been deceived too, have you?¹²⁶ 7:48 None of the rulers¹²⁷ or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?¹²⁸ 7:49 But this rabble¹²⁹ who do not know the law are accursed!”

¹sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

²tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

³tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

⁴tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

⁵tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

⁶tn Grk “were seeking.”

⁷tn Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.

⁸sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (a.d. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in a.d. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus’ final departure from Galilee.

⁹tn Grk “his brothers.”

¹⁰tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

¹¹tn Or “seeks to be well known.”

¹²sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)

¹³sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁴tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

¹⁵tn Or “my opportunity.”

¹⁶tn Or “is not yet here.”

¹⁷tn Grk “your time is always ready.”

¹⁸sn One always speaks of “going up” to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as “down” (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.

¹⁹tc Most mss (Ì^66,75 B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” (οὔπω, oupw) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive (א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10. On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk. However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8, the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10) with his disciples.

²⁰tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.

²¹tn Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”

²²tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²³tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

²⁴tn Grk “Where is that one?”

²⁵tn Grk “And there was.”

²⁶tn Or “complaining.”

²⁷tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

²⁸tn Or “the crowd.”

²⁹tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

³⁰tn Grk “to the temple.”

³¹tn Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.

³²tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

³³tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

³⁴tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

³⁵tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

³⁶tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

³⁷tn Grk “his will.”

³⁸tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

³⁹tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

⁴⁰tn Or “seeks.”

⁴¹tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

⁴²tn Or “seeks.”

⁴³tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

⁴⁴tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

⁴⁵tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

⁴⁶tn Grk “seek.”

⁴⁷tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).

⁴⁸tn Grk “You have a demon!”

⁴⁹tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”

⁵⁰tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

⁵¹tn Grk “I did one deed.”

⁵²sn The “one miracle” that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)

⁵³tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

⁵⁴tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.

⁵⁵tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.

⁵⁶tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

⁵⁷sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca. a.d. 100) states: “If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the 248 members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall the saving of the whole body suspend the Sabbath?” So absolutely binding did rabbinic Judaism regard the command of Lev 12:3 to circumcise on the eighth day, that in the Mishnah m. Shabbat 18.3; 19.1, 2; and m. Nedarim 3.11 all hold that the command to circumcise overrides the command to observe the Sabbath.

⁵⁸tn Or “made an entire man well.”

⁵⁹tn Or “based on sight.”

⁶⁰tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”

⁶¹map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁶²tn Grk “Is it not this one.”

⁶³tn Grk “seeking.”

⁶⁴tn Or “speaking openly.”

⁶⁵sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.

⁶⁶tn Grk “this one.”

⁶⁷tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

⁶⁸tn Grk “this one.”

⁶⁹sn We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus’ origins were readily available for any reader who didn’t know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.

⁷⁰tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

⁷¹sn The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: The scribes summoned by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.

⁷²tn Grk “the temple.”

⁷³tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”

⁷⁴sn You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus’ response while teaching in the temple is difficult – it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: “So you know me and know where I am from, do you?” On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: He came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.

⁷⁵tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”

⁷⁶tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

⁷⁷tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”

⁷⁸tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).

⁷⁹tn The preposition παρά (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.

⁸⁰tn Grk “and that one.”

⁸¹tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸²tn Grk “his hour.”

⁸³tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).

⁸⁴tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

⁸⁵tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).

⁸⁶sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

⁸⁷tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).

⁸⁸tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁸⁹tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

⁹⁰tn Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.

⁹¹tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”

⁹²tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

⁹³tn Grk “seek me.”

⁹⁴tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

⁹⁵tn Grk “this one.”

⁹⁶tn Grk “will not find him.”

⁹⁷sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.

⁹⁸tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).

⁹⁹tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”

¹⁰⁰tn Grk “seek me.”

¹⁰¹sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.

¹⁰²tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

¹⁰³tn An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: “The Lord will continually lead you, he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.” Other passages which have been suggested are Prov 4:23 and 5:15; Isa 44:3 and 55:1; Ezek 47:1 ff.; Joel 3:18; and Zech 13:1 and 14:8. The meaning in this case is that when anyone comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life are fulfilled. “When the believer comes to Christ and drinks he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him” (L. Morris, John [NICNT], 424-25). In other words, with this view, the believer himself becomes the source of the living water. This is the traditional understanding of the passage, often called the “Eastern interpretation” following Origen, Athanasius, and the Greek Fathers. It is supported by such modern scholars as Barrett, Behm, Bernard, Cadman, Carson, R. H. Lightfoot, Lindars, Michaelis, Morris, Odeberg, Schlatter, Schweizer, C. H. Turner, M. M. B. Turner, Westcott, and Zahn. In addition it is represented by the following Greek texts and translations: KJV, RSV, NASB, NA²⁷, and UBS⁴. D. A. Carson, John, 322-29, has a thorough discussion of the issues and evidence although he opts for the previous interpretation. There is another interpretation possible, however, called the “Western interpretation” because of patristic support by Justin, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus. Modern scholars who favor this view are Abbott, Beasley-Murray, Bishop, Boismard, Braun, Brown, Bullinger, Bultmann, Burney, Dodd, Dunn, Guilding, R. Harris, Hoskyns, Jeremias, Loisy, D. M. Stanley, Thüsing, N. Turner, and Zerwick. This view is represented by the translation in the RSV margin and by the NEB. It is also sometimes called the “christological interpretation” because it makes Jesus himself the source of the living water in v. 38, by punctuating as follows: (37b) ἐάν τι διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω (38) ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ. Καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of αὐτοῦ (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì⁶⁶ does place a full stop after πινέτω (pinetw), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ. Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10, of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” (16:7). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4. Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.

¹⁰⁴tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”

¹⁰⁵sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.

¹⁰⁶tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

¹⁰⁷sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁰⁸tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

¹⁰⁹tn Or “truly.”

¹¹⁰sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

¹¹¹tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

¹¹²tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.

¹¹³tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).

¹¹⁴tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

¹¹⁵sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

¹¹⁶sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

¹¹⁷tn Grk “the village where David was.”

¹¹⁸tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

¹¹⁹tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹²⁰sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.

¹²¹tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

¹²²tn Grk “came.”

¹²³sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

¹²⁴tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

¹²⁵tn Grk “answered them.”

¹²⁶tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).

¹²⁷sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

¹²⁸tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

¹²⁹tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.