7:45 Then the officers 1 returned 2 to the chief priests and Pharisees, 3 who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 4 7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, 5 “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 6 7:48 None of the rulers 7 or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 8 7:49 But this rabble 9 who do not know the law are accursed!”
7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus 10 before and who was one of the rulers, 11 said, 12 7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn 13 a man unless it first hears from him and learns 14 what he is doing, does it?” 15 7:52 They replied, 16 “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? 17 Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet 18 comes from Galilee!”
1 tn 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).
2 tn Grk “came.”
3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
4 tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
5 tn Grk “answered them.”
6 tn 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?”).
7 sn 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).
8 tn 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?”).
9 tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
10 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11 tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
12 tn Grk “said to them.”
13 tn Grk “judge.”
14 tn Grk “knows.”
15 tn 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 it?”).
16 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
17 tn 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 “are you?”).
18 tc At least one early and important ms (Ì66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.