Discovery BoxJohn 7:15-24
Context7:15 Then the Jewish leaders 1 were astonished 2 and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 3 7:16 So Jesus replied, 4 “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 5 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, 6 he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. 7 7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority 8 desires 9 to receive honor 10 for himself; the one who desires 11 the honor 12 of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, 13 and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps 14 the law! Why do you want 15 to kill me?”
7:20 The crowd 16 answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! 17 Who is trying to kill you?” 18 7:21 Jesus replied, 19 “I performed one miracle 20 and you are all amazed. 21 7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision 22 (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child 23 on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child 24 is circumcised 25 on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, 26 why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well 27 on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, 28 but judge with proper 29 judgment.”
[7:15] 1 tn 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.
[7:15] 2 tn 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.
[7:15] 3 tn 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).
[7:16] 4 tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:16] 5 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:17] 8 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
[7:18] 10 tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”
[7:18] 12 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 14 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 15 tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”
[7:19] 13 tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”
[7:20] 16 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).
[7:20] 17 tn Grk “You have a demon!”
[7:20] 18 tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”
[7:21] 19 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:21] 20 tn Grk “I did one deed.”
[7:21] 21 sn 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.)
[7:22] 22 tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”
[7:22] 23 tn 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.
[7:23] 25 tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.
[7:23] 26 tn Grk “receives circumcision.”
[7:23] 27 sn 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.
[7:23] 28 tn Or “made an entire man well.”
