John 7:26-53
Context7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, 1 and they are saying nothing to him. 2 Do the rulers really know that this man 3 is the Christ? 4 7:27 But we know where this man 5 comes from. 6 Whenever the Christ 7 comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 8
7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, 9 cried out, 10 “You both know me and know where I come from! 11 And I have not come on my own initiative, 12 but the one who sent me 13 is true. You do not know him, 14 7:29 but 15 I know him, because I have come from him 16 and he 17 sent me.”
7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, 18 but no one laid a hand on him, because his time 19 had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd 20 believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ 21 comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” 22
7:32 The Pharisees 23 heard the crowd 24 murmuring these things about Jesus, 25 so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers 26 to arrest him. 27 7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, 28 and then 29 I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me 30 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”
7:35 Then the Jewish leaders 31 said to one another, “Where is he 32 going to go that we cannot find him? 33 He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed 34 among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? 35 7:36 What did he mean by saying, 36 ‘You will look for me 37 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, 38 Jesus stood up and shouted out, 39 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. 40 Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him 41 will flow rivers of living water.’” 42 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, 43 because Jesus was not yet glorified.) 44
7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd 45 began to say, “This really 46 is the Prophet!” 47 7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” 48 But still others said, “No, 49 for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 50 7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant 51 of David 52 and comes from Bethlehem, 53 the village where David lived?” 54 7:43 So there was a division in the crowd 55 because of Jesus. 56 7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 57
7:45 Then the officers 58 returned 59 to the chief priests and Pharisees, 60 who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 61 7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, 62 “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 63 7:48 None of the rulers 64 or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 65 7:49 But this rabble 66 who do not know the law are accursed!”
7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus 67 before and who was one of the rulers, 68 said, 69 7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn 70 a man unless it first hears from him and learns 71 what he is doing, does it?” 72 7:52 They replied, 73 “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? 74 Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet 75 comes from Galilee!”
[7:26] 1 tn Or “speaking openly.”
[7:26] 2 sn 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.
[7:26] 4 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:27] 6 sn 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.
[7:27] 7 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:27] 8 sn 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.
[7:28] 10 tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”
[7:28] 11 sn 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.
[7:28] 12 tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”
[7:28] 13 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:28] 14 tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”
[7:29] 15 tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).
[7:29] 16 tn 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.
[7:29] 17 tn Grk “and that one.”
[7:30] 18 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:31] 20 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).
[7:31] 21 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:31] 22 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 it is “will he?”).
[7:32] 23 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:32] 24 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).
[7:32] 25 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:32] 26 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).
[7:32] 27 tn 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.
[7:33] 28 tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”
[7:33] 29 tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[7:35] 31 tn 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).
[7:35] 33 tn Grk “will not find him.”
[7:35] 34 sn 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.
[7:35] 35 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 “is he?”).
[7:36] 36 tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”
[7:37] 38 sn 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.
[7:37] 39 tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”
[7:38] 40 tn 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
[7:38] 41 tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”
[7:38] 42 sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.
[7:39] 43 tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT
[7:39] 44 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[7:40] 45 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:40] 47 sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.
[7:41] 48 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:41] 49 tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.
[7:41] 50 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 he?”).
[7:42] 51 tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).
[7:42] 52 sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.
[7:42] 53 sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.
[7:42] 54 tn Grk “the village where David was.”
[7:43] 55 tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:43] 56 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:44] 57 sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.
[7:45] 58 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).
[7:45] 60 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:45] 61 tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
[7:47] 62 tn Grk “answered them.”
[7:47] 63 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?”).
[7:48] 64 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).
[7:48] 65 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?”).
[7:49] 66 tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
[7:50] 67 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 68 tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 69 tn Grk “said to them.”
[7:51] 72 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?”).
[7:52] 73 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[7:52] 74 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?”).
[7:52] 75 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.
[7:53] 76 tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best