John 7:46-49

7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ¹  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ²  7:48 None of the rulers ³  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ⁴  7:49 But this rabble ⁵  who do not know the law are accursed!”

[7:47]  ¹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.