John 7 is the seventh chapter of the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...

in the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

of the

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. It recounts Jesus' visit to

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

for the

feast of Tabernacles Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Feast of Booths, is a Torah-commanded Jewish holiday celebrated for seven days, beginning on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. It is one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals on which Israel ...

, the possibility of his

arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be question ...

and debate as to whether he is the

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

. The author of the book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

composed this

Gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

. Alfred Plummer, in the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges, describes this chapter as "very important for the estimate of the fourth Gospel. In it the scene of the Messianic crisis shifts from

Galilee Galilee (; ; ; ) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon consisting of two parts: the Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and the Lower Galilee (, ; , ). ''Galilee'' encompasses the area north of the Mount Carmel-Mount Gilboa ridge and ...

to Jerusalem; and, as we should naturally expect, the crisis itself becomes hotter. The divisions, the doubts, the hopes, the jealousies, and the

casuistry Casuistry ( ) is a process of reasoning that seeks to resolve moral problems by extracting or extending abstract rules from a particular case, and reapplying those rules to new instances. This method occurs in applied ethics and jurisprudence. ...

of the Jews are vividly portrayed."Plummer, A. (1902), Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
on John 7
accessed 25 April 2016 to is sometimes referred to as the "Tabernacles Discourse".

Raymond E. Brown Raymond Edward Brown (May 22, 1928 – August 8, 1998) was an American Sulpician priest and prominent biblical scholar. He was a specialist on the hypothetical Johannine community, which he speculated contributed to the authorship of the Gosp ...

describes the Tabernacles Discourse as "a polemic collection of what Jesus said in replies to attacks by the Jewish authorities on his claims".

Text

The original text was written in

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

. Some early

manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has c ...

containing the text of this chapter are: *

Papyrus 75 Papyrus 75 (formerly Papyrus Bodmer XIV– XV, now Hanna Papyrus 1), is an early Greek New Testament manuscript written on papyrus containing text from the Gospel of Luke 3:18–24:53, and John 1:1–15:8. It is designated by the siglum in the ...

(AD 175–225) * Papyrus 66 ( 200) *

Codex Vaticanus The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Old Testament and the majority of the New Testament. It is designated by siglum B or 03 in the Gregory-Aland numb ...

(325–350) *

Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (; Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), also called the Sinai Bible, is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old Testament, including the deuterocanonica ...

(330–360) *

Codex Bezae The Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis is a bi-lingual Greek and Latin manuscript of the New Testament written in an uncial hand on parchment. It is designated by the siglum D or 05 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and � ...

( 400) *

Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible,The Greek Bible in this context refers to the Bible used by Greek-speaking Christians who lived in Egypt and elsewhere during the early ...

(400–440) *

Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) is a manuscript of the Greek Bible, written on parchment. It is designated by the siglum C or 04 in the Biblical manuscript#Gregory-Aland, Gregory-Aland numbering of New ...

( 450; extant verses 1–2)

Old Testament references

* : * : * : * : * : * : * : * : ;

Sub-divisions

This chapter is divided into 53 verses. The

New King James Version The New King James Version (NKJV) is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English, working as a revision of the King James Version. Published by Thomas Nelson, the complete NKJV was released in 1982. With regard to its textual basis, the ...

includes sub-headings within the chapter as follows: * = Jesus’ Brothers Disbelieve * = The Heavenly Scholar * = Could This Be the Christ? * = Jesus and the Religious Leaders * = The Promise of the Holy Spirit * = Who Is He? * = Rejected by the Authorities * = An Adulteress Faces the Light of the World (referring to John 7:53-8:12)

The unbelief of Jesus’ brothers (7:1–9)

The evangelist states that Jesus' brothers (or "brethren" in some translations) did not believe in Him () but they suggest that he goes to Jerusalem for the forthcoming Feast of Tabernacles, which was one of the three feasts which the

Book of Deuteronomy Deuteronomy (; ) is the fifth book of the Torah (in Judaism), where it is called () which makes it the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament. Chapters 1–30 of the book consist of three sermons or speeches delivered to ...

prescribes that all Jewish men should attend (). They suggest that Jesus wants to publicise his works and that in Galilee his activities are hidden from the view of his Judean disciples (), but Jesus suggests that His brothers attend the feast but he will remain in Galilee. The Feast of Tabernacles began on 'the fifteenth day of the seventh month' (), i.e., the 15th of

Tishri Tishrei () or Tishri (; ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian language, Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the eccles ...

, which corresponds to September, so the interval from Passover to Tabernacles is about five months.Watkins, H. W., in Ellicott, C. J. (Ed.
''Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers''
on , accessed 18 April 2016 Jesus says that it is always "their time" to go to Jerusalem, but that "his time" has not yet come.

Verse 1

:''After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.'' Chapter 7 opens in Galilee, where the events and discourses of the previous chapter have taken place. In Galilee, Jesus had taught in the synagogue at Capernaum, but many people including many of his own disciples, had refused to believe. implies that nevertheless Jesus felt safe in Galilee, whereas in

Judea Judea or Judaea (; ; , ; ) is a mountainous region of the Levant. Traditionally dominated by the city of Jerusalem, it is now part of Palestine and Israel. The name's usage is historic, having been used in antiquity and still into the pres ...

or "Jewry" (e.g.

King James Version The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...

), the Jews (or the Jewish ruling authorities) wanted to kill Jesus. He probably did not go to Jerusalem for the

Passover Passover, also called Pesach (; ), is a major Jewish holidays, Jewish holiday and one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals. It celebrates the Exodus of the Israelites from slavery in Biblical Egypt, Egypt. According to the Book of Exodus, God in ...

mentioned in , although theologian John Gill suggested that "he went to Jerusalem, to keep the passover; and finding that the Jews still sought to take away his life, he returned to Galilee, and 'walked' there". Gill, John
''Exposition of the Entire Bible''
on John 7, accessed 17 April 2016 Chapters 5, 6 and 7 all commence with the words μετα ταυτα (''meta tauta''), "after these things", "a typical Johannine transition" (chapter 7: and after these things).

Verse 3

:''His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing".'' The "

brothers A brother (: brothers or brethren) is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingl ...

", unlike the "disciples", are still unbelievers. Plummer notes that He observes the bluntness of the suggestion in verse 3, ''Depart from here'', "given almost as a command", which "shews that they presumed upon their near relationship. It would be more natural in the mouths of men older than Christ, and therefore is in favour of their being sons of Joseph by a former marriage".

Verse 4

:''People don't hide what they are doing if they want to be well known. Since you are doing these things, let the whole world know about you!”'' Johann Bengel describes the brothers' reasoning as a use of the

rhetorical device In rhetoric, a rhetorical device, persuasive device, or stylistic device is a technique that an author or speaker uses to convey to the listener or reader a meaning with the goal of persuading them towards considering a topic from a perspective, ...

''diasyrmus''.Bengel, Johann
''Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament''
on John 7, accessed 13 November 2020 Irish Archbishop

John McEvilly John McEvilly (1818–1902) was an Irish Roman Catholic Church clergyman who served as the Archbishop of Tuam from 1881 to 1902. He was born on 15 April 1818 in Louisburgh, a small town near Westport, County Mayo, Ireland., ''The Episcopal Su ...

sees "

selfish Selfishness is being concerned excessively or exclusively for oneself or one's own advantage, pleasure, or welfare, regardless of others. Selfishness is the opposite of ''altruism'' or selflessness, and has also been contrasted (as by C. S. Lewis ...

motives" in their pressing Jesus to go south.

Verse 6

:''Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready".'' "My time" (, ''ho kairos ho emos'') equates to "my hour" (, ''hē ōra mou'') in John 2:4, which had also at that point "not yet come". The

Jerusalem Bible ''The Jerusalem Bible'' (JB or TJB) is an English translation of the Bible published in 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd. As a Catholic Bible, it includes 73 books: the 39 books shared with the Hebrew Bible, along with the seven deuterocanonical ...

notes that "this 'hour', the hour of his glorification and his return to his

Father A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. A biological fat ...

, is determined by the Father and can be anticipated". See also verse 8:

Verse 8

: esus said to His brothers:"''You go up to the 'or ''thisfeast. I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come.''" Plummer suggests that "'this' is wanting in authority; we should read, 'go ye up unto the feast'".

Feast of Tabernacles (7:10–52)

Jesus does then go to Jerusalem for the feast. The evangelist unfolds his attendance in three steps: *He initially directs that his brothers will attend but He will remain in Galilee () *Afterwards he does go to Jerusalem, "not openly, but as it were in secret" (,

NKJV The New King James Version (NKJV) is a translation of the Bible in contemporary English, working as a revision of the King James Version. Published by Thomas Nelson, the complete NKJV was released in 1982. With regard to its textual basis, the ...

translation) () *"But when the middle feast day came, Jesus went up into the

temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. By convention, the specially built places of worship of some religions are commonly called "temples" in Engli ...

, and taught" (, Wycliffe Bible). H. W. Watkins supposes that the main party travelling from Galilee to Jerusalem would have taken the route to the east of the

River Jordan The Jordan River or River Jordan (, ''Nahr al-ʾUrdunn''; , ''Nəhar hayYardēn''), also known as ''Nahr Al-Sharieat'' (), is a endorheic basin, endorheic river in the Levant that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and d ...

, and that Jesus took the alternative route through

Samaria Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...

, as he had done when he travelled back from Jerusalem to Galilee in chapter 4, and the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary agrees that He may have travelled "perhaps by some other route".Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
on John 7, accessed 20 April 2016 When Jesus began to teach in the Temple, he was perceived as being uneducated and yet learned (), not having received rabbinical, priestly or Sadduceean training. Jesus was known not to have learned through contemporary routes of Jewish learning such as the

House of Hillel The House of Hillel (Beit Hillel) and House of Shammai (Beit Shammai) were, among Jewish scholars, two schools of thought during the period of tannaim, named after the sages Hillel and Shammai (of the last century BCE and the early 1st century ...

or the

House of Shammai The House of Hillel (Beit Hillel) and House of Shammai (Beit Shammai) were, among Jewish scholars, two schools of thought during the period of tannaim, named after the sages Hillel and Shammai (of the last century BCE and the early 1st century ...

, and it is likely that both the content and the style of His teaching were seen as distinct from the teaching of the "Jews" of these schools, to whom the evangelist refers. "His teaching on this occasion was expository", based on the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' Albert Barnes writes that "Jesus exhibited in his discourses such a profound acquaintance with the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

as to excite heamazement and admiration" Barnes, Albert
''Notes on the Bible''
on John 7, accessed 21 April 2016 of other learned scholars, but He explains that His teaching is not His own, "but His who sent Me" (). Jesus does not disown His teaching, but He does not claim to be its originator or its authority: :"The 'my' refers to the teaching itself, the 'mine' to the ultimate authority on which it rests. I am not a

self-taught Autodidacticism (also autodidactism) or self-education (also self-learning, self-study and self-teaching) is the practice of education without the guidance of schoolmasters (i.e., teachers, professors, institutions). Overview Autodi ...

Man, as though out of the depths of my own independent human consciousness I span it ... 'He who sent me' gave tto me. I have been in intimate communion with HIM. All that I say is Divine thought."Exell, Joseph S.; Spence-Jones, Henry Donald Maurice (Editors)
On John 7
In: ''The

Pulpit Commentary The ''Pulpit Commentary'' is a homiletic commentary on the Bible first published between 1880 and 1919

''. 23 volumes, accessed 22 April 2016 The evangelist has already referred to four witnesses to the validity of Jesus' testimony (), and now adds that anyone who wants to do God's will know the authority of His teaching ().

Learned discussion on Laws

In a discussion which demonstrates this point to the learned Jews, Jesus then refers to the

Mosaic law The Law of Moses ( ), also called the Mosaic Law, is the law said to have been revealed to Moses by God. The term primarily refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. Terminology The Law of Moses or Torah of Moses (Hebr ...

, and to the law and tradition of the patriarchs. The law of circumcision prescribed by

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

() originated with God's covenant with Abraham and required every male child to be circumcised on his eighth day. If this day was a

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, Ten Commandments, commanded by God to be kept as a Holid ...

, the obligation to circumcise that day overrode the obligation to rest on the Sabbath (). Jews familiar with both laws would also have been familiar with the rule of precedence between them. But Jesus then refers to the

healing With physical trauma or disease suffered by an organism, healing involves the repairing of damaged tissue(s), organs and the biological system as a whole and resumption of (normal) functioning. Medicine includes the process by which the cells ...

at the Temple on the Sabbath day of a man who had had an infirmity for thirty-eight years (), on account of which the Jews wanted to kill Jesus (): :"Are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?" () The responses to Jesus' teaching identified in this section are: *Some people were impressed: "He is good" (, a) *Others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people" (, b) *Discussion is restricted: "no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews" () *Some people marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?" () *Some wanted to kill Him () *Some suggested He was "crazy and perhaps

paranoid Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of con ...

": "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?" () *Some were angry with Him () *Some recognized Him as the

and believed in Him () *Some denied that He could be the Messiah: "We know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is from" () *No one laid a hand on Him, because (according to the evangelist), "His hour had not yet come". () The debate or "murmurings" about whether Jesus could be the Messiah came to the attention of the

Pharisees The Pharisees (; ) were a Jews, Jewish social movement and school of thought in the Levant during the time of Second Temple Judaism. Following the Siege of Jerusalem (AD 70), destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD, Pharisaic beliefs became ...

, and they and the Chief Priests "sent officers in order to take him into custody".(). In this verse and in verse , "the reader is for the first time informed that the Pharisees and the chief priests try to arrest Jesus but do not succeed. This anticipates their new initiatives in chapters 9 to 12, where they finally achieve their plans. Kieffer, R., ''60. John'' in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001)
The Oxford Bible Commentary
, p. 974

Jesus' impending departure

Then Jesus said "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come." () The evangelist has noted twice in this chapter that Jesus' time has not yet come ( and , see also John 2:4), but in a little while (), the time will come for Jesus to depart. The word in , ''I go away'', is a distinctively Johannine word, used 15 times throughout the gospel. The

Pulpit Commentary The ''Pulpit Commentary'' is a homiletic commentary on the Bible first published between 1880 and 1919

suggests that "a little while" amounts to six months, as "six months would bring round the last Passover". The statement "You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come" produces consternation and the Jewish scholars suppose that Jesus might be intending to visit the Jews of the diaspora "where our people live scattered among the Greeks" (John 7:35 -

New International Version The New International Version (NIV) is a translation of the Bible into contemporary English. Published by Biblica, the complete NIV was released on October 27, 1978, with a minor revision in 1984 and a major revision in 2011. The NIV relies ...

translation), and also to teach the Greeks themselves. According to (referring to the Feast of Pentecost in the year after the Feast of Tabernacles described here), "there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven". The Jews therefore contemplate whether Jesus might be planning to visit their home cities and teach in their synagogues. Theologian

Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer (10 January 1800 – 21 June 1873) was a German Protestant divine. He wrote commentaries on the New Testament and published an edition of that book. Biography Meyer was born in Gotha. He studied theology at Jena, was ...

regards the Jews' supposition as "an insolent and scornful supposition, which they themselves, however, do not deem probable (therefore the question is asked with , ''not'')",Meyer's NT Commentary
on John 7, accessed 28 April 2016 non-conformist theologian Philip Doddridge described it as "a sarcasm", and the

International Standard Version The ''International Standard Version'' or ISV is an English translation of the Bible for which translation was complete and published electronically in 2011. The texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls The Dead Sea Scrolls, also called the Qumran ...

offers the translation as follows:

Verse 35

:''"Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?"'' However, it is not an unreasonable supposition, as the mission to the Jewish diaspora formed "the very mode of proceeding afterwards adopted by the Apostles" and the

synoptic gospels The gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Mark, and Gospel of Luke, Luke are referred to as the synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in a similar sequence and in similar or sometimes identical ...

represent Jesus as having visited "the region of Tyre and Sidon" to teach, and as having healed there "the daughter of a Greek woman, a Syro-Phoenician by birth" (). The evangelist leaves this section with a question which remains unanswered:

Verse 36

:''"What is this thing that He said, 'You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come'?"''

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

asks the same question of Jesus when He has privately told His disciples that He is leaving them, and "where e isgoing, heycannot come". Peter is told "you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterwards” ().

The promise of the Holy Spirit

Verses 37-39

:''On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying,'' ::''"If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.'' ::''He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."'' The

Book of Leviticus The Book of Leviticus (, from , ; , , 'And He called'; ) is the third book of the Torah (the Pentateuch) and of the Old Testament, also known as the Third Book of Moses. Many hypotheses presented by scholars as to its origins agree that it de ...

prescribed that the Feast of Tabernacles should last for seven days, and that on the eighth day: :''You shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.'' () On this sacred day, Jesus stood (presumably at the Temple) and cried out: :''If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the

Scripture Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They often feature a compilation or discussion of beliefs, ritual practices, moral commandments and ...

has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'' () Many translations include the scriptural reference within the words Jesus cried out. The

breaks up the text in a different manner: :''... Jesus stood there and cried out:'' ::''"If any man is thirsty, let him come to me!'' ::''Let the man come and drink who believes in me!"'' :''As scripture says: From his breast shall flow fountains of living water.'' Many

Fathers of the Church The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical per ...

, from

Origen Origen of Alexandria (), also known as Origen Adamantius, was an Early Christianity, early Christian scholar, Asceticism#Christianity, ascetic, and Christian theology, theologian who was born and spent the first half of his career in Early cent ...

onwards, have reflected on the words of verse 38, "out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water", seen as a reference to "those who, having drunk of Christ, put their faith in him". The quoted words, "''If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink''" is a reference to Isaiah 55:1. Meyer explains that "there is no exactly corresponding passage, indeed, in Scripture" for the words ''out of his heart will flow rivers of living water''. He suggests that "it is simply a free quotation harmonizing in thought with parts of various passages, especially , and ". The writer himself notes, explaining the figurative expressions of Christ, that Jesus was speaking of the olySpirit, whom those believing in him would receive (later): "the olySpirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (). Literally, the text states "the (Holy) Spirit was not yet", but this "strange and startling statement" is best read as "the Holy Ghost (Spirit) was not yet given; the word "given" is not in the original text; but is very properly supplied, as it is in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions. The Arabic version renders it, "for the Holy Ghost was not yet come".

Verses 40-41

Some portion of Jesus' audience, on hearing His words, said "this is certainly the Prophet" (). In the

Textus Receptus The (Latin for 'received text') is the succession of printed Greek New Testament texts starting with Erasmus' ''Novum Instrumentum omne'' (1516) and including the editions of Robert Estienne, Stephanus, Theodore Beza, Beza, the House of Elzevir ...

and

English translations Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. The English language draws a terminological distinction (which does not exist in every language) between ''trans ...

drawn from it, the number described as recognizing Jesus as the Prophet is , ''many'', but Watkins advises that "the reading of the best manuscripts is, ''some of the people therefore, when they heard these sayings ...''" The reference is to the prophet foretold by Moses in , who was expected to precede the coming of the Messiah. Others went further: "This is the Christ" (John 7:41). The people of Jerusalem, debating at whether Jesus could be the Messiah, cast doubt on this interpretation of Jesus' works because "when the Christ comes, no one

ill ILL, or Ill, or ill may refer to: Places * Ill (France), a river in Alsace, France, tributary of the Rhine * Ill (Vorarlberg), a river in Vorarlberg, Austria, tributary of the Rhine * Ill (Saarland), a river of Saarland, Germany, tributary o ...

know where He is from".

Verse 42

In John 7:42, some of the crowd reason that "the Christ

come from the seed of

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

and from the town of

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

, where David was" and therefore Jesus, who came from Galilee, could not be the Messiah: :''Has not the Scripture said that the

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

comes from the seed of David and from the town of

, where

was?”'' It is written in Micah 5:2: :''But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times'' ( NIV) The Gospels of Matthew and Luke give an account of how Jesus of

Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...

in Galilee could also be from Bethlehem, as He was born there, but John's Gospel has no parallel account. The Pulpit Commentary identifies a number of theologians ( De Wette, Baur, Weisse, Keim and others) who "have tried to prove from this that the evangelist was ignorant of Christ's birth at Bethlehem", whereas Bengel argued that "John takes

his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...

for granted as known from the other evangelists".

Verse 43

So opinion about Jesus was "divided" () - a arose, "whence our word ‘

schism A schism ( , , or, less commonly, ) is a division between people, usually belonging to an organization, movement, or religious denomination. The word is most frequently applied to a split in what had previously been a single religious body, suc ...

’, meaning 'a serious and possibly violent division'" is derived. This division extended to the issue of whether Jesus should be arrested: "some of them" - "i.e. omeof those who refused to accord him Messianic reception because he had not commenced his ministry at Bethlehem, and had not flaunted his Davidic ancestry" - wanted to arrest Him, but "no one laid a hand on him" (). The chief priests and the Pharisees questioned why Jesus had not been detained - in they had dispatched officers for this purpose - and the returning officers replied that "No man ever spoke like this Man" (). Ellicott states that "some of the oldest manuscripts, including the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...

, have a shorter text, ''Never man spake thus''; but the longer reading is to be preferred", with the additional words , ''as this man speaks'', which are retained by the

. The officers "were so impressed and awed with what he said that they dared not take him"; the Pharisees said they were "deceived" (), suggesting that none of the rulers - "the members of the

Sanhedrin The Sanhedrin (Hebrew and Middle Aramaic , a loanword from , 'assembly,' 'sitting together,' hence ' assembly' or 'council') was a Jewish legislative and judicial assembly of either 23 or 70 elders, existing at both a local and central level i ...

, who were supposed to have control over the religious rites and doctrines of the nation - had believed. The evangelist reminds his readers that

Nicodemus Nicodemus (; ; ; ; ) is a New Testament figure venerated as a saint in a number of Christian traditions. He is depicted as a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin who is drawn to hear Jesus's teachings. Like Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus, Nicode ...

, "one of them" (i.e. one of the Sanhedrin) had met Jesus before (). Nicodemus reminds his colleagues:

Verse 51

:''"Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?"'' This is reminder of the words in : :''You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike'' () The Sanhedrin advises Nicodemus that he should study the scriptures further:

Verse 52

:''They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."''

Pericope Adulterae (7:53–8:11)

Verse 53

:''And everyone went to his own house.'' At this point, the division of the text into chapters (attributed to

Stephen Langton Stephen Langton (c. 1150 – 9 July 1228) was an English Cardinal (Catholic Church), cardinal of the Catholic Church and Archbishop of Canterbury from 1207 until his death in 1228. The dispute between list of English kings, King John of E ...

) brings chapter 7 to its close, with the words "Then they all went home". Chapter 8 opens with the words " t Jesus went to the

Mount of Olives The Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet (; ; both lit. 'Mount of Olives'; in Arabic also , , 'the Mountain') is a mountain ridge in East Jerusalem, east of and adjacent to Old City of Jerusalem, Jerusalem's Old City. It is named for the olive, olive ...

Young's Literal Translation Young's Literal Translation (YLT) is a translation of the Bible into English, published in 1862. The translation was made by Robert Young, compiler of '' Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible'' and ''Concise Critical Comments on the New Te ...

and the

both unite these phrases as a single sentence. Bengel argues for Jesus' visit to the Mount of Olives to be treated as part of chapter 7. The Pulpit Commentary queries whether the departure home refers only to the breaking up of the Sanhedrin (with Barnes) or to "the scattering of the crowd or the return of the pilgrims to Galilee". The pilgrims' return home at the end of the Feast of Tabernacles provides a natural end to the chapter, but "a very improbable consequence of verse 52". The

pericope In rhetoric, a pericope (; Greek , "a cutting-out") is a set of verses that forms one coherent unit or thought, suitable for public reading from a text, now usually of sacred scripture. Description The term can also be used as a way to identi ...

commencing with John 7:53 is considered canonical, but not found in most of the early Greek Gospel manuscripts. It is not in P⁶⁶ or in P⁷⁵, both of which have been assigned to the late 100s or early 200s. Nor is it in two important manuscripts produced in the early/mid 300s, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus. The first surviving Greek manuscript to contain the pericope is the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

/Greek diglot

, produced in the 400s or 500s (but displaying a form of text which has affinities with "Western" readings used in the 100s and 200s). Codex Bezae is also the earliest surviving Latin manuscript to contain it. Out of 23 Old Latin manuscripts of John 7- 8, seventeen contain at least part of the pericope, and represent at least three transmission-streams in which it was included. The New King James Version includes the text with the explanation that the words from John 7:53 to 8:11 are bracketed by NU-Text "as not original. They are present in over 900 manuscripts of John" and the

claims "the author of this passage is not John".Jerusalem Bible, reference at John 7:53

References

Sources

External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate

''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Gospel of John John 07 Nicodemus