King James Version
John 7
53 verses with commentary
Jesus at the Feast of Booths
After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.</strong> The phrase <strong>after these things</strong> (μετὰ ταῦτα/<em>meta tauta</em>) marks a temporal transition from the bread of life discourse in chapter 6, which had resulted in many disciples abandoning Jesus. Now geographical movement reflects theological danger—Jesus ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(1) **After these things . . .**—Denoting not immediate sequence, but covering the interval included in this verse—*i.e.,* the Galilean ministry of Matthew 15-18. (Comp. Note on John 21:1.) It would have been natural for Him to have gone up to the Passover of that year (John 6:4), but He did not do so on account of the open hostility of the Jews. He continued his sojourn in Galilee.
**Jewry** was ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. Search the scriptures, &c.--**"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I **am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.</strong> This brief verse sets the temporal and theological context for the dramatic events of John 7-8. The phrase <strong>the Jews' feast</strong> (ἡ ἑορτὴ τῶν Ἰουδαίων/<em>hē heortē tōn Ioudaiōn</em>) uses John's characteristic distancing language—though this was commanded by God, John writes from a post-resurrection perspective showing th...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(2) **The Jews’ feast of tabernacles.**—This began on “the fifteenth day of the seventh month” (Leviticus 23:34), *i.e.,* the 15th of Tishri, which answers to our September. The interval, then, from Passover to Tabernacles is one of about five months. The feast continued for seven days, during which all true Israelites dwelt in booths, in remembrance of their dwelling in tabernacles when they came...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. Search the scriptures, &c.--**"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I **am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.
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KJV Study Commentary
His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. Jesus's 'brethren' (adelphoi) were likely His half-siblings through Mary (Matthew 13:55 names them: James, Joses, Simon, Judas). Their advice to 'go into Judaea' contradicts wisdom—Judea is dangerous (verse 1). They urge public display 'that thy disciples also may see'...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(3) **His brethren . . .**—Comp. Note on Matthew 13:55. They are excluded here by their own words from the band of disciples, as they are by St. John’s from the believers (John 7:5), and inferentially (John 7:7) by the words of Christ Himself from the Twelve. (Comp. John 15:18.)
**That thy disciples also may see . . .**—The last time the word “disciples” was used, it was to mark the departure of m...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**39-42. Search the scriptures, &c.--**"In the Scriptures ye find your charter of eternal life; go search them then, and you will find that I **am the Great Burden of their testimony; yet ye will not come to Me for that life eternal which you profess to find there, and of which they tell you I am the appointed Dispenser." (Compare Ac 17:11, 12). How touching and gracious are these last words! ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly . If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
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KJV Study Commentary
For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. The brothers' reasoning reveals worldly logic about fame and influence. Their 'for' (gar) introduces flawed reasoning: public figures don't act secretly if seeking recognition. The phrase 'seeketh to be known openly' (zētei autos en parrēsia einai) assu...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **For there is no man.**—His course of action seems to them to contradict His personal claim. It is opposed, they think, to the common-sense conduct of mankind.
**If thou do these things.**—The emphasis is on *these things.* There is no doubt that He does them; but if the acts themselves are such as they seem to be, and establish the claim which He bases on them, they should be done in Jerusal...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**43-47. if another shall come, &c.--**How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →For neither did his brethren believe in him.
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KJV Study Commentary
For neither did his brethren believe in him. This stark parenthetical statement explains the preceding verses' flawed advice. 'Neither...believe' (oude...episteuon) uses imperfect tense indicating continuous unbelief during Jesus's ministry. John directly states what readers might suspect: the brothers' counsel came from unbelief, not insight. They viewed Jesus through natural eyes, not spiritual ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **For neither did his brethren believe.**—Comp. Note on John 7:3. The words do not admit of any other meaning than the obvious one that even His brethren did not at this time believe Him to be the Messiah. That they are found in the very first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles joining with the Apostles, and the women, and Mary, with one accord in prayer (John 7:14), is one of the striking in...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**43-47. if another shall come, &c.--**How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.
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KJV Study Commentary
Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. Jesus corrects His brothers' counsel by emphasizing divine timing. 'My time' (ho kairos ho emos) refers to His appointed hour for public revelation, suffering, and glorification. 'Not yet come' (oupō parestin) indicates the time exists but hasn't arrived—God has appointed the schedule. The contrast 'but your time is ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **My time is not yet come.**—Comp. Note on John 2:4. Here, as there, He regards the events of life as marked out by divinely-ordered seasons. There is for Him a time for solemnly entering Jerusalem with a throng of pilgrims going up to a feast, and in a few months it will have come; but it has not come yet. It is at the feast of the Paschal Lamb, already set apart, and not with the joyous shou...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**43-47. if another shall come, &c.--**How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
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KJV Study Commentary
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. Jesus contrasts His relationship with the world to His brothers' relationship. 'The world' (ho kosmos) represents fallen humanity in rebellion against God. 'Cannot hate you' (ou dunatai misein humas) indicates impossibility—worldly people don't hate those who belong to the world system. The broth...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **The world cannot hate you.**—Because they were of the world. To have hated them, would have been to have hated itself. (Comp. John 3:19-20.)
**But me it hateth, because I testify . . .**—He had placed Himself in a position of antagonism to it, and must necessarily do so. His words and acts must be a witness against the evil of its deeds. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**43-47. if another shall come, &c.--**How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
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KJV Study Commentary
Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. Jesus instructs His brothers to attend Tabernacles without Him. The command 'go ye up' (humeis anabēte) grants permission while making clear His own plans differ. The statement 'I go not up yet' (egō oupō anabainō) uses 'not yet' rather than absolute negation—He will attend, but not immediately or publicly...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) **Go ye up unto this feast.**—This should be, rather, *Go ye up unto the feast,* with the stress on the pronoun “ye,” and the article instead of the demonstrative “this.”
**I go not up yet unto this feast.**—The “yet” is of doubtful authority, though it is found in some early MSS. and versions, and the more so because it removes an apparent difficulty. Without it, the words do not involve a ch...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**43-47. if another shall come, &c.--**How strikingly has this been verified in the history of the Jews! "From the time of the true Christ to our time, sixty-four false Christs have been reckoned by whom they have been deceived" [Bengel].
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
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KJV Study Commentary
When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee. The phrase 'when he had said' (tauta de eipōn) provides transitional conclusion to the conversation. 'He abode' (emeinen) uses aorist tense indicating definite action—Jesus stayed put. 'Still in Galilee' (en tē Galilaia) emphasizes His refusal to be moved by the brothers' counsel. This demonstrates Jesus's resolve to follow the Fat...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(9) **He abode still in Galilee.**—We find Him in Jerusalem between the 16th and 20th of Tishri (John 7:14), and He could not therefore have remained behind them more than three or four days. We have no record of any companion with Him until John 9:2; but it is probable that some at least of the Apostolic band remained with Him in Galilee and went with Him to Jerusalem. (Comp. Note on Luke 9:51.) ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
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KJV Study Commentary
But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret. The conjunction 'but' (de) signals contrast—while refusing public journey with the brothers, Jesus does attend the feast. 'When his brethren were gone up' (hōs de anebēsan hoi adelphoi autou) indicates their departure. 'Then went he also' (tote kai autos anebē) shows Jesus attending accor...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(10) **But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast.**—The words “unto the feast” are misplaced in the Received text, upon which our version is based. The right reading is, *But when His brethren were gone up unto the feast, then went He also up*; and the difference is not unimportant. We have seen that, even with the ordinary reading, there is no ground for the frequent...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?
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KJV Study Commentary
Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 'The Jews' (hoi Ioudaioi) again likely refers to religious authorities, not general populace. The verb 'sought' (ezētoun) indicates active searching. Their question 'Where is he?' (pou estin ekeinos) shows expectation of His attendance—Jesus was sufficiently prominent that authorities anticipated and looked for Him. The demonstrative 'e...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(11) **The Jews**—*i.e.,* as before, and as in John 7:13; John 7:15, the official representatives of the nation. They kept seeking Him at the feast, where they naturally expected that He would be, and kept asking, without naming Him, Where is He? which is almost equivalent to Where is this fellow? Their question points out that their hostility had gone as far as a definite plot against Him, and th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.
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KJV Study Commentary
And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people. The phrase 'much murmuring' (gongusmos polus) indicates widespread, agitated discussion. 'Among the people' (en tois ochlois) refers to festival crowds, not authorities. 'Concerning him' (peri autou) shows Jesus dominated conversation. The people were divide...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(12) **And there was much murmuring among the people.**—The original word for “people” is here, and here only in St. John, in the plural, and is best rendered by *multitudes.* It refers to the throngs of people assembled during the various parts of the ritual of the feast, and, perhaps, specially on the one hand to the Galilean multitude, some of whom had been present at the last great work record...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
CHAPTER 6 Joh 6:1-13. Five Thousand Miraculously Fed.
(See on Mr 6:31-44).
**3. a mountain--**somewhere in that hilly range which skirts the east side of the lake.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
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KJV Study Commentary
Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews. Despite the murmuring (verse 12), open discussion was suppressed. 'No man' (oudeis) indicates universal silence. 'Spake openly' (parrēsia elalei) means frank, public speech. The reason: 'fear of the Jews' (phobos tōn Ioudaiōn). 'The Jews' here clearly means authorities, not people generally (since the people are the ones fearing). This fear ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(13) **No man** cannot fairly be limited, as it generally has been, to the multitude who believed in Him. It discloses to us rather a reign of terror, in which opinion was stifled, and men dared not speak openly on either side until authority had determined what they should say.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**4. passover ... was nigh--**but for the reason mentioned (Joh 7:1), Jesus kept away from it, remaining in Galilee.
Joh 6:14-21. Jesus Walks on the Sea.
(Also see on Mr 6:45-56).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
Chapter 7
Chapter Outline
Christ goes to the feast of tabernacles.(1-13)
His discourse at the feast.(14-39)
The people dispute concerning Christ.(40-53)
**Verses 1-13**
The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they onl...
Read full commentary →Jesus Teaches at the Feast
Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.
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KJV Study Commentary
Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught. The timing 'about the midst' (ēdē tēs heortēs mesousēs) indicates mid-festival, approximately the fourth day of the seven-day feast. Jesus's public appearance contrasts with His secret arrival (verse 10). 'Went up into the temple' (anebē eis to hieron) places Him in Judaism's spiritual center. The verb 'taught' (edidasken)...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(14) **Now about the midst of the feast.**—Better, *But now, when it was the middle of the feast.* (Comp. John 7:8.) This was the technical *Chōl Mō’ēd* or *Mō’ēd Katōn, “*the Middle of the Feast,” or “the Lesser Feast.” He had taken no part in the greater festival itself, and now He appears in the Temple, as far as we know, for the first time as a public teacher, probably (John 7:19) as an expoun...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? letters: or, learning
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KJV Study Commentary
And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? 'The Jews' here are authorities or educated elites who recognized learning. They 'marvelled' (ethaumazon) at Jesus's teaching—astonishment, not necessarily positive. Their question 'how knoweth this man letters' (pōs houtos grammata oiden) asks how Jesus knows Scripture and theology. 'Letters' (grammata) means lite...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(15) **How knoweth this man letters?**—Their spirit is seen in that at which they marvel. It is not the substance of His teaching that excites their attention, but the fact that He who has never been technically trained as a Rabbi is acquainted with the literature of the schools. (See Acts 26:24, “much learning,” where “learning” represents the word here rendered “letters.”) He is to them as a lay...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus answered them and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. Jesus directly addresses the authorities' implied question about His teaching authority. 'My doctrine' (hē emē didachē) means His teaching content. The paradox 'not mine, but his that sent me' (ouk estin emē alla tou pempsantos me) grounds His authority in divine origin. Jesus doesn't teach His own ideas but the Father's ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(16) **My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.**—The answer carries them once more to the words uttered by Him. (Comp. John 5:19; John 5:30.) Then he had again and again referred to the Father who sent Him (John 7:24; John 7:36-38), and claimed as His own work the doing of the Father’s will (John 7:30). In the Capernaum synagogue, in the hearing of some of these Jews, He had declared that a...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
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KJV Study Commentary
Christ establishes a principle: willingness to obey leads to doctrinal certainty. 'If any man will do his will' describes volitional submission to God's will. 'He shall know' promises that obedience brings understanding—not intellectual pride but humble submission opens spiritual eyes. This reverses the world's method (understand, then obey); God's way is trust and obey, then understand. The phras...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine.**—Better, *If any man willeth to do His will, he shall know of the teaching.* The stress is upon “willeth,” which in our version reads as if it were only the auxiliary verb. It is not deed, which is the outcome of faith; but will, which precedes it, that is here spoken of. This human will to do the divine will is the condition of k...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus contrasts self-generated testimony with testimony that comes from God. Self-seekers pursue their own glory, seeking human recognition and authority. But Christ seeks the Father's glory alone, making His witness true. The Reformed emphasis on God's glory (soli Deo gloria) finds expression here - ministry that exalts God rather than self authenticates divine calling.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(18) **He that speaketh of himself.**—Again the words repeat the thoughts of the earlier discourse. (See Notes on John 5:41-44.) They contrast His position and that of His hearers. Professional teachers, they sought glory one from another, and regarded their teaching as of themselves, the special honour of their caste. In the pride of their own knowledge they willed not the glory of God, and so ha...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
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KJV Study Commentary
The Jews' question 'Where is thy Father?' reveals spiritual blindness - they cannot recognize that Jesus speaks of God. Christ's response shows that knowing Him is knowing the Father, demonstrating the Son's perfect revelation of God. This Johannine theme (14:9) establishes that Christ is the full and final revelation of God's nature and character.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(19) **Did not Moses** **. . .?**—The note of interrogation should be placed at the end of the first clause. The verse would then read, *Did not Moses give you the Law? and none of you doeth the Law. Why seek ye to kill Me?* So far from the will to do God’s will, without which they could not know His teaching, they had the Law, which they all professed to accept, and yet no one kept it (John 5:45-...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
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KJV Study Commentary
Despite teaching publicly in the temple treasury where arrests could easily occur, no one seized Jesus because 'his hour was not yet come.' This demonstrates divine sovereignty over all circumstances, including the timing of Christ's death. Reformed theology emphasizes God's providence - all events, even hostile opposition, serve God's redemptive purposes.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(20) **The people.**—They know that the rulers have sought for Him (John 7:11), but are not aware of their intention to kill Him. When this is referred to, it is “by some of them of Jerusalem” (John 7:25). These pilgrims know how far from their own thoughts is any such idea, and they think that its presence in His thoughts must be the work of a demon. (Comp. Note on Matthew 11:18.) They utter this...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
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KJV Study Commentary
Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel. Jesus refers to the John 5 healing of the paralytic at Bethesda pool on the Sabbath, which provoked murderous hostility (5:16-18). 'One work' (hen ergon) emphasizes singularity—this one controversial healing has dominated their thinking. The verb 'marvel' (thaumazete) can mean amazement or indignation. Reformed theology se...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(21) **I have done one work**—*i.e.,* the one conspicuous work of healing the infirm man on the Sabbath day, which He did at His last visit to Jerusalem. We have already had a reference to other works in John 2:23, and He Himself refers to His many good works in John 10:32.
**Ye all marvel.**—This answer is addressed to the multitude who said “Thou hast a devil,” when He spoke of the intention to ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
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KJV Study Commentary
Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man. Jesus argues from lesser to greater. Circumcision, commanded by Moses (Leviticus 12:3) but originating with Abraham (Genesis 17:10-14), takes precedence over Sabbath law. If the eighth day falls on Sabbath, rabbis agreed circumcision proceeds—violating Sabbath t...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(22) **Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision.**—Some MSS., and many editors, place the “therefore,” or, *on this account,* at the close of the last verse, reading, “Ye all marvel on this account,” and then the present verse, “Moses gave unto you circumcision . . .” The reading of our version is, however, better supported, and agrees better with the writer’s style. “On this account hath Moses ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? that: or, without breaking the law of Moses
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KJV Study Commentary
If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day? Jesus completes His argument. If circumcision (affecting one body part) proceeds on Sabbath 'that the law...not be broken,' then healing an entire person (holon anthrōpon hugiē) should be celebrated, not condemned. 'Every w...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(23) **That the law of Moses should not be broken.**—The text here is to be preferred to the marginal reading, though the latter has still the support of considerable authority. In the one case, the law which may not be broken is the law directing circumcision on the eighth day. In the other, “without breaking the law of Moses,” refers to the law of the Sabbath. The rule of circumcision on the eig...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-15. that prophet--**(See on Joh 1:21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
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KJV Study Commentary
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Jesus calls for proper discernment. 'Judge not according to appearance' (mē krinete kat' opsin) warns against superficial evaluation based on surface-level observations. The imperative 'judge righteous judgment' (tēn dikaian krisin krinate) commands evaluation based on truth, justice, and divine revelation. This doesn't forbid ju...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(24) **Judge not according to the appearance.**—He has put the case before them in its true light, I and from their own point of view. There was another Positive Precept of Moses which these judges were forgetting, though it, too, formed part of the first section of the Law read at Tabernacles (Deuteronomy 1:16-17). (Comp. Note on John 7:19.) Let them who profess to judge Him by the Law obey it, a...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**14-15. that prophet--**(See on Joh 1:21).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 14-24**
Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shal...
Read full commentary →Can This Be the Christ?
Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
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KJV Study Commentary
Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? Some Jerusalem residents recognize Jesus is the target of authorities' death plot. Their question reveals public knowledge of the conspiracy. The phrase 'whom they seek to kill' (hon zētousin apokteinai) uses present tense—the seeking continues. This creates dramatic tension: everyone knows authorities want Him dead, yet ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(25) **Then said some of them of Jerusalem.**—These Jerusalemites are distinct from the multitude of John 7:20, and are acquainted with the intention which seemed so impossible to the latter.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-17. when even was come--**(See on Mr 6:35).
**entered into a ship--**"constrained" to do so by their Master (Mt 14:22; Mr 6:45), in order to put an end to the misdirected excitement in His favor (Joh 6:15), into which the disciples themselves may have been somewhat drawn. The word "constrained" implies reluctance on their part, perhaps from unwillingness to part with their Master and embark...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
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KJV Study Commentary
But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? The people marvel that Jesus teaches 'boldly' (parrēsia) while authorities do nothing. They wonder if the rulers' inaction means they've concluded Jesus is Messiah. This speculation shows confusion—if He's so dangerous, why isn't He arrested? If He's Messiah, why don't rulers acknowl...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(26) But they, too, have reason for wonder. They hear Him speaking openly, and those who sought His death listen to Him without reply. Are they, then, convinced of the truth of His claim?
**Do the rulers know indeed** **. . .?**—Read, *Have the rulers come to know indeed that this Man is the Christ?* The word “very” is omitted by the best MSS. The word “indeed” shows that the questioners think it ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**16-17. when even was come--**(See on Mr 6:35).
**entered into a ship--**"constrained" to do so by their Master (Mt 14:22; Mr 6:45), in order to put an end to the misdirected excitement in His favor (Joh 6:15), into which the disciples themselves may have been somewhat drawn. The word "constrained" implies reluctance on their part, perhaps from unwillingness to part with their Master and embark...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.
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KJV Study Commentary
Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is. The crowd's objection: they know Jesus's origins (Nazareth, Mary and Joseph), but expected Messiah's origins to be mysterious. This reflects rabbinic speculation that Messiah would appear suddenly without traceable origin (based on Malachi 3:1, Daniel 7:13). They misunderstand—they know Jesus's earthly orig...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(27) **Howbeit we know this man.**—They at once supply a corrective answer to their own question. They know this Man whence He is. He is the carpenter’s son, and His mother, and brethren, and sisters, are well known (Matthew 13:55-56). His brothers, indeed, are part of that multitude (John 7:10). They know that the Messiah will be of the seed and town of David (John 7:42); but they have no knowled...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-19. sea arose, &c.--**and they were "now in the midst of it" (Mt 14:24). Mark adds the graphic and touching particular, "He saw them toiling in rowing" (Mr 6:48), putting forth all their strength to buffet the waves and bear on against a head wind, but to little effect. He saw this from His mountain-top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them; yet would He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
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KJV Study Commentary
Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. Jesus responds to their objection loudly ('cried'—ekraxen). He acknowledges they know His earthly origin but insists they miss the crucial truth: He doesn't come 'of myself' (ap' emautou) but is sent by the Father who is 'true' (...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(28) **Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught**.—The word rendered “cried,” implies always an elevation of voice answering to the intensity of the speaker’s feeling. (Comp. in this Gospel John 1:15; John 7:37; John 12:44.) Here this feeling has been roused by another instance of their misapprehension, because they think of the outward appearance only, and therefore do not grasp the inner trut...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**18-19. sea arose, &c.--**and they were "now in the midst of it" (Mt 14:24). Mark adds the graphic and touching particular, "He saw them toiling in rowing" (Mr 6:48), putting forth all their strength to buffet the waves and bear on against a head wind, but to little effect. He saw this from His mountain-top, and through the darkness of the night, for His heart was all with them; yet would He ...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.
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KJV Study Commentary
But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Jesus contrasts their ignorance with His knowledge. 'I know him' (egō oida auton) claims intimate relationship. The reason: 'I am from him' (par' autou eimi)—Jesus's origin is the Father. The phrase 'he hath sent me' (kakeinos me apesteilen) emphasizes divine mission. Reformed theology sees here Jesus's unique relationship to the Father—etern...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(29) **But I know him.**—In contrast with their ignorance is His own full knowledge, which belonged to One only. (See Note on John 1:18.) The pronoun “I” here, as “ye” immediately before, is emphatic.
**For I am from him, and he hath sent me.**—This knowledge is here based upon His oneness of essence, and upon His true mission. He knows God because He is from Him, and in union ever one with Him. H...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**20. It is I; be not afraid--**Matthew (Mt 14:27) and Mark (Mr 6:50) give before these exhilarating words, that to them well-known one, "Be of good cheer!"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.
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KJV Study Commentary
Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. Jesus's claims provoke hostile response—'they sought to take him' (ezētoun...piasai). Yet 'no man laid hands on him' (oudeis epebalen ep' auton tēn cheira) despite intent. The reason: 'his hour was not yet come' (hoti oupō elēluthei hē hōra autou). God's sovereign protection prevented premature arrest. J...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(30) **Then they sought to take him.**—The tense is imperfect, marking the continuance of a series of efforts to take Him. The persons who thus sought to take Him are, of course, the members of the Sanhedrin. The people are mentioned in contrast in the next verse. For the present their efforts are confined to plots. No one attempts to use actual force.
**His hour was not yet come.**—This is the wr...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**21. willingly received him into the ship--**their first fears being now converted into wonder and delight.
**and immediately the ship was at the land--**This additional miracle, for as such it is manifestly related, is recorded here alone. Yet all that is meant seems to be that as the storm was suddenly calmed, so the little bark--propelled by the secret power of the Lord of Nature now sailing...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 25-30**
Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.
And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?
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KJV Study Commentary
And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done? While authorities plot arrest, many people believe. Their faith is based on miracles—'will he do more miracles than these?' This is imperfect faith (John 2:23-25 warns against sign-based belief), but John still calls it believing. The question is rhetorical—surely Mes...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(31) **And many of the people believed on him.**—This verse shows an advance in their faith. In John 7:12 we found “some” asserting that “He is a good man.” Now “many” accept Him as the Messiah, for this is the force of the words, “believed in Him.” (Comp. John 7:5, and Note there.)
**When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done**?—They believe that the Christ h...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Joh 6:22-71. Jesus Followed by the Multitudes to Capernaum, Discourses to Them in the Synagogue of the Bread of Life--Effect of This on Two Classes of the Disciples.
22-24. These verses are a little involved, from the Evangelist's desire to mention every circumstance, however minute, that might call up the scene as vividly to the reader as it stood before his own view.
**The day following--**th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
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KJV Study Commentary
The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. The authorities react to growing support for Jesus. 'The people murmured' (ho ochlos gogguzontos) indicates widespread discussion. The Pharisees and chief priests (representing Sanhedrin) send 'officers' (hupēretas)—temple police. This is official action to ar...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(32) **The Pharisees heard that the people murmured.**—Or, more exactly, *the Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring.* In the second clause of the verse, the Authorised version follows the order of the Received text, but almost all the better MSS. read, “the chief priests and the Pharisees.” We have to think of the Pharisees as taking the first steps. They see that faith in Him is spreading among...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Joh 6:22-71. Jesus Followed by the Multitudes to Capernaum, Discourses to Them in the Synagogue of the Bread of Life--Effect of This on Two Classes of the Disciples.
22-24. These verses are a little involved, from the Evangelist's desire to mention every circumstance, however minute, that might call up the scene as vividly to the reader as it stood before his own view.
**The day following--**th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.
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KJV Study Commentary
Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me. Jesus announces His imminent departure. 'Yet a little while' (eti chronon mikron) indicates limited time remaining. 'I go unto him that sent me' refers to His return to the Father via death, resurrection, and ascension. This isn't defeat but fulfillment—He completes His mission and returns to glory. T...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(33) **Then said Jesus unto them.**—It should rather be, *Therefore said Jesus.* He said this because they sent to take Him. The better MSS. omit “unto them,” and it is clear, from John 7:35, that the words are addressed to the hierarchy generally.
**Yet a little while am I with you.**—Their action is the first attempt to take Him by force. It brings to His mind the thought that the end is at hand...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
Joh 6:22-71. Jesus Followed by the Multitudes to Capernaum, Discourses to Them in the Synagogue of the Bread of Life--Effect of This on Two Classes of the Disciples.
22-24. These verses are a little involved, from the Evangelist's desire to mention every circumstance, however minute, that might call up the scene as vividly to the reader as it stood before his own view.
**The day following--**th...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.
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KJV Study Commentary
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come. Jesus prophesies that His opponents will seek Him after His departure but find Him inaccessible. 'Where I am' refers to His heavenly session at the Father's right hand. 'Ye cannot come' indicates their spiritual inability to reach Him due to unbelief. This is solemn warning—opportunity for belief is limited; rejecting...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(34) **Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me.**—These words are to be interpreted in connection with John 8:21, where they are repeated, and with John 13:33, where they are quoted and applied to the disciples. This will exclude any special reference, such as to the destruction of Jerusalem and to the seeking Him in the miseries which should follow, which most expositors have found here. The word...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**25. when they had found him on the other side--**at Capernaum.
**they said, &c.--**astonished at His being there, and wondering how He could have accomplished it, whether by land or water, and when He came; for being quite unaware of His having walked upon the sea and landed with the disciples in the ship, they could not see how, unless He had travelled all night round the head of the lake...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? Gentiles: or, Greeks
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KJV Study Commentary
Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles? The Jews misunderstand Jesus's words, thinking He plans geographical relocation. Their suggestion—going to diaspora Jews 'among the Gentiles' (diaspora) or even teaching Gentiles—shows they can't conceive of spiritual realities. Ironically, ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(35) **Whither will he go that we shall not find him?**—He had said in John 7:33, “I go unto Him that sent Me,” and in Joh 7:28. He had declared that they knew not Him that sent Him. There is, then, no contradiction between these verses, and their question, strange as it seems, is but another instance of their total want of power to read any meaning which does not lie upon the surface. He is going...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**26. Ye seek me, &c.--**Jesus does not put them through their difficulty, says nothing of His treading on the waves of the sea, nor even notices their question, but takes advantage of the favorable moment for pointing out to them how forward, flippant, and superficial were their views, and how low their desires. "Ye seek Me not because ye saw the miracles"--literally, "the signs," that is, su...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?
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KJV Study Commentary
What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come? The Jews repeat Jesus's words in confusion. They cannot penetrate their meaning. This demonstrates the spiritual blindness Jesus predicted—without divine illumination, even explicit statements remain incomprehensible. Natural human reason cannot grasp spiritual realities wit...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(36) **What manner of saying is this** **. . .?—**We get a better sense by omitting the words in italics, and reading, “What saying is this . . .?” Their scorn does not solve their difficulty, and gives place to wonder. They feel His words cannot mean what they have said. “What, then, do they mean? What is the force of His saying?”
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**27. which the Son of man--**taking that title of Himself which denoted His incarnate life.
**shall give unto you--**in the sense of Joh 6:51.
**him hath God the Father sealed--**marked out and authenticated for that transcendent office, to impart to the world the bread of an everlasting life, and this in the character of "the Son of man."
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 31-36**
The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and si...
Read full commentary →Rivers of Living Water
In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
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KJV Study Commentary
The 'last day, that great day of the feast' refers to Tabernacles' seventh day when priests poured water from Siloam, symbolizing God's provision in the wilderness. Jesus stood and cried (emphatic proclamation), offering Himself as the fulfillment. 'If any man thirst' is a universal invitation—salvation is for all who recognize their spiritual need. 'Come unto me' emphasizes Christ alone satisfies...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(37) **In the last day, that great day of the feast.**—The question whether the seventh or the eighth day of the feast is intended here, is one of antiquarian rather than of practical interest. The words commanding the observance in Deuteronomy 16:13, and Numbers 29:12, mention only seven days; but this latter passage is followed in John 7:35 by a reference to the solemn assembly on the eighth day...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--**such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 37-39**
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences o...
Read full commentary →He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
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KJV Study Commentary
Christ quotes Scripture (likely Isaiah 58:11 or Proverbs 18:4), though no exact OT match exists, suggesting a general theme rather than specific text. 'Believeth on me' makes Christ the object of faith, a claim to deity. 'Rivers of living water' (plural, abundant) contrasts with the woman at the well's request (4:15). The believer becomes a source, not just recipient—Christ's life flows through us...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(38) There can be little doubt that our English version rightly gives the meaning of the original here; though representatives of both the earliest and the latest schools of interpretation have tried so to read the verse as to avoid its difficulties. Some would attach the first clause to the preceding verse, reading, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me; and let him that believeth on Me drink....
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--**such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 37-39**
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences o...
Read full commentary →(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
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KJV Study Commentary
(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) John's parenthetical explanation clarifies that living water symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Believers would receive the Spirit after Jesus's glorification (death, resurrection, ascension). The phrase 'Holy Ghost was not yet given' doesn't me...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(39) The word “given” is omitted in nearly all MSS. except the Vatican. “Holy” before Ghost is also probably an insertion, though it is found in some of the oldest MSS. and versions. These are additions of copyists who were anxious to preserve from all possibility of misinterpretation the doctrine concerning the Holy Spirit. This doctrine is more fully expounded in John 14-16, where see Notes.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--**such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 37-39**
On the last day of the feast of tabernacles, the Jews drew water and poured it out before the Lord. It is supposed that Christ alluded to this. If any man desires to be truly and for ever happy, let him apply to Christ, and be ruled by him. This thirst means strong desires after spiritual blessings, which nothing else can satisfy; so the sanctifying and comforting influences o...
Read full commentary →Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
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KJV Study Commentary
Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. Some identify Jesus as 'the Prophet' whom Moses predicted (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). This shows partial understanding—Jesus is indeed the Prophet, but He's also much more (Messiah, Son of God). Their recognition is step toward full faith but incomplete. The crowd remains divided about Jesus's identity.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(40) **Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying . . .**—The reading of the best MSS. is, “Some of the people therefore, when they heard these sayings.”
**Of a truth this is the prophet**—i.e., the Prophet foretold by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:15. (Comp. Notes on John 1:21; John 6:14.)
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**28-31. What shall we do ... the works of God--**such works as God will approve. Different answers may be given to such a question, according to the spirit which prompts the inquiry. (See Ho 6:6-8; Lu 3:12-14). Here our Lord, knowing whom He had to deal with, shapes His reply accordingly.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?
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KJV Study Commentary
Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Others take the further step, identifying Jesus as Messiah ('Christ'—ho Christos). But objections arise: 'Shall Christ come out of Galilee?' The question assumes Messiah wouldn't come from Galilee, reflecting prejudice and incomplete knowledge. Jesus was born in Bethlehem but raised in Nazareth/Galilee. The objectors...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(41) **Others said this is the Christ.**—The Messiah is distinguished from the Prophet in the words of the multitude there, as in the question of the legates of the Sanhedrin, John 1:20-21.
**Shall Christ come out of Galilee?**—The answer “No” is expected, and the tense is present—*Surely the Messiah cometh not out of Galilee?*
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-33. Moses gave you not, &c.--**"It was not Moses that gave you the manna, and even it was but from the lower heavens; 'but My Father giveth you the true bread,' and that 'from heaven.'"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
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KJV Study Commentary
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? The objectors cite correct Scripture—Messiah comes from David's line and Bethlehem (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Micah 5:2). Their scriptural knowledge is accurate, but they apply it wrongly due to incomplete information about Jesus. Jesus does fulfill these requirements (Matthew 1:1-17, L...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(42) **Hath not the scripture said . . .**—Comp. the prophecies in Micah 5:1; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5.
**Where David was.**—Comp. the history in 1 Samuel 16.
It has often been asked, sometimes in the spirit of objection, sometimes in the spirit of inquiry, how the Apostle, if he really knew the history of our Lord’s birth at Bethlehem, could record these questions without a correction. But in t...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**32-33. Moses gave you not, &c.--**"It was not Moses that gave you the manna, and even it was but from the lower heavens; 'but My Father giveth you the true bread,' and that 'from heaven.'"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →So there was a division among the people because of him.
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KJV Study Commentary
So there was a division among the people because of him. Jesus creates division—'schisma' (division/split). This fulfills Jesus's own prediction (Matthew 10:34-35). The gospel divides humanity based on response to Christ. Some believed, others rejected; some saw prophet, others saw deceiver. Neutrality toward Christ is impossible. Reformed theology emphasizes that Christ is set for the fall and ri...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(43) **There was a division among the people.**—The word for division is our word “schism.” It is found in the earlier Gospels in one instance only, “the rent is made worse” (Matthew 9:16; Mark 2:21). This is nearer to the older meaning of the word, which is used, for example, of the hoofs of animals, and the leaves of trees. St. John uses it only to mark this rent into two parties of the Jewish m...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**34. Lord, evermore give us this bread--**speaking now with a certain reverence (as at Joh 6:25), the perpetuity of the manna floating perhaps in their minds, and much like the Samaritan woman, when her eyes were but half opened, "Sir, give Me this water," &c. (Joh 4:15).
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
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KJV Study Commentary
And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him. Some wanted to arrest Jesus, yet 'no man laid hands on him.' Despite hostile intent, they couldn't act. God's sovereign protection prevented premature arrest. Jesus remained safe until His appointed hour. This demonstrates divine providence—human plans cannot thwart God's purposes. When God protects, none can harm.
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(44) **And some of them would have taken him**—*i.e.,* those who asked “Doth the Christ, then, come out of Galilee?” (John 7:41.) The officers of the Sanhedrin were present all this time (John 7:32), and are immediately mentioned as distinct from the “some” of this verse.
**No man laid hands on him.**—Comp. John 7:30. The reason is not here repeated. The fact is in part explained by the existence ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**35. I am the bread of life--**Henceforth the discourse is all in the first person, "I," "Me," which occur in one form or other, as Stier reckons, thirty-five times.
**he that cometh to me--**to obtain what the soul craves, and as the only all-sufficient and ordained source of supply.
**hunger ... thirst--**shall have conscious and abiding satisfaction.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Division Among the People
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?
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KJV Study Commentary
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The temple officers return empty-handed to the authorities who sent them (verse 32). The question 'Why have ye not brought him?' expects an excuse or explanation. The authorities anticipated Jesus's arrest; the officers' failure demands explanation. Verse 46 provides it—they were overwh...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(45) **Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees.**—(Comp. Note on John 18:3.) They had been sent (John 7:32), not with a definite warrant to bring Him by force, but to watch their opportunity, and seize any pretext for doing so which may arise. “The chief priests and Pharisees” are the Sanhedrin who met (John 7:32), and, though it was a festival, seemed to have continued in sessio...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**36. But ... ye have seen me, and believe not--**seen Him not in His mere bodily presence, but in all the majesty of His life, His teaching, His works.
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.
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KJV Study Commentary
The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. The officers' explanation is testimony rather than excuse. 'Never man spake like this man' (oudepote elalēsen houtōs anthrōpos) acknowledges unprecedented authority in Jesus's teaching. They were sent to arrest but remained to listen, overwhelmed by His words. Even hostile hearers recognize something unique about Christ. Reformed theology sees ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(46) **Never man spake like this man.**—Some of *the* oldest MSS., including the Vatican, have a shorter text, “Never man spake thus”; but the longer reading is to be preferred. The very officers acknowledged His power, and tell the professed teachers, whose opinions and words were the rule of all Jewish life, that never man spake as He whom they sought to take! It is probable that in the section ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37-40. All that, &c.--**This comprehensive and very grand passage is expressed with a peculiar artistic precision. The opening general statement (Joh 6:37) consists of two members: (1) "All that the Father Giveth me shall come to me"--that is, "Though ye, as I told you, have no faith in Me, My errand into the world shall in no wise be defeated; for all that the Father giveth Me shall infalli...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived ?
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KJV Study Commentary
Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? The Pharisees respond with contempt. The question 'Are ye also deceived?' (mē kai humeis pepla nēsthe) dismisses the officers' testimony as proof of deception. This reveals the Pharisees' closed-mindedness—anyone impressed by Jesus must be deceived. They cannot consider that they might be wrong. This demonstrates hardened unbelief that refuse...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(47) **Are ye also deceived**?—The emphasis is upon the *ye.* “Ye whose duty it is simply to obey, who were sent to bring Him captive before us—do ye also yield to His power?” It is the Pharisees who ask this, and their spirit is shown in the matter of their question. They make no inquiry as to what He had said, though it must have struck them as a phenomenon demanding explanation that their own o...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37-40. All that, &c.--**This comprehensive and very grand passage is expressed with a peculiar artistic precision. The opening general statement (Joh 6:37) consists of two members: (1) "All that the Father Giveth me shall come to me"--that is, "Though ye, as I told you, have no faith in Me, My errand into the world shall in no wise be defeated; for all that the Father giveth Me shall infalli...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?
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KJV Study Commentary
Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? The Pharisees appeal to authority—no rulers or Pharisees believe, implying belief would be foolish. This argument from elite consensus dismisses the common people's faith. Yet it's false—Nicodemus (verse 50) was a Pharisee ruler who believed, as was Joseph of Arimathea (John 19:38-39). More rulers believed secretly (John 12:42) but feared...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(48) **The rulers** were the Sanhedrin, among whose official duties it was to prevent the introduction of false doctrines. (Comp. Note on Johnm 1:19.) “The Pharisees” were the orthodox party of the day, and they are the persons who ask the question. The matter was to be decided by authority, and not by truth. In the pride of the certainty that no one in a position of power or authority had believe...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37-40. All that, &c.--**This comprehensive and very grand passage is expressed with a peculiar artistic precision. The opening general statement (Joh 6:37) consists of two members: (1) "All that the Father Giveth me shall come to me"--that is, "Though ye, as I told you, have no faith in Me, My errand into the world shall in no wise be defeated; for all that the Father giveth Me shall infalli...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.
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KJV Study Commentary
But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. The Pharisees show contempt for common people. 'This people' (ho ochlos houtos) is dismissive. 'Who knoweth not the law' assumes the crowd is ignorant of Torah. 'Are cursed' (epikataroi eisin) consigns them to divine judgment. This reveals the Pharisees' elitism and pride. They view themselves as enlightened, the people as cursed ignoramuses. Jes...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(49) **But this people who knoweth not the law . . .**—The words express “Those people there, among whom you have been, and with whose opinion you have been coinciding, instead of holding the authoritative opinion which we have declared, and which we alone can declare. We are the interpreters of the Law, and have the key of knowledge. That ignorant rabble uninstructed in the Law are cursed.”
**Are...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**37-40. All that, &c.--**This comprehensive and very grand passage is expressed with a peculiar artistic precision. The opening general statement (Joh 6:37) consists of two members: (1) "All that the Father Giveth me shall come to me"--that is, "Though ye, as I told you, have no faith in Me, My errand into the world shall in no wise be defeated; for all that the Father giveth Me shall infalli...
Read full commentary →Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) to Jesus: Gr. to him
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KJV Study Commentary
Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Nicodemus, the Pharisee who met Jesus in John 3, cautiously defends Him. The parenthetical 'came to Jesus by night' reminds readers of chapter 3's dialogue while highlighting Nicodemus's timidity—he came secretly. 'Being one of them' shows Nicodemus was a Sanhedrin member, thus his voice carried weight. His interventio...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(50) On the character of Nicodemus, see Notes on John 3. His position here is that of a friend of Jesus, who still does not dare to declare himself His open follower.
**He that came to Jesus by night.**—Comp. Note on John 3:2. The better reading here is, probably, *he that came to Him before.*
**Being one of them** contains the answer to their question, “Hath any one (as above) of the rulers or of...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-46. Jews murmured--**muttered, not in our Lord's hearing, but He knew it (Joh 6:43; Joh 2:25).
**he said, I am the bread, &c.--**Missing the sense and glory of this, and having no relish for such sublimities, they harp upon the "Bread from heaven." "What can this mean? Do we not know all about Him--where, when, and of whom He was born? And yet He says He came down from heaven!"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
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KJV Study Commentary
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? Nicodemus appeals to Jewish legal procedure—no one should be condemned without hearing. This is mild defense, not open confession. He doesn't claim Jesus is Messiah, only that He deserves fair hearing. His argument is based on justice (Deuteronomy 1:16-17), not endorsement. Yet even this mild defense provokes hostile response ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(51) **Doth our law judge any man?**—He identifies Himself with them. He, like they, is an expounder of the Law. The force of the question is in the word “Law,” which they had used but the moment before in their scorn for the people who knew not the Law. “Well, this Law, which we do know and understand, doth it judge without open investigation?” Did they in their blind zeal forget such passages as...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-46. Jews murmured--**muttered, not in our Lord's hearing, but He knew it (Joh 6:43; Joh 2:25).
**he said, I am the bread, &c.--**Missing the sense and glory of this, and having no relish for such sublimities, they harp upon the "Bread from heaven." "What can this mean? Do we not know all about Him--where, when, and of whom He was born? And yet He says He came down from heaven!"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.
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KJV Study Commentary
They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. The Pharisees respond with ridicule. Questioning whether Nicodemus is Galilean is insulting—Galileans were viewed as backward. The command 'search and look' dismisses his argument. Their claim 'out of Galilee ariseth no prophet' is false—Jonah was from Gath-hepher in Galilee (2 Kings...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(52) **Art thou also of Galilee?**—They seek to avoid his question, to which there could have been but one answer, by a counter-question expressing their surprise at the position he is taking: “Surely thou art not also of Galilee?” “Thou art not His countryman, as many of this multitude are?” They imply that Nicodemus could not have asked a question which claimed for Jesus the simple justice of th...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-46. Jews murmured--**muttered, not in our Lord's hearing, but He knew it (Joh 6:43; Joh 2:25).
**he said, I am the bread, &c.--**Missing the sense and glory of this, and having no relish for such sublimities, they harp upon the "Bread from heaven." "What can this mean? Do we not know all about Him--where, when, and of whom He was born? And yet He says He came down from heaven!"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →And every man went unto his own house.
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KJV Study Commentary
And every man went unto his own house. The council meeting ends inconclusively. Despite murder plot and arrest attempt, Jesus remains free. 'Every man went unto his own house' indicates adjournment without decision. The division over Jesus prevented consensus for immediate action. God's providence works even through human disagreements to accomplish His purposes. Jesus's hour hasn't come; therefor...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(53) The section which follows (John 7:53 to John 8:11) is one of the most striking instances of an undoubted addition to the original text of the Gospel narratives. We shall find reason to believe that it belongs to the Apostolic age, and preserves to us the record of an incident in the life of our Lord, but that it has not come to us from the pen of St. John. (Comp. *Excursus B: Some Variations ...
Read full commentary →Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
**41-46. Jews murmured--**muttered, not in our Lord's hearing, but He knew it (Joh 6:43; Joh 2:25).
**he said, I am the bread, &c.--**Missing the sense and glory of this, and having no relish for such sublimities, they harp upon the "Bread from heaven." "What can this mean? Do we not know all about Him--where, when, and of whom He was born? And yet He says He came down from heaven!"
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary
**Verses 40-53**
The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on ...
Read full commentary →