Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill? Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ? However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.”
Parallel Translations
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Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, “Isn’t this he whom they seek to kill?
Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ?
However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from.”
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Then sayd some of them of Ierusalem: Is not this he who they goo aboute to kyll?
Beholde he speaketh boldly and they saye nothinge to him. Do the rulars knowe in dede that this is very Christ?
How be it we knowe this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh no man shall knowe whence he is.
Show all 3 translations
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Then saide some of them of Hierusalem, Is not this he, whom they goe about to kill?
And beholde, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him: doe the rulers know in deede that this is in deede that Christ?
Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when that Christ commeth, no man shall knowe whence he is.
Cross-references (27)
- Micah 5:2 (v27) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, being small among the clans of Judah, out of you one will come out to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose…
- John 7:41-42 (v27) Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “What, does the Christ come out of Galilee? Hasn’t the Scripture said that the Christ…
- John 6:42 (v27) They said, “Isn’t this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How then does he say, ‘I have come down out of heaven?’ ”
- John 9:29 (v27) We know that God has spoken to Moses. But as for this man, we don’t know where he comes from.”
- Matthew 13:54-57 (v27) Coming into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this…
Show all 27 cross-references
- Jeremiah 30:21 (v27) Their prince will be one of them, and their ruler will proceed from among them. I will cause him to draw near, and he will approach me; for…
- 2 Timothy 1:7-8 (v26) For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. Therefore don’t be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor…
- Mark 6:3 (v27) Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judah, and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” They were…
- John 7:48 (v26) Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?
- Ephesians 6:19-20 (v26) on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, for which I…
- Psalms 40:9-10 (v26) I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know. I have not hidden…
- Psalms 71:15-16 (v26) My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure. I will come with the…
- Proverbs 28:1 (v26) The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Isaiah 11:1 (v27) A shoot will come out of the stock of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots will bear fruit.
- Isaiah 42:4 (v26) He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands wait for his law.”
- Isaiah 50:7-8 (v26) For the Lord Yahweh will help me. Therefore I have not been confounded. Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I won’t…
- Matthew 2:5-6 (v27) They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is written through the prophet, ‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah, are in no way least among…
- Matthew 22:16 (v26) They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in…
- Luke 4:22 (v27) All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
- Luke 7:30 (v26) But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
- John 7:10-11 (v25) But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly, but as it were in secret. The Jews therefore sought him…
- John 9:22 (v26) His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he…
- John 11:47-53 (v26) The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs. If we leave…
- Acts 4:13 (v26) Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They…
- Philippians 1:14 (v26) and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.
- Jeremiah 23:5 (v27) “Behold, the days come,” says Yahweh, “that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he will reign as king and deal wisely, and will…
- John 12:42 (v26) Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (19 sources)
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John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv25, 27 25. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; that is,…
25. Some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; that is, those to whom the rulers had communicated their plots, and who knew how much Christ was hated; for the people at large — as we saw lately — looked upon this as a dream, or as madness. Those persons, therefore, who knew with what inveterate rage the rulers of their nation burned against Christ, have some reason for wondering that, while Christ in the temple not only converses openly but preaches freely, the rulers say nothing to him. But they err in this respect, that in a miracle altogether Divine they do not take into account the providence of God. Thus carnal men, whenever they behold any unusual work of God, do indeed wonder, but no consideration of the power of God ever enters into their mind. But it is our duty to examine more wisely the works of God; and especially when wicked men, with all their contrivances, do not hinder the progress of the Gospel so much as they would desire, we ought to be fully persuaded that their efforts have been rendered fruitless, because God, by interposing his word, has defeated them.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv25, 27 Many do marvel that the endeavors of the enemies…
Many do marvel that the endeavors of the enemies of God have no success: yet in the mean season they do not acknowledge the virtue and power of God.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv25–27 25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is…
25 Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
Ver. 25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem] That knew more of the ruler’s mind than the common people, who believed not that there was any such deadly designs, Joh 7:26. Howbeit these wits of Jerusalem take no notice at all of God’s hand in Christ’s deliverance, and his present boldness in so extreme a danger.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv25–27 Those who here speak are said to be of…
Those who here speak are said to be of Jerusalem, (probably citizens), who knew more of the designs and counsels of the chief priests and elders, than those who said before, Joh 7:20, Thou hast a devil: who seeketh to kill thee?
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv25–27 But lo, he speaketh boldly,.... And with great freedom,…
But lo, he speaketh boldly,.... And with great freedom, and openly and publicly in the temple, as if he had a licence from the chief priests for so doing:
and they say nothing to him; do not contradict him, or forbid him speaking; he goes on without control; though he takes great liberty in charging the Jews with an intention to kill him, in arguing from their practices in vindication of himself, and in suggesting that they judged in favour of men, and not according to the truth of things.
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Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? have they changed their minds concerning him, and so their conduct towards him? are they convinced, and do they know by plain demonstrations, and full proof, that he is really the Messiah that has been promised of old, and long expected?
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On v27 When Christ cometh, none knoweth whence he is -…
When Christ cometh, none knoweth whence he is - This Jewish tradition was true, with regard to his Divine nature: in that respect none could declare his generation. But it was not true with regard to his human nature, for both his family and the place of his birth were plainly foretold.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv26–27 Verse 26. That this is the very Christ?] In…
Verse 26. That this is the very Christ?] In most of the common printed editions αληθως is found, the VERY Christ; but the word is wanting in BDKLTX, twenty-two others, several editions; all the Arabic, Wheelock's Persic, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, and all the Itala but one, Origen, Epiphanius, Cyril, Isidore, Pelusian, and Nonnus. Grotius, Mill, Bengel, and Griesbach, decide against it. Bishop Pearce says, I am of opinion that this second αληθως, in this verse, should be omitted, it seeming quite unnecessary, if not inaccurate, when the words αληθως εγνωσαν, had just preceded it.
Calmet observes that the multitude which heard our Lord at this time was composed of three different classes of persons:
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1. The rulers, priests, and Pharisees, declared enemies of Christ.
2. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who knew the sentiments of their rulers concerning him.
3. The strangers, who from different quarters had come up to Jerusalem to the feast, and who heard Christ attentively, being ignorant of the designs of the rulers, &c., against him.
Our Lord addresses himself in this discourse principally to his enemies. The strange Jews were those who were astonished when Christ said, Joh 7:20, that they sought to kill him, having no such design themselves, and not knowing that others had. And the Jews of Jerusalem were those who, knowing the disposition of the rulers, and seeing Christ speak openly, no man attempting to seize him, addressed each other in the foregoing words, Do the rulers know indeed that this is the Christ? imagining that the chief priests, &c., had at last been convinced that Jesus was the MESSIAH.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v25 Joh 7:25-27. Then — While our Lord was thus…
Joh 7:25-27. Then — While our Lord was thus discoursing in the temple; some of them of Jerusalem — Some of the inhabitants of the city, who knew more of the designs of the sanhedrim than the others who had spoken before; said, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? — Seek an opportunity to put to death? But lo — He is not only come up hither to the feast, but speaks openly and freely in the very temple itself, and they are so far from seizing him, that they do not so much as say any thing to prohibit him. Do the rulers know indeed — Are they now fully convinced; that this is the very Christ — And that therefore they were mistaken in their former censures? Howbeit, we know this man, whence he is — And therefore have sufficient reason to conclude, that he cannot be the Messiah: for, when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is — This Jewish tradition was true in regard to his pre-existing and divine nature: in that respect, according to the obvious popular sense of Isa 53:8, None could declare his generation: but it was not true with regard to his human nature, for both his family, and the place of his birth, were plainly foretold. And “it is evident from Mat 2:4-5, that the Jews apprehended the Messiah was to be born at Bethlehem; and from a multitude of other places, that they knew he was to be a descendant of David.” Archbishop Tillotson supposes, that the words, no man knoweth whence he is, “refer to an expectation the Jews had, that he would be born of a virgin. As for the notion which Justin Martyr mentions, that the Messiah should, for a while, be hid, it seems more modern, and they must put a strange interpretation on Isa 53:8; Mic 5:2; and Psa 110:4, to draw any such consequence from these passages, as Dr. Whitby and M. L’Enfant suppose they did.” — Doddridge.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv26–27 Do the rulers know indeed ... - It seems…
Do the rulers know indeed ... - It seems from this that they supposed that the rulers had been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but that from some cause they were not willing yet to make it known to the people. The reasons of this opinion were these:
They knew that they had attempted to kill him. They now saw him speaking boldly to the people without interruption from the rulers.
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They concluded, therefore, that some change had taken place in the sentiments of the rulers in regard to him, though they had not yet made it public.
The rulers - The members of the Sanhedrin, or great council of the nation, who had charge of religious affairs.
Indeed - Truly; certainly. Have they certain evidence, as would appear from their suffering him to speak without interruption?
The very Christ - Is truly or really the Messiah.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv26–27 Have the rulers, &c. the chief priests, elders, and…
Have the rulers, &c. the chief priests, elders, and all the members of the great sanhedrim. (Witham)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv25–27 some of them of Jerusalem--the citizens, who, knowing the…
some of them of Jerusalem--the citizens, who, knowing the long-formed purpose of the rulers to put Jesus to death, wondered that they were now letting Him teach openly.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv25–27 Reasonings of the Jerusalemites and Jesus’s reply, Joh_7:25-29.
Reasonings of the Jerusalemites and Jesus’s reply, Joh_7:25-29.
The Lord’s reference in Joh_7:23, to his miracle at Bethesda, (Joh_7:2-9,) months before, awakens the recollections of a number of permanent inhabitants of the capital of his person, miracle, and the conspiracy of the Jews against him.
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25. Seek to kill—Thus refuting the interruption of the others in Joh_7:20.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv25–27 25. Then said some] Or, Some therefore said (see…
25. Then said some] Or, Some therefore said (see on Joh_6:53, Joh_7:11; Joh_7:15), i.e. in consequence of Christ’s vindication of Himself. These inhabitants of the capital know better than the provincials, who speak in Joh_7:20, what the intentions of the hierarchy really are.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv25–27 (25) Then said some of them of Jerusalem.—These Jerusalemites…
(25) Then said some of them of Jerusalem.—These Jerusalemites are distinct from the multitude of Joh_7:20, and are acquainted with the intention which seemed so impossible to the latter.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv25–27 Vers. 25-29. (4) Special perplexity of some Jerusalemites, and…
Vers. 25-29. (4) Special perplexity of some Jerusalemites, and Christ"s reply.
A second scene is here described, not necessarily on the day of his first appearance in the temple, though it took place in the temple (ver. 28). We see, however, a new wave of feeling. The multitude, or part of it, that gathered round him was maddened with his intimation of the murderous animosity of the authorities; but the dwellers in Jerusalem were better informed of the malignant spirit he had excited.
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Therefore by reason of his bold self-vindicationsome of the Jerusalemites (this word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, except in Mar_1:5) were saying, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill? If the multitudes of the provincials were ignorant of the design of the hierarchy, the plot was not a complete secret.
Vers. 25-29. The true origin of our Lord.
The opportunity again arises of asserting his Divine origin.
I THE PERPLEXITY OF THE JERUSALEM JEWS RESPECTING THE POLICY AND VIEWS OF THEIR RULERS. "Then said some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Is not this he whom they seek to kill? And, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing to him.
1. The question is put, not by the Jews from foreign lands, who were attending the feast, but by Jews of the city, who understood the various phases of change in the temper and attitude of the rulers toward Christ.
2. They were aware of the plot formed at the Passover before the last to kill him.
3. They were puzzled to account for the passiveness of the religious guides of the nation, in presence of provocations so stinging as these supplied by our Lord"s rebukes. They are almost disposed to believe that the rulers recognize Jesus as the Messiah. "Do the rulers indeed perceive that he is the Christ?
4. Their own obstinate resistance to such a view. "Howbeit, we know this man whence he is: but the Christ, when he comes, no one will know whence he is." They professed to know the parentage and family of Jesus, identifying them with Galilee; but they held that the origin of the Messiah would be utterly unknown. He would appear suddenly as an adult, like another Melehizedek, "without father, without mother." The Scriptures plainly pointed out the tribe, the family, the lineage, the place of the Messiah"s birth. Yet they said, "When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is." The nature of their ignorance is soon made manifest.
II OUR LORD"S EXPLANATION OF THE JEWS" PERPLEXITY. "Ye both know me, and know whence I am.
1. He asserts that they knew him as a man.
2. But asserts at once that they did not recognize his Divine nature.
(1) They did not acknowledge his essential Sonship. "But I know him: for I am from him implying that his knowledge of his Father arose from his community of nature with him.
(2) They did not acknowledge his Divine mission. "He hath sent me.
(3) They were not only ignorant of the Son, but also of the Father. "He that sent me is true, whom ye know not.
(a) It was a severe thing to charge the Jews with ignorance of that God whose worship was their boast.
(b) The truth of the Father was staked upon the Messianic mission of the Son. Therefore, to deny Christ was to exclude the Father from the range of their knowledge.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain On v25 25–29. Some of them of Jerusalem. Citizens who understood…
25–29. Some of them of Jerusalem. Citizens who understood the purposes of the rulers, of which the visitors were ignorant.
Do the rulers know, etc.? As they did not seize him according to their purpose, the question arose what had changed the mind of the rulers. Had they found out that he was the Christ?
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Howbeit we know … whence he is. The Jews had an idea, due probably to Dan. 7:13, that when the Messiah came no one would know from whence he came.
Ye know whence I am. This is a reply to their assertion that they did. If they really did they would know that he came from God. They did not even know God, or they would know him whom God sent.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v25 The origin of Jesus:
The origin of Jesus:
v. 25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this He whom they seek to kill?
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v. 26. But, lo, He speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
v. 27. Howbeit we know this man whence He is; but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is.
v. 28. 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.
v. 29. But I know Him; for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me.
v. 30. Then they sought to take Him; but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour was not yet come.
A diversion was created at this point by the inquiry of some local people that may have come upon the scene at that moment. They were surprised at Christ’s teaching so openly. He was surely the man whom the chief men in the nation had sought to kill and were even then planning to put out of the way. The inference was that the rulers had been convinced as to the truth of Christ’s claims and were reconsidering their intention of putting Him to death. But this idea, in turn, is dismissed, as the babblers continue to express their conviction that they knew the origin of this man who was teaching before them; but concerning the Christ, the Messiah, the supposition had gained ground that no one would know whence He would come. This idea was due to a misunderstanding of some Old Testament passages referring to the eternity of the Messiah and to sections of apocryphal literature which were circulating among the Jews in those days. In this man Jesus they saw nothing miraculous. His powerful testimony of His heavenly origin they did not believe, and the miracles which He did in healing the sick were insignificant in their eyes. Their position is shared by a great many modern critics, the foolishness of whose reason renders them just as blind. Jesus, in the midst of this excited babel of voices, purposely cried out loudly at this point, to attract attention to Himself and to His words. For the sake of getting their interest, He places Himself on their side. They thought they knew whence He was; a bit of scornful irony. Their entire ideas concerning the Messiah were indistinct and hazy, and just as foolish were their conjectures as to His origin. They should know that Jesus did not presume upon the mission which He is now trying to fulfill. It is in truth and beyond all doubt God that sent Him. But of the essence of this God, the heavenly Father, they had not the faintest idea in spite of all their boasting. He that does not know the Son cannot understand the essence of the Father. Jesus is well acquainted with the Father, for He has His ministry, His ambassadorship, from Him. For the Jews to draw this conclusion from their knowledge of Christ’s origin that He was a self-constituted prophet and therefore not the Messiah, is to make the biggest mistake that is possible in the wide world. This frank statement again made the Jews angry; they sought to seize Him; their hands fairly itched to be laid upon Him in reigning fury. But they were held back by a power that lamed their hands, for the hour of Jesus bad not yet come. The time when He should enter into the glory of His Father by the path of suffering and death was not yet at hand. The enemies of Christ can do nothing unless God gives them permission.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v25 Is not this the one they seek to kill?
Is not this the one they seek to kill?
This remark appears in the form of a question to add emphasis. AT: "This is Jesus whom they are seeking to kill!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
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they say nothing to him
This implies that the Jewish leaders are not opposing Jesus. AT: "they say nothing to oppose him" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)
It cannot be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ, can it?
This remark appears in the form of a question to add emphasis. AT: "Maybe they have decided that he is truly the Messiah!" (See: Rhetorical Question)
translationWords
Jerusalem
Christ
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v27 7:27 Some of the crowd thought that since they…
7:27 Some of the crowd thought that since they could trace Jesus’ earthly origins, he could not be the Messiah. They believed that the Messiah would simply appear.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.