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The Gospels · New Testament

John 7

John 7: the feast of tabernacles and a divided crowd

General context

Jesus stays in Galilee because the Jews in Jewry seek to kill him. With the feast of tabernacles at hand, his brethren tell him to go to Judea and show himself openly, and the narrator says they did not believe in him. He says his time is not yet come, then goes up secretly. At the feast the people murmur about him, some calling him a good man and others saying he deceives the people, and no one speaks openly for fear of the Jews. Teaching in the temple midway through the feast, he says his doctrine is not his own, raises the question of the law and asks why they seek to kill him. The crowd answers that he has a devil. Some of Jerusalem note that he speaks boldly and is not stopped. The Pharisees and chief priests send officers to take him. On the last day he calls the thirsty to come and drink, and the people divide over whether he is the Prophet or the Christ. The officers return empty-handed, and Nicodemus asks whether the law judges a man before hearing him.

Cited passages: John 7:1, John 7:2, John 7:3, John 7:5, John 7:6, John 7:10, John 7:12, John 7:13, John 7:14, John 7:16, John 7:19, John 7:20, John 7:26, John 7:32, John 7:37, John 7:40, John 7:41, John 7:43, John 7:46, John 7:51

John 7 (KJV)

1After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

2Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.

3His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judæa, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

4For 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.

5For neither did his brethren believe in him.

6Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready.

7The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

8Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

9When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

10But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

11Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he?

12And 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.

13Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.

14Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.

15And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

16Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

17If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

18He 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.

19Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

20The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

21Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

22Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

23If 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?

24Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

25Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

28Then 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.

29But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

30Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

31And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

33Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

34Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

35Then 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?

36What 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?

37In 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.

38He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39(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.)

40Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43So there was a division among the people because of him.

44And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

49But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

50Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53And every man went unto his own house.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The narrator states that his brethren did not believe in him, and their advice to go up is their own speech, not an approval. Two of the chapter's explanations come from the narrator: that no one spoke openly for fear of the Jews, and that the rivers of living water were said of the Spirit, which was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified. The one work that provokes the argument is not described again here; Jesus refers back to having made a man whole on the sabbath. Nicodemus is identified by the narrator as the man who came to Jesus by night and as one of their own number. The objections raised about Galilee and Bethlehem are spoken by the crowd and by the Pharisees, not stated by the narrator as facts about where Jesus was born.

Cited passages: John 7:5, John 7:3, John 7:13, John 7:39, John 7:21, John 7:23, John 7:50, John 7:42, John 7:52

Literary context

The chapter is organized by the feast's own calendar, before it, in the midst of it and on the last day, and the tension rises at each stage. Open and secret are set against each other from the brethren's advice onward, and the word openly returns in the crowd's surprise that he is not silenced. Speech is reported in scattered voices rather than in one exchange, so the division the narrator names at verse 43 is shown before it is stated. Attempts to seize him fail more than once: twice the narrator says no man laid hands on him, and the officers sent to take him come back saying no man ever spoke like this. The chapter ends without a verdict, with a legal question from Nicodemus and everyone going home.

Cited passages: John 7:4, John 7:10, John 7:14, John 7:37, John 7:26, John 7:12, John 7:43, John 7:30, John 7:44, John 7:46, John 7:51, John 7:53

Key moments

  1. Brethren urge a public show (John 7:4). His brethren tell him to show himself to the world rather than act in secret.
  2. Going up in secret (John 7:10). After his brethren leave, Jesus goes to the feast privately.
  3. Fear of speaking openly (John 7:13). The narrator says no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jews.
  4. Why go ye about to kill me (John 7:19). Teaching in the temple, Jesus asks why they seek to kill him.
  5. A call to the thirsty (John 7:37). On the last day of the feast he calls anyone who thirsts to come and drink.
  6. Division among the people (John 7:43). The narrator states that the people are divided because of him.
  7. Nicodemus raises the law (John 7:51). Nicodemus asks whether their law judges a man before hearing him.

For reflection

Nicodemus does not defend Jesus but asks whether the law allows a verdict before a hearing, and the answer he gets is about where he comes from. What does that exchange show about how the argument is being conducted?

People in this chapter

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