John 7
7
The Feast of Tabernacles. 1#7–8] These chapters contain events about the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth, Ingathering: Ex 23:16; Tents, Booths: Dt 16:13–16), with its symbols of booths (originally built to shelter harvesters), rain (water from Siloam poured on the temple altar), and lights (illumination of the four torches in the Court of the Women). They continue the theme of the replacement of feasts (Passover, Jn 2:13; 6:4; Hanukkah, Jn 10:22; Pentecost, Jn 5:1), here accomplished by Jesus as the Living Water. These chapters comprise seven miscellaneous controversies and dialogues. There is a literary inclusion with Jesus in hiding in Jn 7:4, 10; 8:59. There are frequent references to attempts on his life: Jn 7:1, 13, 19, 25, 30, 32, 44; 8:37, 40, 59. After this, Jesus moved about within Galilee; but he did not wish to travel in Judea, because the Jews were trying to kill him.#5:18; 8:37, 40. 2But the Jewish feast of Tabernacles was near.#Ex 23:16; Lv 23:34; Nm 29:12; Dt 16:13–16; Zec 14:16–19. 3So his brothers#Brothers: these relatives (cf. Jn 2:12 and see note on Mk 6:3) are never portrayed as disciples until after the resurrection (Acts 1:14). Mt 13:55 and Mk 6:3 give the names of four of them. Jesus has already performed works/signs in Judea; cf. Jn 2:23; 3:2; 4:45; 5:8. said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4No one works in secret if he wants to be known publicly. If you do these things, manifest yourself to the world.”#14:22. 5For his brothers did not believe in him. 6#Time: the Greek word means “opportune time,” here a synonym for Jesus’ “hour” (see note on Jn 2:4), his death and resurrection. In the wordplay, any time is suitable for Jesus’ brothers, because they are not dependent on God’s will. So Jesus said to them, “My time is not yet here, but the time is always right for you. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I testify to it that its works are evil.#15:18. 8You go up to the feast. I am not going up#I am not going up: an early attested reading “not yet” seems a correction, since Jesus in the story does go up to the feast. “Go up,” in a play on words, refers not only to going up to Jerusalem but also to exaltation at the cross, resurrection, and ascension; cf. Jn 3:14; 6:62; 20:17. to this feast, because my time has not yet been fulfilled.” 9After he had said this, he stayed on in Galilee.
10But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, he himself also went up, not openly but [as it were] in secret. 11The Jews were looking for him at the feast and saying, “Where is he?” 12And there was considerable murmuring about him in the crowds. Some said, “He is a good man,” [while] others said, “No; on the contrary, he misleads the crowd.” 13Still, no one spoke openly about him because they were afraid of the Jews.#9:22; 19:38; 20:19.
The First Dialogue.#Jesus teaches in the temple; debate with the Jews. 14When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple area and began to teach. 15#Without having studied: literally, “How does he know letters without having learned?” Children were taught to read and write by means of the scriptures. But here more than Jesus’ literacy is being discussed; the people are wondering how he can teach like a rabbi. Rabbis were trained by other rabbis and traditionally quoted their teachers. #Lk 2:47. The Jews were amazed and said, “How does he know scripture without having studied?” 16Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not my own but is from the one who sent me. 17Whoever chooses to do his will#To do his will: presumably a reference back to the “work” of Jn 6:29: belief in the one whom God has sent. shall know whether my teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own.#6:29. 18Whoever speaks on his own seeks his own glory, but whoever seeks the glory of the one who sent him is truthful, and there is no wrong in him. 19Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”#Acts 7:53. 20The crowd answered, “You are possessed!#You are possessed: literally, “You have a demon.” The insane were thought to be possessed by a demoniacal spirit. Who is trying to kill you?”#8:48–49; 10:20. 21Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work#One work: the cure of the paralytic (Jn 5:1–9) because of the reference to the sabbath (Jn 7:22; 5:9–10). and all of you are amazed#5:1–9. 22because of it. Moses gave you circumcision—not that it came from Moses but rather from the patriarchs—and you circumcise a man on the sabbath.#Gn 17:10; Lv 12:3. 23If a man can receive circumcision on a sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole person well on a sabbath?#5:2–9, 16; Mt 12:11–12; Lk 14:5. 24Stop judging by appearances, but judge justly.”#8:15; Lv 19:15; Is 11:3–4.
25So some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem said, “Is he not the one they are trying to kill? 26And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities#The authorities: the members of the Sanhedrin (same term as Jn 3:1). have realized that he is the Messiah? 27But we know where he is from. When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”#Heb 7:3. 28So Jesus cried out in the temple area as he was teaching and said, “You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true.#8:19. 29I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”#6:46; 8:55. 30So they tried to arrest him, but no one laid a hand upon him, because his hour had not yet come.#7:44; 8:20; Lk 4:29–30. 31But many of the crowd began to believe in him, and said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man has done?”#2:11; 10:42; 11:45.
Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus.#Jesus announces his approaching departure (cf. also Jn 8:21; 12:36; 13:33) and complete control over his destiny. 32The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring about him to this effect, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent guards to arrest him. 33So Jesus said, “I will be with you only a little while longer, and then I will go to the one who sent me.#13:33; 16:16. 34You will look for me but not find [me], and where I am you cannot come.”#8:21; 12:36; 13:33, 36; 16:5; Dt 4:29; Prv 1:28; Is 55:6; Hos 5:6. 35So the Jews said to one another, “Where is he going that we will not find him? Surely he is not going to the dispersion#Dispersion: or “diaspora”: Jews living outside Palestine. Greeks: probably refers to the Gentiles in the Mediterranean area; cf. Jn 12:20. among the Greeks to teach the Greeks, is he? 36What is the meaning of his saying, ‘You will look for me and not find [me], and where I am you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water.#7:37, 39] Promise of living water through the Spirit. 37On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink.#Rev 21:6. 38Whoever believes in me, as scripture says:
‘Rivers of living water#Living water: not an exact quotation from any Old Testament passage; in the gospel context the gift of the Spirit is meant; cf. Jn 3:5. From within him: either Jesus or the believer; if Jesus, it continues the Jesus-Moses motif (water from the rock, Ex 17:6; Nm 20:11) as well as Jesus as the new temple (cf. Ez 47:1). Grammatically, it goes better with the believer. will flow from within him.’”#4:10, 14; 19:34; Is 12:3; Ez 47:1.
39He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive. There was, of course, no Spirit yet,#No Spirit yet: Codex Vaticanus and early Latin, Syriac, and Coptic versions add “given.” In this gospel, the sending of the Spirit cannot take place until Jesus’ glorification through his death, resurrection, and ascension; cf. Jn 20:22. because Jesus had not yet been glorified.#16:7.
Discussion About the Origins of the Messiah.#Discussion of the Davidic lineage of the Messiah. 40Some in the crowd who heard these words said, “This is truly the Prophet.”#Dt 18:15, 18. 41Others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “The Messiah will not come from Galilee, will he? 42Does not scripture say that the Messiah will be of David’s family and come from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”#2 Sm 7:12–14; Ps 89:3–4; 132:11; Mi 5:1; Mt 2:5–6. 43So a division occurred in the crowd because of him. 44Some of them even wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
45So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46The guards answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this one.” 47So the Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him?#12:42. 49But this crowd, which does not know the law, is accursed.” 50Nicodemus, one of their members who had come to him earlier, said to them,#3:1; 19:39. 51“Does our law condemn a person before it first hears him and finds out what he is doing?”#Dt 1:16–17. 52They answered and said to him, “You are not from Galilee also, are you? Look and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
John 7
7
Jesus’ Brothers Do Not Believe in Him
1 And after these things Jesus was going about in Galilee. For he did not want to go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. 2Now the feast of the Jews—the feast of Tabernacles—was near. 3So his brothers said to him, “Depart from here and go to Judea, so that your disciples also can see your works that you are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret and yet he himself desires to be publicly recognized.#Literally “with openness” If you are doing these things, reveal yourself to the world!” 5(For not even his brothers believed in him.)
Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles
6So Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it, that its deeds are evil. 8You go up to the feast. I am not#Most manuscripts read “not yet” here, but this is obviously an easier reading intended to reconcile the statement with Jesus’ later actions going up to this feast, because my time is not yet completed.#Or “fulfilled” 9And when he#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“had said”) which is understood as temporal had said these things, he remained in Galilee.
10But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not openly, but (as it were) in secret. 11So the Jews were looking for him at the feast, and were saying, “Where is he?” 12And there was a lot of grumbling concerning him among the crowds; some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others were saying, “No, but he deceives the crowd.” 13However, no one was speaking openly about him for fear of the Jews.
14Now when the feast was already half over,#Literally “now it being already in the middle of the feast” Jesus went to the temple courts#*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself and began to teach.#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to teach”) 15Then the Jews were astonished, saying, “How does this man possess knowledge,#Literally “know letters” because he#*Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“been taught”) which is understood as causal has not been taught?” 16So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not mine, but is from the one who sent me. 17If anyone wants to do his will, he will know about my#*Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun teaching, whether it is from God or I am speaking from myself. 18The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory. But the one who seeks the glory of the one who sent him—this one is true, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 19Has not Moses given you the law, and none of you carries out the law? Why do you seek to kill me?”
20The crowd replied, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21Jesus answered and said to them, “I performed one work, and you are all astonished. 22Because of this Moses has given you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses would not be broken, are you angry with me because I made a whole man well#Or “a man entirely well” on the Sabbath? 24Do not judge according to outward appearance, but judge according to righteous judgment!”
Is Jesus the Christ?
25Then some of the inhabitants of Jerusalem began to say,#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”) “Is this not the one whom they are seeking to kill? 26And behold, he is speaking openly and they are saying nothing to him! Can it be that the rulers truly know that this man is the Christ? 27Yet we know where this man is from, but the Christ, whenever he comes—no one knows where he is from!”
28Then Jesus cried out in the temple courts,#*Here “courts” is supplied to distinguish this area from the interior of the temple building itself teaching and saying, “You both know me and you know where I am from! And I have not come from myself, but the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know. 29I know him, because I am from him and he sent me.”
30So they were seeking to seize him, and no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31But from the crowd many believed in him and were saying, “Whenever the Christ comes, he will not perform more signs than this man has done, will he?”#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “will he”
32The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers in order to take him into custody .#Literally “that they could seize him” 33Then Jesus said, “Yet a little time I am with you, and I am going to the one who sent me. 34You will seek me and will not find me,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation#Some manuscripts explicitly state “me” and where I am, you cannot come.”
35So the Jews said to one another, “Where is this one going to go, that we will not find him? He is not going to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “is he” 36What is this saying that he said, ‘You will seek me and will not find me,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation#Some manuscripts explicitly state “me” and where I am, you cannot come’?”
The Promise of the Spirit
37Now on the last day of the feast—the great day—Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and let him drink, 38the one who believes in me.#An alternative punctuation of vv. 37–38 reads: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and let him drink. 38 The one who believes in me, just as the scripture said, ‘Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’ ” Just as the scripture said, ‘Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.’ ”#A quotation from the Old Testament of uncertain origin; texts most often suggested are Isa 44:3; 55:1; 58:11; Zech 14:8 39Now he said this concerning the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. For the Spirit was not yet given,#A few manuscripts supply the participle “given” here; while it is unlikely this represents the original reading, many English versions nevertheless supply “given” to avoid the impression that the Spirit did not exist prior to this point because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
Different Opinions About Jesus
40Then, when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard these words, some from the crowd began to say,#*The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to say”) “This man is truly the Prophet!” 41Others were saying, “This man is the Christ!” But others were saying, “No, for the Christ does not come from Galilee, does he?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “does he” 42Has not the scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44And some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid hands on him.
45So the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, “Why#Literally “because of what” did you not bring him?” 46The officers replied, “Never has a man spoken like this!” 47Then the Pharisees replied to them, “You have not also been deceived, have you?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “have you” 48None#Literally “not anyone” of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “have they” 49But this crowd who does not know the law is accursed!”
50Nicodemus, the one who came to him previously—who was one of them—said to them, 51“Our law does not condemn a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?”#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “does it” 52They answered and said to him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you?#*The negative construction in Greek anticipates a negative answer here, indicated in the translation by the phrase “are you” Investigate and see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee!” 〚53And each one went to his own house.#John 7:53–8:11 is not found in the earliest and best manuscripts and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John; one significant group of Greek manuscripts places it after Luke 21:38
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