Yohanes 7:1-9

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this ¹  Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. ²  He ³  stayed out of Judea ⁴  because the Jewish leaders ⁵  wanted ⁶  to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles ⁷  was near. ⁸  7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ⁹  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ¹⁰  7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself ¹¹  does anything in secret. ¹²  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) ¹³ 

7:6 So Jesus replied, ¹⁴  “My time ¹⁵  has not yet arrived, ¹⁶  but you are ready at any opportunity! ¹⁷  7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up ¹⁸  to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast ¹⁹  because my time ²⁰  has not yet fully arrived.” ²¹  7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

Lukas 9:51-56

Rejection in Samaria

9:51 Now when ²²  the days drew near ²³  for him to be taken up, ²⁴  Jesus ²⁵  set out resolutely ²⁶  to go to Jerusalem. ²⁷  9:52 He ²⁸  sent messengers on ahead of him. ²⁹  As they went along, ³⁰  they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance ³¹  for him, 9:53 but the villagers ³²  refused to welcome ³³  him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem. ³⁴  9:54 Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume ³⁵  them?” ³⁶  9:55 But Jesus ³⁷  turned and rebuked them, ³⁸  9:56 and they went on to another village.

Matius 8:18-22

Challenging Professed Followers

8:18 Now when Jesus saw a large crowd ³⁹  around him, he gave orders to go to the other side of the lake. ⁴⁰  8:19 Then ⁴¹  an expert in the law ⁴²  came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁴³  8:20 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens, and the birds in the sky ⁴⁴  have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ⁴⁵  8:21 Another ⁴⁶  of the ⁴⁷  disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 8:22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” ⁴⁸ 

Lukas 9:57-62

Challenging Professed Followers

9:57 As ⁴⁹  they were walking ⁵⁰  along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” ⁵¹  9:58 Jesus said to him, “Foxes have dens and the birds in the sky ⁵²  have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” ⁵³  9:59 Jesus ⁵⁴  said to another, “Follow me.” But he replied, ⁵⁵  “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” 9:60 But Jesus ⁵⁶  said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, ⁵⁷  but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁵⁸  9:61 Yet ⁵⁹  another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family.” ⁶⁰  9:62 Jesus ⁶¹  said to him, “No one who puts his ⁶²  hand to the plow and looks back ⁶³  is fit for the kingdom of God.” ⁶⁴ 

Yohanes 7:10--8:20

7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus ⁶⁵  himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders ⁶⁶  were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” ⁶⁷  7:12 There was ⁶⁸  a lot of grumbling ⁶⁹  about him among the crowds. ⁷⁰  Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” ⁷¹  7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. ⁷² 

Teaching in the Temple

7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts ⁷³  and began to teach. ⁷⁴  7:15 Then the Jewish leaders ⁷⁵  were astonished ⁷⁶  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ⁷⁷  7:16 So Jesus replied, ⁷⁸  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ⁷⁹  7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ⁸⁰  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ⁸¹  7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ⁸²  desires ⁸³  to receive honor ⁸⁴  for himself; the one who desires ⁸⁵  the honor ⁸⁶  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ⁸⁷  and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps ⁸⁸  the law! Why do you want ⁸⁹  to kill me?”

7:20 The crowd ⁹⁰  answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! ⁹¹  Who is trying to kill you?” ⁹²  7:21 Jesus replied, ⁹³  “I performed one miracle ⁹⁴  and you are all amazed. ⁹⁵  7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision ⁹⁶  (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child ⁹⁷  on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child ⁹⁸  is circumcised ⁹⁹  on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, ¹⁰⁰  why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well ¹⁰¹  on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, ¹⁰²  but judge with proper ¹⁰³  judgment.”

Questions About Jesus’ Identity

7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem ¹⁰⁴  began to say, “Isn’t this the man ¹⁰⁵  they are trying ¹⁰⁶  to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, ¹⁰⁷  and they are saying nothing to him. ¹⁰⁸  Do the rulers really know that this man ¹⁰⁹  is the Christ? ¹¹⁰  7:27 But we know where this man ¹¹¹  comes from. ¹¹²  Whenever the Christ ¹¹³  comes, no one will know where he comes from.” ¹¹⁴ 

7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, ¹¹⁵  cried out, ¹¹⁶  “You both know me and know where I come from! ¹¹⁷  And I have not come on my own initiative, ¹¹⁸  but the one who sent me ¹¹⁹  is true. You do not know him, ¹²⁰  7:29 but ¹²¹  I know him, because I have come from him ¹²²  and he ¹²³  sent me.”

7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, ¹²⁴  but no one laid a hand on him, because his time ¹²⁵  had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd ¹²⁶  believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ ¹²⁷  comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” ¹²⁸ 

7:32 The Pharisees ¹²⁹  heard the crowd ¹³⁰  murmuring these things about Jesus, ¹³¹  so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers ¹³²  to arrest him. ¹³³  7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, ¹³⁴  and then ¹³⁵  I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me ¹³⁶  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders ¹³⁷  said to one another, “Where is he ¹³⁸  going to go that we cannot find him? ¹³⁹  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ¹⁴⁰  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ¹⁴¹  7:36 What did he mean by saying, ¹⁴²  ‘You will look for me ¹⁴³  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, ¹⁴⁴  Jesus stood up and shouted out, ¹⁴⁵  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. ¹⁴⁶  Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him ¹⁴⁷  will flow rivers of living water.’” ¹⁴⁸  7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, ¹⁴⁹  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ¹⁵⁰ 

Differing Opinions About Jesus

7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd ¹⁵¹  began to say, “This really ¹⁵²  is the Prophet!” ¹⁵³  7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” ¹⁵⁴  But still others said, “No, ¹⁵⁵  for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? ¹⁵⁶  7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant ¹⁵⁷  of David ¹⁵⁸  and comes from Bethlehem, ¹⁵⁹  the village where David lived?” ¹⁶⁰  7:43 So there was a division in the crowd ¹⁶¹  because of Jesus. ¹⁶²  7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. ¹⁶³ 

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ¹⁶⁴  returned ¹⁶⁵  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ¹⁶⁶  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ¹⁶⁷  7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ¹⁶⁸  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ¹⁶⁹  7:48 None of the rulers ¹⁷⁰  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ¹⁷¹  7:49 But this rabble ¹⁷²  who do not know the law are accursed!”

7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus ¹⁷³  before and who was one of the rulers, ¹⁷⁴  said, ¹⁷⁵  7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn ¹⁷⁶  a man unless it first hears from him and learns ¹⁷⁷  what he is doing, does it?” ¹⁷⁸  7:52 They replied, ¹⁷⁹  “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? ¹⁸⁰  Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet ¹⁸¹  comes from Galilee!”

A Woman Caught in Adultery

7:53 ¹⁸² [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ¹⁸³  8:2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach ¹⁸⁴  them. 8:3 The experts in the law ¹⁸⁵  and the Pharisees ¹⁸⁶  brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, ¹⁸⁷  “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death ¹⁸⁸  such women. ¹⁸⁹  What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ¹⁹⁰  him.) ¹⁹¹  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ¹⁹²  8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ¹⁹³  and replied, ¹⁹⁴  “Whoever among you is guiltless ¹⁹⁵  may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then ¹⁹⁶  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ¹⁹⁷  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight ¹⁹⁸  and said to her, “Woman, ¹⁹⁹  where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] ²⁰⁰ 

Jesus as the Light of the World

8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, ²⁰¹  “I am the light of the world. ²⁰²  The one who follows me will never ²⁰³  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees ²⁰⁴  objected, ²⁰⁵  “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” ²⁰⁶  8:14 Jesus answered, ²⁰⁷  “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people ²⁰⁸  do not know where I came from or where I am going. ²⁰⁹  8:15 You people ²¹⁰  judge by outward appearances; ²¹¹  I do not judge anyone. ²¹²  8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, ²¹³  because I am not alone when I judge, ²¹⁴  but I and the Father who sent me do so together. ²¹⁵  8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ²¹⁶  8:18 I testify about myself ²¹⁷  and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

8:19 Then they began asking ²¹⁸  him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” ²¹⁹  8:20 (Jesus ²²⁰  spoke these words near the offering box ²²¹  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ²²²  No one seized him because his time ²²³  had not yet come.) ²²⁴ 

[7:1]  ¹ sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

[7:1]  ² tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

[7:1]  ³ tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[7:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

[7:1]  ⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

[7:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “were seeking.”

[7:2]  ⁷ tn Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.

[7:2]  ⁸ sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (a.d. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in a.d. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus’ final departure from Galilee.

[7:3]  ⁹ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.

[7:3]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:3]  sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.

[7:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “seeks to be well known.”

[7:4]  ¹² sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)

[7:5]  ¹³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[7:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “my opportunity.”

[7:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or “is not yet here.”

[7:6]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “your time is always ready.”

[7:8]  ¹⁸ sn One always speaks of “going up” to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as “down” (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.

[7:8]  ¹⁹ tc Most mss (Ì^66,75 B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” (οὔπω, oupw) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive (א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10. On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk. However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8, the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10) with his disciples.

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.

[7:8]  ²¹ tn Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”

[9:51]  ²² tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:51]  ²³ tn Grk “the days were being fulfilled.” There is literary design here. This starts what has been called in the Gospel of Luke the “Jerusalem Journey.” It is not a straight-line trip, but a journey to meet his fate (Luke 13:31-35).

[9:51]  ²⁴ sn Taken up is a reference to Jesus’ upcoming return to heaven by crucifixion and resurrection (compare Luke 9:31). This term was used in the LXX of Elijah’s departure in 2 Kgs 2:9.

[9:51]  ²⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:51]  ²⁶ tn Grk “he set his face,” a Semitic idiom that speaks of a firm, unshakable resolve to do something (Gen 31:21; Isa 50:7).

[9:51]  ²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:52]  ²⁸ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:52]  ²⁹ tn Grk “sent messengers before his face,” an idiom.

[9:52]  ³⁰ tn Grk “And going along, they entered.” The aorist passive participle πορευθέντες (poreuqente") has been taken temporally. Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:52]  ³¹ tn Or “to prepare (things) for him.”

[9:53]  ³² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the villagers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:53]  ³³ tn Or “did not receive”; this verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality or welcome (L&N 34.53).

[9:53]  ³⁴ tn Grk “because his face was set toward Jerusalem.”

[9:53]  sn Jerusalem is to be the place of rejection, as Luke 9:44 suggested. Jesus had resolved to meet his fate in Jerusalem, so the rejection was no surprise.

[9:54]  ³⁵ tn Or “destroy.”

[9:54]  ³⁶ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (A C D W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï it), read here “as also Elijah did,” making the allusion to 2 Kgs 1:10, 12, 14 more explicit. The shorter reading has better and earlier support (Ì^45,75 א B L Ξ 579 700* 1241 pc lat sa). It is difficult to explain how the shorter reading could have arisen from the longer, especially since it is well represented early on. However, the longer reading looks to have been a marginal note originally, incorporated into the text of Luke by early scribes.

[9:54]  sn An allusion to 2 Kgs 1:10, 12, 14.

[9:55]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:55]  ³⁸ tc Many mss ([D] K Γ Θ Ë^1,13 [579] 700 2542 pm it) have at the end of the verse (with slight variations) “and he said, ‘You do not know what sort of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save [them].’” This variant is clearly secondary, as it gives some content to the rebuke. Further, it is difficult to explain how such rich material would have been omitted by the rest of the witnesses, including the earliest and best mss.

[9:55]  sn The point of the rebuke is that now was not the time for judgment but patience; see 2 Pet 3:9.

[8:18]  ³⁹ tc ‡ Codex B and some Sahidic mss read simply ὄχλον (oclon, “crowd”), the reading that NA²⁷ follows; the first hand of א, as well as ˹ and a few others, has ὄχλους (oclous, “crowds”); other witnesses read πολὺν ὄχλον (polun oclon, “a large crowd”). But the reading most likely to be original seems to be πολλούς ὄχλους (pollou" oclou"). It is found in א² C L Θ 0233 ˹³ 33 Ï lat; it is judged to be superior on internal grounds (the possibility of accidental omission of πολλούς/πολύν in isolated witnesses) and, to a lesser extent, external grounds (geographically widespread, various texttypes). For reasons of English style, however, this phrase has been translated as “a large crowd.”

[8:18]  ⁴⁰ tn The phrase “of the lake” is not in the Greek text but is clearly implied; it has been supplied here for clarity.

[8:19]  ⁴¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then.”

[8:19]  ⁴² tn Or “a scribe.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

[8:19]  ⁴³ sn The statement I will follow you wherever you go is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.

[8:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[8:20]  ⁴⁵ sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).

[8:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:21]  ⁴⁷ tc ‡ Most mss (C L W Θ 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy mae bo) read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) here, but the earliest witnesses, א and B (along with 33 and a few others), lack it. The addition may have been a motivated reading to clarify whose disciples were in view. NA²⁷ includes the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:22]  ⁴⁸ sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20 b.c. to a.d. 70 involved a reinterment of the bones a year after the initial burial, once the flesh had rotted away. At that point the son would have placed his father’s bones in a special box known as an ossuary to be set into the wall of the tomb. Thus Jesus could well be rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. In 1st century Jewish culture, to have followed Jesus rather than burying one’s father would have seriously dishonored one’s father (cf. Tobit 4:3-4). (2) The remark is an idiom (possibly a proverbial saying) that means, “The matter in question is not the real issue,” in which case Jesus was making a wordplay on the wording of the man’s (literal) request (see L&N 33.137). (3) This remark could be a figurative reference to various kinds of people, meaning, “Let the spiritually dead bury the dead.” (4) It could also be literal and designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast. Whichever option is preferred, it is clear that the most important priority is to follow Jesus.

[9:57]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And as.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:57]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “going,” but “walking” is an accurate description of how they traveled about.

[9:57]  ⁵¹ tc Most mss (A C W Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) add κύριε (kurie, “Lord”) here, but scribes were prone to add to the text, especially appellations for the Lord. The shorter reading also enjoys significant ms support (Ì^45,75 א B D L Ξ Ë¹ lat co).

[9:57]  sn The statement “I will follow you wherever you go” is an offer to follow Jesus as a disciple, no matter what the cost.

[9:58]  ⁵² tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[9:58]  ⁵³ sn Jesus’ reply is simply this: Does the man understand the rejection he will be facing? Jesus has no home in the world (the Son of Man has no place to lay his head).

[9:59]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:59]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “said.”

[9:60]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:60]  ⁵⁷ sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20 b.c. to a.d. 70 involved a reinterment of the bones a year after the initial burial, once the flesh had rotted away. At that point the son would have placed his father’s bones in a special box known as an ossuary to be set into the wall of the tomb. Thus Jesus could well be rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. In 1st century Jewish culture, to have followed Jesus rather than burying one’s father would have seriously dishonored one’s father (cf. Tobit 4:3-4). (2) The remark is an idiom (possibly a proverbial saying) that means, “The matter in question is not the real issue,” in which case Jesus was making a wordplay on the wording of the man’s (literal) request (see L&N 33.137). (3) This remark could be a figurative reference to various kinds of people, meaning, “Let the spiritually dead bury the dead.” (4) It could also be literal and designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast. Whichever option is preferred, it is clear that the most important priority is to preach the gospel (proclaim the kingdom of God).

[9:60]  ⁵⁸ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[9:61]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “And another also said.”

[9:61]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “to those in my house.”

[9:62]  ⁶¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:62]  ⁶² tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[9:62]  ⁶³ sn Jesus warns that excessive concern for family ties (looks back) will make the kingdom a lesser priority, which is not appropriate for discipleship. The image is graphic, for who can plow straight ahead toward a goal while looking back? Discipleship cannot be double-minded.

[9:62]  ⁶⁴ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[7:10]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “Where is that one?”

[7:12]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “And there was.”

[7:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “complaining.”

[7:12]  ⁷⁰ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

[7:12]  ⁷¹ tn Or “the crowd.”

[7:13]  ⁷² tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:14]  ⁷³ tn Grk “to the temple.”

[7:14]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.

[7:15]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

[7:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

[7:15]  sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.

[7:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ⁷⁹ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:17]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[7:18]  ⁸² tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ⁸³ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[7:19]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

[7:19]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “seek.”

[7:20]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).

[7:20]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “You have a demon!”

[7:20]  ⁹² tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”

[7:20]  sn Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.

[7:21]  ⁹³ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:21]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “I did one deed.”

[7:21]  ⁹⁵ sn The “one miracle” that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)

[7:22]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

[7:22]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.

[7:23]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.

[7:23]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

[7:23]  ¹⁰⁰ sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca. a.d. 100) states: “If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the 248 members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall the saving of the whole body suspend the Sabbath?” So absolutely binding did rabbinic Judaism regard the command of Lev 12:3 to circumcise on the eighth day, that in the Mishnah m. Shabbat 18.3; 19.1, 2; and m. Nedarim 3.11 all hold that the command to circumcise overrides the command to observe the Sabbath.

[7:23]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “made an entire man well.”

[7:24]  ¹⁰² tn Or “based on sight.”

[7:24]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”

[7:25]  ¹⁰⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:25]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “Is it not this one.”

[7:25]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “seeking.”

[7:26]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “speaking openly.”

[7:26]  ¹⁰⁸ sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.

[7:26]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:26]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:26]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:27]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:27]  ¹¹² sn We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus’ origins were readily available for any reader who didn’t know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.

[7:27]  ¹¹³ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:27]  ¹¹⁴ sn The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: The scribes summoned by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.

[7:28]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “the temple.”

[7:28]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”

[7:28]  ¹¹⁷ sn You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus’ response while teaching in the temple is difficult – it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: “So you know me and know where I am from, do you?” On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: He came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.

[7:28]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”

[7:28]  ¹¹⁹ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:28]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”

[7:29]  ¹²¹ tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).

[7:29]  ¹²² tn The preposition παρά (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.

[7:29]  ¹²³ tn Grk “and that one.”

[7:30]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:30]  sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus. This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32.

[7:30]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “his hour.”

[7:31]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).

[7:31]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:31]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:31]  ¹²⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).

[7:32]  ¹²⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:32]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).

[7:32]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:32]  ¹³² tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:32]  ¹³³ tn Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.

[7:33]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”

[7:33]  ¹³⁵ tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:34]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:35]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

[7:35]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:35]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “will not find him.”

[7:35]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.

[7:35]  ¹⁴¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).

[7:35]  sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.

[7:36]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”

[7:36]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:37]  ¹⁴⁴ sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.

[7:37]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

[7:38]  ¹⁴⁶ tn An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: “The Lord will continually lead you, he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.” Other passages which have been suggested are Prov 4:23 and 5:15; Isa 44:3 and 55:1; Ezek 47:1 ff.; Joel 3:18; and Zech 13:1 and 14:8. The meaning in this case is that when anyone comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life are fulfilled. “When the believer comes to Christ and drinks he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him” (L. Morris, John [NICNT], 424-25). In other words, with this view, the believer himself becomes the source of the living water. This is the traditional understanding of the passage, often called the “Eastern interpretation” following Origen, Athanasius, and the Greek Fathers. It is supported by such modern scholars as Barrett, Behm, Bernard, Cadman, Carson, R. H. Lightfoot, Lindars, Michaelis, Morris, Odeberg, Schlatter, Schweizer, C. H. Turner, M. M. B. Turner, Westcott, and Zahn. In addition it is represented by the following Greek texts and translations: KJV, RSV, NASB, NA²⁷, and UBS⁴. D. A. Carson, John, 322-29, has a thorough discussion of the issues and evidence although he opts for the previous interpretation. There is another interpretation possible, however, called the “Western interpretation” because of patristic support by Justin, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus. Modern scholars who favor this view are Abbott, Beasley-Murray, Bishop, Boismard, Braun, Brown, Bullinger, Bultmann, Burney, Dodd, Dunn, Guilding, R. Harris, Hoskyns, Jeremias, Loisy, D. M. Stanley, Thüsing, N. Turner, and Zerwick. This view is represented by the translation in the RSV margin and by the NEB. It is also sometimes called the “christological interpretation” because it makes Jesus himself the source of the living water in v. 38, by punctuating as follows: (37b) ἐάν τι διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω (38) ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ. Καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of αὐτοῦ (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì⁶⁶ does place a full stop after πινέτω (pinetw), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ. Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10, of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” (16:7). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4. Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.

[7:38]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”

[7:38]  ¹⁴⁸ sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.

[7:39]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

[7:39]  ¹⁵⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:40]  ¹⁵¹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:40]  ¹⁵² tn Or “truly.”

[7:40]  ¹⁵³ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[7:41]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:41]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:41]  ¹⁵⁵ tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.

[7:41]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).

[7:42]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

[7:42]  ¹⁵⁸ sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

[7:42]  ¹⁵⁹ sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

[7:42]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[7:42]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “the village where David was.”

[7:43]  ¹⁶¹ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:43]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ¹⁶³ sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.

[7:45]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:45]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ¹⁶⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[7:47]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).

[7:48]  ¹⁷⁰ sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

[7:48]  ¹⁷¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

[7:49]  ¹⁷² tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.

[7:50]  ¹⁷³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Grk “said to them.”

[7:51]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Grk “judge.”

[7:51]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “knows.”

[7:51]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).

[7:52]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[7:52]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[7:52]  ¹⁸¹ tc At least one early and important ms (Ì^66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.

[7:52]  tn This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gath Hepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” (b. Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of Ì⁶⁶ which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).

[7:53]  ¹⁸² tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best mss and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John. Among modern commentators and textual critics, it is a foregone conclusion that the section is not original but represents a later addition to the text of the Gospel. B. M. Metzger summarizes: “the evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming” (TCGNT 187). External evidence is as follows. For the omission of 7:53-8:11: Ì^66,75 א B L N T W Δ Θ Ψ 0141 0211 33 565 1241 1424* 2768 al. In addition codices A and C are defective in this part of John, but it appears that neither contained the pericope because careful measurement shows that there would not have been enough space on the missing pages to include the pericope 7:53-8:11 along with the rest of the text. Among the mss that include 7:53-8:11 are D Ï lat. In addition E S Λ 1424^mg al include part or all of the passage with asterisks or obeli, 225 places the pericope after John 7:36, ˹ places it after John 21:25, {115} after John 8:12, ˹³ after Luke 21:38, and the corrector of 1333 includes it after Luke 24:53. (For a more complete discussion of the locations where this “floating” text has ended up, as well as a minority opinion on the authenticity of the passage, see M. A. Robinson, “Preliminary Observations regarding the Pericope Adulterae Based upon Fresh Collations of nearly All Continuous-Text Manuscripts and All Lectionary Manuscripts containing the Passage,” Filologia Neotestamentaria 13 [2000]: 35-59, especially 41-42.) In evaluating this ms evidence, it should be remembered that in the Gospels A is considered to be of Byzantine texttype (unlike in the epistles and Revelation, where it is Alexandrian), as are E F G (mss with the same designation are of Western texttype in the epistles). This leaves D as the only major Western uncial witness in the Gospels for the inclusion. Therefore the evidence could be summarized by saying that almost all early mss of the Alexandrian texttype omit the pericope, while most mss of the Western and Byzantine texttype include it. But it must be remembered that “Western mss” here refers only to D, a single witness (as far as Greek mss are concerned). Thus it can be seen that practically all of the earliest and best mss extant omit the pericope; it is found only in mss of secondary importance. But before one can conclude that the passage was not originally part of the Gospel of John, internal evidence needs to be considered as well. Internal evidence in favor of the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) 7:53 fits in the context. If the “last great day of the feast” (7:37) refers to the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, then the statement refers to the pilgrims and worshipers going home after living in “booths” for the week while visiting Jerusalem. (2) There may be an allusion to Isa 9:1-2 behind this text: John 8:12 is the point when Jesus describes himself as the Light of the world. But the section in question mentions that Jesus returned to the temple at “early dawn” (῎Ορθρου, Orqrou, in 8:2). This is the “dawning” of the Light of the world (8:12) mentioned by Isa 9:2. (3) Furthermore, note the relationship to what follows: Just prior to presenting Jesus’ statement that he is the Light of the world, John presents the reader with an example that shows Jesus as the light. Here the woman “came to the light” while her accusers shrank away into the shadows, because their deeds were evil (cf. 3:19-21). Internal evidence against the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) In reply to the claim that the introduction to the pericope, 7:53, fits the context, it should also be noted that the narrative reads well without the pericope, so that Jesus’ reply in 8:12 is directed against the charge of the Pharisees in 7:52 that no prophet comes from Galilee. (2) The assumption that the author “must” somehow work Isa 9:1-2 into the narrative is simply that – an assumption. The statement by the Pharisees in 7:52 about Jesus’ Galilean origins is allowed to stand without correction by the author, although one might have expected him to mention that Jesus was really born in Bethlehem. And 8:12 does directly mention Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world. The author may well have presumed familiarity with Isa 9:1-2 on the part of his readers because of its widespread association with Jesus among early Christians. (3) The fact that the pericope deals with the light/darkness motif does not inherently strengthen its claim to authenticity, because the motif is so prominent in the Fourth Gospel that it may well have been the reason why someone felt that the pericope, circulating as an independent tradition, fit so well here. (4) In general the style of the pericope is not Johannine either in vocabulary or grammar (see D. B. Wallace, “Reconsidering ‘The Story of the Woman Taken in Adultery Reconsidered’,” NTS 39 [1993]: 290-96). According to R. E. Brown it is closer stylistically to Lukan material (John [AB], 1:336). Interestingly one important family of mss (˹³) places the pericope after Luke 21:38. Conclusion: In the final analysis, the weight of evidence in this case must go with the external evidence. The earliest and best mss do not contain the pericope. It is true with regard to internal evidence that an attractive case can be made for inclusion, but this is by nature subjective (as evidenced by the fact that strong arguments can be given against such as well). In terms of internal factors like vocabulary and style, the pericope does not stand up very well. The question may be asked whether this incident, although not an original part of the Gospel of John, should be regarded as an authentic tradition about Jesus. It could well be that it is ancient and may indeed represent an unusual instance where such a tradition survived outside of the bounds of the canonical literature. However, even that needs to be nuanced (see B. D. Ehrman, “Jesus and the Adulteress,” NTS 34 [1988]: 24–44).

[7:53]  sn Double brackets have been placed around this passage to indicate that most likely it was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. In spite of this, the passage has an important role in the history of the transmission of the text, so it has been included in the translation.

[8:1]  ¹⁸³ sn The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.

[8:2]  ¹⁸⁴ tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.

[8:3]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[8:3]  ¹⁸⁶ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:4]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:5]  ¹⁸⁸ sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.

[8:5]  ¹⁸⁹ sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.

[8:6]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”

[8:6]  ¹⁹¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.

[8:6]  ¹⁹² tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).

[8:7]  ¹⁹³ tn Or “he straightened up.”

[8:7]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “and said to them.”

[8:7]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “sinless.”

[8:8]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[8:9]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”

[8:10]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Or “straightened up.”

[8:10]  ¹⁹⁹ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[8:11]  ²⁰⁰ tc The earliest and best mss do not contain 7:53–8:11 (see note on 7:53).

[8:12]  ²⁰¹ tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”

[8:12]  ²⁰² sn The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88), that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus’ remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: A choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person’s decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus’ opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.

[8:12]  ²⁰³ tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.

[8:13]  ²⁰⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:13]  ²⁰⁵ tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”

[8:13]  ²⁰⁶ sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.

[8:14]  ²⁰⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[8:14]  ²⁰⁸ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.

[8:14]  ²⁰⁹ sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.

[8:15]  ²¹⁰ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.

[8:15]  ²¹¹ tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.

[8:15]  ²¹² sn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement “I do not judge anyone”? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn’t practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged – just as 3:19-21 previously stated. One’s response to Jesus determines one’s eternal destiny.

[8:16]  ²¹³ tn Grk “my judgment is true.”

[8:16]  ²¹⁴ tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:16]  ²¹⁵ tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:17]  ²¹⁶ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[8:18]  ²¹⁷ tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”

[8:19]  ²¹⁸ tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.

[8:19]  ²¹⁹ sn If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus’ reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).

[8:20]  ²²⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:20]  ²²¹ tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at) the treasury.” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[8:20]  sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1).

[8:20]  ²²² tn Grk “the temple.”

[8:20]  ²²³ tn Grk “his hour.”

[8:20]  ²²⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.