Jesus reproves the ambition and boldness of his kinsmen, 1-9; goes up from Galilee to the feast of tabernacles, 10-13; teaches in the temple, 14-39. Various opinions of him among the people, 40-44. The Pharisees are angry that their officers did not take him, and they chide with Nicodemus for taking his part, 45-53.
1 After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Judea because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to him, "Depart from here and go into Judea so that your disciples may also see the works that you do. 4 For there is no man who does anything in secret, and he himself seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world." 5 (For neither did his brothers believe in him.) 6 Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify concerning it, that its works are evil. 8 Go up to this feast. I do not yet go to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come." 9 When he had said these words to them, he still stayed in Galilee.
10 But when his brothers had gone up, then he also went to the feast, not openly, but as in secret. 11 Then the Jews sought him at the feast, and said, "Where is he?" 12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him. For some said, "He is a good man." Others said, "No, but he deceives the people." 13 Yet, no man spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews.
14 Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this man know letters, having never learned?" 16 Jesus answered them, and said, "My doctrine is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from myself. 18 He who speaks from himself, seeks his own glory, but he who seeks his glory who sent him, the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him. 19 Did Moses not give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?" 20 The people answered and said, "You have a demon. Who seeks to kill you?" 21 Jesus answered and said to them, "I have done one work and you all marvel. 22 Moses therefore gave to you circumcision (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you on the sabbath circumcise a man. 23 If a man on the sabbath receives circumcision so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry at me because I have restored a man to sound health on the sabbath? 24 Do not judge according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
25 Then some of them of Jerusalem said, "Is this not he whom they seek to kill? 26 But behold, he speaks boldly and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ? 27 But we know this man, where he is from; whereas when Christ comes, no man knows where he is from." 28 Then Jesus cried in the temple as he taught, saying, "You both know me and you know where I am from. And I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know. 29 But I know him because I am from him and he has sent me." 30 Then they sought to take him. But no man laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 And many of the people believed in him, and said, "When Christ comes, will he do more miracles than these which this man has done?"
32 The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him. And the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him. 33 Then Jesus said to them, "Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and will not find me. And where I am, there you cannot come." 35 Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where will he go that we shall not find him? Will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? 36 What manner of saying is this that he said, 'You will seek me and will not find me,' and, 'Where I am, there you cannot come'?"
37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, "If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." 39 (But this he spoke of the Spirit, which those who believe in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.)
40 Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, "In truth this is the Prophet." 41 Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Will Christ come out of Galilee? 42 Has the Scripture not said that Christ comes from the offspring of David and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?" 43 So there was a division among the people because of him. 44 And some of them would have taken him, but no man laid hands on him.
45 Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why have you not brought him?" 46 The officers answered, "Never a man spoke like this man." 47 Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are you also deceived? 48 Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But these people who do not know the law are cursed." 50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) says to them, 51 "Does our law judge any man before it hears him and knows what he does?" 52 They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search, and look. For out of Galilee no prophet arises." 53 And every man went to his own house.
Matthew Henry Commentary - John, Chapter 7[➚]
[v.15] - "letters" - That is, literature, or learning. In other words, "How has this man gained such learning?" Jesus was well versed in sacred learning (Thayer's), could interpret the Jews' oracles, and was "acquainted with the methods of teaching" (Pulpit Commentary).
[v.38] - "as the Scripture has said" - From John Calvin's Commentary: "Some confine this to the former clause, and others to the latter clause; for my own part, I extend it to the entire scope of the discourse. Besides, Christ does not here, in my opinion, point out any particular passage of Scripture, but produces a testimony drawn from the ordinary doctrine of the Prophets. For whenever the Lord, promising an abundance of his Spirit, compares it to living waters, he looks principally to the kingdom of Christ, to which he directs the minds of believers. All the predictions of living waters, therefore, have their fulfillment in Christ, because he alone has opened and displayed the hidden treasures of God." Reference, Exodus 17:6; Isaiah 12:3, 44:3, 55:1, 58:11; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8.
[v.42] - "Has the Scripture not said" - Reference, Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 11:1, 10; Jeremiah 23:5; Micah 5:2.