ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for John 7

John 7:2 The Feast of Booths (or Feast of Tabernacles) was celebrated in September/October. It is so named because people lived in outdoor shelters to remember God’s faithfulness to Israel during the wilderness years (Lev. 23:42–43; compare Matt. 17:4 and parallels). It was also a time of celebration and thanksgiving for the harvest (Lev. 23:39–41; Deut. 16:13–15; compare Ex. 23:16). See also note on John 2:13.

John 7:3–4 Jesus’ brothers (compare Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3) are other naturally born sons of Mary. Their advice reveals their misunderstanding of Jesus’ messianic identity.

John 7:5 not even his brothers believed in him. Even those who had lived in the same house with Jesus for nearly 30 years did not know who he was.

John 7:6 My time in John probably refers to the cross (see note on 2:4). Your time means “your time to go up to the feast with the crowds who are going to Jerusalem.” In both cases, “time” means the time that is suitable or right.

John 7:7 The world cannot hate Jesus’ brothers because they did not yet believe in Jesus; they still belonged to the world.

John 7:8 I am not going up to this feast is not a mistake by John or a lie by Jesus, even though Jesus did go up to the feast (v. 10). The Greek present tense can have the sense, “I am not now going,” indicating that Jesus did not go to the feast at the time or in the way the brothers suggested (they wanted Jesus to prove himself to his contemporaries for secular reasons).

John 7:14 Temple here means the area surrounding the temple itself, including the Court of the Gentiles.

John 7:15 he has never studied. Jesus lacked formal rabbinic training (as did his disciples, Acts 4:13).

John 7:20 Compare 8:48; 10:20; Matt. 12:24 and parallels. The same charge was made against John the Baptist (Matt. 11:18).

John 7:21 This one work is probably the healing in 5:1–15.

John 7:22 This recalls Gen. 17:9–14 (the fathers, that is, Abraham) and Lev. 12:3 (Moses). Jesus’ argument is “from the lesser to the greater.” The Jews circumcised their males on the eighth day even if that day fell on the Sabbath (the “lesser” issue). If “perfecting” one part of the human body on the Sabbath was legitimate, how much more the healing of an entire person (the “greater” issue).

John 7:26 The authorities probably refers to the Sanhedrin (compare 12:42).

John 7:27 But we know. Some rabbis taught that the Messiah would be completely unknown until he began to save Israel. Others, however, were sure that Bethlehem would be his birthplace (v. 42; see Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:1–6).

John 7:28 temple. See note on 2:14.

John 7:30 because his hour had not yet come. In John, Jesus’ “hour” is the time of his crucifixion, when his saving work is completed (see 8:20; 12:23; 27; 13:1; 17:1).

John 7:32 The chief priests and Pharisees, representing the Sanhedrin, sent officers (or temple police) to arrest Jesus.

John 7:35 People misunderstand Jesus’ statement in v. 34 (see also 3:4; 4:15; 6:52). The Dispersion was a common Jewish expression for the Jewish people scattered throughout the world.

John 7:37 Jesus’ invitation refers back to OT prophetic passages such as Isa. 55:1 (see also Isa. 12:3). thirsts. That is, “thirsts” for God (see note on John 4:14). To come to Jesus and drink means to believe in him, to enter into a trusting, ongoing personal relationship with him.

John 7:38 There is no specific Scripture passage from the OT that matches Jesus’ words here. He summarizes several passages that picture God’s work in believers as a river of water flowing out to bless others (see Isa. 58:11).

John 7:39 As yet the Spirit had not been given does not mean that there was no work of the Holy Spirit in the world prior to Jesus’ resurrection (see Gen. 1:2; Ex. 31:3; Num. 11:25; Deut. 34:9; Ezek. 2:2). Rather, it means the Spirit had not been given in the full and powerful sense that was promised for the new covenant age (see Ezek. 36:26–27; Joel 2:28–29; compare Acts 2:1–13).

John 7:40–42 Is the Christ to come from Galilee? . . . Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes . . . from Bethlehem? Bethlehem is clearly predicted as the Messiah’s birthplace (Mic. 5:2). Ironically, the people here did not realize that Bethlehem was in fact Jesus’ birthplace.

John 7:40–41 The Prophet is mentioned in Deut. 18:15–18. Many first-century Jews thought the “Prophet” and the Messiah were different people, but Jesus is both. See notes on John 1:20–21; 6:14.

John 7:45–46 officers. Temple police.

John 7:50 Nicodemus. See 3:1–15.

John 7:52 Some prophets did come from Galilee, such as Jonah (2 Kings 14:25), and possibly Elijah (1 Kings 17:1) and Nahum (Nah. 1:1). The Pharisees may have been reflecting current bias against Galileans, or perhaps they were misrepresenting the facts to make their case against Jesus (see John 8:44, 55).

John 7:53–8:11 This story is absent from all of the oldest manuscripts of John’s Gospel, but there is nothing in it contrary to sound doctrine. It seems best to view the story as something that did actually happen during Jesus’ ministry but that was not originally part of what John wrote in his Gospel.