The Meaning of John 7:19 Explained

John 7:19

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

YLT: hath not Moses given you the law? and none of you doth the law; why me do ye seek to kill?'

Darby: Has not Moses given you the law, and no one of you practises the law? Why do ye seek to kill me?

ASV: Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does John 7:19 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus had claimed that God had given Him His teaching and that He proclaimed it faithfully as a righteous man. Now He contrasted His critics with Himself. They claimed that Moses had given them his teaching, but they did not carry it out faithfully as righteous men. Therefore it was incongruous that they sought to kill Jesus (cf. John 7:44-45). They accused Him of unrighteousness, but really they were the unrighteous ones. They sought to kill him even though Moses had taught that God"s will was to refrain from murder ( Exodus 20:13). Obviously they had not submitted to God"s will that came through Moses. It is no wonder that they failed to understand Jesus" teaching.

Context Summary

John 7:14-24 - How To Know The Truth Of Jesus' Word
Jesus now went up to the feast, not because he was prompted by the worldly policy suggested by His brethren, but because He was led by His Father's will. We must be on our guard against unspiritual advisers, and must wait till the hour and the minute-hands of the clock have reached the precise moment of the Father's appointment.
Here is an easy method of ascertaining whether our Lord's words about God, Himself, and the future are merely the words of a human teacher, or are really God's. Be willing to do as He says! Stand prepared to fulfill whatever is revealed to your mind and witnessed to by the inner voice! Live with your face toward the dawn, for though it tarry long it will certainly break. See John 3:21. Faith in the gospel does not come by logic, but as the result of obeying the highest truth that you know. Follow on and your path will lead you out to where Jesus stands, the revealed Son of God and the Savior of men. The old quarrel as to the miracle wrought at Bethesda on the Sabbath was still alive, John 7:22-23. His critics did not hold that the Mosaic law was violated if a child's submission to the Jewish initiatory rite was performed on the Sabbath. How foolish, then, to blame Jesus for an act of mercy and healing! [source]

Chapter Summary: John 7

1  Jesus reproves the ambition and boldness of his kinsmen;
10  goes up from Galilee to the feast of tabernacles;
14  teaches in the temple
40  Various opinions of him among the people
45  The Pharisees are angry that their officers took him not,
50  and chide with Nicodemus for taking his side

Greek Commentary for John 7:19

And yet [και]
Clear use of και — kai in the adversative sense of “and yet” or “but.” They marvelled at Christ‘s “ignorance” and boasted of their own knowledge of the law of Moses. And yet they violated that law by not practising it. Why seek ye to kill me? A sudden and startling question as an illustration of their failure to do the law of Moses. Jesus had previously known (John 5:39, John 5:45-47) that the Jews really rejected the teaching of Moses while professing to believe it. On that very occasion they had sought to kill him (John 5:18), the very language used here. Apparently he had not been to Jerusalem since then. He undoubtedly alludes to their conduct then and charges them with the same purpose now. [source]
Did - give [δέδωκεν]
Some texts read the aorist tense ἔδωκεν , in which case this rendering is correct. If with others we read the perfect, we should render hath not Moses given you the law, which you still profess to observe. [source]
Keepeth [ποιεῖ]
Rev., rightly, doeth. Compare do in John 7:17. [source]
Go ye about [ζητεῖτε]
Properly, seek ye. So Rev. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:19

John 7:20 A devil [δαιμόνιον]
Or more correctly, a demon. See on Mark 1:34. The name was applied to Jesus by the multitude ( ὄχλος ) and not by those whom He was addressing in John 7:19, because of the gloomy suspicions which they thought He entertained, and in entire ignorance of the design of the Jews which Jesus had penetrated. The same term was applied to John the Baptist, the ascetic, as one who withdrew from social intercourse (Matthew 11:18). [source]
John 11:53 So from that day [απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας]
The raising of Lazarus brought matters to a head so to speak. It was now apparently not more than a month before the end. They took counsel First aorist middle indicative of βουλευω — bouleuō old verb to take counsel, in the middle voice for themselves, among themselves. The Sanhedrin took the advice of Caiaphas seriously and plotted the death of Jesus. That they might put him to death Purpose clause with ινα — hina and first aorist active subjunctive of αποκτεινω — apokteinō It is an old purpose (John 5:18; John 7:19; John 8:44, John 8:59; John 10:39; John 11:8) now revived with fresh energy due to the raising of Lazarus. [source]
John 5:18 Sought the more [μαλλον εζητουν]
Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō graphic picture of increased and untiring effort “to kill him” John repeats this clause “they sought to kill him” in John 7:1, John 7:19, John 7:25; John 8:37, John 8:40. Their own blood was up on this Sabbath issue and they bend every energy to put Jesus to death. If this is a passover, this bitter anger, murderous wrath, will go on and grow for two years. Not only brake the Sabbath Imperfect active of λυω — luō He was now a common and regular Sabbath-breaker. Λυω — Luō means to loosen, to set at naught. The papyri give examples of λυω — luō in this sense like λυειν τα πεντη — luein ta penthē (to break the period of mourning). This was the first grudge against Jesus, but his defense had made the offense worse and had given them a far graver charge. But also called God his own Father “His own” Ισος — Isos is an old common adjective (in papyri also) and means equal. In Philemon 2:6 Paul calls the Pre-incarnate Christ ισα τεωι — isa theōi “equal to God” (plural ισα — isa attributes of God). Bernard thinks that Jesus would not claim to be ισος τεωι — isos theōi because in John 14:28 he says: “The Father is greater than I.” And yet he says in John 14:7 that the one who sees him sees in him the Father. Certainly the Jews understood Jesus to claim equality with the Father in nature and privilege and power as also in John 10:33; John 19:7. Besides, if the Jews misunderstood Jesus on this point, it was open and easy for him to deny it and to clear up the misapprehension. This is precisely what he does not do. On the contrary Jesus gives a powerful apologetic in defense of his claim to equality with the Father (verses 19-47). [source]
John 7:22 For this cause [δια τουτο]
Some would take this phrase with the preceding verb ταυμαζετε — thaumazete (ye marvel for this cause). Hath given Present active indicative of διδωμι — didōmi (permanent state). Not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers A parenthesis to explain that circumcision is older in origin than Moses. And on the sabbath ye circumcise Adversative use of και — kai = and yet as in John 7:19. That is to say, the Jews keep one law (circumcision) by violating another (on the Sabbath, the charge against him in chapter 5, healing on the Sabbath). [source]
Galatians 5:3 To do the law [ποιῆσαι]
Rare in N.T. See John 7:19; Romans 2:13, Romans 2:25( πράσσῃς ). Τηρεῖν toobserve the law, the tradition, the commandment, Matthew 19:17; Mark 7:9; John 14:15; Acts 15:5James 2:10: πληροῦν tofulfill the law, Romans 13:8; Galatians 5:14; comp. ἀναπληροῦν Galatians 6:2: φυλάσσειν tokeep or guard the law, Acts 7:53; Acts 21:24; Galatians 6:13: also with commandments, word of God or of Christ, ordinances of the law, Matthew 19:20; Mark 10:20; Luke 11:28; John 12:47; Romans 2:26. Τελεῖν tocarry out the law, Romans 2:27; James 2:8. Ποιῆσαι is to perform what the law commands: τηρεῖν toobserve, keep an eye on with the result of performing: φυλάσσειν toguard against violation: τελεῖν tobring to fulfillment in action. [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:19 mean?

Not Moses has given to you the law and no one of you keeps Why Me do you seek to kill
Οὐ Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὸν νόμον καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ ὑμῶν ποιεῖ τί με ζητεῖτε ἀποκτεῖναι

Μωϋσῆς  Moses 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Μωσεύς 
Sense: the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion.
δέδωκεν  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
ὑμῖν  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Plural
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
νόμον  law 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
οὐδεὶς  no  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
ποιεῖ  keeps 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.
τί  Why 
Parse: Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: τίς  
Sense: who, which, what.
με  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Accusative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ζητεῖτε  do  you  seek 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ζητέω  
Sense: to seek in order to find.
ἀποκτεῖναι  to  kill 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: ἀποκτείνω 
Sense: to kill in any way whatever.