The Meaning of John 7:26 Explained

John 7:26

KJV: But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

YLT: and, lo, he doth speak freely, and they say nothing to him; did the rulers at all know truly that this is truly the Christ?

Darby: and behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers then indeed recognised that this is the Christ?

ASV: And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But,  lo,  he speaketh  boldly,  and  they say  nothing  unto him.  Do  the rulers  know  indeed  that  this  is  the very  Christ? 

What does John 7:26 Mean?

Context Summary

John 7:25-31 - The Unavoidable Christ
The freedom with which Jesus preached arrested the attention of the people in Jerusalem, and many wondered whether the cessation of hostility indicated a tacit admission on the part of the authorities that Jesus was what He claimed to be. But they were deferred in arriving at this final conclusion by the consideration that the origin of the Messiah would be unknown, John 7:27. Jesus answered this objection in John 7:28-29. He says in effect: "What you say is true: the Messiah's origin is not known: but my origin is unknown, because it is from God, whom you, notwithstanding your profession, do not know. I know Him, but to you He is only a venerable Name." The knowledge of the birth at Bethlehem and the lowly family of Jesus, will not explain the mystery of His Person or the secret of His influence on men. All that can only be accounted for by His divine glory as the Only-Begotten of the Father. His hearers immediately recognized the greatness of these claims, which appeared to them blasphemous, though to us they are the literal truth. While the adversaries of Jesus were strengthened in their purpose, His friends were confirmed in their faith. John 7:31 is a decided advance upon John 7:12. See 2 Corinthians 2:16. [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 7:26

They say nothing unto him [ουδεν αυτοι λεγουσιν]
But only make sneering comments about him (John 7:16) in spite of his speaking “openly” Negative answer expected by μη ποτε — mē pote and yet there is ridicule of the rulers in the form of the question. See a like use of μη ποτε — mē pote in Luke 3:15, though nowhere else in John. Εγνωσαν — Egnōsan (second aorist ingressive active indicative of γινωσκω — ginōskō) may refer to the examination of Jesus by these rulers in John 5:19. and means, “Did they come to know or find out” (and so hold now)? That this is the Christ The Messiah of Jewish hope. [source]
Do the rulers know indeed? []
The interrogative particle μήποτε may be rendered by the familiar expression they do not, do they? Rev., can it be that the rulers, etc. Indeed ( ἀληθῶς ); literally, truly. [source]
The very [ἀληθῶς]
Omit. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:26

John 7:4 In secret [εν κρυπτωι]
See Matthew 6:4, Matthew 6:6 for this phrase. Openly “In public” See Matthew 8:32. Common in John (John 7:13, John 7:26; John 10:24; John 16:25, John 16:29; John 18:20; here again contrasted with en kruptōi). It is wise advice in the abstract that a public teacher must allow inspection of his deeds, but the motive is evil. They might get Jesus into trouble. εν κρυπτωι — If thou doest these things This condition of the first class assumes the reality of the deeds of Jesus, but the use of the condition at all throws doubt on it all as in Matthew 4:3, Matthew 4:6. Manifest thyself First aorist active imperative of πανερωσον σεαυτον — phaneroō To the world Not just to “thy disciples,” but to the public at large as at the feast of tabernacles. See John 8:26; John 14:22 for this use of τωι κοσμωι — kosmos f0). [source]
John 7:10 Were gone up [ανεβησαν]
Second aorist active indicative of αναβαινω — anabainō not past perfect though the action is antecedent in fact to the following τοτε ανεβη — tote anebē The Greek does not always draw the precise distinction between the merely punctiliar (aorist) antecedent action and the past perfect (John 2:9; John 4:45). He also As well as the brothers. Not publicly Against their advice in John 7:4, using πανερωσον — phanerōson (the very same word stem). But as it were in secret “Not with the usual caravan of pilgrims” (Bernard). Just the opposite of their advice in John 7:4 with the same phrase εν πανερωι — en phanerōi Plainly Jesus purposely went contrary to the insincere counsel of his brothers as to the manner of his Messianic manifestation. This secrecy concerned solely the journey to Jerusalem, not his public teaching there after his arrival (John 7:26, John 7:28; John 18:20). [source]
John 7:13 Howbeit [μεντοι]
See John 4:27 for this compound particle Imperfect active of ουδεις παρρησιαι — laleō “was speaking,” picturing the whispering or secret talk (no man openly, εν — oudeis parrēsiāi). Best MSS. do not have παρρησιαι — en here with εν — parrēsiāi (locative or instrumental case of manner) as in John 7:26; John 10:24; John 11:54, but παρρησιαι — en genuine in John 7:4; Colossians 2:15. This adverbial use of δια τον ποβον των Ιουδαιων — parrēsiāi is common enough (Mark 8:37). For fear of the Jews (dia ton phobon tōn Ioudaiōn). Objective genitive. The crowds really feared the Jewish leaders and evidently did not wish to involve Jesus or themselves. See the same phrase and attitude on the part of the disciples in John 19:38; John 20:19. [source]
John 7:20 The multitude [ο οχλος]
Outside of Jerusalem (the Galilean crowd as in John 7:11.) and so unfamiliar with the effort to kill Jesus recorded in John 5:18. It is important in this chapter to distinguish clearly the several groups like the Jewish leaders (John 7:13, John 7:15, John 7:25, John 7:26, John 7:30, John 7:32, etc.), the multitude from Galilee and elsewhere (John 7:10-13, John 7:20, John 7:31, John 7:40, John 7:49), the common people of Jerusalem (John 7:25), the Roman soldiers (John 7:45.). Thou hast a devil “Demon,” of course, as always in the Gospels. These pilgrims make the same charge against Jesus made long ago by the Pharisees in Jerusalem in explanation of the difference between John and Jesus (Matthew 11:18; Luke 7:33). It is an easy way to make a fling like that. “He is a monomaniac labouring under a hallucination that people wish to kill him” (Dods). [source]
John 7:27 Howbeit [αλλα]
Clearly adversative here. This man Possibly contemptuous use of ουτος — houtos as may be true in John 7:25, John 7:26. Whence he is The Galilean Jews knew the family of Jesus (John 6:42), but they knew Jesus only as from Nazareth, not as born in Bethlehem (John 7:42). When the Christ cometh Prolepsis of ο Χριστος — ho Christos and indefinite temporal clause with οταν — hotan and the present middle subjunctive ερχηται — erchētai rather than the more usual second aorist active ελτηι — elthēi as in John 7:31, a trifle more picturesque. This is a piece of popular theology. “Three things come wholly unexpected - Messiah, a godsend, and a scorpion” (Sanhedrin 97a). The rulers knew the birthplace to be Bethlehem (John 7:42; Matthew 2:5.), but some even expected the Messiah to drop suddenly from the skies as Satan proposed to Jesus to fall down from the pinnacle of the temple. The Jews generally expected a sudden emergence of the Messiah from concealment with an anointing by Elijah (Apoc. of Bar. XXIX. 3; 2Esdr. 7:28; 13:32; Justin Martyr, Tryph. 110). [source]
Hebrews 9:16 A testament [διατηκη]
The same word occurs for covenant (Hebrews 9:15) and will (Hebrews 9:16). This double sense of the word is played upon also by Paul in Galatians 3:15. We say today “The New Testament” (Novum Testamentum) rather than “ The New Covenant.” Both terms are pertinent. That made it Genitive of the articular second aorist middle participle of διατιτημι — diatithēmi from which διατηκη — diathēkē comes. The notion of will here falls in with κληρονομια — klēronomia (inheritance, 1 Peter 1:4) as well as with τανατος — thanatos (death). Of force Stable, firm as in Hebrews 3:6, Hebrews 3:14. Where there hath been death “In the case of dead people.” A will is only operative then. For doth it ever avail while he that made it liveth? This is a possible punctuation with μη ποτε — mē pote in a question (John 7:26). Without the question mark, it is a positive statement of fact. Aleph and D read τοτε — tote (then) instead of ποτε — pote The use of μη — mē in a causal sentence is allowable (John 3:18, οτι μη — hoti mē). [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:26 mean?

And behold publicly He speaks nothing to Him they say not ever Truly have recognized the rulers that this is the Christ
καὶ ἴδε παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν Μή‿ ποτε ἀληθῶς ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν Χριστός

ἴδε  behold 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: ἰδού  
Sense: behold, see, lo.
παρρησίᾳ  publicly 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: παρρησία  
Sense: freedom in speaking, unreservedness in speech.
λαλεῖ  He  speaks 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπολαλέω 
Sense: to utter a voice or emit a sound.
οὐδὲν  nothing 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
αὐτῷ  to  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
λέγουσιν  they  say 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω 
Sense: to say, to speak.
ποτε  ever 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: πότε  
Sense: when?, at what time?.
ἀληθῶς  Truly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ἀληθῶς  
Sense: truly, of a truth, in reality, most certainly.
ἔγνωσαν  have  recognized 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
ἄρχοντες  rulers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄρχων  
Sense: a ruler, commander, chief, leader.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
οὗτός  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
Χριστός  Christ 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Χριστός  
Sense: Christ was the Messiah, the Son of God.