The Meaning of John 7:51 Explained

John 7:51

KJV: Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

YLT: 'Doth our law judge the man, if it may not hear from him first, and know what he doth?'

Darby: Does our law judge a man before it have first heard from himself, and know what he does?

ASV: Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Doth  our  law  judge  [any] man,  before  it hear  him,  and  know  what  he doeth? 

What does John 7:51 Mean?

Context Summary

John 7:40-53 - The Blindness Of Prejudice
These short descriptions of the impressions made on His hearers by the discourses of Jesus indicate the double development which was resulting from His ministry. Those in favor spoke of the Prophet and the Christ. Compare John 1:21; John 6:14. Others raised objections, John 7:41-42. Others again desired to take action, John 7:44.
Though it was a holy day, the Sanhedrin was in session to receive the report of their officers. These, by their candid statement, unconsciously passed a strange criticism on the religious speakers to whom they were wont to listen. Compare John 7:48 with John 7:50 and John 3:1-36.
How greatly Nicodemus had grown since his night-visit to Jesus! And he was to advance still further, John 19:39. The appeal to history was apparently true. Jonah is the only prophet who might have been quoted as an apparent exception, but he may only have been a resident in Galilee when the summons came to him. The reasoning of John 7:52, however, was not conclusive. Even if none had arisen, it was the more likely that the Divine Spirit should choose the most humble origin; and the one most in keeping with the peasant-birth of the manger-bed. [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 7:51

Doth our law judge a man? [μη ο νομος ημων κρινει τον αντρωπον]
Negative answer expected and “the man,” not “a man.” These exponents of the law (John 7:49) were really violating the law of criminal procedure (Exodus 23:1; Deuteronomy 1:16). Probably Nicodemus knew that his protest was useless, but he could at least show his colours and score the point of justice in Christ‘s behalf. Except it first hear from himself Third-class negative condition with εαν μη — ean mē and first aorist active subjunctive of ακουω — akouō That is common justice in all law, to hear a man‘s side of the case (“from him,” παρ αυτου — par' autou). And know what he doeth Continuation of the same condition with second aorist active subjunctive of γινωσκω — ginōskō with indirect question and present active indicative There was no legal answer to the point of Nicodemus. [source]
Any man [τὸν ἄνθρωπον]
Literally, the man, whoever he may be, that comes before them. [source]
Before it hear him [ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ παρ ' αὐτοῦ]
Rev., more correctly, except it first hear. Hear him, is an inadequate rendering of παρ ' αὐτοῦ , which is, as Rev., from himself; παρά , implying from beside, i.e., from his side of the case. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:51

John 1:40 Andrew [Ανδρεας]
Explained by John as one of the two disciples of the Baptist and identified as the brother of the famous Simon Peter (cf. also John 6:8; John 12:22). The more formal call of Andrew and Simon, James and John, comes later (Mark 1:16.; Matthew 4:18.; Luke 3:1-11). That heard John speak “That heard from John,” a classical idiom (παρα — para with ablative after ακουω — akouō) seen also in John 6:45; John 7:51; John 8:26, John 8:40; John 15:15. [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:51 mean?

Not the law of us does judge the man if it has heard first from him and known what he does
Μὴ νόμος ἡμῶν κρίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν ἀκούσῃ πρῶτον παρ’ αὐτοῦ καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ

νόμος  law 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: νόμος  
Sense: anything established, anything received by usage, a custom, a law, a command.
ἡμῶν  of  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
κρίνει  does  judge 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: κρίνω  
Sense: to separate, put asunder, to pick out, select, choose.
ἄνθρωπον  man 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
ἀκούσῃ  it  has  heard 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀκουστός 
Sense: to be endowed with the faculty of hearing, not deaf.
πρῶτον  first 
Parse: Adverb, Superlative
Root: πρῶτον 
Sense: first in time or place.
γνῷ  known 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γινώσκω  
Sense: to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel.
ποιεῖ  he  does 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ποιέω  
Sense: to make.