John 7

1 After this [following these events], Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] traveled [walked, went from place to place] throughout [in all parts of] Galilee [a region in Palestine where Jesus ministered]. He did not want [was unwilling, did not desire] to travel [walk, journey] in Judea [a region in southern Palestine], because [for the reason that, since] the Jews [people from Judah, Jewish people] there [in that place] were trying [seeking, attempting] to kill [destroy, take the life of] Him [Jesus, the son of God]. word study 2 However, the Jewish [of the Jews, from Judah] Feast [festival, celebration] of Tabernacles [of Booths, Festival of Living in Shelters] was [at hand, approaching] near [close, almost here]. word study 3 So Jesus’ brothers [His brethren, relatives] said to Him, “Leave [depart, go away] here [from this place] and go [travel, journey] to Judea [the region of southern Palestine], so that Your disciples [followers, learners] there may see [behold, experience] the works [miracles, acts] You are doing [performing, accomplishing]. word study 4 For no one [nobody, none] who wants to be known [famous, recognized] publicly [openly, in public] acts [does things, performs] in secret [hidden, concealed]. Since You are doing [performing, accomplishing] these things [miracles, signs], show [reveal, manifest] Yourself [your true nature, your identity] to the world [all people, humanity].” word study 5 For [explaining the reason] even His own [the specific] brothers [male siblings or fellow believers] did not [nor] believe [to trust in] in [toward] Him [emphasizing the person]. word study 6 Therefore Jesus [the Messiah, God’s salvation] told them, “Although your [belonging to you] time [season, opportunity] is always [at all times, constantly] at hand [ready, available], My [belonging to me] time [appointed hour, season] has not yet [not as of now] come [arrived, been fulfilled]. word study 7 The world [the system of humanity in rebellion against God] cannot [is utterly unable, has no power to] hate you, but it hates Me, because I testify [bear witness, give evidence] that its works [actions, deeds, the fruit of its nature] are evil [morally wrong, wicked, causing harm]. word study 8 Go up [ascend, climb] to the feast [festival, celebration] on your own [by yourselves, alone]. I am not going up [will not ascend, do not intend to go] to this feast [celebration, gathering], because My time [appointed hour, right moment] has not yet [not as yet, has not come] come [been fulfilled, arrived].” word study 9 Having said [spoken, uttered] this [these things], Jesus [the Messiah, the Christ] remained [stayed, abode] in [within, among] Galilee [the region, the Sea of Galilee]. word study 10 But after His brothers [male siblings, fellow believers] had gone up [ascended, traveled to] to the feast [festival, celebration], He also went [proceeded, journeyed]—not publicly [openly, plainly], but [in contrast, on the other hand] in secret [hidden, concealed, as it were in private]. word study 11 So the Jews [from Judah, Jewish leaders] were looking for Him [Jesus, the Messiah] at the feast [festival, celebration] and asking, “Where [in what location] is He [that one]?” word study 12 Many [a large multitude, a great number] in the crowds [gatherings of people, multitudes] were whispering [murmuring, complaining] about Him [Jesus, the Messiah]. Some said, “He is a [truly, genuinely] good [beneficial, virtuous] man [person, individual].” But others replied, “No [certainly not, by no means], He [Jesus, the Christ] deceives [leads astray, misleads] the people [the crowd, the multitude].” word study 13 Yet [however, but] no one [none, nobody] would speak [to utter words] publicly [with boldness] about [concerning] Him [He] for [because of] fear [alarm, terror] of [through] the [this] Jews [Jewish leaders]. word study 14 About [in the middle of] halfway through the feast [festival, special celebration], Jesus [Joshua, God is salvation] went up [ascended, climbed] to the temple [sacred place, house of God] courts [area, surroundings] and began [started, commenced] to teach [instruct, guide, to impart knowledge]. word study 15 The Jews [Jewish leaders, people of Judah] were amazed [marvelling, feeling great wonder] and asked, “How [in what way, surprisingly] did this man [Jesus, the Messiah] attain [gain, acquire] such learning [knowledge of Scripture, spiritual understanding] without [not having] having studied [learned, been educated]?” word study 16 “My [divine] teaching [instruction, doctrine] is not My own [not originating from Me],” Jesus [the Savior, God’s Son] replied [answered, responded]. “It comes [originates, is given] from Him [the Father, God] who sent [appointed, commissioned] Me [as His messenger]. word study 17 If anyone [whoever is willing] desires to do His [God’s] will [intention, purpose], he will know [understand, recognize] whether My teaching [instruction, doctrine] is from God [the Father, divine source] or whether I speak [utter words, proclaim] on My own [from myself, by my own authority]. word study 18 He who speaks [from himself] on his own authority [for personal gain, to glorify himself] seeks his own glory [honor, praise], but He who seeks [to find, to look for] the glory [honor, recognition] of the One [God, the Father] who sent [appointed, commissioned] Him is a man of truth [authentic, genuine]; in Him there is no [absence of, none] falsehood [deceit, unrighteousness]. word study 19 Has not Moses [the Hebrew lawgiver] given you the law [a set of rules or regulations]? Yet not one of you [none, nobody] keeps it [obeys or follows]. Why are you trying [seeking] to kill Me [take my life, destroy me]?” word study 20 “You have [an evil spirit] a demon [an unclean being],” the crowd [a large group of people] replied. “Who [which one] is trying [seeking] to kill [destroy] You [addressing Jesus directly]?” word study 21 Jesus [the Greek name for Joshua, meaning God is salvation] answered them, “I did [performed, accomplished] one [a single, unified] miracle [work, act, deed], and you are all [every one of you, collectively] amazed [marvel, wonder, astonished]. word study 22 But because [through, on account of] Moses [the Hebrew lawgiver] gave you circumcision [the Jewish rite of cutting, a sign of covenant], you circumcise [cut around, perform the ritual] a boy [a male child, an infant] on the Sabbath [the day of rest, the seventh day] (not that it is from Moses [originating with him], but from the patriarchs [the fathers, the ancestors].) word study 23 If a boy can be circumcised [receive circumcision, as a sign of covenant] on the Sabbath [the day of rest, seventh day of the week] so that the law [set of rules, divine commandments] of Moses [the Hebrew lawgiver] will not be broken [violated, disobeyed], why are you angry [irritated, displeased] with Me for making [restoring, healing] the whole [complete, entire] man [human being, person] well [healthy, whole] on the Sabbath [day of worship, day of rest]? word study 24 Stop judging [do not condemn, cease from evaluating] by outward appearances [the face, what you see], and start judging [make a righteous decision, form a just opinion] justly [righteously, with fairness and innocence].” word study 25 Then [at that time, therefore] some [certain ones, a few] of the people [inhabitants, residents] of Jerusalem [those from the holy city] began [started, commenced] to say [speak, utter], “Isn’t [is not, can it be that] this [he, the one] the man [person, individual] they [the leaders, those in authority] are trying [seeking, attempting] to kill [destroy, take the life of]? word study 26 Yet here He is, speaking publicly [openly, boldly, and freely], and they are not saying anything [nothing, or no words] to Him. Have the rulers [leaders, or authorities] truly [indeed, surely, and in reality] recognized that this is [in truth, the very, and truly] the Christ [the Messiah, the anointed one]? word study 27 But we know [are aware of, have insight into] where this man [Jesus, the Messiah] is from [originates, comes from]. When the Christ [anointed One, Messiah] comes, no one [nobody, not a single person] will know [have knowledge of, understand] where He is from [originates, comes from].” word study 28 Then Jesus, still teaching [as he was instructing] in the temple [sacred place] courts, cried out [with a loud voice], “You know Me, and you know where I am from [my origin, my birthplace]. I have not come of My own accord [by my own authority, of myself], but He who sent Me [the Father, the one who commissioned me] is true [faithful, genuine]. You do not know Him [have no understanding of, are not acquainted with], word study 29 but I [the Messiah, Jesus] know Him [the Father, God], because I am [have originated, come into being] from Him [the source of my existence] and He [the Father, God] sent [appointed, commissioned] Me [as His representative].” word study 30 So they tried [sought to take, attempted to seize] to seize Him, but no one [nobody, none] laid a hand [put their hand, placed their hand] on Him, because His hour [appointed time, specific moment] had not yet come [arrived, been reached]. word study 31 Many [a large multitude, a great number] in the crowd [the gathered people, the multitude], however, believed [to trust, have faith] in Him [the Messiah, the Christ] and said, “When the Christ [the Anointed One, the Messiah] comes [arrives, appears], will He perform [do, accomplish] more [greater, additional] signs [miracles, wonders] than [in comparison to] this man [Jesus, the one performing the signs]?” word study 32 When the Pharisees [a Jewish sect that followed strict religious rules] heard [to hear and understand, to listen with obedience] the crowd [a large group of people, a multitude] whispering [murmuring, grumbling] these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests [high-priest, top Jewish leaders] sent [to dispatch, to set apart on a mission] officers [servants, ministers] to arrest [to take hold of, to catch] Him. word study 33 So Jesus [the Messiah, God’s salvation] said, “I am [exist, present with you] with you only [still, yet] a little [small, brief] while [time, interval] longer, and then [after this] I am going [to depart, to go away] to the One [the Father, Him who sent me] who sent [appointed, commissioned] Me [to fulfill my mission]. word study 34 You [will search for] will look for Me [the Messiah, the Savior], but you will not find [discover, come upon] Me; and where [in the place, at the location] I am [exist, dwell], you cannot [are not able, do not have the power] come [go, arrive].” word study 35 At this, the Jews [among themselves, in private discussion] said to one another, “Where [in the world, to what place] does He intend [plan, purpose] to go that we will not find [discover, locate] Him? Will He go [travel, journey] where the Jews [the dispersed, those scattered abroad] are dispersed [scattered, spread out] among the Greeks [Gentiles, non-Jews], and teach [instruct, guide] the Greeks [those who are not Jewish, Gentiles]? word study 36 What does He mean by saying, ‘You will [seek diligently] look for Me, but you will not [be able to, succeed in] find Me,’ and, ‘Where I am, you cannot [are not able, do not have the power to] come’?” word study 37 On the last [final, ultimate] and greatest [most important, supreme] day of the feast [festival, celebration], Jesus [the Savior, God’s salvation] stood up and called out [cried, shouted] in a loud voice, “If anyone [any person, whoever] is thirsty [has a deep spiritual need, is parched], let him come to Me [approach, draw near] and drink [receive, be filled]. word study 38 Whoever [he who has faith, trusts] believes [to trust, have confidence] in Me, as [just as, in the same way] the Scripture [the holy Writings, God’s Word] has said: ‘Streams of living [life-giving, eternal] water will flow [come forth, gush out] from within [out of the belly, from the innermost being] him.’” word study 39 He was speaking about the Spirit [the Holy Ghost, God’s divine presence], whom those who believed [trusted, had faith] in Him were later to receive [take, accept]. For the Spirit [the vital principle, mental disposition] had not yet been given [bestowed, imparted], because Jesus [Joshua, God is salvation] had not yet been glorified [praised, honored, exalted]. word study 40 On hearing [when they heard and understood] these words, some [a large group, many] of the people said, “This [truly, surely] is [exists as, is confirmed to be] truly the [divine messenger] Prophet [one who speaks forth God’s will].” word study 41 Others declared, “This [the Messiah, Christ] is the Christ [anointed, Messiah].” But still others asked, “How can the Christ [having God’s nature, the anointed one] come from [out of, originating in] Galilee [a region in Palestine]? word study 42 Doesn’t the Scripture [holy writings, God’s Word] say that the Christ [anointed One, Messiah] will come from the line [seed, offspring] of David [King of Israel, ancestor of Jesus] and from Bethlehem [house of bread, birthplace of Jesus], the village [small town, rural area] where David [the king] lived? ” word study 43 So there was [a strong, sharp] division [split, separation] in the crowd [large group, multitude] because of [through, on account of] Jesus [it, him]. word study 44 Some [certain, specific ones] of them wanted [desired, were willing] to seize [arrest, take hold of] Him, but [however, on the other hand] no one [nobody, none] laid [put, placed] a hand [power, authority] on Him. word study 45 Then the officers [servants, ministers] returned to the chief priests [high-priest, top Jewish leaders] and Pharisees [strict religious sect], who asked them, “Why didn’t you [as authorized representatives] bring Him [Jesus, the Messiah] in [to their presence, for judgment]?” word study 46 “Never [at any time, not even once] has anyone [human being, person] spoken [uttered words, communicated] like [in this manner, thus] this man [Jesus, the Messiah]!” the officers [servants, ministers] answered [responded, replied]. word study 47 “Have [also been misled] you [as well] also been deceived [led astray, seduced]?” replied [answered, responded to] the Pharisees [a Jewish sect, strict religious followers]. word study 48 “Have any [none, not one] of the rulers [leaders, magistrates] or Pharisees [strict Jewish sect members] believed [trusted, have faith] in Him [Jesus, the Messiah]? word study 49 But [on the contrary, in contrast] this crowd [multitude, large group] that does not [is ignorant of, lacks understanding] know [have knowledge of, understand] the law [Mosaic law, God’s commandments], they are [exist, have their being] under [subject to, under the power of] a curse [accursed, damned, under God’s judgment].” word study 50 Nicodemus [who came to Jesus by night], who had gone to Jesus earlier [before this time, previously] and who himself was [being, existing as] one of them [a member of the Jewish council, a Pharisee], asked [said to them, spoke up], word study 51 “Does our [Jewish, Mosaic] law [system of rules, regulations] convict [judge, condemn] a man [human being, person] without [unless, before] first [previously, beforehand] hearing [listening to, giving a hearing] from him [personally, directly] to determine [find out, know] what [which, what kind] he [the person, individual] has done [accomplished, committed]?” word study 52 “Aren’t you also from [the region of] Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it [search and examine], and you will see [discover and understand] that no [not a single] prophet [one who speaks for God] comes out of [originates from] Galilee [a region in Palestine].” word study 53 Then [after that, afterwards] each [every man, individually] went [to travel, journeyed] to his own [the, this, his personal] home. word study