7:1 After this, Jesus ·traveled [walked] around Galilee. He did not want to ·travel [walk] in Judea, because the ·Jewish leaders [L Jews] there ·wanted [sought] to kill him [see 5:18].
7:2 [L But] It was [L near the] time for the Feast of ·Shelters [Tabernacles; Booths; C an important annual festival celebrating harvest, sometimes known as Ingathering, and commemorating the exodus from Egypt; Ex. 23:16; Lev. 23:33–44; Deut. 16:13–17].
7:3 So Jesus’ brothers [C children of Joseph and Mary born after Jesus, or children of Joseph from a previous marriage; Mark 3:21, 31–35] said to him, “You should leave here and go to Judea so your ·followers [disciples] there can see the ·miracles [L works] you do.
7:4 [L For] Anyone who wants to be ·well [publicly] known does not ·hide what he does [L act in secret]. If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
7:5 ([L For] Even Jesus’ brothers did not believe in him.)
7:6 [L Therefore] Jesus said to his brothers, “·The right time for me [L My time; 2:4] has not yet come, but any time is right for you [C they could go to Jerusalem anytime; but Jesus had a special destiny to fulfill there].
7:7 The world cannot hate you [C because they are part of it], but it hates me, because I ·tell it [testify concerning; witness to] ·the evil things it does [L that its works are evil].
7:8 So you go [L up] to the feast. I will not go [L up] yet to this feast, because ·the right time for me [my time] has not yet ·come [fully come; L been fulfilled].”
7:9 After saying this, Jesus ·stayed [remained behind] in Galilee.
7:10 But after Jesus’ brothers had gone [L up] to the feast, Jesus went [L up] also. But he did not ·let people see him [L go publicly, but in secret].
7:11 At the feast ·some people [the Jewish leaders; L the Jews] were ·looking for [watching for] him and saying, “Where is that man?”
7:12 Within the large crowd there, many people were ·whispering [arguing; murmuring; grumbling] to each other about Jesus. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others said, “No, he ·fools [deceives; misleads] the people.”
7:13 But no one was brave enough to talk about Jesus openly, because they were afraid of the ·elders [the Jewish leaders; L the Jews].
7:14 When the feast was about half over, Jesus went to the Temple [courts; 2:14] and began to teach.
7:15 The people ·were amazed [marveled] and said, “This man has never studied in school. How did he learn so much?”
7:16 Jesus answered them, “The things I teach are not my own, but they come from him who sent me [C God].
7:17 If people ·choose [desire; want] to do ·what God wants [L God’s will], they will know that my teaching comes from God and not from me.
7:18 Those who ·teach their own ideas [speak with their own authority] are trying to get ·honor [glory] for themselves. But those who try to bring ·honor [glory] to the one who sent them speak the truth, and there is nothing ·false [or unrighteous] in them. [C The Greek here is singular (“But the one who…”), so Jesus is speaking especially about himself.]
7:19 Moses gave you the law [L Has not Moses given you the law?; Ex. 34:29–32], but none of you obeys that law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
7:20 The people answered, “A demon has come into you [L You have a demon]. We are not trying to kill you [L Who is trying to kill you?].”
7:21 Jesus ·said to [answered] them, “I did one ·miracle [L work; deed; 5:1–15], and you are all ·amazed [astonished].
7:22 Moses gave you the law about circumcision [Ex. 12:44–49]. (But really Moses did not give you circumcision; it came from ·our ancestors [L the fathers/patriarchs; Gen. 17:9–14].) And yet you circumcise a ·baby boy [L person] on a Sabbath day.
7:23 If a ·baby boy [L person] can be circumcised on a Sabbath day ·to obey the law of Moses [L so the law of Moses may not be broken], why are you angry at me for healing a person’s whole body on the Sabbath day?
7:24 Stop judging by ·the way things look [outward appearances], but judge by ·what is really right [L right/just/righteous judgment].”
7:25 Then some of the people who lived in Jerusalem said, “·This is the man [L Isn’t this the man…?] they are trying to kill.
7:26 But he is ·teaching where everyone can see and hear him [L speaking publicly], and no one is ·trying to stop [L saying anything to] him. Maybe the ·leaders [rulers; authorities] have ·decided [come to recognize] he really is the ·Christ [Messiah].
7:27 But we know where this man is from. Yet when the real ·Christ [Messiah] comes, no one will know where he comes from.” [C Some Jewish traditions claimed the Messiah would be unknown until he came to deliver Israel.]
7:28 Jesus, teaching in the Temple [courts; 2:14], cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. But I have not come ·by my own authority [on my own initiative; L from myself]. I was sent by the One who is true, whom you don’t know.
7:29 But I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”
7:30 When Jesus said this, they tried to ·seize [arrest] him. But no one was able to ·touch him [L lay a hand on him], because ·it was not yet the right time [L his hour had not yet come; see 2:4].
7:31 But many ·of the people [L in the crowd] believed in Jesus. They said, “When the ·Christ [Messiah] comes, will he do more ·miracles [L signs] than this man has done?”
7:32 The Pharisees [see 1:24] heard the crowd ·whispering [arguing; murmuring; grumbling] these things about Jesus. So the leading priests and the Pharisees sent some Temple ·guards [police; officers] to ·arrest [seize] him.
7:33 [L Therefore] Jesus said, “I will be with you a little while longer. Then I will go back to the One who sent me.
7:34 You will ·look for [seek] me, but you will not find me. And you cannot come where I am [C in heaven].”
7:35 [L Therefore] ·Some people [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] said to each other, “Where will this man go so we cannot find him? Will he go to the ·Greek cities where our people live [L dispersion/scattering among the Greeks; C ever since the Babylonian exile many Jewish people had lived outside the land of Israel] and teach the Greek people there? [C The Jews often used “Greeks” for Gentiles generally.]
7:36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘You cannot come where I am’?”
7:37 On the last and ·most important [L greatest] day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [C The feast of Shelters/Tabernacles featured a water pouring ritual that may stand in the background of Jesus’ speech.]
7:38 If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person’s ·heart [L belly; gut], as the Scripture says [Is. 55:1; 58:11; Ezek. 47:1–12; Zech. 14:8, compare John 4:10–11; Rev. 7:17; 22:1].”
7:39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been ·raised to glory [glorified]. But later, those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit.
7:40 When the people heard Jesus’ words, some of them said, “This man really is the Prophet [1:21; C the “prophet like Moses” of Deut. 18:15–18].”
7:41 Others said, “He is the ·Christ [Messiah].” Still others said, “The ·Christ [Messiah] will not come from Galilee.
7:42 The Scripture says that the ·Christ [Messiah] will come from David’s ·family [offspring; L seed; 2 Sam. 7:12–16; Ps. 89:3–4; Is. 9:7; 55:3] and from Bethlehem, the ·town [village] where David lived [Mic. 5:2].”
7:43 So ·the people did not agree with each other [L there was a division in the crowd] about Jesus.
7:44 Some of them wanted to ·arrest [seize] him, but no one was able to ·touch [L lay a hand on] him.
7:45 [L Therefore] The Temple ·guards [police; officers] went back to the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Pharisees, who asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus?”
7:46 The ·guards [police; officers] answered, “·The words he says are greater than the words of any other person who has ever spoken [L No one has ever spoken like this]!”
7:47 [L Therefore] The Pharisees answered them, “So Jesus has ·fooled [deceived; led astray] you also!
7:48 Have any of the ·leaders [rulers; authorities] or the Pharisees believed in him? No!
7:49 But ·these people [L this crowd], who know nothing about the law, are ·under God’s curse [accursed].”
7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to see Jesus before [see 3:1–21], was in that group. He said,
7:51 “·Our law does not [L Does our law…?] judge a person without hearing him and knowing what he has done.”
7:52 They answered, “Are you from Galilee, too? ·Study the Scriptures, and you will learn [L Search and see] that no prophet comes from Galilee.”
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