translation_id: net-engnet

book_id: JHN

label: NET translator note

text: Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”


text: Grk “For he.” Here γάρ ( gar , “for”) has not been translated.


text: Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”


text: Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.


text: Grk “were seeking.”


text: Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία ( skhnophgia ) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.


text: Grk “his brothers.” sn Jesus ’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3 .


text: Grk “your deeds that you are doing.” sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing , be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier ( 6:66 )? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.


text: Or “seeks to be well known.”


text: Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”


text: Or “my opportunity.”


text: Or “is not yet here.”


text: Grk “your time is always ready.”


text: Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” ( οὔπω , oupw ) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive ( א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10 . On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk . However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8 , the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10 ) with his disciples.


text: Although the word is καιρός ( kairos ) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα ( Jwra ) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.


text: Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”


text: Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1 .


text: Grk “Where is that one?”


text: Grk “And there was.”


text: Or “complaining.”


text: Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).


text: Or “the crowd.”


text: Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1 .


text: Grk “to the temple.”


text: Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.


text: Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.


text: Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3 ). sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos , creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.


text: Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”


text: The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.


text: Grk “his will.”


text: Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”


text: Grk “who speaks from himself.”


text: Or “seeks.”


text: Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”


text: Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”


text: Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”


text: Grk “seek.”


text: Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15 ).


text: Grk “You have a demon!”


text: Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?” sn Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.


text: Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”


text: Grk “I did one deed.”


text: Grk “gave you circumcision.”


text: Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5 ) is primarily what is in view here.


text: Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.


text: Grk “receives circumcision.”


text: Or “made an entire man well.”


text: Or “based on sight.”


text: Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”


text: For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


text: Grk “Is it not this one.”


text: Grk “seeking.”


text: Or “speaking openly.”


text: Grk “this one.”


text: Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). sn See the note on Christ in 1:20 .


text: Grk “the temple.”


text: Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”


text: Grk “And I have not come from myself.”


text: Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”


text: Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton ).


text: The preposition παρά ( para ) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.


text: Grk “and that one.”


text: Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus . This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32 .


text: Grk “his hour.”


text: Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).


text: Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).


text: Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3 ; Acts 5:22, 26 . As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44 ; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6 ; Acts 4:3 ). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).


text: Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.


text: Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”


text: The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


text: Grk “seek me.”


text: Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse ( 7:32, 45 ).


text: Grk “this one.”


text: Grk “will not find him.”


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”). sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36 . They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.


text: Grk “What is this word that he said.”


text: Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”


text: does place a full stop after πινέτω ( pinetw ), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ . Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10 , of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16 ). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” ( 16:7 ). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water ( Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4 . Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.


text: Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”


text: Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον ( dedomenon ), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2 .


text: Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).


text: Or “truly.”


text: Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). sn See the note on Christ in 1:20 .


text: An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ ( gar ) which begins the clause.


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).


text: Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).


text: Grk “the village where David was.”


text: Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).


text: Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3 ; Acts 5:22, 26 . As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44 ; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6 ; Acts 4:3 ). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).


text: Grk “came.”


text: Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.


text: Grk “answered them.”


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).


text: Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.


text: Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


text: Grk “said to them.”


text: Grk “judge.”


text: Grk “knows.”


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).


text: Grk “They answered and said to him.”


text: Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).


text: which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2 , but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).