John 10 · Verse 20

John 10:20

And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
John 10:20, King James Version

John 10:20 in other translations

BSBMany of them said, “He is demon-possessed and insane. Why would you listen to Him?”
WEBMany of them said, “He has a demon and is insane! Why do you listen to him?”
ASVAnd many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?
YLTand many of them said, ‘He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?'
DARBYbut many of them said, He has a demon and raves; why do ye hear him?
BBEAnd a number of them said, He has an evil spirit and is out of his mind; why do you give ear to him?
WebsterAnd many of them said, He hath a demon, and is insane; why hear ye him?

What does John 10:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 10:19-21

19-21. There was a division ... again among the Jews for these sayings--the light and the darkness revealing themselves with increasing clearness in the separation of the teachable from the obstinately prejudiced. The one saw in Him only "a devil and a madman"; the other revolted at the thought that such words could come from one possessed, and sight be given to the blind by a demoniac; showing clearly that a deeper…

Read the full comment on John 10:19-21 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. He hath a devil. Jn 7:20.

Is mad. Is deranged, or a maniac. His words are incoherent and unintelligible.

(v) "He hath a devil" Jn 7:20

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 He hath a devil, and is mad - So, then, a demoniac and a madman were not exactly the same in the apprehension of the Jews; no more than the effect is the same with the cause which produces it. Some will have it that, when the Jews told our Lord that he had a demon, they meant no more than that he was deranged; but here these matters are evidently distinguished. They believed him to be possessed by a demon, who deranged his faculties, and that he must have been a wicked man, and a deceiver, thus to be put under the power of such a spirit.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 10:19-21

Satan ruins many, by putting them out of conceit with the word and ordinances. Men would not be laughed out of their necessary food, yet suffer themselves thus to be laughed out of what is far more necessary. If our zeal and earnestness in the cause of Christ, especially in the blessed work of bringing his sheep into his fold, bring upon us evil names, let us not heed it, but remember our Master was thus reproached…

Read the full comment on John 10:19-21 →

John 10:20 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἔλεγονelegonWere sayingG3004
δὲdenowG1161
πολλοὶpolloimanyG4183
ἐξexofG1537
αὐτῶν·autōnthem;G846
δαιμόνιονdaimonionA demonG1140
ἔχειecheiHe hasG2192
καὶkaiandG2532
μαίνεται·mainetaiis insane;G3105
τίtiwhyG5101
αὐτοῦautouto HimG846
ἀκούετε;akouetedo you listen?G191

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 10:20

  • John 7:20

    The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

  • Mark 3:21

    And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.

  • John 8:52

    Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

  • John 8:47-48

    He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

  • Matthew 9:34

    But the Pharisees said, He casteth out devils through the prince of the devils.

  • Acts 18:14-15

    And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters.

  • John 9:28-29

    Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple; but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spake unto Moses: as for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.

  • John 7:46-52

    The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. …

  • Acts 26:30-32

    And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cesar.

  • Matthew 10:25

    It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?

  • Isaiah 53:8

    He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

  • Acts 26:24

    And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
He hath.
7:20; 8:48,52; Mt 9:34; 10:25; Mr 3:21; Ac 26:24
why.
7:46-52; 8:47; 9:28,29; Isa 53:8; Ac 18:14,15; 25:19,20; 26:30-32

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 10:19

    There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

  • John 10:20

    And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

  • John 10:21

    Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

Read all of John 10

John 10:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y muchos de ellos decían: Demonio tiene, y está fuera de sí; ¿para qué le oís?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et plusieurs d’entre eux disaient: Il a un démon, et il est fou; pourquoi l’écoutez-vous?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Viele aber von ihnen sagten: Er hat einen Dämon und ist von Sinnen; was höret ihr ihn?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Dicebant autem multi ex ipsis: Dæmonium habet, et insanit: quid eum auditis?