John 7 · Verse 19

John 7:19

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?
John 7:19, King James Version

John 7:19 in other translations

BSBHas not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”
WEBDidn’t Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you seek to kill me?”
ASVDid not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me?
YLThath not Moses given you the law? and none of you doth the law; why me do ye seek to kill?'
DARBYHas not Moses given you the law, and no one of you practises the law? Why do ye seek to kill me?
BBEDid not Moses give you the law? Even so, not one of you keeps the law. Why have you a desire to put me to death?
WebsterDid not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

What does John 7:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 7:19-20
19-20. Did not Moses, &c.--that is, In opposing Me ye pretend zeal for Moses, but to the spirit and end of that law which he gave ye are total strangers, and in "going about to kill Me" ye are its greatest enemies.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 19. Did not Moses give you the law? This they admitted, and on this they prided themselves. Every violation of that law they considered as deserving of death. They had accused Jesus of violating it because he had healed a man on the Sabbath, and for that they had sought his life, Jn 5:10-16. He here recalls that charge to their recollection, and shows them that, though they pretended great reverence for that law, yet they were really its violators in having sought his life.

None of you, &c. None of you Jews. They had sought to kill him. This was a pointed and severe charge, and shows the great faithfulness with which he was accustomed to proclaim the truth.

Why go ye about to kill me? Why do ye seek to kill me? See Jn 5:16.

(m) "Moses" Jn 1:17, Gal 3:19 (n) "none of you" Rom 3:10-19 (o) "to kill me" Mt 12:14, Jn 5:16,18

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 Did not Moses give you the law, etc. - The scribes and Pharisees announced our Lord to the multitude as a deceiver; and they grounded their calumny on this, that he was not an exact observer of the law, for he had healed a man on the Sabbath day, Joh 5:9, Joh 5:10; and consequently must be a false prophet. Now they insinuated, that the interests of religion required him to be put to death: 1. As a violator of the law; and, 2. as a false prophet and deceiver of the people. To destroy this evil reasoning, our Lord speaks in this wise: If I deserve death for curing a man on the Sabbath, and desiring him to carry home his bed, which you consider a violation of the law, you are more culpable than I am, for you circumcise a child on the Sabbath, which requires much more bustle, and is of so much less use than what I have done to the infirm man. But, if you think you do not violate the law by circumcising a child on the Sabbath, how can you condemn me for having cured one of yourselves, who has been afflicted thirty and eight years? If you consider my conduct with the same eye with which you view your own, far from finding any thing criminal in it, you will see much reason to give glory to God. Why, therefore, go ye about to kill me, as a transgressor of the law, when not one of yourselves keeps it?

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 7:14-24

Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shall be given up to errors which will be…

Read the full comment on John 7:14-24 →

John 7:19 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.

οὐouNotG3756
ΜωϋσῆςMōusēsMosesG3475
δέδωκενdedōkenhas givenG1325
ὑμῖνhuminto youG4771
τὸνtontheG3588
νόμον;nomonlaw?G3551
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐδεὶςoudeisno [one]G3762
ἐξexofG1537
ὑμῶνhumōnyouG4771
ποιεῖpoieikeepsG4160
τὸνtontheG3588
νόμον·nomonlaw!G3551
τίtiWhyG5101
μεmeMeG3165
ζητεῖτεzēteitedo you seekG2212
ἀποκτεῖναι;apokteinaito kill?G615

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

Cross references for John 7:19

  • John 1:17

    For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

  • John 7:1

    After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

  • John 11:53

    Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

  • Matthew 12:14

    Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

  • Deuteronomy 1:17

    Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God’s: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

  • Deuteronomy 33:4

    Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

  • Galatians 6:13

    For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

  • Exodus 24:2-3

    And Moses alone shall come near the Lord: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him. And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.

  • John 7:25

    Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

  • Galatians 3:19

    Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

  • Mark 3:4

    And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

  • Matthew 21:38

    But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
not.
1:17; 5:45; 9:28,29; Ex 24:2,3; De 33:4; 1:17; Ac 7:38; Ga 3:19
Heb 3:3-5
yet.
Mt 23:2-4; Ro 2:12,13,17-29; 3:10-23; Ga 6:13
Why.
25; 5:16,18; 10:31,32,39; 11:53; Ps 2:1-6; Mt 12:14; 21:38; Mr 3:4,6

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

Context

  • John 7:18

    He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

  • John 7:19

    Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

  • John 7:20

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

Read all of John 7

John 7:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		¿No os dió Moisés la ley, y ninguno de vosotros hace la ley? ¿Por qué me procuráis matar?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Moïse ne vous a-t-il pas donné la loi? Et nul d’entre vous n’observe la loi. Pourquoi cherchez-vous à me faire mourir?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Hat nicht Moses euch das Gesetz gegeben? und keiner von euch tut das Gesetz. Was suchet ihr mich zu töten?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Nonne Moyses dedit vobis legem: et nemo ex vobis facit legem?