John 7 · Verse 20

John 7:20

The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?
John 7:20, King James Version

John 7:20 in other translations

BSB“You have a demon,” the crowd replied. “Who is trying to kill You?”
WEBThe multitude answered, “You have a demon! Who seeks to kill you?”
ASVThe multitude answered, Thou hast a demon: who seeketh to kill thee?
YLTThe multitude answered and said, ‘Thou hast a demon, who doth seek to kill thee?'
DARBYThe crowd answered and said, Thou hast a demon: who seeks to kill thee?
BBEThe people said in answer, You have an evil spirit: who has any desire to put you to death?
WebsterThe people answered and said, Thou hast a demon: who goeth about to kill thee?

What does John 7:20 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.

Read the full comment on John 7:19-20 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 20. The people. Perhaps some of the people who were not aware of the designs of the rulers.

Thou hast a devil. Thou art deranged or mad. See Jn 10:20. As they saw no effort to kill him, and as they were ignorant of the designs of the rulers, they supposed that this was the effect of derangement.

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Thou hast a devil - The crowd, who made this answer, were not in the secret of the chief priests. They could not suppose that any person desired to put him to death for healing a diseased man; and therefore, in their brutish manner, they say, Thou hast a demon - thou art beside thyself, and slanderest the people, for none of them desires to put thee to death. The Codex Cyprius (K), four others, and the margin of the later Syriac, attribute this answer to the Jews, i.e. those who were seeking his life. If the reading, therefore, of οἱ Ιουδαιοι, the Jews, be received instead of ὁ οχλος, the multitude, it serves to show the malice of his enemies in a still stronger light: for, fearing lest their wish to put him to death might not be gratified, and that his teaching should prevail among the common people; to ruin his credit, and prevent his usefulness, they give out that he was possessed by a demon; and that, though he might be pitied as a miserable man, yet he must not be attended to as a teacher of righteousness. Malice and envy are ever active and indefatigable, leaving no stone unturned, no mean unused, that they may win the object of their resentment. See the note on Joh 7:26.

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 7:20 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.

ἀπεκρίθηapekrithēAnsweredG611
ὁhotheG3588
ὄχλοςochloscrowdG3793
δαιμόνιονdaimonionA demonG1140
ἔχεις·echeisYou have;G2192
τίςtiswhoG5101
σεseYouG4771
ζητεῖzēteiseeksG2212
ἀποκτεῖναι;¶apokteinaito kill?G615

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

Cross references for John 7:20

  • John 10:20

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

  • John 8:48

    Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

  • Mark 3:21-22

    And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself. And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.

  • 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.

  • Mark 3:30

    Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

  • Matthew 11:18-19

    For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

  • Matthew 12:24

    But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.

  • 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.

  • 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?

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Thou.
8:48,52; 10:20; Mt 10:25; 11:18,19; 12:24; Mr 3:21,22,30; Ac 26:24

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

Context

  • 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?

  • John 7:21

    Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

Read all of John 7

John 7:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Respondió la gente, y dijo: Demonio tienes: ¿quién te procura matar?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		La foule répondit et dit: Tu as un démon; qui cherche à te faire mourir?
German
Elberfelder 1871		Die Volksmenge antwortete und sprach: Du hast einen Dämon; wer sucht dich zu töten?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quid me quæritis interficere? Respondit turba, et dixit: Dæmonium habes: quis te quærit interficere?