John 7 · Verse 22

John 7:22

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.
John 7:22, King James Version

John 7:22 in other translations

BSBBut because Moses gave you circumcision, you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath (not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.)
WEBMoses has given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and on the Sabbath you circumcise a boy.
ASVMoses hath given you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers); and on the sabbath ye circumcise a man.
YLTbecause of this, Moses hath given you the circumcision--not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers--and on a sabbath ye circumcise a man;
DARBYTherefore Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and ye circumcise a man on sabbath.
BBEMoses gave you circumcision--not that it comes from Moses, but from the fathers--and even on the Sabbath you give a child circumcision.
WebsterMoses therefore gave to you circumcision, (not because it is from Moses, but from the fathers) and ye on the sabbath circumcise a man.

What does John 7:22 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 7:21-24

21-24. I have done one work, &c.--Taking no notice of the popular appeal, as there were those there who knew well enough what He meant, He recalls His cure of the impotent man, and the murderous rage it had kindled (Joh 5:9, 16, 18). It may seem strange that He should refer to an event a year and a half old, as if but newly done. But their present attempt "to kill Him" brought up the past scene vividly, not only to…

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Barnes' Notes
Verse 22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision. Moses commanded you to circumcise your children, Lev 12:3. The word "therefore" in this place--literally "on account of this"--means, "Moses on this account gave you circumcision, not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;" that is, the reason was not that he himself appointed it as a new institution, but he found it already in existence, and incorporated it in his institutions and laws.

Not because, &c. Not that it is of Moses. Though Jesus spoke in accordance with the custom of the Jews, who ascribed the appointment of circumcision to Moses, yet he is careful to remind them that it was in observance long before Moses. So, also, the Sabbath was kept before Moses, and alike in the one case and the other they ought to keep in mind the design of the appointment.

Of the fathers. Of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Gen 17:10.

Ye on the sabbath-day, &c. The law required that the child should be circumcised on the eighth day. If that day happened to be the Sabbath, yet they held that he was to be circumcised, as there was a positive law to that effect; and as this was commanded, they did not consider it a breach of the Sabbath.

A man. Not an adult man, but a man-child. See Jn 16:21: "She remembereth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world."

(q) "Moses" Lev 12:3 (r) "but of the fathers" Gen 17:10

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 22 But of the fathers - That is, it came from the patriarchs. Circumcision was not, properly speaking, one of the laws of the Mosaic institution, it having been given at first to Abraham, and continued among his posterity till the giving of the law: Gen 17:9, Gen 17:10, etc. Ye - circumcise a man - That is, a male child: for every male child was circumcised when eight days old; and if the eighth day after its birth happened to be a Sabbath, it was nevertheless circumcised, that the law might not be broken, which had enjoined the circumcision to take place at that time, Lev 12:3. From this and several other circumstances it is evident that the keeping of the Sabbath, even in the strictest sense of the word, ever admitted of the works of necessity and mercy to be done on it; and that those who did not perform such works on that day, when they had opportunity, were properly violators of every law founded on the principles of mercy and justice. If the Jews had said, Why didst thou not defer the healing of the sick man till the ensuing day? He might have well answered, Why do ye not defer the circumcising of your children to the ensuing day, when the eighth day happens to be a Sabbath? - which is a matter of infinitely less consequence than the restoration of this long-afflicted man.

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…

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John 7:22 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.

διὰdiaBecause ofG1223
τοῦτοtoutothis:G3778
ΜωϋσῆςMōusēsMosesG3475
δέδωκενdedōkenhas givenG1325
ὑμῖνhuminyouG4771
τὴνtēn<the>G3588
περιτομήν,peritomēncircumcision —G4061
οὐχouchnotG3756
ὅτιhotithatG3754
ἐκekofG1537
τοῦtou<the>G3588
ΜωϋσέωςMōuseōsMosesG3475
ἐστὶνestinit isG1510
ἀλλ᾽all᾽butG235
ἐκekofG1537
τῶνtōntheG3588
πατέρων,paterōnfathers —G3962
καὶkaialsoG2532
ἐνenonG1722
σαββάτῳsabbatōSabbathG4521
περιτέμνετεperitemneteyou circumciseG4059
ἄνθρωπον.anthrōpona man.G444

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

Cross references for John 7:22

  • Leviticus 12:3

    And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

  • Genesis 17:10-14

    This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. …

  • Romans 4:9-11

    Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

  • Galatians 3:17

    And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
circumcision.
Ge 17:10-14; Le 12:3; Ro 4:9-11; Ga 3:17

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

Context

  • John 7:21

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

  • John 7:22

    Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

  • John 7:23

    If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

Read all of John 7

John 7:22 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Cierto, Moisés os dió la circuncisión (no porque sea de Moisés, mas de los padres); y en sábado circuncidáis al hombre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		C’est pourquoi Moïse vous a donné la circoncision (non qu’elle soit de Moïse, mais elle est des pères), et vous circoncisez un homme en un jour de sabbat.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Deswegen gab Moses euch die Beschneidung, und am Sabbath beschneidet ihr einen Menschen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		propterea Moyses dedit vobis circumcisionem (non quia ex Moyse est, sed ex patribus), et in sabbato circumciditis hominem.