John 7 · Verse 26

John 7:26

But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
John 7:26, King James Version

John 7:26 in other translations

BSBYet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?
WEBBehold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ?
ASVAnd lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?
YLTand, lo, he doth speak freely, and they say nothing to him; did the rulers at all know truly that this is truly the Christ?
DARBYand behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers then indeed recognised that this is the Christ?
BBEAnd here he is talking openly and they say nothing to him! Is it possible that the rulers have knowledge that this is truly the Christ?
WebsterBut lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing to him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

What does John 7:26 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 7:25-27

25-27. some of them of Jerusalem--the citizens, who, knowing the long-formed purpose of the rulers to put Jesus to death, wondered that they were now letting Him teach openly.

Read the full comment on John 7:25-27 →

Barnes' Notes
Verse 26. Do the rulers know indeed, &c. It seems from this that they supposed that the rulers had been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah, but that from some cause they were not willing yet to make it known to the people. The reasons of this opinion were these:

1st. They knew that they had attempted to kill him.

2nd. They now saw him speaking boldly to the people without interruption from the rulers. They concluded, therefore, that some change had taken place in the sentiments of the rulers in regard to him, though they had not yet made it public.

The rulers. The members of the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nation, who had charge of religious affairs.

Indeed. Truly; certainly. Have they certain evidence, as would appear from their suffering him to speak without interruption?

The very Christ. Is truly or really the Messiah.

(u) "Do the rulers" Jn 7:48

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 26 That this is the very Christ? - In most of the common printed editions αληθως is found, the Very Christ; but the word is wanting in BDKLTX, twenty-two others, several editions; all the Arabic, Wheelock's Persic, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Slavonic, Vulgate, and all the Itala but one, Origen, Epiphanius, Cyril, Isidore, Pelusian, and Nonnus. Grotius, Mill, Bengel, and Griesbach, decide against it. Bishop Pearce says, I am of opinion that this second αληθως, in this verse, should be omitted, it seeming quite unnecessary, if not inaccurate, when the words αληθως εγνωσαν, had just preceded it. Calmet observes that the multitude which heard our Lord at this time was composed of three different classes of persons: 1. The rulers, priests, and Pharisees, declared enemies of Christ. 2. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, who knew the sentiments of their rulers concerning him. 3. The strangers, who from different quarters had come up to Jerusalem to the feast, and who heard Christ attentively, being ignorant of the designs of the rulers, etc., against him. Our Lord addresses himself in this discourse principally to his enemies. The strange Jews were those who were astonished when Christ said, Joh 7:20, that they sought to kill him, having no such design themselves, and not knowing that others had. And the Jews of Jerusalem were those who, knowing the disposition of the rulers, and seeing Christ speak openly, no man attempting to seize him, addressed each other in the foregoing words, Do the rulers know indeed that this is the Christ? imagining that the chief priests, etc., had at last been convinced that Jesus was the Messiah.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 7:25-30

Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.

Read the full comment on John 7:25-30 →

John 7:26 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.

καὶkaiAndG2532
ἴδεidebeholdG2396
παρρησίᾳparrēsiapubliclyG3954
λαλεῖ,laleiHe speaks,G2980
καὶkaiandG2532
οὐδὲνoudenno [thing]G3762
αὐτῷautōto HimG846
λέγουσιν.legousinthey say.G3004
μήποτεmēpoteotherwiseG3361
ἀληθῶςalēthōsTrulyG230
ἔγνωσανegnōsanhave recognizedG1097
οἱhoitheG3588
ἄρχοντεςarchontesrulersG758
ὅτιhotithatG3754
οὗτόςhoutosthisG3778
ἐστινestinisG1510
ἀληθῶςalēthōstrulyG230
ὁhotheG3588
χριστός;christosChrist?G5547

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

Cross references for John 7:26

  • 2 Timothy 1:7-8

    For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

  • Ephesians 6:19-20

    And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

  • John 7:48

    Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

  • Psalms 40:9-10

    I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

  • John 9:22

    These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

  • Isaiah 50:7-8

    For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.

  • John 11:47-53

    Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all, Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. …

  • Matthew 22:16

    And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

  • Psalms 71:15-16

    My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof. I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

  • Luke 7:30

    But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.

  • Isaiah 42:4

    He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.

  • Philippians 1:14

    And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
he speaketh.
Ps 40:9,10; 71:15,16; Pr 28:1; Isa 42:4; 50:7,8; Mt 22:16; Ac 4:13
Eph 6:19,20; Php 1:14; 2Ti 1:7,8
Do.
48; 9:22; 11:47-53; 12:42; Lu 7:30

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

Context

  • John 7:25

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

  • John 7:26

    But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

  • John 7:27

    Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

Read all of John 7

John 7:26 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y he aquí, habla públicamente, y no le dicen nada; ¿si habrán entendido verdaderamente los príncipes, que éste es el Cristo?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et voici, il parle librement, et ils ne lui disent rien: les chefs auraient-ils vraiment reconnu que celui-ci est le Christ?
German
Elberfelder 1871
und siehe, er redet öffentlich, und sie sagen ihm nichts. Haben denn etwa die Obersten in Wahrheit erkannt, daß dieser der Christus ist?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
et ecce palam loquitur, et nihil ei dicunt. Numquid vere cognoverunt principes quia hic est Christus?