John 7:13 kjv
Howbeit no man spake openly of him for fear of the Jews.
John 7:13 nkjv
However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
John 7:13 niv
But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.
John 7:13 esv
Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him.
John 7:13 nlt
But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders.
John 7 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Fear & Secrecy | ||
| Jn 9:22 | "His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed that if anyone confessed Jesus as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue." | Fear of excommunication for confessing Jesus. |
| Jn 12:42 | "Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue." | Secret belief due to fear of the authorities. |
| Jn 19:38 | "After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, though a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus." | Example of a secret disciple due to fear. |
| Jn 20:19 | "On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, when the doors were locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them..." | Disciples locking themselves away in fear. |
| Pr 29:25 | "The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe." | Human fear can be a trap, contrasted with trust in God. |
| Mt 10:32-33 | "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven; but whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." | Call to open confession despite fear. |
| Mk 8:38 | "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” | Warning against being ashamed to confess Christ. |
| Lk 12:8-9 | "And I say to you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of God." | The spiritual stakes of open confession. |
| 1 Jn 4:18 | "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love." | Love overcoming fear. |
| Openly/Boldly (Parrhesia) | ||
| Jn 7:26 | "Look, He is speaking publicly, and they say nothing to Him." | Contrast: Jesus speaks openly without fear. |
| Jn 11:14 | "Then Jesus said to them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.'" | Jesus speaks openly concerning a difficult truth. |
| Jn 18:20 | "Jesus answered him, 'I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews always gather, and I have spoken nothing in secret.'" | Jesus asserts His own open teaching. |
| Acts 4:13 | "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." | Peter and John speaking with parrhesia (boldness). |
| Acts 4:29-31 | "And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to Your bond-servants to speak Your word with all confidence... and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness." | Prayer for and empowerment for speaking with parrhesia. |
| Acts 28:31 | "preaching the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, unhindered." | Paul teaching boldly. |
| Eph 3:12 | "in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him." | Believers have boldness through Christ. |
| Eph 6:19 | "and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel," | Paul's desire for boldness in sharing the gospel. |
| Phil 1:20 | "according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." | Paul's commitment to boldness in all circumstances. |
| Division over Jesus | ||
| Jn 7:12 | "And there was much murmuring among the crowds concerning Him. Some were saying, 'He is a good man'; others were saying, 'No, on the contrary, He misleads the crowd.'" | Previous verse, showing existing divided opinions but not openly spoken. |
| Jn 7:43 | "So there occurred a division in the crowd because of Him." | Clear statement of division resulting from Jesus. |
| Jn 9:16 | "So some of the Pharisees were saying, 'This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.' But others were saying, 'How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?' And there was a division among them." | Division among the authorities themselves regarding Jesus. |
| Jn 10:19 | "There was again a division among the Jews because of these words." | Another instance of division caused by Jesus' words. |
| Lk 12:51 | "Do you suppose that I came to grant peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division;" | Jesus bringing division, though not through His intention, but His effect. |
John 7 verses
John 7 13 Meaning
John 7:13 reveals the suppressed public opinion concerning Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Despite the murmuring and differing opinions among the crowds (Jn 7:12), no one dared to speak openly in favor of or even directly about Him due to a pervasive fear of the Jewish authorities. This fear prevented open discussion and potential acknowledgement of His true identity among the populace.
John 7 13 Context
John 7:13 is situated during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, a significant Jewish pilgrimage festival. Jesus had initially gone to the feast secretly, but then began teaching openly in the Temple area (Jn 7:10, 14). His presence and teachings sparked intense debate and divided opinions among the crowds concerning His identity: some believed He was the Messiah, others thought He was a deceiver (Jn 7:12). However, this specific verse highlights a critical undercurrent: despite the widespread discussion and various opinions, public declaration concerning Jesus was stifled. The phrase "the Jews" (Gk: hoi Ioudaioi) in John's Gospel often refers specifically to the hostile Jewish religious leadership (the chief priests, Pharisees, and elders) in Jerusalem who opposed Jesus, rather than the entire Jewish populace. These authorities wielded significant power, including the ability to excommunicate individuals from the synagogue (Jn 9:22), a devastating social and religious penalty. This power instilled a deep fear that deterred open confession or even positive commentary about Jesus among the people, creating an atmosphere of suppressed truth and fearful silence.
John 7 13 Word analysis
However (Gk: mentoi): This adversative particle indicates a strong contrast or concession. It signals that despite the murmuring and discussions mentioned in the previous verse (Jn 7:12), the reality was different regarding public, open discourse. It shows a significant exception or counterpoint.
no one (Gk: oudeis): This is an emphatic negative pronoun, meaning "not one," "absolutely no one." It highlights the complete and universal absence of open positive commentary or defence of Jesus. It underscores the total effectiveness of the prevailing fear.
spoke openly (Gk: parrēsia elalei):
- openly (Gk: parrēsia, noun in dative case): This crucial Greek term signifies freedom of speech, boldness, plainness, public declaration without concealment or reservation. It implies a fearless and frank manner of speaking. In John, parrēsia is often characteristic of Jesus' own truthful revelation (e.g., Jn 7:26, 11:14, 18:20) and what He desires for His disciples (e.g., Jn 16:25, 29). Its absence here emphasizes the spiritual bondage caused by fear.
- spoke (Gk: elalei, imperfect indicative of laleō): The imperfect tense implies a continuous or repeated action, or a state of affairs. It means they "were not speaking" or "kept not speaking" openly. This wasn't a one-off instance but a persistent condition of suppressed public discourse.
about Him (Gk: peri autou): The subject of discussion was clearly Jesus, His person, and His claims.
for fear (Gk: dia ton phobon):
- for (Gk: dia, with accusative): Expresses the cause or reason "because of," "on account of."
- fear (Gk: phobon, from phobos): While phobos can mean reverence or awe, here it denotes dread, fright, or intimidation. It describes the oppressive feeling that led to silence, pointing to the real threat of negative consequences.
of the Jews (Gk: tōn Ioudaiōn): As previously mentioned in the context, in John's Gospel, "the Jews" frequently refers to the official Jewish religious leadership and authorities in Jerusalem (e.g., chief priests, Pharisees) who were largely hostile to Jesus, rather than the entire Jewish people. They were the ones who sought to control religious expression and who posed a threat to anyone who might support Jesus.
"no one spoke openly": This phrase dramatically portrays the effectiveness of the fear-mongering tactics. It indicates that the suppression was complete concerning any public endorsement or sympathetic utterance regarding Jesus. The crowds may have had various opinions, but expressing them, especially if positive, was too dangerous. This is contrasted with Jesus' own "open speaking" in Jn 7:26 and 18:20, highlighting His unparalleled boldness.
"for fear of the Jews": This clause identifies the root cause of the widespread public silence. It underscores the profound influence and intimidating power of the religious hierarchy over the populace. This was not a fear of misinterpreting scripture or a theological reservation, but a fear of tangible socio-religious consequences, such as excommunication from the synagogue or other forms of ostracism, which for many meant spiritual and social ruin. This fear served as a potent barrier to open belief and confession.
John 7 13 Bonus section
This verse foreshadows later instances in John where fear of the authorities kept individuals, even prominent ones like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus (Jn 19:38, Jn 3:1-2), from openly identifying with Jesus. It underscores a central theme in John's Gospel: the contrast between light and darkness, open confession and secret belief. The "fear of the Jews" represents a pervasive spiritual bondage that entraps individuals, preventing them from stepping into the liberating light of Christ. This passage highlights how institutional power, when perverted, can become a significant barrier to the spread of divine truth, coercing people into silence through intimidation and threats of ostracization.
John 7 13 Commentary
John 7:13 unveils a critical tension during Jesus' public ministry: the chasm between private conviction and public confession, often driven by fear. Despite internal debates and murmurs about Jesus among the common people, no one dared to speak openly in His favour. This widespread silence was not due to ignorance or universal disbelief, but to a very real and present fear of the ruling Jewish authorities. These authorities held significant power over the religious and social lives of the people, capable of implementing severe repercussions for anyone who deviated from their sanctioned beliefs concerning Jesus. The word parrēsia, meaning "openness" or "boldness," is crucial here; its absence highlights the oppressive atmosphere where truth was stifled by intimidation. This verse not only shows the formidable opposition Jesus faced from the religious elite but also illuminates a universal human struggle: the challenge of standing for truth when it involves personal cost. It serves as a reminder that external pressure can hinder faith from expressing itself openly, often forcing conviction into secrecy.