John 7:24 kjv
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
John 7:24 nkjv
Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."
John 7:24 niv
Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly."
John 7:24 esv
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment."
John 7:24 nlt
Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly."
John 7 24 Cross References
| Verse | Text (Shortened) | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 1:16 | “And I charged your judges at that time... judge righteously between a man and his brother...” | God commands righteous judgment. |
| Deut 16:18 | “You shall appoint judges... who shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” | God's expectation for judges. |
| Lev 19:15 | “You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor nor show favoritism to the great...” | Prohibition of partiality in judgment. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or at his stature... For the Lord sees not as man sees: for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” | God's righteous judgment is based on the heart. |
| Isa 11:3-4 | “...He shall not judge by what His eyes see, nor decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor...” | Messiah judges with perfect righteousness. |
| Jer 22:15-16 | “Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy...” | Righteous leadership exemplified. |
| Zech 7:9-10 | “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Render true judgments; show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow or the fatherless...’” | God's command for just living. |
| Matt 7:1-2 | “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged...” | Warning against condemning judgment. |
| Matt 7:5 | “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” | Condemns hypocritical judgment. |
| Luke 6:37 | “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned...” | Echoes Matthew's warning against judgment. |
| Luke 12:57 | “And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?” | Command to discern truth/right. |
| John 5:30 | “I can do nothing on My own authority. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will but the will of Him who sent Me.” | Jesus' judgment is righteous. |
| John 7:21-23 | “Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it... If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with Me because on the Sabbath I made a man entirely well?” | Immediate context; Jews' superficial judgment of Jesus' Sabbath healing. |
| John 7:51 | “Does our law judge a man unless it first hears him and knows what he is doing?” | Nicodemus points out legal standard for just judgment. |
| John 8:15-16 | “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, My judgment is true, for I am not alone, but it is I and the Father who sent Me.” | Jesus contrasts His true judgment with human fleshly judgment. |
| Rom 2:1-3 | “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges... For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.” | Condemns self-righteous judgment. |
| Rom 14:10 | “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God...” | Warns against judging matters of conscience. |
| 1 Cor 4:5 | “Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” | Only God knows/judges motives. |
| Jas 2:1-4 | “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory... have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” | Condemns judgmental partiality. |
| Titus 1:15 | “To the pure, all things are pure, but to defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but even their minds and consciences are defiled.” | Perspective affects judgment. |
| 1 Pet 1:17 | “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear...” | God's impartial judgment. |
John 7 verses
John 7 24 Meaning
John 7:24 is a directive from Jesus that challenges a prevalent human tendency to judge superficially. It commands individuals not to base their evaluations and conclusions on outward appearances, but rather to discern and decide using a standard of righteousness, fairness, and truth. This verse calls believers to look beyond the surface, external presentation, or perceived violations of custom or law, and instead, to apply divine principles of justice, equity, and spiritual understanding in their judgments of situations and people. It distinguishes between a carnal, prejudiced form of judgment and a spiritually mature, principled discernment.
John 7 24 Context
John 7:24 is situated during the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) in Jerusalem. Jesus is teaching openly, causing great division among the people regarding His identity. The immediate preceding context (John 7:21-23) highlights the Jewish leaders' condemnation of Jesus for healing a man on the Sabbath (referencing a previous incident in John 5). Their criticism focuses on the outward act—healing on the Sabbath, which they considered "work"—without considering the compassionate intention or the divine authority behind the act. They were meticulously observing a superficial interpretation of the Law (circumcision on the Sabbath being permissible) yet failed to see the greater good and righteousness of making a man entirely well. In John 7:24, Jesus directly confronts their hypocritical and externalistic method of judgment, exposing their blindness to true justice and calling them to a higher, more righteous standard of evaluation. This verse serves as Jesus' indictment of their legalistic and prejudicial judgment against Him.
John 7 24 Word analysis
"Do not judge" (Μὴ κρίνετε - Mē krinete): The Greek uses a prohibitive present imperative. This does not mean "do not ever make a discernment," but rather "do not habitually or continually judge in this superficial way." It's a command to cease a particular, flawed kind of judging.
"according to appearance" (κατ' ὄψιν - kat' opsin):
- κατά (kata): "According to," indicating the standard or basis for judgment.
- ὄψιν (opsin): Refers to the "face," "outward look," or "countenance." It emphasizes what is immediately visible, superficial perception, or external factors like social status, reputation, or adherence to the letter of the law without considering its spirit.
- Significance: This highlights human tendency to rely on first impressions, prejudices, or superficial observations. This kind of judgment is often skewed by bias, lacking full information, or failing to grasp underlying realities or motives. It contrasts with God’s view of the heart (1 Sam 16:7).
"but judge" (ἀλλὰ κρίνατε - alla krinate):
- ἀλλά (alla): A strong adversative conjunction, "but rather," introducing a contrast or alternative.
- κρίνατε (krinate): This is an aorist imperative, commanding a decisive act of judgment. It clarifies that judging itself is not forbidden, but rather the basis for judgment. Jesus directs the inherent human capacity for judgment towards its proper, righteous application.
"with righteous judgment" (τῇ δικαίᾳ κρίσει - tē dikaia krisei):
- δικαίᾳ (dikaia): "Righteous," "just," "equitable," "conformable to divine law and principles." It refers to God's standard of justice, fairness, and truth. It's judgment based on what is objectively right according to divine revelation, not human opinion or prejudice.
- κρίσει (krisei): "Judgment," "decision," "discernment," or "justice." This specifies the nature of the desired judgment – one rooted in righteousness.
- Significance: This implies discernment based on truth, understanding the heart of the matter, adherence to the spirit of the law, spiritual insight, and alignment with God's character. It moves beyond outward conformity or breaking of external rules to evaluate motives, internal disposition, and alignment with God's overall will and character, as Jesus did in healing on the Sabbath.
Words-group Analysis:
- "Do not judge according to appearance": This phrase warns against any judgment that is based solely on superficial data. It is a rebuke to hasty, biased, or uninformed conclusions. It applies to judging individuals based on how they look, what they wear, their perceived social standing, or initial impressions.
- "but judge with righteous judgment": This phrase provides the corrective and positive command. It demands that any evaluation or decision be based on principles of justice, truth, and equity, consistent with God's character and word. This form of judgment involves careful consideration, spiritual discernment, and a commitment to fairness. It's about discerning what is truly right or wrong, not what merely looks right or wrong.
John 7 24 Bonus section
The context of this verse in John 7 highlights a recurring tension throughout Jesus' ministry: the contrast between superficial adherence to the Mosaic Law by the religious leaders and the deeper, spiritual principles of that same Law which Jesus embodied and upheld. The Jewish leaders prided themselves on their meticulous observance, yet in their judgment of Jesus, they showed a profound spiritual blindness. They failed to grasp the essence of God's law – which prioritizes compassion, justice, and mercy – and instead, clung to external rituals and legalistic interpretations that served their own prejudices. Jesus' challenge here is an invitation for all believers to critically examine their own judgments, ensuring they reflect the wisdom and righteousness of God rather than the limited, often biased, perspectives of human beings.
John 7 24 Commentary
John 7:24 provides a critical qualification to Jesus' broader teachings about judgment, particularly often misapplied commands like "Judge not, that you be not judged" (Matt 7:1). Here, Jesus clarifies that not all judging is condemned; rather, it is how we judge that matters. The Jewish leaders' condemnation of Jesus for healing on the Sabbath illustrates the very error Jesus corrects. They observed an "appearance" of law-breaking (working on the Sabbath) but failed to exercise "righteous judgment" by considering the divine purpose and compassion demonstrated in the healing, which superseded the rigid application of a particular law.
True righteous judgment, as advocated by Jesus, looks beyond the superficial. It requires careful discernment, a reliance on God's truth, understanding motives, and discerning spiritual realities rather than being swayed by external conformity or societal pressures. It involves seeing people and situations through a divine lens, marked by justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Mic 6:8; Matt 23:23). This principle applies to discerning false teachings from truth (Matt 7:15-20), evaluating the spiritual fruit of actions, or assessing character and motivations in light of God's Word, ensuring our evaluations align with divine equity and not human prejudice or limited understanding.