John 7:25 kjv
Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?
John 7:25 nkjv
Now some of them from Jerusalem said, "Is this not He whom they seek to kill?
John 7:25 niv
At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?
John 7:25 esv
Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill?
John 7:25 nlt
Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, "Isn't this the man they are trying to kill?
John 7 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 5:18 | For this reason the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father... | Early plot for Sabbath-breaking & claiming equality |
| Jn 7:1 | After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him. | Jesus avoids Judea due to assassination plots |
| Jn 7:19 | Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me? | Jesus challenges the plotters' hypocrisy |
| Jn 7:30 | So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. | Divine sovereignty protects Jesus until appointed time |
| Jn 8:20 | These words he spoke in the treasury, as he was teaching in the temple... no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come. | Repeated protection due to divine timing |
| Jn 8:37 | I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. | Their desire to kill linked to rejecting His word |
| Jn 10:31 | The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. | Repeated violent attempts on Jesus' life |
| Jn 11:50 | Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish. | Caiaphas' pragmatic counsel for Jesus' death |
| Jn 11:53 | So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. | Formalized plot after Lazarus' resurrection |
| Jn 12:10 | So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well... | Expanding the plot to include Lazarus |
| Matt 21:38 | But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ | Parable foreshadows rejection and murder |
| Matt 26:3-4 | Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest... and plotted to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. | Official council plot for betrayal and death |
| Mk 3:6 | The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him. | Early joint plot by Pharisees and Herodians |
| Lk 19:47 | And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him. | Consistent hostility from religious leaders |
| Lk 20:19 | The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them. | Direct recognition of Jesus' critiques and intent |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces... | Prophecy of the suffering, rejected servant |
| Psa 2:2 | The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed... | Prophetic rejection of God's Anointed |
| Acts 2:23 | this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. | Peter attributes death to God's plan & human acts |
| 1 Cor 2:8 | None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. | Rulers' ignorance in crucifying Christ |
| Ex 20:13 | You shall not murder. | Old Testament command violated by the plotters |
| Lev 19:16 | You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor. | Law violated by malicious intent of authorities |
John 7 verses
John 7 25 Meaning
John 7:25 captures the growing awareness among the residents of Jerusalem regarding the life-threatening plot against Jesus. As Jesus publicly teaches at the Feast of Tabernacles, some observant Jerusalemites acknowledge the widely known desire of the religious authorities to execute Him. This rhetorical question highlights their recognition of Jesus as the target, signaling that His very presence posed a clear and present danger according to the established powers.
John 7 25 Context
John 7:25 is situated during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, a significant Jewish festival. Leading up to this verse, Jesus has entered the feast secretly and then openly began teaching in the Temple. His teachings provoked strong reactions: some in the crowd marvelled, while others questioned His authority and origins. Critically, Jesus confronts the Jewish leaders (often termed "the Jews" in John's Gospel) about their desire to kill Him despite His righteous deeds (John 7:19-24), exposing their hypocrisy. Verse 25 captures the ripple effect of this open confrontation. It shows that the residents of Jerusalem, being privy to local affairs, were well aware of the ongoing murderous designs of the Sanhedrin against Jesus. This awareness, voiced through a rhetorical question, immediately highlights the direct danger Jesus is in, contrasting it with His unhindered public teaching, and setting the stage for deeper theological debate about His identity and divine protection.
John 7 25 Word analysis
Then (οὖν - oun): This conjunctive particle establishes a connection, signifying a logical consequence or a continuation of the narrative. It links the Jerusalemites' statement to the preceding public teaching and discussion around Jesus' identity and the religious leaders' intentions.
some (τινὲς - tines): Denotes a specific segment or part of the larger population, indicating that this awareness was not universal but held by certain informed individuals.
of the people of Jerusalem (ἐκ τῶν Ἱεροσολυμιτῶν - ek tōn Hierosolymitōn): This precisely identifies the group as residents of the city, not mere pilgrims visiting for the feast. As locals, they were more likely to be familiar with the political undercurrents and the Sanhedrin's established plots against Jesus.
said (ἔλεγον - e̓legon): This Greek imperfect tense verb means "they were saying" or "kept on saying." It suggests an ongoing, murmuring discussion or a widespread, prevailing rumor among these residents rather than a single, isolated utterance.
Is not this (Οὐχ οὗτός ἐστιν - Ouch houtos estin): A rhetorical question structured to elicit an affirmative answer. "Οὐχ" (Ouch) negates the implied "is not," turning it into an emphatic statement: "Indeed, this is he." "οὗτος" (houtos) points directly and definitively at Jesus, underscoring the common recognition of Him.
the one (ὃν - hon): This relative pronoun means "whom," clearly linking the identified person (Jesus) to the action described thereafter.
they are trying to kill (ζητοῦσιν ἀποκτεῖναι - zētousin apokteinai):
- they are trying/seeking (ζητοῦσιν - zētousin): The Greek present tense conveys an ongoing and persistent endeavor. The religious authorities were continuously looking for an opportunity to eliminate Jesus, not a past, resolved attempt. It signifies their active malice.
- to kill (ἀποκτεῖναι - apokteinai): This infinitive states the clear, lethal objective of their pursuit—murder.
Words-group analysis:
- "some of the people of Jerusalem said": This collective phrase points to an informed segment of the local populace, contrasting them with perhaps less-informed visitors. Their statement suggests the deep-seated malice of the authorities was an "open secret" or widely discussed fact among those connected to the city's political and religious life.
- "Is not this the one": This rhetorical question is a bold, public identification of Jesus. It demonstrates a shared understanding among these locals that Jesus is the subject of the Sanhedrin's plots, implying an astonishment that He is speaking openly and freely, given the known danger.
- "they are trying to kill": This declaration starkly reveals the homicidal intent of the religious establishment. It underlines the gravity of the conflict between Jesus and the Jewish leadership, moving beyond mere theological dispute to an active plot of murder, even during a sacred festival.
John 7 25 Bonus section
The observation from "the people of Jerusalem" serves as a form of "internal commentary" within the Gospel narrative itself. It reflects that the leaders' evil intentions were transparent to at least a portion of the population, underscoring their moral failings. This discernment by the common people contrasts sharply with the spiritual blindness of many among the official leadership. Furthermore, their questioning tone – Is not this he...? – implicitly wonders why, if He is indeed the target, He has not been apprehended, which sets up the subsequent discussions regarding the divine timing of Jesus' passion (e.g., John 7:30, 8:20). It also hints at the potential for these Jerusalemites to recognize Jesus' true authority or Messianic claim, wondering if the leaders, in their inaction, might tacitly acknowledge His divine protection.
John 7 25 Commentary
John 7:25 is a pivotal verse, foregrounding the mortal danger Jesus faced and exposing the malicious intentions of the religious establishment in Jerusalem. It shifts the narrative focus from abstract debates about Jesus' origin to the concrete, deadly plot against Him, showing this plot was becoming common knowledge among informed citizens. The verse highlights the shocking hypocrisy of the leaders who, under the guise of religious duty, sought to violate the most basic commandment against murder (Ex 20:13). Their repeated, yet currently frustrated, attempts to seize and kill Jesus, known by the common people, paradoxically served to magnify His divine authority and protection, as He moved and taught freely despite their desires (Jn 7:30). This public awareness implicitly sets the stage for questions regarding divine timing and why Jesus remained untouched, signaling that His "hour" had not yet come. For practical application, this verse reminds believers that truth often faces violent opposition from those threatened by it, and that God's sovereign hand guides all events, even amidst human conspiracy and malice.