John 7 35

John 7:35 kjv

Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

John 7:35 nkjv

Then the Jews said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

John 7:35 niv

The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

John 7:35 esv

The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?

John 7:35 nlt

The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. "Where is he planning to go?" they asked. "Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands? Maybe he will even teach the Greeks!

John 7 verses

John 7 35 Meaning

John 7:35 describes the perplexed and scornful discussion among the Jewish leaders regarding Jesus's cryptic words about His impending departure. They entirely misunderstood His heavenly origin and divine mission, resorting to a sarcastic suggestion that He intended to go to the Jewish people scattered among Gentile lands (the "Dispersion") and teach non-Jewish people ("Greeks"). This question ironically prefigured the universal scope of Jesus's message and the expansion of the Gospel beyond the physical borders of Israel.

John 7 35 Context

John 7 is set during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) in Jerusalem, a significant pilgrimage festival. Jesus attends secretly at first, then publicly teaches in the temple, stirring up controversy among the crowds and, more acutely, the religious authorities—the Pharisees and chief priests. These leaders are hostile, attempting to arrest Him (7:32). Jesus's teachings emphasize His divine origin, His relationship with the Father, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. His pronouncements, like "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink" (7:37) and "I am from Him, and He sent Me" (7:29), confuse and infuriate the Jewish elite. Verse 35 directly follows Jesus's statement in verses 33-34, "I will be with you a little longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me. You will seek Me and will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come." This triggers their perplexed and derisive speculation. The broader historical context includes the Roman occupation of Judea, intensifying the messianic expectations among the Jewish people, which Jesus repeatedly challenged through His spiritual understanding of the Messiah's role.

John 7 35 Word analysis

• The Jews (οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι - hoi Ioudaioi): In John's Gospel, this term often refers not to all Jewish people but specifically to the hostile religious authorities in Jerusalem—the Sanhedrin, Pharisees, and their associates—who oppose Jesus and refuse to believe in Him. It denotes a spiritual posture of rejection, distinct from ethnic identity.
• then said (εἶπον οὖν - eipon oun): Indicates their immediate reaction and internal deliberation following Jesus's statements. The "then" marks a progression in the narrative and their developing plan to reject Jesus.
• among themselves (πρὸς ἑαυτούς - pros heautous): Reveals an internal discussion, perhaps in secret, reflecting their confusion, conspiracy, and mockery, rather than seeking understanding from Jesus. Their words were for their ears alone, perhaps hinting at their disdain.
• "Where does this man intend to go?" (Ποῦ οὗτος μέλλει πορεύεσθαι; - Pou houtos mellei poreuesthai?): This is a question driven by their earthly, physical understanding. They cannot grasp His divine origin or ultimate destination with the Father. "This man" (οὗτος) is a dismissive, pejorative way of referring to Jesus, signaling their disrespect and refusal to acknowledge His true identity.
• "that we will not find him?" (ὅτι οὐχ εὑρήσομεν αὐτόν; - hoti ouch heurēsomen auton?): Reflects their failure to comprehend the spiritual realm. They believe they can physically track Him, yet Jesus speaks of a spiritual searching and an unbridgeable chasm due to their unbelief (Jn 8:21). It also ironically foretells their ultimate inability to grasp salvation.
• "Will he go to the Dispersion (μὴ εἰς τὴν διασπορὰν - mē eis tēn diasporan): This interrogative ("μὴ") implies they expect a negative answer, indicating sarcasm or disdain. "Dispersion" refers to the Jews living outside the land of Israel, who had been scattered following exiles and voluntary migrations. It implies a place for the less pious or significant.
• among the Greeks (τῶν Ἑλλήνων - tōn Hellēnōn): Refers either to Hellenized Jews (Jews living under Greek culture and speaking Greek) or, more likely given the disdain, to Gentiles. Their sarcasm here lies in the idea that their Messiah would minister to these "outsiders," rather than focusing solely on Israel within the land.
• and teach the Greeks?" (καὶ διδάσκειν τοὺς Ἕλληνας; - kai didaskein tous Hellēnas?): This phrase highlights their contempt. The idea that the Jewish Messiah would leave Jerusalem, and even worse, teach non-Jews, was unfathomable and abhorrent to their narrow understanding of God's covenant and Israel's exclusivity. Ironically, this sarcastic suggestion describes exactly what would happen after Jesus's resurrection, as the Gospel expanded to the Gentile world.

Words-Group by Words-Group Analysis:

• "The Jews then said among themselves, 'Where does this man intend to go...?'": This collective dialogue exposes the shared theological blind spots and hardened hearts of the religious leadership. Their immediate response is to rationalize Jesus's departure in physical, derogatory terms, missing the spiritual reality entirely. Their questioning is rhetorical, expressing scorn rather than genuine inquiry.
• "'...that we will not find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?'": This extended sarcastic question is packed with profound theological irony. They question His departure by assuming it must be to an obscure, disreputable, or unimportant place, far from them. The idea of "the Dispersion among the Greeks" encapsulates the full breadth of their exclusionary mindset, contrasting sharply with God's universal redemptive plan. Their sneering "teach the Greeks" prophesied the global spread of the Gospel, something entirely alien to their insular messianic expectations.

John 7 35 Bonus section

• Prophetic Irony: The most significant element of John 7:35 is its powerful prophetic irony. The Jewish leaders, in their ignorance and sarcasm, inadvertently articulate a major theological truth of the New Testament—the eventual worldwide mission to bring the Gospel to both Jews in the diaspora and to Gentiles. Their rhetorical question, meant as an absurdity, became a fulfilled reality.
• Exclusion vs. Inclusion: This verse highlights the deep-seated theological and cultural chasm between the exclusive religious framework of many Jewish leaders at the time and God's expansive plan of salvation for all humanity. While they focused on a Messiah only for Israel within its borders, God's kingdom was always intended to encompass "all nations."
• The Unveiling of God's Heart: This early hint, from the mouths of His adversaries, of the Gospel reaching "the Greeks" signifies the gradual unveiling of God's heart for the Gentile world, a truth more fully revealed through Christ's death and resurrection and the apostolic ministry in Acts.
• The Nature of Seeking: Their inability to "find" Jesus also hints at the spiritual rather than physical nature of encountering Christ. While they physically sought to apprehend Him, His departure would be to the Father, and finding Him would require spiritual sight and faith.

John 7 35 Commentary

John 7:35 encapsulates the deep chasm between Jesus's divine truth and the earthly, prejudiced understanding of the Jewish religious leaders. They grapple with His assertion of returning to the Sender, a phrase pointing to His heavenly origin and ultimate ascension. Unable to comprehend a spiritual departure, they mockingly propose a physical one: "Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?" This sarcastic question is a brilliant example of Johannine irony, where the speaker's words, intended to demean, unintentionally foreshadow God's true plan.

The "Dispersion" referred to millions of Jews living outside the land of Israel, many of whom had adopted Hellenistic (Greek) culture. To the Jerusalem elite, ministering to these scattered Jews, especially to non-Jewish "Greeks," would have been a lowly and undignified mission for any self-respecting prophet, let alone the Messiah. Their contempt reflects a prevalent ethnocentric view that limited God's favor to geographical Israel and their specific religious traditions. They struggled to grasp a Messiah whose mission transcended national boundaries and religious exclusivity.

This verse reveals a crucial point about spiritual blindness: unbelief warps perception. The very people who should have recognized God's anointed one were so entrenched in their narrow worldview that they could only see Jesus through the lens of their preconceptions, dismissing His spiritual claims with scorn. Yet, through their very words of ridicule, they articulated a central tenet of the New Covenant: the Good News would indeed spread beyond Jerusalem to the ends of the earth, embracing both Jew and Gentile. It serves as a reminder that God's plan often unfolds in ways unanticipated and even ridiculed by human wisdom.