John 7:42 kjv
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
John 7:42 nkjv
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"
John 7:42 niv
Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David's descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
John 7:42 esv
Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?"
John 7:42 nlt
For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born."
John 7 42 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Prophecy: Davidic Lineage & Throne | ||
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled and you lie down... I will raise up your offspring... I will establish the throne... forever. | Nathan's prophecy to David of an eternal dynasty. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with My chosen; I have sworn to David My servant: 'I will establish your offspring forever.'" | God's promise of an eternal Davidic lineage. |
| Ps 89:20-21 | "I have found David My servant... my hand shall ever be with him; My arm also shall strengthen him." | Divine selection and support for David and his line. |
| Isa 9:6-7 | For to us a child is born, to us a son is given... And the government shall be upon his shoulder... of the increase of his government... | Prophecy of Messiah, descendent of David, reigning. |
| Jer 23:5 | "Behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch." | Messiah as a righteous descendant of David. |
| Zec 12:8 | On that day the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that among them the one who is feeble... shall be like David. | Messiah identified as a descendant of David. |
| Prophecy: Bethlehem Birthplace | ||
| Mic 5:2 | "But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one..." | Prophecy explicitly naming Bethlehem as Messiah's birthplace. |
| Matt 2:4-6 | And assembling all the chief priests and scribes... inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, "In Bethlehem..." | Scribes cite Mic 5:2 concerning Christ's birthplace. |
| Lk 2:4-7 | And Joseph also went up from Galilee... to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem... to be registered with Mary... | Jesus' birth in Bethlehem fulfilling prophecy. |
| Fulfillment in Jesus (Davidic Lineage & Bethlehem) | ||
| Matt 1:1-17 | The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. | Matthew's Gospel tracing Jesus' Davidic ancestry. |
| Lk 1:32-33 | He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High... the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. | Angel Gabriel's prophecy of Jesus' Davidic reign. |
| Lk 2:1-7 | Joseph went up from Nazareth, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem... where Jesus was born. | Luke confirming Jesus' birth in Bethlehem due to census. |
| Rom 1:3 | concerning His Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh... | Paul affirms Jesus' Davidic lineage. |
| 2 Tim 2:8 | Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David... | Paul emphasizing Jesus' resurrection and Davidic claim. |
| Rev 5:5 | "Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered..." | Jesus as the victorious Messiah, stemming from David. |
| Rev 22:16 | "I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright Morning Star." | Jesus Himself declares His Davidic connection. |
| The Crowd's Misunderstanding / Ignorance | ||
| Jn 7:27 | "Yet we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ appears, no one will know where He comes from." | The crowd's mistaken belief about Messiah's unknown origin. |
| Jn 7:40-41 | When they heard these words, some... said, "This is really the Prophet." Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to come from Galilee?" | Divisions among the crowd based on mistaken notions of Messiah's origin. |
| Jn 7:52 | They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee." | Religious leaders dismissing Jesus based on Galilee origin. |
| Matt 13:54-57 | Coming to his hometown, he began teaching... "Is not this the carpenter's son?... Where then did this man get all these things?" | People familiar with Jesus' upbringing fail to see His divine identity. |
| Acts 13:27 | For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets... | Highlights the spiritual blindness despite knowing prophecy. |
| Rom 11:25 | For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of this mystery... that a partial hardening has come upon Israel... | Paul's explanation for Israel's partial spiritual blindness. |
John 7 verses
John 7 42 Meaning
John 7:42 reveals the internal conflict and debate among the Jewish crowd regarding the identity of Jesus. They raise a rhetorical question, appealing to established Old Testament prophecies concerning the Christ, or Messiah. They assert that the Scriptures state the Messiah must come from the offspring of David and be born in Bethlehem, David's ancestral village. This highlights their reliance on biblical prophecy for Messiah's identity, yet simultaneously exposes their failure to recognize that Jesus perfectly fulfilled these very criteria.
John 7 42 Context
John 7:42 occurs during the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) in Jerusalem, a significant pilgrimage festival. Jesus is teaching openly, drawing a mixed reaction from the crowd, temple guards, and Jewish leaders. A central tension in the chapter revolves around Jesus' origin and identity, particularly the question of whether He is the Messiah. Many in the crowd are impressed by His words, but their understanding of prophetic truth is incomplete or misapplied. Specifically, the preceding verses (John 7:40-41) show division, with some recognizing Him as a prophet or the Christ, while others dismiss Him because they believe He is from Galilee and therefore cannot be the Messiah, based on their understanding of prophecy regarding Bethlehem. Verse 42 then presents the very point they are missing: they accurately recall Messianic prophecies (Davidic lineage and Bethlehem birth) but are ignorant of the fact that Jesus actually fulfills both, despite His residence in Galilee. Historically, Jewish expectations for the Messiah often included a glorious king, descendant of David, ruling from Jerusalem. While they held to the specific prophecies, their blindness stemmed from preconceptions about where the Messiah couldn't come from (Galilee) or what His immediate manifestation should look like, hindering them from seeing the truth that was before them.
John 7 42 Word analysis
- Has not (οὐχ - ouch): This is a rhetorical question, indicating that the speaker expects a "yes" answer. It implies that the fact being stated (about the Scripture) should be commonly known and undisputed among those present. It highlights the crowd's internal inconsistency; they know the prophecies, yet fail to connect them to Jesus.
- the Scripture (ἡ γραφὴ - hē graphē): Refers collectively to the Old Testament writings, understood as the authoritative Word of God. This term underscores the Jewish people's foundational belief in the sacred texts and their role in identifying the Messiah.
- said (εἶπεν - eipen): A past tense verb, emphasizing that the Scripture's pronouncements are already established and are timeless truths, not mere opinions or recent declarations.
- that (ὅτι - hoti): Introduces the content of what the Scripture has declared, framing it as a direct statement or established fact.
- the Christ (ὁ Χριστός - ho Christos): This Greek term directly translates the Hebrew "Messiah" (Mashiach), meaning "The Anointed One." It refers to the specific, prophesied Deliverer, King, and Savior God would send.
- comes from (ἔρχεται... ἐκ - erchetai... ek): Denotes origin or derivation. "Comes" is in the present tense, reflecting an ongoing or perpetually valid truth concerning the Messiah's appointed origin.
- the offspring of David (τοῦ σπέρματος Δαυὶδ - tou spermatos Dauid): "Seed" or "descendant" of David. This connects directly to God's covenant with King David in 2 Samuel 7, promising an eternal dynasty and a throne that would endure forever, ultimately fulfilled in the Messiah. This lineage was critical for identifying the rightful King of Israel.
- and from Bethlehem (ἀπὸ Βηθλεὲμ - apo Bethleem): "From" Bethlehem. This specifies the birthplace, pointing directly to the prophecy in Micah 5:2. This geographical detail was crucial for Messianic expectations.
- the village where David was (τῆς κώμης ὅπου ἦν Δαυίδ - tēs kōmēs hopou ēn Dauid): "The village where David was." This phrase emphasizes the deep historical connection of Bethlehem to King David himself, solidifying its importance not just as a location, but as the source of the royal lineage. It is "the city of David" (Lk 2:4) and his humble origin, lending poetic and theological depth to the prophecy of the coming Christ.
John 7 42 Bonus section
The debate in John 7:42 highlights not only the Jews' knowledge of specific prophecies but also their tendency to selectively apply or interpret them. They accurately recall the what and where of the Messiah's coming, yet fail to reconcile this with the who (Jesus of Nazareth) standing before them. This reveals a critical spiritual lesson: knowing facts about the Bible is distinct from recognizing and submitting to the God of the Bible. The detail "the village where David was" (Mic 5:2 also uses "Bethlehem Ephrathah," possibly to distinguish it) powerfully reinforces the connection to David's royal and humble roots, underscoring that the Messiah would arise from an unexpected, seemingly insignificant place. This aligns with God's pattern of working through the humble (e.g., Ps 8:2, 1 Cor 1:27-28), a concept easily overlooked by those seeking a powerful, immediately identifiable royal figure. The crowd’s rejection, based on incomplete knowledge and human reasoning over divine revelation, stands as a sober warning for all believers to humbly search the Scriptures and receive Christ by faith.
John 7 42 Commentary
John 7:42 presents a profound spiritual irony. The Jewish crowd accurately recites core Messianic prophecies concerning the Christ's Davidic lineage and Bethlehem birthplace. This demonstrates their intellectual grasp of the Scriptures and the common understanding of Messianic expectations among them. However, their subsequent inability or unwillingness to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of these very prophecies exposes a spiritual blindness or stubbornness. Despite Jesus being indeed "of the offspring of David" and "from Bethlehem" by birth, His visible presence from Nazareth in Galilee became a stumbling block for them (Jn 7:41). They allowed a partial truth or perceived contradiction (Galilean residence) to overshadow a deeper, more comprehensive truth. The verse implicitly challenges us to search the Scriptures not just for information, but for the Person of Christ, and to accept all His credentials even if they challenge our preconceptions. The truth about Jesus' identity was readily available in the prophecies and His life, yet prejudice prevented many from seeing.