John 7 49

John 7:49 kjv

But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

John 7:49 nkjv

But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."

John 7:49 niv

No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law?there is a curse on them."

John 7:49 esv

But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."

John 7:49 nlt

This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God's curse is on them!"

John 7 verses

John 7 49 Meaning

John 7:49 presents the scornful judgment of certain Pharisees towards the ordinary people who were open to Jesus' teachings. They declare this crowd, referred to dismissively, to be ignorant of the Mosaic Law and, therefore, to be under a divine curse. This statement reflects the Pharisees' elitist worldview, their rigid interpretation of the Law, and their spiritual blindness to the authentic authority and truth embodied in Jesus.

John 7 49 Context

John chapter 7 takes place during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Jesus is openly teaching, stirring considerable debate and division among the people, with some believing He is the Christ and others rejecting Him. The religious authorities, particularly the chief priests and Pharisees, are agitated by Jesus' growing influence and send temple guards to arrest Him (Jn 7:32). However, the guards return empty-handed, utterly captivated by Jesus' unique and authoritative teaching, stating, "Never did anyone speak like this man!" (Jn 7:46). The statement in John 7:49 is the Pharisees' contemptuous and defensive retort to the guards, betraying their deep-seated disdain for the unlearned masses and their reliance on a rigid, legalistic interpretation of God's Law that fails to recognize the divine. It immediately precedes Nicodemus' lone, cautious questioning of their judgment (Jn 7:50-51).

John 7 49 Word analysis

• But (ἀλλά – alla): This strong adversative conjunction signals a sharp contrast or contradiction. It immediately introduces the Pharisees' dismissive and indignant response, setting it against the guards' positive testimony about Jesus. It highlights their unwillingness to accept new information that challenges their preconceived notions.

• this crowd (ὁ ὄχλος οὗτος – ho ochlos houtos):

  • Crowd (ὄχλος – ochlos): Refers to a multitude of common people, often seen collectively.
  • This (οὗτος – houtos): Demonstrative pronoun conveying a derogatory and dismissive tone, specifically singling out and deprecating the particular group of ordinary people who were open to Jesus. This reflects the "‘ammê ha’aretz (people of the land)" concept—the Jewish commoners often regarded by the religious elite as ritually unclean and ignorant of detailed legal observance, thus excluded from the sphere of the pious.

• that knows not (ὁ μὴ γινώσκων – ho mē ginōskōn):

  • Knows not (μὴ γινώσκων – mē ginōskōn): This indicates a lack of intellectual understanding or practical knowledge, specifically concerning the nuances and interpretations of the Law. It's not about a simple absence of awareness but a perceived inability or unwillingness to master the rabbinic traditions and intricacies of the Torah as the Pharisees understood and taught them. The "not" (μὴ – mē) often implies a subjective denial or perceived moral deficiency.

• the law (τὸν νόμον – ton nomon): Refers to the Mosaic Law (Torah), which for the Pharisees, included not just the written commandments but also the extensive oral traditions and rabbinic interpretations built upon them. For them, true righteousness was measured by precise adherence to this comprehensive legal system. They saw themselves as the exclusive custodians and authoritative interpreters of this law.

• is accursed (ἐπάρατός ἐστιν – eparatos estin):

  • Accursed (ἐπάρατος – eparatos): Derived from epi (upon) and ara (a curse or imprecation). It signifies being under a state of divine curse, separation, or condemnation. In a Jewish context, this refers to being subject to the covenant curses detailed in Deuteronomy (e.g., Deut 27-28) for disobedience to God's commands. The Pharisees, with their legalistic mindset, genuinely believed that those who failed to keep the Law (as they interpreted it) were indeed under God's judgment and blessings were withheld from them.

• Words-group by words-group analysis:

  • "But this crowd that knows not the law": This phrase encapsulates the Pharisaic elitism, intellectual snobbery, and class prejudice. It creates a stark division between themselves (the "enlightened," law-abiding) and the common people (the "ignorant," law-breaking). Their understanding of knowledge was confined to their detailed legal scholarship, blind to spiritual truth conveyed through divine revelation. This reveals their pride in their self-proclaimed expertise.
  • "is accursed": This judgment is an ultimate declaration of spiritual condemnation, demonstrating the extreme degree of contempt the Pharisees held. It reflects their rigid interpretation of God's covenant, where failure to perfectly observe every detail of the Law, according to their traditions, leads to a state of being cut off from God's favor. The irony is profound: these "accursed" common people are the ones hearing and recognizing Jesus' divine message, while those who claim divine blessing by knowing the Law remain spiritually deaf.

John 7 49 Bonus section

• Profound Irony: The core irony of John 7:49 is that those who believed they intimately knew the Law of God (the Pharisees) failed to recognize God Incarnate (Jesus) and His unparalleled teaching. Conversely, the "accursed" crowd, whom the Pharisees looked down upon, had a clearer spiritual perception of Jesus' divine authority. This is a recurring theme in the Gospels, where the simple-hearted perceive truth, and the intellectually proud remain spiritually blind.
• Contempt for "Ammê ha’aretz": The Pharisees' attitude directly reflects their contempt for the "people of the land" (Hebrew: ‘ammê ha’aretz), who were generally regarded as ceremonially unclean because they did not adhere strictly to the complex rabbinic purity laws regarding tithing, dietary regulations, and Sabbath observance. This socio-religious division was a significant barrier to the Pharisees accepting Jesus, who ministered to and embraced these very people.
• Contrast with Nicodemus: Immediately following this statement (John 7:50-51), Nicodemus, a Pharisee himself, cautiously challenges the collective judgment of his colleagues, highlighting a subtle division even within the religious elite. He argues that the Law dictates hearing a person first before judging, a stark contrast to the blanket condemnation by "this crowd that knows not the law is accursed." This shows not all Pharisees were completely monolithic in their immediate condemnation.

John 7 49 Commentary

John 7:49 succinctly exposes the profound spiritual disconnect and hardened legalism of the Pharisees. Confronted with the temple guards’ sincere testimony about Jesus’ unparalleled teaching, instead of humbly inquiring or acknowledging potential divine activity, the Pharisees instantly resort to a dehumanizing dismissal. They label the ordinary Jewish people as “this crowd,” demonstrating their class snobbery and belief in their own superior knowledge and ritual purity. By stating the crowd “knows not the law,” they imply these people are uneducated in their complex rabbinic traditions and thus incapable of proper adherence to the Torah. Consequently, they pronounce them “accursed”—a damning spiritual judgment that places the common people outside of God's favor.

This verse reveals a critical distinction in the narrative: the religious authorities valued their detailed interpretation and mastery of the Law over the direct spiritual truth. They saw knowledge of the Law as a path to righteousness and a criterion for divine approval. The common people, however, though perhaps lacking formal legalistic training, were open to and impacted by the very real divine authority and wisdom in Jesus’ words. The tragic irony is clear: those who were experts in the letter of the Law missed the living embodiment of the Law, Jesus Himself, while the supposedly “cursed” perceived His true identity and authority. Their condemnation illustrates that their pursuit of legal righteousness led them to reject God's own Son and His grace-filled message.