John 7 52

John 7:52 kjv

They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

John 7:52 nkjv

They answered and said to him, "Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee."

John 7:52 niv

They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee." [The earliest manuscripts and many other ancient witnesses do not have John 7:53?8:11. A few manuscripts include these verses, wholly or in part, after John 7:36, John 21:25, Luke 21:38 or Luke 24:53.]

John 7:52 esv

They replied, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee."

John 7:52 nlt

They replied, "Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself ? no prophet ever comes from Galilee!" [The most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include John 7:53?8:11.]

John 7 verses

John 7 52 Meaning

John 7:52 encapsulates the Sanhedrin's scornful and dismissive response to Nicodemus, who dared to defend Jesus by advocating for due process. The Jewish leaders' statement, "Are you also from Galilee? Search and see, that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee," is a rhetorical question combined with a false assertion. It reveals their deep-seated prejudice against Galileans and their deliberate, albeit selective, ignorance of the Old Testament scriptures, which they claim to uphold. Their aim was to discredit Jesus by associating Him with a region they deemed religiously and intellectually inferior, while also casting doubt on Nicodemus's own integrity by implying he shared Jesus' "disreputable" origin or affiliation.

John 7 52 Context

The immediate context of John 7:52 occurs during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. Jesus is teaching, stirring considerable division among the people, with some believing Him to be the Messiah or "the Prophet" and others questioning His origin (John 7:40-44). The Jewish authorities, particularly the Pharisees and chief priests, dispatch officers to arrest Jesus (John 7:32). When the officers return empty-handed, captivated by Jesus' words, the Pharisees scorn them (John 7:45-49). Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin (who previously visited Jesus by night in John 3), intervenes, questioning the legality of condemning someone without first hearing their case (John 7:50-51), referencing Jewish law (Deut 1:16-17; 19:15). Verse 52 is the cutting response of the other religious leaders to Nicodemus's surprising advocacy, demonstrating their unyielding prejudice and unwillingness to consider evidence that challenges their preconceived notions about Jesus. The broader historical context includes the prevailing Judean perception of Galilee as a less pure, less scholarly, and even ritually less clean region due to its mixed population and distance from Jerusalem's religious center.

John 7 52 Word analysis

• They answered and said to him: "They" refers to the hostile Jewish leaders, likely the Pharisees and possibly other members of the Sanhedrin, who were confronting Nicodemus. Their response is sharp, direct, and laden with condescension towards one of their own who dared to speak differently.
• "Are you also from Galilee?" (μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶ;):
  • "Are you also" (μὴ καὶ σὺ): The Greek particle "mē" (μὴ) indicates a rhetorical question expecting a negative answer, implying, "Surely you aren't from Galilee too, are you?" or "You aren't, are you?" It's a sarcastic, leading question designed to insult and discredit Nicodemus by associating him with Jesus and the perceived inferior Galilean region.
  • "from Galilee" (ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας): Refers to the region in northern Israel. In the time of Jesus, Judeans often held a contemptuous view of Galileans, considering them less educated, less strict in their observance of Jewish law, and prone to mixing with Gentiles. This prejudice made "Galilean" a derogatory term in this context.
• "Search and see" (ἐρεύνσον καὶ ἴδε):
  • Original: These are two strong imperative verbs in Greek: "ereunson" (ἐρεύνσον - search thoroughly, investigate, examine closely) and "ide" (ἴδε - see, perceive, understand).
  • Significance: This is highly ironic. The leaders, who are presumably scholars of the law, confidently challenge Nicodemus to "search" the scriptures. Yet, their own subsequent assertion proves their failure to do so accurately, or their deliberate distortion of the facts. It’s a challenge that, if genuinely pursued, would expose their own error.
• "that no prophet has arisen out of Galilee" (ὅτι προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ ἐγήγερται):
  • "no prophet has arisen" (οὐκ ἐγήγερται): The strongest form of negation. This is a definitive and categorical denial. The Greek "egegertai" is a perfect passive verb, meaning "has been raised up" or "has arisen."
  • Polemics/Accuracy: This claim is historically and biblically inaccurate. While Galilee might not have been a traditional center for prominent prophets compared to Judah, the prophet Jonah (2 Kings 14:25) was from Gath Hepher, which lay within the boundaries of ancient Zebulun, a region generally considered part of Galilee. Furthermore, key prophecies pointed to Galilee as significant for the Messiah's ministry (Isaiah 9:1-2), directly contradicting their assertion that no prophet, implicitly even the ultimate Prophet (Messiah), could arise from there. The leaders likely meant no major or recognized prophet, or were expressing their widespread Judean prejudice, twisting their own scriptural knowledge to fit their preconceived notions. Their statement is a direct attack on Jesus' legitimacy based on a geographical bias, reflecting their spiritual blindness and selective interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.

John 7 52 Bonus section

The exchange in John 7:52 underscores the tragic irony of the religious elite failing to recognize God's promised deliverer due to their own intellectual pride and prejudice. They, the guardians and interpreters of the Law and Prophets, were so ensnared by their traditional biases and preconceived notions about the Messiah's origin that they ignored clear prophetic pointers and historical facts. Their demand to "search and see" acts as a profound indictment against them, as those who truly searched with an open heart would indeed see the truth of Jesus. This scenario serves as a timeless warning against judging by appearances or social standing rather than by righteous judgment (Jn 7:24) and highlights that humility is often a prerequisite for receiving divine truth. The contrast between Nicodemus's tentative step towards truth and the Sanhedrin's hardened stance perfectly illustrates the spiritual divide.

John 7 52 Commentary

John 7:52 vividly exposes the spiritual blindness and hypocrisy of the Jewish religious authorities. When Nicodemus attempts to introduce legal fairness into their unjust proceedings against Jesus, their response is not a logical counter-argument but an immediate, dismissive attack based on prejudice. Their rhetorical question, "Are you also from Galilee?" aims to silence Nicodemus by publicly shaming him through association with the 'lowly' Galileans. The subsequent imperative, "Search and see," is an arrogant challenge implying their superior knowledge, yet it ironically highlights their profound ignorance or deliberate misrepresentation of their own sacred texts. The claim that "no prophet has arisen out of Galilee" is factually incorrect (e.g., Jonah was from Gath Hepher in Galilee) and contradicts significant Old Testament prophecy regarding the Messiah's light dawning in Galilee (Isa 9:1-2, fulfilled in Matt 4:13-16). This verse therefore serves as a potent demonstration of how deeply entrenched prejudice and resistance to divine truth can warp understanding, even among those entrusted with the Law. It underscores the leaders' unyielding opposition to Jesus, not on grounds of true scriptural interpretation, but on social and regional bias. The true "search and see" should have led them to recognize Jesus as the very fulfillment of prophecy from a region they scorned.