Temple Officers and the Adulterous Woman
John 7:45-8:11
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
Jude
Revelation
John.7.45 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Ηλθον: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- ουν: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- υπηρεται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- προς: PREP
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- αρχιερεις: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- Φαρισαιους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- ειπον: VERB,aor,act,ind,1,sg
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- εκεινοι·Δια: DEM,nom,pl,m
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- ουκ: PART,neg
- ηγαγετε: VERB,aor,act,ind,2,pl
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- John 7:44 (structural): Immediate context: explains the prior attempt to seize Jesus and sets up the officers’ report in 7:45 (some wanted to seize him, but no one laid hands on him).
- John 7:30 (verbal): Earlier summary statement that ‘they sought to take him, but no one laid hands on him,’ offering the same explanation for the failure to arrest Jesus as the servants’ question in 7:45.
- John 18:4-8 (thematic): When soldiers and officers come to arrest Jesus, his self‑revelation causes them to draw back — paralleling the motif that Jesus’ person/words prevent a successful seizure by authorities.
- John 8:59 (thematic): Another episode where hostile crowds fail to capture or kill Jesus (they pick up stones to throw, but he slips away), underscoring the recurring theme of unsuccessful attempts by opponents to seize him.
Alternative generated candidates
- Now the officers went back to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"
- Then the officers went back to the chief priests and Pharisees; they had not arrested him.
John.7.46 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- απεκριθησαν: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- υπηρεται·Ουδεποτε: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ελαλησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- ουτως: ADV
- ανθρωπος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 1:22 (thematic): Crowd astonished at Jesus' teaching—he taught with authority, prompting amazement similar to 'Never man spake like this man.'
- Matthew 7:29 (thematic): Jesus' teaching described as authoritative, contrasted with scribal teaching; parallels the sense that no one spoke like him.
- Luke 4:22 (thematic): People were amazed at the gracious words from Jesus' mouth—a reaction of wonder at his speech akin to John 7:46.
- John 7:15 (verbal): Earlier in the same chapter people question how Jesus could know Scripture without formal training—another expression of astonishment at his unusual words and knowledge.
Alternative generated candidates
- The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken like this man!"
- The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken like this!"
John.7.47 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- απεκριθησαν: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- ουν: CONJ
- αυτοις: PRO,dat,pl,3
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- Φαρισαιοι·Μη: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- και: CONJ
- υμεις: PRON,nom,pl,2
- πεπλανησθε: VERB,perf,pas,ind,2,pl
Parallels
- John 7:46 (verbal): The officers' report—'Never has man spoken like this'—is the immediate occasion for the Pharisees' retort, so v.46 and v.47 form a verbal/structural unit.
- John 7:48 (verbal): Direct follow-up rhetorical question by the Pharisees ('Have any of the rulers believed in him?'), continuing the same exchange and suspicion about others being 'deceived.'
- John 12:42-43 (thematic): Many of the Jewish leaders are said to have believed but would not confess it for fear of the Pharisees—this explains and contrasts with the Pharisees' charge that others are deceived.
- John 7:52 (thematic): The Pharisees attempt to discredit Jesus by appeal to his Galilean origin—another example in the same scene of dismissing belief in Jesus as error or deception.
Alternative generated candidates
- The Pharisees replied to them, "Are you also led astray?"
- The Pharisees replied to them, "Are you also led astray?"
John.7.48 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- μη: PART
- τις: PRON,nom,sg,?
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- αρχοντων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
- επιστευσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- εκ: PREP
- των: ART,gen,pl,m
- Φαρισαιων: NOUN,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- John 7:47 (verbal): The same question about whether any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in Jesus is posed immediately earlier—forms a near-verbatim parallel within the same episode.
- John 7:31 (thematic): Contrasts the crowd's reception—'many of the people believed'—with the claim here that the rulers/Pharisees did not believe.
- John 12:42-43 (thematic): Later Johannine note that many of the rulers did in fact believe but would not confess it for fear of the Pharisees, a pointed contrast to the absolute denial in 7:48.
- John 2:24-25 (thematic): States that Jesus did not entrust himself to people because he knew what was in them, reflecting the theme of unbelief and hidden motives among leaders.
- John 3:1-2 (allusion): Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the ruling council, seeks out Jesus—indicating that at least some Pharisees engaged with and were sympathetic to Jesus, complicating broad claims about Pharisaic unbelief.
Alternative generated candidates
- "Has any one of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?"
- "Has anyone among the rulers or the Pharisees believed in him?"
John.7.49 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αλλα: CONJ
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- οχλος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ουτος: PRON,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- μη: PART
- γινωσκων: VERB,pres,act,part,nom,sg,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- νομον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- επαρατοι: ADJ,nom,pl,m
- εισιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,pl
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:26 (allusion): LXX/Hebrew curse formula for failing to uphold the law (‘Cursed is everyone who does not confirm the words of this law’); background for NT use of ‘cursed’ applied to those outside or ignorant of the law.
- Galatians 3:10 (verbal): Paul explicitly cites Deut 27:26 (‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law’); parallels John’s language linking curse and failure to know/obey the law.
- Romans 2:12 (thematic): Affirms that those who sin apart from the law are judged apart from the law; relates thematically to John’s claim that the crowd ignorant of the law is nonetheless under condemnation.
- Galatians 1:8 (thematic): Uses apostolic curse formula (‘let him be accursed’) to condemn opponents; parallels John’s rhetorical deployment of curse-language to delegitimize those outside proper knowledge of the law.
Alternative generated candidates
- "But this people who do not know the law are under a curse."
- "This crowd, who do not know the law—they are under a curse."
John.7.50 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- λεγει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- Νικοδημος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- προς: PREP
- αυτους: PRON,acc,pl,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- ελθων: PART,aor,act,nom,sg,m
- προς: PREP
- αυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m
- προτερον: ADV
- εις: PREP
- ων: PRON,gen,pl,m
- εξ: PREP
- αυτων·: PRON,gen,pl,m
Parallels
- John 3:1-2 (verbal): Same figure (Nicodemus) and earlier visit: John 3 explicitly records Nicodemus 'coming to Jesus by night,' which is echoed by the description 'the one who had come to him before.'
- John 7:51 (structural): Immediate continuation of the scene: verse 51 records Nicodemus' spoken defense in the council, completing the action introduced in 7:50.
- John 19:39-42 (thematic): Later Johannine appearance of Nicodemus assisting in Jesus' burial; this corroborates his sympathetic stance and ongoing relationship with Jesus implied by 'had come to him before.'
- Acts 5:34-39 (thematic): Gamaliel's cautionary speech in the council provides a parallel instance of a member of the ruling authorities urging prudence before condemning or acting—comparable to Nicodemus' reluctance to pass judgment without hearing.
Alternative generated candidates
- Nicodemus, who had come to him before and was one of them, said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it first hears from him and knows what he does?"
- Nicodemus, who had come to him earlier and was one of them, said to them,
John.7.51 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Μη: PART
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- νομος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ημων: PRON,gen,pl,1
- κρινει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- ανθρωπον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- εαν: CONJ
- μη: PART
- ακουση: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,sg
- πρωτον: ADV
- παρ᾽αυτου: PREP+PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- γνω: VERB,aor,act,subj,3,sg
- τι: PRON,int,nom,sg,n
- ποιει: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Proverbs 18:13 (verbal): Expresses the same principle: answering (or judging) before listening is folly—correlates closely with Nicodemus' appeal that the law does not judge before hearing the person.
- Proverbs 18:17 (thematic): Affirms that the first to present his case seems right until the other is heard, supporting Nicodemus' insistence on hearing the accused before judgment.
- Leviticus 19:15 (allusion): Commands impartial justice and forbids showing partiality in judgment—background legal/ethical principle invoked by Nicodemus about proper legal procedure.
- Deuteronomy 1:16-17 (thematic): Describes the role of judges who are to hear disputes and judge rightly rather than show partiality—parallels Nicodemus' appeal to established judicial practice.
- John 3:1-2 (structural): Same character (Nicodemus) appears earlier as a Pharisee and ruler who privately questions Jesus—provides narrative context for his intervention defending due process in chapter 7.
Alternative generated candidates
- They answered him, "Are you from Galilee too? Search and you will find that no prophet arises from Galilee."
- "Does our law judge a man without first hearing him and learning what he has done?"
John.7.52 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- απεκριθησαν: VERB,aor,mid,ind,3,pl
- και: CONJ
- ειπαν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,pl
- αυτω·Μη: PRON,dat,sg,m+PART
- και: CONJ
- συ: PRON,nom,sg,2
- εκ: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Γαλιλαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- ει: VERB,pres,act,ind,2,sg
- εραυνησον: VERB,aor,act,imp,2,sg
- και: CONJ
- ιδε: VERB,pres,act,imp,2,sg
- οτι: CONJ
- εκ: PREP
- της: ART,gen,sg,f
- Γαλιλαιας: NOUN,gen,sg,f
- προφητης: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- ουκ: PART,neg
- εγειρεται: VERB,pres,mid,ind,3,sg
Parallels
- Micah 5:2 (quotation): Predicts the ruler of Israel will come from Bethlehem Ephrathah, directly opposing the claim that no prophet arises from Galilee and grounding expectation that the Messiah comes from Bethlehem.
- Matthew 2:5-6 (quotation): Chief priests and scribes cite Micah's prophecy to identify Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah; this tradition contrasts with the stress in John 7:52 that prophets do not come from Galilee.
- John 7:41-42 (structural): Immediate context: some in the crowd argue the Messiah could be from Galilee (Nazareth) while others appeal to the Bethlehem prophecy—John 7:52 repeats the latter claim and continues the debate.
- John 1:46 (verbal): Nathanael's skeptical question 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' reflects the same Galilean prejudice present in John 7:52, linking regional bias against Nazareth/Galilee to messianic expectations.
Alternative generated candidates
- And each went to his own house.
- They answered him, "Are you from Galilee? Search and see—no prophet arises from Galilee."
So the officers went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”
The officers answered, “Never before has anyone spoken like this.”
Then the Pharisees replied, “Have you also been led astray?”
“Has any one of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd—who do not know the law—are accursed.”
Nicodemus (the one who had come to him by night, and who was one of them) said to them,
“Does our law judge a man without first hearing him and knowing what he has done?”
They answered, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and see—no prophet arises from Galilee.”