^7:45Then the officers¹²¹ returned¹²² to the chief priests and Pharisees,¹²³ who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?”¹²⁴^7:46The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” ^7:47Then the Pharisees answered,¹²⁵ “You haven’t been deceived too, have you?¹²⁶^7:48None of the rulers¹²⁷ or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they?¹²⁸^7:49But this rabble¹²⁹ who do not know the law are accursed!”

^7:50Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus¹³⁰ before and who was one of the rulers,¹³¹ said,¹³²^7:51“Our law doesn’t condemn¹³³ a man unless it first hears from him and learns¹³⁴ what he is doing, does it?”¹³⁵^7:52They replied,¹³⁶ “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?¹³⁷ Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet¹³⁸ comes from Galilee!”

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Footnotes

121 Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, 8:540).
122 Grk “came.”
123 See the note on Pharisees in .
124 Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
125 Grk “answered them.”
126 Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).
127 The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).
128 Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).
129 Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
130 Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
131 Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
132 Grk “said to them.”
133 Grk “judge.”
134 Grk “knows.”
135 Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).
136 Grk “They answered and said to him.”
137 Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
138 At least one early and important (𝔓66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, ho prophētēs), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15. This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gath Hepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” ( Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of 𝔓66 which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.

“You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”

Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then the servants came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”

The servants answered, “No man ever spoke like this!”

Then the Pharisees responded to them, “Are you fooled too? Have any of the rulers or Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed.”

Nicodemus—the one who came to him previously and who was one of them—said to them, “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?”

“You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.”

NLTNew Living Translation

When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

“We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded.

“Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!”

Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes from Galilee!”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

So the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees. And they said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” The officers replied, “Never has a man spoken like this!” Then the Pharisees replied to them, “You have not also been deceived, have you? None of the rulers or of the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? But this crowd who does not know the law is accursed!”

Nicodemus, the one who came to him previously—who was one of them—said to them, “Our law does not condemn a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?” They answered and said to him, “You are not also from Galilee, are you? Investigate and see that a prophet does not arise from Galilee!” ⟦

KJV 1900King James Version

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth? They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

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