John 7:30

ἐζήτουν οὖν. They sought therefore, in consequence of His claiming Divine origin and mission; for though He has not mentioned God, they understand His meaning. Imperfect of continued action (John 11:27), the nominative being οἱ ἄρχοντες or οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, not ὁ ὄχλος. Πιάζειν occurs Revelation 19:20; Revelation 19:7 times in this Gospel; elsewhere only Acts 3:7; Acts 12:4; 2 Corinthians 11:32. see on John 1:14; John 4:6; John 11:44 and John 19:37.

καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐπ. And (yet) no one laid hands. That καί in S. John often= ‘and yet,’ as here and John 7:28, is most true; that καί ever = ‘but’ is true neither of S. John nor of any other Greek writer. In A.V. καί is rendered ‘but’ here and in John 7:26, while in John 7:31 δέ is rendered ‘and.’ see on John 1:5 and John 8:20.

ἡ ὥρα αὐ. The hour appointed by God for His Passion (John 13:1), this meaning being clearly marked by the context (see on John 7:6 and John 2:4). The immediate cause of their not seizing Him was that they were as yet afraid to do so; but S. John passes through proximate causes to the prime cause of all, the Will of God. When the hour was come God no longer allowed their fear, which still existed (Matthew 26:5), to deter them.