John 7:24

Ver. 24. “ Judge not according to the appearance; but pronounce the judgment which is in accordance with righteousness. ”

῎Οψις, sight, hence appearance, designates here the external and purely formal side of things. It was only from this defective point of view that the healing of the impotent man could be made the subject of accusation. There is no question here of the humble appearance of Jesus which had perverted the judgment of the Jews (Waitz). Righteous judgment is that which estimates the acts according to the spirit of the law. The article before the word κρίσιν, judgment, may denote either the judgment in this definite case, or, in general, the judgment in each case where there is occasion to pass judgment. In the first clause, which is negative, the present κρίνετε is very appropriate: for the question is of the judgment pronounced in this case on the act of Jesus. But in the second, the present is probably a correction in accordance with the first. The aorist, κρίνατε, is perfectly suitable: Judge righteously in every case (without reference to time).