John 7:40

Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet. MANY OF THE PEOPLE [`THE MULTITUDE' ek (G1537 ) tou (G3588 ) ochlou (G3793 )], WHEN THEY HEARD THIS SAYING. The true reading appears to be 'the' or 'His sayings' [ toon (G3588) logoon (G3056)]; referring not to the last one only, but the whole strain of His discourse, terminating with such a glorious proclamation. Said, Of a truth this is the Prophe...

40._Many of the multitude. _The Evangelist now relates what fruit followed from this last sermon of our Lord Jesus Christ; namely, that some thought one thing and some another, so that _a difference of opinion arose among the people _It ought to be observed that John does not speak of the open enemies of Christ, or of those who were already filled with deadly hatred (200) against sound doctrine, but of the common people, among whom there ought to have been greater integrity. He enumerates three classes of them. _He is truly a Prophet. _The first acknowledged that Jesus _was truly a Prophet_, from which we infer that they did not dislike his doctrine. But, on the other hand, how light and trifling this confession was, is evident from the fact, that, while they approve of the Teacher, they neither understand what he means, nor relish what he says; for they could not truly receive him as

40-53 The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on in their sins! People are foolishly swayed by outward motives in matters of eternal moment, are willing even to be damned for fashion's sake. As the wisdom of God often chooses things which men despise, so the folly of men commonly despises those whom God has chosen. The Lord brings forward his weak and timid disciples, and sometimes uses them to defeat the designs of his enemies....

Verse 40. _OF A TRUTH THIS IS THE PROPHET._] The great _prophet_, or _teacher_, spoken of by Moses, Deuteronomy 18:15, which they improperly distinguished from the _Messiah_, John 7:41. Some no doubt knew that by the prophet, the Messiah was meant; but others seem to have thought that one of the ancient prophets should be raised from the dead, and precede the appearing of the Messiah....

THE PROPHET - That is, the prophet whom they expected to precede the coming of the Messiah - either Elijah or Jeremiah. See Matthew 16:14....

EXPOSITION Ch. 7-10. contain the record of the conflict between faith and unbelief in the metropolis. At first the narrative indicates a vast amount of critical inquiry, of unsettled opinion, of angry disappointment and a certain readiness to be convinced on the part of one section or another. The secrecy of the Galilean village is contrasted with the broad arena of the temple courts. "The Jews," or leaders of opinion and authority in Judaea and Jerusalem, who were hostile, are seen in contrast with "the Jews who believed on him" (John 8:31). There are multitudes and multitudes (John 10:12, John 10:30, John 10:31), priests and Pharisees ...

MANY OF THE PEOPLE THEREFORE,.... Of the common people, and it may be chiefly those that came out of the country: WHEN THEY HEARD THIS SAYING; or discourse of Christ, on the last and great day of the feast, relating to the large measure of grace, and the effusion of the Spirit on him, that believed: SAID, OF A TRUTH THIS IS THE PROPHET; spoken of in Deuteronomy 18:15, which some understood not of the Messiah, but of some extraordinary prophet distinct from him, who should come before him, or about the same time; or they imagined he was one of the old prophets raised from the dead, whom they also expected about the times of the Messiah: or their sense might only be, that he was a prophet, which was true, though not all the truth; they had some knowledge, though but small; and they spake of him, though but as children in understanding....

John 7:14. _Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught._ He was no coward, so he boldly showed himself in the midst of the throng in the temple. John 7:15. _And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?_ Or, «How knoweth he the Scriptures? How has he come to be an instructed man, having never learned of the Rabbis? He has never passed through our schools of learning, so what can he know?» John 7:16. _Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me._ «I am not the inventor of what I say; I am but a messenger, delivering the message of him that sent me.»...

JOHN 7:40 tw/n lo,gwn tou,twn Despite the simple, straightforward nature of the account, a curious multiplicity of variant readings developed during the transmission of the text. They include the following: (1) tw/n lo,gwn tou,twn î66c, 75 ac B L T U ita, b, e, q syrhmg, pal copsa, bo goth arm (2) tw/n lo,gwn auvtou/ K W P syrc, p, htxt (3) auvtou/ tw/n lo,gwn tou,twn î66* a* D Q (4) tw/n lo,gwn E H M G D* (5)...

CHAPTER 7 _ 1. My Time is not Yet Come. (John 7:1 .)_ 2. Departure from Galilee; Sought by the Jews. (John 7:10 .) 3. In the Temple Teaching. (John 7:14 .) 4. Opposition to Him. (John 7:30 .) 5. The Indwelling Spirit Promised. (John 7:37 .) 6. The Division Among the People Because of Him. (John 7:40 .) 7. The Returning Officers and the Defense of Nicodemus. (John 7:45 .)