John 7:4

7:1-13 The brethren or kinsmen of Jesus were disgusted, when they found there was no prospect of worldly advantages from him. Ungodly men sometimes undertake to counsel those employed in the work of God; but they only advise what appears likely to promote present advantages. The people differed about his doctrine and miracles, while those who favoured him, dared not openly to avow their sentiments. Those who count the preachers of the gospel to be deceivers, speak out, while many who favour them, fear to get reproach by avowing regard for them.

3-5. His brethren said—(See on [1798]Mt 13:54-56). Depart … into Judea, &c.—In Joh 7:5 this speech is ascribed to their unbelief. But as they were in the "upper room" among the one hundred and twenty disciples who waited for the descent of the Spirit after the Lord's ascension (Ac 1:14), they seem to have had their prejudices removed, perhaps after His resurrection. Indeed here their language is more that of strong prejudice and suspicion (such as near relatives, even the best, too frequently show in such cases), than from unbelief. There was also, probably, a tincture of vanity in it. "Thou hast many disciples in Judea; here in Galilee they are fast dropping off; it is not like one who advances the claims Thou dost to linger so long here, away from the city of our solemnities, where surely 'the kingdom of our father David' is to be set up: 'seeking,' as Thou dost, 'to be known openly,' those miracles of Thine ought not to be confined to this distant corner, but submitted at headquarters to the inspection of 'the world.'" (See Ps 69:8, "I am become a stranger to my brethren, an alien unto my mother's children!")

The things which thou doest, thou doest out of a desire by them to be made known, and to spread thy own fame and glory: for this, Galilee is not a proper place, because it is an obscure part in the country. The phrase which we translate to be known, is in the Greek en parrhsia einai. The usage of it here seemeth to be something different from the use of it in other places of holy writ. It sometimes signifies confidence and security; and we translate it boldness, Acts 13:46 26:26 28:31 Philippians 1:20 Hebrews 3:6 10:19 . But this cannot be the sense of this text; for it were no sense to read it, seeketh to be known boldly, confidently, or securely. Sometimes we translate it openly, as in this text, and John 11:54 Colossians 2:15 . It sometimes signifieth a freedom of speech, Acts 2:29 4:13 2 Corinthians 7:4 . Sometimes it signifieth clearness and plainness of speech, John 10:24 John 11:14 . Sometimes it signifieth a speaking in public meetings, as in Mark 8:32 John 18:20 . Dr. Hammond notes, that it also sometimes signifies to speak with authority, Acts 4:29,31 Eph 6:19 . Certainly the word in its primary signification signifieth a freedom and boldness of speech; which freedom and boldness is necessary to him that speaketh openly, and in public meetings; and is advantaged by the authority which any man hath to speak: hence in a secondary sense it may signify both to speak with authority, and also to speak in public assemblies; and this last I take to be here signified.

It is (as our Saviour’s friends tell him) both against reason, and the ordinary course of the world, for men desirous of opportunities to speak boldly and freely in public assemblies, to keep themselves in obscure places, where are no such public assemblies. They therefore advise him, that if indeed he wrought these miraculous operations, and were able to produce such effects, he would not bury up himself and his reputation in such a hole as Galilee, but show himself to the more noted and famous part of the world, which was, as to that part of the world, Jerusalem, and at the feast now, where multitudes of the people would be to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

John 7:4 . Καὶ ζητεῖ , and seeketh ) An affirmative assertion, as is clear from the verb manifest [Thyself], which is inferred from this clause. No man includes in it every man and not: every man belongs to both parts of the sentence: not to the former part; in this sense, Every man, who doeth anything, doeth it not in secret, but so as that he seeks himself to be known openly. Καί , and , for but [and yet], as frequently. The figure Diasyrmus [teasing, as if He managed His affairs carelessly].— αὐτός ,) himself ; in antithesis to that, which he himself doeth: so, corresponding to this, σεαυτόν , Thyself , follows in the next clause.— εἰ , if ) This particle often has more, not less weight, than when .[163]— ταῦτα ) these miracles, which Thou doest.— τῷ κόσμῳ , to the world ) to all. Seek a larger theatre of action, say they, especially at the feast time. [163] Since , εἰ , joined to the Indicative—E. and T.

4 . there is no man that doeth ] More simply, no man doeth . and he himself seeketh ] i.e. no one does anything in secret and is thereby personally seeking to act with openness. To conceal His miracles is to deny His Messiahship; the Messiah must accept His position. to be known openly ] Literally, to be in openness or frankness . The word for ‘frankness’ occurs nine times in this Gospel and four times in the First Epistle; not in Matt. or Luke; only once in Mark. If thou do these things ] Feeding the 5000, and other miracles. If Thou doest such miracles at all, do them at Jerusalem at the Feast and convince the whole nation. It is assuming a false position to do such things and hide them in obscure parts of Galilee: it is claiming to be the Messiah and being afraid to shew one’s credentials. They knew probably that He had not gone up to Jerusalem for the Passover. shew thyself ] Better, manifest Thyself . See on John 1:31 , John 21:1 , and comp. John 9:3 , John 17:6 .

(4) For there is no man. —His course of action seems to them to contradict His personal claim. It is opposed, they think, to the common-sense conduct of mankind. If thou do these things.—The emphasis is on these things. There is no doubt that He does them; but if the acts themselves are such as they seem to be, and establish the claim which He bases on them, they should be done in Jerusalem, not in the villages of Galilee. They are for the world, and not for the retirement of home.

For there is no man ... - The brethren of Jesus supposed that he was influenced as others are. As it is a common thing among men to seek popularity, so they supposed that he would also seek it; and as a great multitude would be assembled at Jerusalem at this feast, they supposed it would be a favorable time to make himself known. What follows shows that this was said, probably, not in sincerity, but in derision; and to the other sufferings of our Lord was to be added, what is so common to Christians, derision from his relatives and friends on account of his pretensions. If our Saviour was derided, we also may expect to be by our relatives; and, having his example, we should be content to bear it. If thou do ... - It appears from this that they did not really believe that he performed miracles; or, if they did believe it, they did not suppose that he was the Christ. Yet it seems hardly credible that they could suppose that his miracles were real, and yet not admit that he was the Messiah. Besides, there is no evidence that these relatives had been present at any of his miracles, and all that they knew of them might have been from report. See the notes at Mark 3:21. On the word brethren in John 7:5, see the Matthew 13:55 note, and Galatians 1:19 note.

John 7:4 . “ For no one does anything in secret, and is thereby personally striving to he of a frank, open-hearted nature;” i.e. no one withdraws himself and his works also into quiet secrecy, and yet strives frankly to assert his personal position (as you must do if you are the Messiah). The two things are, indeed, contradictory! On ἐν παῤῥησ . comp. John 11:54 ; Wis 5:1 ; and Grimm, Exeg. Handb . p. 110 f.; Ephesians 6:19 ; Php 1:20 ; Colossians 2:15 . The word does not signify “ manifest ” or “ known ” (De Wette, Godet, and most others), but it means the opposite of a shy and timid nature, which shrinks from playing the part of a fearless and frank character. τὶ ] is the simple aliquid , not magnum quid (Kuinoel and others); and καί does not stand for ὅς , so that αὐτός would be superfluous (Grotius, Kuinoel), but is the simple “and,” while air αὐτός [258] is ipse , thus putting the person attributively over-against the work (Herm. ad Vig . p. 735; Fritzsche ad Rom . II. p. 75), and not merely resuming the subject (Lücke, Tholuck), as also it must not be taken in Matthew 12:50 . As to εἶναι ἐν , versari in (Bernhardy, p. 210), thus designating the adverbial predicate as permanent , see Buttmann, N. T. Gr . p. 284 [E.

T. p. 330]. εἰ ταῦτα ποιεῖς ] answers to the τὰ ἔργα σου ἃ ποιεῖς , John 7:3 , and to οὐδεὶς … ποιεῖ , John 7:4 , and therefore, according to the context (comp. also the consequent clause, which corresponds with καὶ ζητεῖ αὐτὸς , κ . τ . λ .), refers to the miracles which Jesus did in Galilee. Ταὐτα has the emphasis: “If thou doest these things, i.e. if thy work consists in such wonderful deeds as thou art performing here in Galilee, do not act so foolishly as to confine thyself with such works within so narrow and obscure a range, but present thyself openly before the world , as thou must do in Judaea , which during the feast is the theatrum mundi .” Σεαυτόν , like the preceding αὐτός , gives prominence to His person , as opposed to His work . But the εἰ is not expressive of doubt (Euthymius Zigabenus: εἰ ταῦτα σημεῖα ποιεῖς καὶ οὐ φαντάζεις ; Lücke, De Wette, and most: as if we were to supply, if it be really as we hear; comp. also Brückner, who considers that it is intended to intimate in a disagreeable manner that the fact was doubtful), it is argumentative; the brothers know that His works are of an extraordinary kind, as was evident to them in Galilee ( ποιεῖς denotes a permanent course of action; Bernhardy, p. 370); and they consider it absurd that He should withdraw Himself personally from the place whither all the world was flocking. [258] The reading αὐτό (Lachm. following B. D.*) is only an error in transcription.