But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is truly the Christ?
Parallel translations
- WEB Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ?
- KJV But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
- BSB Yet here He is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying anything to Him. Have the rulers truly recognized that this is the Christ?
- NASB And yet look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?
- NLT But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They wonder why Jesus speaks openly without being stopped, asking if the rulers truly know He is the Christ. The authorities' silence raises questions about His identity.
Overview
The Jerusalemites are puzzled that Jesus teaches publicly while the leaders, who sought to kill Him, do nothing. They speculate, perhaps half in earnest, that the rulers may secretly acknowledge Him as the Messiah. This unintended testimony reflects the genuine question pressing on the crowd: is this man the promised Christ?
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- 2 Tim 1:7–8For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
- Eph 6:19–20on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News,
- John 7:48Have any of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?
- Phil 1:14and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.
- Luke 7:30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
- Prov 28:1The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- John 9:22His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.
- Ps 40:9–10I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly. Behold, I will not seal my lips, Yahweh, you know.
- Matt 22:16They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach, for you aren’t partial to anyone.
- Isa 50:7–8For the Lord Yahweh will help me. Therefore I have not been confounded. Therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be disappointed.
- Acts 4:13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They recognized that they had been with Jesus.
- Isa 42:4He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth, and the islands will wait for his law.”
- John 11:47–53The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
- Ps 71:15–16My mouth will tell about your righteousness, and of your salvation all day, though I don’t know its full measure.
- John 12:42Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 7:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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