Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was at hand.
- BSB However, the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near.
- NKJV Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
- NASB Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.
- NLT But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters,
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
The Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) is near. This setting frames the events and teaching that follow in Jerusalem.
Overview
The Feast of Booths celebrated God's provision during Israel's wilderness wandering and looked forward to the harvest. Its themes of water and light will surface in Jesus's later teaching (7:37-38; 8:12). John notes the feast to set the stage for Jesus's revelation of Himself as the fulfillment of its symbols.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Zech 14:16–19And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
- Deut 16:13–16Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine:
- Lev 23:34–43Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
- Num 29:12–38And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days:
- Exod 23:16–17And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
- 2 Chr 7:9–10And in the eighth day they made a solemn assembly: for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
- Neh 8:14–18And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:
- Ezra 3:4They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required;
- 1 Kgs 8:2And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
- 1 Kgs 8:65And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
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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 7:2 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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