When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.
Parallel translations
- WEB The Pharisees heard the multitude murmuring these things concerning him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him.
- KJV The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.
- NKJV The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.
- NASB The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest Him.
- NLT When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus.
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
Hearing the crowd's murmuring, the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest Jesus. The growing belief in Him alarmed the authorities into action.
Overview
The leaders, threatened by the favorable response to Jesus, move to silence Him by force. This marks an escalation in the official opposition that will culminate in His arrest and crucifixion. Yet, as the chapter shows, their efforts fail until the Father's appointed hour, underscoring that Jesus lays down His life willingly, not by their power.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Acts 5:26At that point, the captain went with the officers and brought the apostles—but not by force, for fear the people would stone them.
- Matt 12:23–24The crowds were astounded and asked, “Could this be the Son of David?”
- John 12:19Then the Pharisees said to one another, “You can see that this is doing you no good. Look how the whole world has gone after Him!”
- Matt 23:13Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
- John 7:45–53Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”
- Luke 22:52–53Then Jesus said to the chief priests, temple officers, and elders who had come for Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against an outlaw?
- John 11:47–48Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
- John 18:3So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 7:32 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.