Joh 7:41-42, 52 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 41. Shalt Christ come out of Galilee? ] As the prophets had declared that the Messiah was to come from the tribe of Judah , and from the family of David , and should be born in the city of Bethlehem , these Jews, imagining that Christ had been born in Galilee , concluded that he could not be the Messiah. Had they examined the matter a little farther, they would have found that he had his birth exactly as the prophets had foretold; but, for want of this necessary examination, they continued in unbelief, and rejected the Lord that bought them. Many still lose their souls nearly in the same way. They suffer themselves to be led away by common report , and become prejudiced against the truth, refuse to give it a fair hearing, or to examine for themselves. It is on this ground that deign and irreligion have established themselves, and still maintain their posts.

‏ John 7:41-42

Verse 41. Shalt Christ come out of Galilee?] As the prophets had declared that the Messiah was to come from the tribe of Judah, and from the family of David, and should be born in the city of Bethlehem, these Jews, imagining that Christ had been born in Galilee, concluded that he could not be the Messiah. Had they examined the matter a little farther, they would have found that he had his birth exactly as the prophets had foretold; but, for want of this necessary examination, they continued in unbelief, and rejected the Lord that bought them. Many still lose their souls nearly in the same way. They suffer themselves to be led away by common report, and become prejudiced against the truth, refuse to give it a fair hearing, or to examine for themselves. It is on this ground that deign and irreligion have established themselves, and still maintain their posts.

Verse 42. Where David was?] That is, where he was born, 1Sa 16:1, 4, and where he was before he became king in Israel.

‏ John 7:52

Verse 52. Art thou also of Galilee?] They knew very well that he was not; but they spoke this by way of reproach. As if they had said, thou art no better than he is, as thou takest his part. Many of the Galileans had believed on him, Which the Jews considered to be a reproach. Art thou his disciple, as the Galileans are?

Search, and look] Examine the Scriptures, search the public registers, and thou wilt see that out of Galilee there ariseth no prophet. Neither the Messiah, nor any other prophet, has ever proceeded from Galilee, nor ever can. This conclusion, says Calmet, was false and impertinent: false, because Jonah was of Gathheper, in Galilee: see 2Ki 14:25, compared with Jos 19:13. The Prophet Nahum was also a Galilean, for he was of the tribe of Simeon; and some suppose that Malachi was of the same place. The conclusion was false, because there not having been a prophet from any particular place was no argument that there never could be one, as the place had not been proscribed.