Joh 7:25-26 | RWP | e4.org | Some therefore of them of Jerusalem ( ουν τινες εκ των Ιεροσολυμειτων ). The people of the city in contrast to the multitude of pilgrims at the feast. They form a separate group. The word is made from Ιεροσολυμα and occurs in Josephus and IV Maccabees. In N.T. only here and . These Jerusalem people knew better than the pilgrims the designs of the rulers (Vincent). Is not this? ( ουχ ουτος εστιν; ). Expecting affirmative answer. Clearly they were not as familiar with the appearance of Jesus as the Galilean multitude (Dods). They seek ( ζητουσιν ). The plural refers to the group of leaders already present ( ) to whom the Jerusalem crowd probably pointed. They knew of their threats to kill Jesus ( ).

‏ John 7:25-26

Some therefore of them of Jerusalem ( ουν τινες εκ των Ιεροσολυμειτων ). The people of the city in contrast to the multitude of pilgrims at the feast. They form a separate group. The word is made from Ιεροσολυμα and occurs in Josephus and IV Maccabees. In N.T. only here and Mr 1:5. These Jerusalem people knew better than the pilgrims the designs of the rulers (Vincent).

Is not this? ( ουχ ουτος εστιν; ). Expecting affirmative answer. Clearly they were not as familiar with the appearance of Jesus as the Galilean multitude (Dods).

They seek ( ζητουσιν ). The plural refers to the group of leaders already present (7:15) to whom the Jerusalem crowd probably pointed. They knew of their threats to kill Jesus (5:18).

They say nothing unto him ( ουδεν αυτο λεγουσιν ). But only make sneering comments about him (7:16) in spite of his speaking "openly" ( παρρησια, for which word see 7:13; 18:20) before all. lt was sarcasm about the leaders, though an element of surprise on the part of "these shrewd townsmen" (Bernard) may have existed also.

Can it be that the rulers indeed know ( μη ποτε αληθως εγνωσιν ο αρχοντες ). Negative answer expected by μη ποτε and yet there is ridicule of the rulers in the form of the question. See a like use of μη ποτε in Lu 3:15, though nowhere else in John. Εγνωσαν (second aorist ingressive active indicative of γινωσκω ) may refer to the examination of Jesus by these rulers in 5:19ff. and means, "Did they come to know or find out" (and so hold now)?

That this is the Christ ( οτ ουτος εστιν ο Χριστος ). The Messiah of Jewish hope.