John 7:49 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed."

NIV: No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them."

NASB: But this crowd that does not know the Law is accursed!'

CSB: But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed."

NLT: This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!'

KJV: But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed.

NKJV: But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”

According to the Pharisees, only those whom God has blessed will obtain knowledge. Since they—as they see it—hold superior knowledge of God's law, this means all others are "cursed." This makes for an easy, if irrational, excuse to ignore any other perspectives. In the prior verse, the Pharisees openly declared that their judgment was the first and only necessary reason to reject certain ideas. If the Pharisees don't believe it, they seem to say, then it's not worth believing.

This tantrum was set off when men sent to arrest Jesus (John 7:32) came without Him and with comments on His impressive speech, instead (John 7:46). For the arrogant Pharisees, the only possible explanation is that those who don't reject Jesus are deceived (John 7:47), ignorant (John 7:48), and backwards (John 7:52).

In the modern era, we can make the same type of error. This happens if we hold our denomination, sect, church, or group to be infallible and reject those who disagree simply because they are not "one of us."

John 7:37–52 shows how Jesus' public ministry challenges the traditional views of Judaism. This causes infighting among both the people and the Jewish leaders themselves. The people hear His words, see His miracles, and begin to wonder if Jesus really is the Promised One. Once again, the religious leaders attempt to arrest Jesus, but the officers are so impressed by His words that they leave Him alone. When Nicodemus, a Pharisee, makes a plea for due process, he is mocked and his suggestion is ignored. Moments such as this will eventually lead the Jewish leaders to extreme measures against Jesus.

Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.

John chapter 7 is the beginning of the end of Jesus' public ministry. The feeding of thousands in chapter 6 was the pinnacle of His earthly popularity. That enthusiasm was dampened when Jesus explained the true meaning of His ministry. Here, in chapters 7 and 8, Jesus will confront His critics at a major Jewish festival, using metaphors drawn from ritual celebrations to highlight themes from His preaching. The following chapters include additional miracles and teachings from Jesus, as His eventual crucifixion draws nearer.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 11/23/2024 5:14:01 AM