26 and behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers then indeed recognised that this is the Christ?
Has any one of the rulers believed on him, or of the Pharisees?
I have published righteousness in the great congregation: behold, I have not withheld my lips, Jehovah, *thou* knowest. I have not hidden thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion.
He shall not faint nor be in haste, till he have set justice in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law.
But the Lord Jehovah will help me: therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. He is near that justifieth me: who will contend with me? let us stand together; who is mine adverse party? let him draw near unto me.
And they send out to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth, and carest not for any one, for thou regardest not men's person;
but the Pharisees and the lawyers rendered null as to themselves the counsel of God, not having been baptised by him.)
The chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many signs. If we let him thus alone, all will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, Ye know nothing nor consider that it is profitable for you that one man die for the people, and not that the whole nation perish. But this he did not say of himself; but, being high priest that year, prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation; and not for the nation only, but that he should also gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad. From that day therefore they took counsel that they might kill him.
Although indeed from among the rulers also many believed on him, but on account of the Pharisees did not confess [him], that they might not be put out of the synagogue:
and for me in order that utterance may be given to me in [the] opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the glad tidings, for which I am an ambassador [bound] with a chain, that I may be bold in it as I ought to speak.
and that the most of the brethren, trusting in [the] Lord through my bonds, dare more abundantly to speak the word of God fearlessly.
For God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, but of power, and of love, and of wise discretion. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner; but suffer evil along with the glad tidings, according to the power of God;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on John 7
Commentary on John 7 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 7
In this chapter we have,
Jhn 7:1-13
We have here,
Jhn 7:14-36
Here is,
Here the people rudely interrupted him in his discourse, and contradicted what he said (v. 20): Thou has a devil; who goes about to kill thee? This intimates,
He concludes this argument with that rule (v. 24): Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. This may be applied, either,
Jhn 7:37-44
In these verses we have,
Jhn 7:45-53
The chief priests and Pharisees are here in a close cabal, contriving how to suppress Christ; though this was the great day of the feast, they attended not the religious services of the day, but left them to the vulgar, to whom it was common for those great ecclesiastics to consign and turn over the business of devotion, while they thought themselves better employed in the affairs of church-policy. They sat in the council-chamber, expecting Christ to be brought a prisoner to them, as they had issued out warrants for apprehending him, v. 32. Now here we are told,