John 7:17

John 7:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
• New International Version (NIV)Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.
• New King James Version (NKJV)If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.

Context of John 7:17

15The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man attain such learning without having studied?” 16“My teaching is not My own,” Jesus replied. “It comes from Him who sent Me. If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own. 18He who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory, but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is a man of truth; in Him there is no falsehood. 19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”

John 7:17 word by word

ἐάν τις θέλῃ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν, γνώσεται περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς πότερον ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν ἢ ἐγὼ ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ λαλῶ.Read the interlinear

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• anyoneτιςtis · oneG5100
• desiresθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• to doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• Hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• he will knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• he will knowπερίperi · aboutG4012
• whetherπότεροςpoteron · whetherG4220
• teachingδιδαχήdidachē · teachingG1322
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• fromἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• orἤē · orG2228
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• onἀπόapo · away fromG575
• My ownἐμαυτοῦemautou emautō emauton · myselfG1683

Cross-references for John 7:17

• John 1:46“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
• John 8:31So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
• Psalms 25:8Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way.
• Psalms 119:10With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me stray from Your commandments.
• Isaiah 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it— only those who walk in the Way— and fools will not stray onto it.
• Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.
• Hosea 6:3So let us know— let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
• Micah 4:2And many nations will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
• Malachi 4:2“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like calves from the stall.
• Matthew 6:22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
• Luke 8:15But the seeds on good soil are those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, cling to it, and by persevering produce a crop.
• Acts 10:1At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment.
• Acts 11:13He told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter.
• Acts 17:11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true.
• Philippians 3:15All of us who are mature should embrace this point of view. And if you think differently about some issue, God will reveal this to you as well.

Commentaries on John 7:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17If any man wilt do his will, etc. - I will give you a sure rule by which ye may judge of my doctrine: If you really wish to do the will of God, begin the practice of it; and take my doctrine, and apply it to all that you know God requires of man; and if you find one of my precepts contrary to the nature, perfections, and glory of God, or to the present or eternal welfare of men, then ye shall be at liberty to assert that my doctrine is human and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17If any man will do his will - Literally, if any man wills or is willing to do the will of God. If there is a disposition in anyone to do that will, though he should not be able perfectly to keep His commandments. To do the will of God is to obey His commandments; to yield our hearts and lives to His requirements. A disposition to do His will is a readiness to yield our intellects, our feelings, and all that we have entirely to Him, to be governed…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-24Verses 14-24 Every faithful minister may humbly adopt Christ's words. His doctrine is not his own finding out, but is from God's word, through the teaching of his Spirit. And amidst the disputes which disturb the world, if any man, of any nation, seeks to do the will of God, he shall know whether the doctrine is of God, or whether men speak of themselves. Only those who hate the truth shall be given up to errors which will be fatal. Surely it was as…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17People who truly want to follow God's will accept Jesus and his teachings (see also 5:42–47). In contrast, those who focus only on the values and desires of this world are not open to Christ. When people care more about human approval, power, or temporary success, they struggle to receive his message.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-1816-18. doctrine ... not mine, &c.--that is, from Myself unauthorized; I am here by commission.Read the comment

Topics related to John 7:17

• Doctrines
• Jesus, the Christ
• Temple
• Will
• Wisdom

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Division
• Judge
• Thither
• Archaeology; Archaeology and Criticism
• Doctrine
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Know; Knowledge

Commentaries on John 7

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings