John 7:51

John 7:51 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
• New International Version (NIV)“Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)"Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)“Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”

Context of John 7:51

49But this crowd, which doesn’t know the law, is accursed.” 50Nicodemus — the one who came to him previously and who was one of them — said to them, “Our law doesn’t judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he’s doing, does it?” 52“You aren’t from Galilee too, are you?” they replied. “Investigate and you will see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” [The earliest mss do not include 7:53–8:11.] [ 53Then each one went to his house.

John 7:51 word by word

μὴ ὁ νόμος ἡμῶν κρίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούσῃ πρῶτον παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ γνῷ τί ποιεῖ;¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·μήmē · notG3361
• Dothκρίνωkrinō · to judgeG2919
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• lawὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• lawνόμοςnomos · lawG3551
• manἄνθρωποςanthrōpos · a humanG444
• beforeἐάνean · ifG1437
• beforeπρότερονproteron · previouslyG4386
• it hearἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• ·παράpara · from/with/besideG3844
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• he doethποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160

Cross-references for John 7:51

• Deuteronomy 1:17Do not show partiality when deciding a case; listen to small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too difficult for you, and I will hear it.
• Deuteronomy 17:8“If a case is too difficult for you — concerning bloodshed, lawsuits, or assaults — cases disputed at your city gates, then go up to the place the Lord your God chooses.
• Deuteronomy 19:15“One witness cannot establish any iniquity or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
• Proverbs 18:13The one who gives an answer before he listens — this is foolishness and disgrace for him.

Commentaries on John 7:51

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 51Doth our law judge any man - , the man, i.e. who is accused. Perhaps Nicodemus did not refer so much to any thing in the law of Moses, as to what was commonly practiced among them. Josephus says, Ant. b. xiv. c. 9. s. 3, That the law has forbidden any man to be put to death, though wicked, unless he be first condemned to die by the Sanhedrin. It was probably to this law, which is not expressly mentioned in the five books of Moses, that Nicodemus here…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 40-53Verses 40-53 The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on in their sins! People are foolishly swayed by outward motives in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 49-51Nicodemus was likely starting to believe in Jesus (see 3:1–21; 19:38–42). Some leaders claimed that none of the Pharisees believed in Jesus (7:48). They spoke as if only the crowd, whom the leaders believed did not understand the law, supported him. However, Nicodemus shows that this was not completely true. Not only the people in the crowd, but also some Pharisees were beginning to believe in him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 50-5350-53. Nicodemus--reappearing to us after nearly three years' absence from the history, as a member of the council, probably then sitting.Read the comment

Topics related to John 7:51

• Jesus, the Christ
• Justice
• Nicodemus
• Self-Defense
• Trial

In the dictionaries

• Division
• Galilee
• Judge
• Thither
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Law in the New Testament
• Nicodemus
• Temple

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