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 Living Translation (NLT)“Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked.

Context of John 7:51

49But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” 52They answered and said to him, “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” 53And everyone went to his own 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 1:17You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man’s presence, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’
• Deuteronomy 17:8“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses.
• Deuteronomy 19:15“One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
• Proverbs 18:13He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to 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