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 people were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked. 16So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own. 18Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are 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

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• any manτιςtis · oneG5100
• willθέλωthelō ethelō · to will/desireG2309
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• willὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• willθέλημαthelēma · will/desireG2307
• he shall knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
• ofπερίperi · aboutG4012
• the doctrineδιδαχήdidachē · teachingG1322
• whetherπότεροςpoteron · whetherG4220
• it beεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
• orἤē · orG2228
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• speakλαλέωlaleō · to speakG2980
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• myselfἐμαυτοῦemautou emautō emauton · myselfG1683

Cross-references for John 7:17

• John 1:46“Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied.
• John 8:31Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.
• Psalms 25:8The Lord is good and does what is right; he shows the proper path to those who go astray.
• Psalms 119:10I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.
• Isaiah 35:8And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.
• Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel after those days,” says the Lord. “I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
• Hosea 6:3Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”
• Micah 4:2People from many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion; his word will go out from Jerusalem.
• Malachi 4:2“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.
• Matthew 6:22“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light.
• Luke 8:15And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
• Acts 10:1In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
• Acts 11:13He told us how an angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter.
• Acts 17:11And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.
• Philippians 3:15Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.

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