John 7:52

Our Lord having invited those, who believed in Him, to drink of the Holy Spirit, a dissension arose among the multitude: Many of the people therefore, when they heart these saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

The one, that is, who was expected. Others, i.e. the people said, This is the Christ.

These had now begun to drink in that spiritual thirst, and had laid aside the unbelieving thirst. But others still remained dried up in their unbelief: But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? They knew what were the predictions of the Prophets respecting Christ, but knew not that they all were fulfilled in Him. They knew that He had been brought up at Nazareth, but the place of His birth they did not know; and did not believe that it answered to the prophecies.

But be it so, they knew not His birth-place: were they ignorant also of His extraction? that He was of the house and family of David? Why did they ask, Has not the Scripture said, that Christ comes of the seed of David? They wished to conceal His extraction, and therefore put forward where He had been educated. For this reason, they do not go to Christ and ask, How say the Scriptures that Christ must come from Bethlehem, whereas you come from Galilee purposely and of malice prepense they do not do this. And because they were thus inattentive, and indifferent about knowing the truth, Christ did not answer them: though He had lauded Nathanael, when he said, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? and called Him an Israelite indeed, as being a lover of truth, an well learned in the ancient Scriptures. So there was as a division among the people concerning Him.

Not among the rulers; for they were resolved one way, viz. not to acknowledge Him as Christ. The more moderate of them only used malicious words, in order to oppose Christ’s path to glory; but the more malignant wished to lay hands on Him: And some of them would haze taken Him.

The Evangelist says this to show, that they had no concern for, and no anxiety to learn, the truth. But no man laid hands on Him.

That is, because He Who had the power to control their designs, did not permit it.

This were sufficient to have raised some compunction in them; but no, such malignity believes nothing; it looks only to one thing, blood.

They; however who were sent to take Him, returned guiltless of the offense, and full of admiration: Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought Him?

They who wished to take and stone Him, reprove the officers for not bringing Him.

The Pharisees and Scribes profited nothing by seeing the miracles, and reading the Scriptures; but their officers, who had done neither, were captivated with once hearing Him; and they who went to take hold of Him, were themselves taken hold of by the miracle. Nor did they say, We could not because of the multitude: but made themselves proclaimers of Christ’s v wisdom;: The of officers answered, Never man spoke like this Man.

He spoke thus, because He was both God and man.

Not only is their wisdom to be admired, for not wanting miracles, but being convinced by His teaching only, (for they do not say, Never man did such miracles as this Man, but, Never man spoke like this Man,) but also their boldness, in saying this to the Pharisees, who were such enemies of Christ. They had not heard a long discourse, but minds unprepossessed against Him did not require one.

The Pharisees however rejected their testimony: Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also led away? As if to say, We see that you are charmed by His discourse.

And so they were led away; and laudably too, for they had left the evil of unbelief, and were gone over to the faith.

They make use of the most foolish argument against them: Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? but this people who knows not the law are cursed? This then was their ground of accusation, that the people believed, but they themselves did not.

They who knew not the law, believed on Him who had given the law, and they who taught the law condemned Him; thus fulfilling our Lord’s words, I am come, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind.

How then are they cursed, who are convinced by the law? Rather are you cursed, who have not observed the law.

The Pharisees answer the officers courteously and gently, because they are afraid of their forthwith separating from them, and joining Christ.

As they said that none of the rulers believed on Him, the Evangelist contradicts them: Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.)

He was not unbelieving, but fearful; and therefore came by night to the light, wishing to be enlightened, but afraid of being known to go. He replies, Does our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he does? He thought that, if they would only hear Him patiently, they would be overcome, as the officers had been. But they preferred obstinately condemning Him, to knowing the truth.

He calls the law of God, our law; because it was given to men.

Nicodemus shows that they knew the law, and did not act according to the law. They, instead of disproving this, take to rude and angry contradiction: They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee?

i.e. led away by a Galilean. Our Lord was called a Galilean, because His parents were of the town of Nazareth; I mean by parents, Mary.

Then, by way of insult, they direct Him to the Scriptures, as if He were ignorant of them; Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet: as if to say, Go, learn what the Scriptures say.

They knew the place where He had resided, but never thought of inquiring where He was born; and therefore they not only denied that He was the Messiah, but even that He was a prophet.

No prophet indeed arises out of; Galilee, but the Lord of prophets arose thence. And every man went to his own house.

Having effected nothing, devoid of faith, and therefore incapable of being benefited, they returned to their home of unbelief and ungodliness.

From what country then was he? From no country; but from a poor village, and from a land little esteemed, and producing no good thing. For the Scribes speak evil of Galilee, saying, “Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” ( John vii. 52 .) And “the Israelite indeed” speaks ill of it, saying, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” And being of this land, he was not even of any remarkable place in it, but of one not even distinguished by name. Of this he was, and his father a poor fisherman, so poor that he took his sons to the same employment. Now you all know that no workman will choose to bring up his son to succeed him in his trade, unless poverty press him very hard, especially where the trade is a mean one. But nothing can be poorer, meaner, no, nor more ignorant, than fishermen. …

Seest thou that these men so ill spoken of are found most to come to Him? For one said, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” ( c. i. 46 ), and another, “Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.” ( c. vii. 52 .) These things they said insulting Him, because He was supposed by the many to be of Nazareth, and they also reproached Him with being a Samaritan; “Thou art a Samaritan,” said one, “and hast a devil.” ( c. viii. 48 .) Yet behold, both Samaritans and Galilæans believe, to the shame of the Jews, and Samaritans are found better than Galilæans, for the first received Him through the words of the woman, the second when they had seen the miracles which He did.

Others said, “When Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence He is” ( ver. 27 ); and there was a difference of opinion, as might be expected in a confused multitude; for not attentively did they listen to His words, nor for the sake of learning. Wherefore He maketh them no answer; yet they said, “Doth Christ come out of Galilee?” And He had praised, as being “an Israelite indeed,” Nathanael, who had said in a more forcible and striking manner, “Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?” ( c. i. 46 .) But then these men, and they who said to Nicodemus, “Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet” ( ver. 52 ), said it not seeking to learn, but merely to overturn the opinion concerning Christ. …

Ver. 52 . “Art thou also of Galilee?” [2.] When they ought to have shown that they had not sent to summon Him without judgment, or that it was not fitting to allow Him speech, they take the reply rather in a rough and angry manner. “Search, and look: for out of Galilee hath arisen no prophet.” Why, what had the man said? that Christ was a prophet? No; he said, that He ought not to be slain unjudged; but they replied insolently, and as to one who knew nothing of the Scriptures; as though one had said, “Go, learn,” for this is the meaning of, “Search, and look.” What then did Christ? Since they were continually dwelling upon Galilee and “The Prophet,” to free all men from this erroneous suspicion, and to show that He was not one of the prophets, but the Master of the world, He said,

And if thou wouldst know both the scoffs and the ironical jeerings, which they made against Him (what particularly wounds our souls), hear first those from His kindred. “Is not this” (it says) “the carpenter’s son, whose father and mother we know? Are not his brethren all with us?” ( Matt. xiii. 55; Mark vi. 3; John vi. 42 .) Also scoffing at Him from His country, they said He was “of Nazareth.” And again, “search,” it says, “and see, for out of Galilee hath no prophet arisen.” ( John vii. 52 .) And He endured being so greatly calumniated. And again they said, “Doth not the Scripture say, that Christ cometh from the town of Bethlehem?” ( John vii. 42 .)