John 7:30

Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(30) Then they sought to take him.—The tense is imperfect, marking the continuance of a series of efforts to take Him. The persons who thus sought to take Him are, of course, the members of the Sanhedrin. The people are mentioned in contrast in the next verse. For the present their efforts are confined to plots. No one attempts to use actual force.

His hour was not yet come.—This is the writer’s explanation of the fact that they did not seek to take Him. Jesus had Himself used these words at the first sign at Cana of Galilee (John 2:4), and again before going up to this very festival (John 7:6). The beloved disciple has learnt the religious interpretation of history. That the hour was not yet come, was not the immediate cause which influenced those who desired, but dared not, to lay hands upon Him. The next verse points out that there was a division in the multitude (comp. John 7:43-44), and in the uncertainty of what the consequences may be, no one was bold enough to take the decisive step. But if not the immediate cause, the writer regards it as the primary cause. Looking back on the life of his Lord, from the old age of his own life, so full of eventful issues, he has learnt that every deed of that life, as every deed of every life, had its hour mapped out in the eternal counsels of God.

Benson Commentary

John 7:30-32. Then they sought to take him — “The defence which he made did not pacify his enemies, for some of them would gladly have apprehended him; however, none of them had the courage to lay hands on him, being restrained by Providence, because the season of his sufferings was not yet come.” And many of the people believed on him — “In the mean time the miracle which he had lately performed on the infirm man was so great and so well known, and this defence, by which he justified himself, so clear and convincing, that many of the people believed on him publicly affirming, that he was the Messiah.” The Pharisees heard that the people murmured — Or, whispered, rather, see on John 7:12; such things concerning him — And were greatly displeased and alarmed at it; and, with the other members of the sanhedrim, particularly the chief priests, among whom were many Sadducees, (Acts 4:1,) sent officers — From the chamber in which they held their council, into the adjacent court of the temple; to take him — To apprehend and bring him before them, thinking thus, it seems, to confute his pretensions, and punish him. This, as appears from John 7:45; John 7:50; John 7:53, took place on the last and great day of the feast.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:25-30 Christ proclaimed aloud, that they were in error in their thoughts about his origin. He was sent of God, who showed himself true to his promises. This declaration, that they knew not God, with his claim to peculiar knowledge, provoked the hearers; and they sought to take him, but God can tie men's hands, though he does not turn their hearts.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then they sought to take him - The rulers and their friends. They did this:

1. because of his reproof; and,

2. for professing to be the Messiah.

His hour - The proper and the appointed time for his death. See Matthew 21:46.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

30-32. sought to take … none laid hands—their impotence being equal to their malignity.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

By this time the news was come to the sanhedrim, the great court of the Jews, to whom belonged the cognizance of church affairs, false prophets, blasphemy, violation of the sabbath, &c.: they took counsel, and used endeavours to apprehend him; or it may be, some of the ruder sort of people that were his enemies used some such endeavours, but not with any effect; for by the mighty providence of God, who had set the time when Christ should suffer, till that hour was come, mentioned also John 8:20 12:23, there was such a restraint upon the rage of the rabble, yea, (as we shall hereafter hear), upon the spirits of the officers, who were sent from the sanhedrim to apprehend him, that they had no power to lay hold upon him. Men shall do us no hurt, till God’s time comes. A sparrow falls not to the ground without the will of our Father.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Then they sought to take him,.... By force, and carry him before the sanhedrim, in order to be tried and condemned as a blasphemer, being enraged to hear him claim a descent from God, whom they took to be a mere man, the son of Joseph the carpenter:

but no man laid hands on him; though they had a good will to it, they had no power to do it, being restrained by the, secret providence of God from it, and awed by the majesty of Christ, which showed itself in his looks and words; and perhaps also they might be afraid of the people, lest they should rise in his favour; and so every man being fearful of being the first that should seize him, no man did: however, so it was ordered by divine providence, that he should not be apprehended at, this time,

because his hour was not yet come; to suffer and die, to depart out of this world, and go to the Father: there was a precise time fixed for this in the council and covenant of God, by mutual compact, called "due time"; as his coming into the world is called "the fulness of time"; nor could he die before that time, and therefore no man was suffered to lay hands on him, whatever good will he had to it. And there is a time for every man's death, nor can any man die before that time, or live beyond it; see Ecclesiastes 3:2; and this is the sense of the ancient Jews; for they say (h),

"a man before his years, or his time, does not die;''

that is, before he comes to the years appointed for him: and they ask (i),

"who is there that goes before his time? i.e. dies before his time?''

And it is said (k) of a certain person who was in his house, and , "his time was come"; and he died without sickness: though it must be owned some of them were otherwise minded, and say (l), that death, by the hand of heaven, or God, shortens a man's years; and that there are some reasons for which righteous men depart out of this world before their time is come; and particularly of Enoch they say, God took him before his time was come (m).

(h) T. Bab. Yebamot, fol. 114. 2. & Sanhedrin, fol. 29. 1. & Bava Metzia, fol. 85. 1.((i) T. Bab. Chagiga, fol. 4. 2.((k) Zohar in Exod. fol. 71. 4. (l) Piske Tosephot. Sabbat, art. 113. (m) Zohar in Exod. fol. 4. 4.

Geneva Study Bible

{13} Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

(13) The wicked cannot do what they desire, but what God has appointed.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Meyer's NT Commentary

John 7:30. Οὖν] Because He had so clearly asserted His divine origin and mission, His adversaries regarded this as blasphemy (comp. John 5:18).

The subject of ἐζήτουν is Ἰουδαῖοι, the hierarchy, as is self-evident from the words and from the contrasted statement of John 7:31.

καί] as in John 7:28.

ὅτι οὔπω, κ.τ.λ.] because the hour appointed for Him (by God—the hour when He was to fall under the power of His enemies) was not yet come; comp. John 8:20. The reason here assigned is that higher religious apprehension of the history, which does not, however, contradict or exclude the immediate historical cause, viz. that through fear—not of conscience (Hengstenberg, Godet), but of the party who were favourably inclined to Christ, John 7:31—they dared not yet lay hands on Him. But John knows that the threads upon which the outward history of Jesus runs, and by which it is guided, unite in the counsels of God. Comp. Luthardt, I. 160.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

30. Then they sought] Better, Therefore they kept seeking (imperfect of continued action) in consequence of His publicly claiming Divine origin and mission. ‘They’ means the rulers, the Sanhedrin; not the people, who are mentioned in the next verse.

but no man laid hands] Rather, and no man laid hands, ‘and’ introducing a contrast as in John 7:28. See on John 21:3. That ‘and’ in S. John often = ‘and yet,’ as here, is most true; that ‘and’ ever = ‘but’ is true neither of S. John nor of any other Greek writer.

because his hour] The hour appointed by God for His Passion (John 13:1), this meaning being clearly marked by the context (see on John 7:6 and John 2:4). The immediate cause of their not seizing Him was that they were as yet afraid to do so; but S. John passes through proximate causes to the prime cause of all, the Will of God. When the hour was come God no longer allowed their fear, which still existed (Matthew 26:5), to deter them.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 7:30. Οὔπω, not yet) ch. John 8:20.

Pulpit Commentary

Verses 30-36. -

(5) The divided opinions and conduct of the different groups around him; the attempt on his life, and its failure. Verse 30. - They sought therefore to seize him: and (equivalent to "but;" see ver. 28) no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come. It was in their heart to combine with "the Jews," but none dared to touch him. There were political considerations, there were lingering and coruscating fires of enthusiasm burning in the hearts of those who had seen his great works; and probably an awe, a superstitious fear, of some stroke of his reputed power held them back. The evangelist once more notices the true cause of this arrest of their malignity: "The hour" for the termination of his self-revelation, for the completion of his self-surrender, the hour which to the beloved disciple's eye was the very consummation of the ages, had not struck. John 7:30

Vincent's Word Studies

Then

Another of the frequent instances in which the A.V. of this Gospel renders the logical particle as a particle of time. Translate as Rev., therefore; because of His claim to be sent from God.

To take (πιάσαι)

See on Acts 3:7.