Judæan · noun — nominative plural masculine, a people name
sought
ἐζήτουνezētoun
G2212
to seek (literally or figuratively) · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural
him
αὐτὸνauton
G846
the reflexive pronoun self · personal pronoun — accusative singular masculine
at
ἐνen
G1722
"in · preposition
feast
ἑορτῇhe'ortēa
G1859
a festival · noun — dative singular feminine
and
καὶkai
G2532
and · conjunction
said
ἔλεγον·elegon
G3004
properly · verb — imperfect active indicative, 3rd person plural
Where
ποῦpou
G4226
as adverb of place · adverb — interrogative
is
ἐστίestí
G2076
he (she or it) is
he
ἐκεῖνος;ekeinos
G1565
that one (or (neuter) thing) · demonstrative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
John 11:56 Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on John 7:1-13
We have here, I. The reason given why Christ spent more of his time in Galilee than in Judea (Joh 7:1): because the Jews, the people in Judea and Jerusalem, sought to kill him, for curing the impotent man on the sabbath day, Joh 5:16. They thought to be the death of him, either by a popular tumult or by a legal prosecution, in consideration of which he kept at a distance in another part of the country, very much out of the lines of Jerusalem's communication. It is not said, He durst not, but, He would not, walk in Jewry; it was not through fear and cowardice that he declined it, but in prudence, because his hour was not yet come. Note, 1. Gospel light is justly taken away from those that end…
Jews--the rulers.
sought him--for no good end.
Where is He?--He had not been at Jerusalem for probably a year and a half.
Adam Clarke on John 7:11
Then the Jews sought him - By Jews here are to be understood the scribes, Pharisees, and rulers of the people, and not the inhabitants of the province of Judea. It appears, from the following verses, that many of the people were prejudiced in his favor, but they dared not to own it publicly for fear of the Jews, i.e. for fear of the rulers of the people.
John Gill on John 7:11
Then the Jews sought him at the feast,.... Some to take him and kill him, and others to hear his doctrine, and see his miracles: for all expected him at the feast, knowing it was always his custom, as it was his duty, as an Israelite, to attend at it:
and said, where is he? not naming his name; either through contempt, which might be the case of the far greater part; or through fear of the Jews; or because that he was so well known.
John Calvin on John 7:9-13
John 7:9-13
9. And having said these things, he remained in Galilee. 10. And when his brethren had gone up, then he also went up to the feast, not openly, but, as it were, in secret. 11. The Jews therefore sought him at the feast, and said, Where is he? 12. And there was much murmuring concerning him among the crowds; for some said, He is a good man, and others said, No, but he seduceth the multitude. 13. Yet no man spoke openly about him for fear of the Jews.
9. He remained in Galilee. The Evangelist here places before our eyes the cousins of our Lord Jesus Christ, [182] who, in compliance with ordinary customs, pretend to worship God, but yet are on friendly terms with unbelievers, and t…
The Church Fathers
"Then the Jews sought Him, and said, Where is He?" Excellent truly the good deeds at their feasts! they are eager for murder, and wish to seize Him, even during the feast. Through their excessive hatred and enmity they would not even call Him by name. Great was their reverence towards the feast, great their caution. By occasion of the very feast they wished to entrap Him!
The Jews seek Jesus, not that they may believe on Him when they have found Him (for surely would He preventing their search, have offered Himself, according as it is said of Him, I was found of them that sought Me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me) but of their exceeding transgression falling into the vain toil of the Greeks, and emulous of their habits rather than of those things whereby it was like that they should be enlightened by the grace from above. For those of the Greeks who seem to be wise, filled with worldly and devilish wisdom, expend long and subtle discourses, and revolve cycles of vain propositions, and weaving the spider's web, as it is written, make feint to investigate what is the nature of truth or goodness or justice, and, moulding to themselves a shadow only of the true knowledge, abide wholly untasting of the virtue that is in deeds, and remaining destitute of the true wisdom which is from above, make their exercises about words alone to no profit. The Jews again, brothers and neighbours of their unlearning, seek for Jesus, not that they may believe on Him when they have found Him, as the nature of things proved, but that they hitting Him with their many revilings, might bring the fire unquenchable upon their own heads. And in another respect we shall suppose they made most idle search. For they only pretend to seek Him, because He is not present. For (says one) 'the Wonder-worker ought to be present with the feasters,' seeking rather pleasure in the enjoyment of it, and not at all the profit from the marvel; but wrapped round in conceit of knowledge of the law, and thinking that they were to no slight degree instructed in the sacred writings, they are unmindful of the Prophet's voice thus speaking, Seek ye God, and in finding Him call upon Him; when He shall draw nigh you, let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his counsel, and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy. Seest thou how it will not suffice unto salvation to seek only, but when we have found, to turn to also, i. e., by obedience and faith? So might the foolish and refractory people of the Jews have been saved: but since in this too they are found exceedingly unwise, they will at length with reason hear, How do ye say, WE are wise, and the Law of the Lord is with us? in vain to the scribes was their lying pen. The…
