40 Some of the people therefore , when they heard these words , were saying , "This certainly is the Prophet ." 41 Others were saying , "This is the Christ ." Still others were saying , " Surely the Christ is not going to come from Galilee , is He? 42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the descendants of David , and from Bethlehem , the village where David was?" 43 So a division occurred in the crowd because of Him. 44 Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees , and they said to them, "Why e did you not bring Him?" 46 The officers answered , " Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks ." 47 The Pharisees then answered them, " You have not also been led astray , have you? 48 " No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 "But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed ." 50 Nicodemus (he who came to Him before , being one of them) said to them, 51 " Our Law does not judge a man unless e it first hears from him and knows what he is doing , does it?" 52 They answered him, " You are not also from Galilee , are you? Search , and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee ."
53 [Everyone went to his home .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 7:40-53
Commentary on John 7:40-53
(Read John 7:40-53)
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 matters of eternal moment, are willing even to be damned for fashion's sake. As the wisdom of God often chooses things which men despise, so the folly of men commonly despises those whom God has chosen. The Lord brings forward his weak and timid disciples, and sometimes uses them to defeat the designs of his enemies.