Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
7. The world ] Unbelievers; the common meaning in S. John. In Joh 7:4 ‘the world’ means all mankind. See on Joh 1:10.
cannot hate you ] Because you and it are of one mind; because you are part of it: it cannot hate itself; see on Joh 15:19. Hence it is that they can always manifest themselves: they can always count upon favourable surroundings and a sympathetic audience.
me it hateth ] Comp. Joh 3:20, Joh 7:34; Joh 7:36, Joh 8:21, Joh 12:39.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The world cannot hate you – You profess no principles in opposition to the world. You do not excite its envy, or rouse against you the civil rulers. As you possess the same spirit and principles with the men of the world, they cannot be expected to hate you.
I testify of it – I bear witness against it. This was the main cause of the opposition which was made to him. He proclaimed that men were depraved, and the result was that they hated him. We may expect that all who preach faithfully against the wickedness of men will excite opposition. Yet this is not to deter us from doing our duty, and, after the example of Jesus, from proclaiming to men their sins, whatever may be the result.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 7. The world cannot hate you] The Jews will not persecute you, because ye are in their sentiments and interests. Ye also expect a worldly Messiah.
But me it hateth] Because I condemn its injustice, its pride, its ambition, and its maxims, by my life and doctrine. It is very likely that the term world means here the Jewish people only: this is an acceptation in which frequently occurs in this Gospel. See on John 17. Joh 17:1-26.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By the world, our Saviour plainly understandeth the men of the world; men not regenerated, renewed, and sanctified. These men, saith he, cannot as yet hate you. There was a time afterward when this part of the world hated all the disciples of Christ, as Christ foretold, Joh 15:18; but that was after the doctrine of the gospel was more preached, and made known to the world by the preaching of the apostles: and therefore Christ saith (in that place) that it hated him before it hated them. Christ first published the doctrine of the gospel, and so became the first object of the worlds hatred on that account. These his brethren were not concerned (that we read of) at this time in the publication of it, nor had any occasion to make themselves known and odious to the world upon that account; therefore he saith, The world (the wicked Jews, here so called) could not be reasonably imagined to have any spite or malignity to them.
But, saith he, me it hateth: that is apparent from what we met with Joh 5:18. But this was not for any fault in Christ, but only for his preaching the doctrine of the gospel, and free reproving them for the evil of their works, the corruption of their doctrine, and the errors of their life and conversation.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
The world cannot hate you,…. Because they were of the world, belonged to it; they were like unto it, and every like loves its like; and they were the world’s own, and therefore instead of being hated, were loved by it; and they walked according to the course of it; and wicked men not only take pleasure in sin, but in them that do it:
but me it hateth; though without a cause; that is, without a just cause, or reason; a cause there was, and it follows:
because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil; even those works of it, which were reckoned good works; Christ bore his testimony of these, that they were evil; being done either not according to the command of God, but the traditions of the elders; or not from a right principle, as of faith and love, nor to a right end, as the glory of God; but only to be seen of men: and very severely did he inveigh against the pride, covetousness, hypocrisy, and uncleanness of the Scribes and Pharisees: and so he continued to do, and this drew upon him their hatred and ill will.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Cannot hate ( ). Because of “the law of moral correspondence” (Westcott), often in John for “inherent impossibility” (Vincent). The brothers of Jesus here belong to the unbelieving world () which is unable to love Jesus (John 15:18; John 15:23; John 15:24) and which Jesus had already exposed (“testify,” , John 5:42; John 5:45). This unbelieving “world” resented the exposure (3:19, cf. 18:37).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Cannot. Frequent in John, and expressing an inherent impossibility. See Joh 3:3, 5; Joh 5:19; Joh 6:44; Joh 7:34, 36; Joh 8:21, 43; Joh 12:39; Joh 14:17, etc. Evil [] . See on Luk 3:19; Luk 7:21.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “The world cannot hate you; (ou dunatai ho kosmos misein humas) “The world is not able to hate you all,” because you belong to, go along with it. It can not hate its own, its own kind, Joh 8:23; Joh 15:19.
2) “But me it hateth,” (eme de misei) “Yet it hates me,” without cause, a justifiable ground or cause, Joh 15:25; and this had been prophesied, Psa 35:19; Psa 69:4.
3) “Because I testify of it,” (hoti ego marturo peri autou) “Because I witness or testify concerning it,” and its hatred is what caused Him to choose His own time to manifest Himself to the world.
4) “That the works thereof are evil.” (hoti ta erga autou ponera estin) “That the works of it exit as wicked,” in nature, Joh 3:19-20; Joh 15:22-24.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
7. The world cannot hate you. When he says that the world cannot hate them, he reproves them for being altogether carnal; for peace with the world can only be purchased by a wicked consent to vices and to every kind of wickedness.
But me it hateth, because I testify. The world here denotes men who are not born again, who retain their natural disposition; and accordingly he declares that all who have not yet been regenerated by the Spirit are Christ’s adversaries. And why? Because he condemns their works And if we acquiesce in the decision of Christ, we are under the necessity of acknowledging that the whole nature of man is so sinful and wicked, that nothing right, or sincere, or good, can proceed from it. This is the only reason why any of us is pleased with himself, so long as he is in his natural state.
Because I testify of it, that its works are evil. When Christ says that the world hateth him on this account, he means that the Gospel cannot be faithfully preached without summoning the whole world, as guilty, to the judgment-seat of God, that flesh and blood may thus be crushed and reduced to nothing, according to that saying,
When the Spirit shall come, he will reprove the world of sin, (Joh 16:8.)
We learn from it also, that so great is the pride natural to men, that they flatter and applaud themselves in their vices; for they would not kindle into rage, when they are reproved, were it not that they are blinded by excessive love of themselves, and on that account flatter themselves in their sins. Even among the vices of men, the chief and most dangerous is pride and arrogance. The Holy Spirit alone softens us, so as to endure reproofs patiently, and thus to offer ourselves willingly to be slain by the sword of the Church.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(7) The world cannot hate you.Because they were of the world. To have hated them, would have been to have hated itself. (Comp. Joh. 3:19-20.)
But me it hateth, because I testify . . .He had placed Himself in a position of antagonism to it, and must necessarily do so. His words and acts must be a witness against the evil of its deeds. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. But men who love darkness must also hate light. Its very presence makes the darkness visible; and nothing cuts to the very quick, like that which makes the heart condemn itself.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
7. The world To which (Joh 7:4) ye so ambitiously bid me show myself.
Cannot hate you You and it are quite too good friends.
Me it hateth The great world is wrong, and it hates the Holy One who would set it right.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
‘The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I declare that its works are evil’.
He points out to his brothers that they had given the world no reason for hating them, so that they had nothing to beware of and nothing to fear. No one wanted to arrest them. But it was different with Himself. While He had simply been doing good and healing He had been popular, but once He had begun to reveal men’s sinfulness and hypocrisy, especially that of the religious leaders, and once the common people had begun to respond to His teaching, the world had begun to hate Him. For one thing that the world cannot stand is to be shown up for what it really is. It does not like the light (Joh 3:17-21). This was especially true of those who had a high opinion of their own goodness, like the Jewish leaders and teachers. They wanted to be commended and praised, not shown up. But His words did show them up, which was the main reason why they hated Him and wanted to get rid of Him, something of which He was well aware. His brothers could go to the feast safely, but He knew the hatred that there was for Him and His teaching, and that He Himself must be more careful.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Joh 7:7-8 . ] “psychologically it cannot , because you are in perfect accord with it.” “One knave agrees with another, for one crow does not scratch out the eye of another crow,” Luther; , Plato, Lys . p. 214 B; comp. Gorg . p. 510 B.
] not as in Joh 7:4 , but with a moral significance (the unbelieving world). Comp. here 1Jn 5:19 .
, . . .] not an indefinite answer, leaving the matter spoken of uncertain (Hengstenberg), but, as the Present shows, a direct and categorical refusal: I , for my part, do not go up . Afterward He changed (Joh 7:10 ) His intention not to go up to the feast, and went up to it after all, though as secretly as possible. Porphyry’s reproach (in Jerome) of inconstantia is based upon a correct interpretation, but is not in itself just; for Jesus might alter His intention without being fickle, especially as the particular motive that prompted the change does not appear. In the case of the Canaanitish woman also, Mat 15:26 ff., He changed His intention. The result of this change was that once more, and for some length of time before the last decision, He prosecuted His work by way of opposition and instruction at the great capital of the theocracy. The attempt to put into the sense of , or to find this sense in the context, is as unnecessary as it is erroneous. Either the Present . has been emphasized, and a introduced (Chrysostom, Bengel, Storr, Lcke, Olshausen, Tholuck), or . has been taken to denote [259] the manner of travelling, viz. with the caravan of pilgrims , or the like; or the meaning of has been narrowed (Apol.: ; Cyril: ), as, besides Hofmann, Weissag. u. Erf . II. p. 113, and Lange, [260] Ebrard’s expedient of understanding the feast “ in the legally prescribed sense ” does; or has been regarded as limited by the following (De Wette, Maier, and most), which is quite wrong, for negatives generally the fulfilment of the in the present ( i.e . during the whole time of the feast). So little does the true interpretation of the justify the objection of modern criticism against the evangelist (B. Bauer: “Jesuitism;” Baur: “the seeming independence of Jesus is supposed thus to be preserved;” comp. also Hilgenfeld), that, on the contrary, it brings into view a striking trait of originality in the history.
Observe in the second half of the verse the simple and emphatic repetition of the same words, into which , however, is introduced (see the critical notes), because Jesus has in view a visit to a future feast. Observe also the repetition of the reason already given in Joh 7:6 , in which, instead of , the weightier occurs.
[259] Comp. Bengel, Luthardt (who would supply “ as ye think ”), Baumgarten, p. 228; Baeumlein; in like manner Godet, who explains , “I go not up as King Messiah .” As if one had only to foist in such interpolations!
[260] See his Leben Jesu , II. 927: He did not actually visit the feast , but He went up in the second half of the week of the feast , and not before. Jesus never resorted to any such subtleties.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Ver. 7. But me it hateth, because I testify ] Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit, Truth breeds hatred, as the fair nymphs are feigned to bring forth the ill-favoured fauns and satyrs. An expectes ut Quintilianus ametur? said he; Canst thou expect that I with my plain dealing should be favoured? Quintilian saith of Vespasian the emperor, that he was patientissimus viri, a man most patient, one that could well endure to be told his own. And of Gerson (that great Chancellor of Paris) it is recorded that he rejoiced in nothing so much as in a round reprehension by some faithful friend. But few such to be found today. Praedieare iam nihil aliud est, quam totius orbis furorem in se derivare, said Luther out of his own daily experience. They “hate him that reproveth in the gate.” Preachers are called lights, which sore eyes cannot look upon without offence. Salt also they are called, which cast upon wounds, maketh them smart grievously. Hence the world’s hatred, as Zec 1:11 ; all the earth was at rest, and desired not to be disquieted by the sound of a trumpet.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Joh 7:7 . The reason of the different procedure lies in the different relation to the world held by Jesus and His brothers. . There is no danger of your incurring the world’s hatred by anything you do or say; because your wishes and actions are in the world’s own spirit. But me the world hates, and I cannot at random or on every occasion utter to it my claims and purpose, because the very utterance of these claims causes it to be conscious that its desires are earthly (see chap. 6 passim ). This hatred of the world compelled Him to choose His time for manifesting Himself.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
cannot = is not (App-105) able to.
testify = bear witness See note on Joh 1:7.
of = concerning. Greek. peri. App-104.
evil, Greek. poneros. App-128.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 7:7. , the world) concerning which [they had said], at Joh 7:4, Show Thyself to the world.-, you) as being of the world.-, Me) Comp. Joh 5:1, The Jews sought to kill Him.-, it hateth) So also men regard the followers of Christ either with the greatest love, or else with the greatest hatred. Those who please all men at all times, ought deservedly to look on themselves with suspicion.-, I testify) The especial work of the Christ. It was thus He had testified, ch. Joh 5:33-47-, evil) springing from the Evil One; 1Jn 5:19, The whole world lieth in wickedness. [That the works of the world are evil, the men of the world themselves all confess; but there is no one that does not try to except himself. There is to be added the detestable evil, hypocrisy; namely, they wish to appear very far removed from hatred towards Jesus Christ.-V. g.]
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 7:7
Joh 7:7
The world cannot hate you;-[For it would, in that case, hate those who have its spirit and were of it. It will not hate itself. It only hates those who rebuke its sins and oppose its ways.]
but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil.-He expected when he went to Jerusalem to call out the hatred of the world by his condemnation of the evil of the world. As they were of the world and did not condemn the world, the world would not hate them. [It has always hated those who expose and denounce its sins. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist all suffered because they rebuked sin in high places. When Jesus came exposing the corruptions of the priests, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, the worldliness and debauchery of the Sadducees and Herodians, it was inevitable that he should be hated, persecuted, and put to death. But the world still hates him. The hate of such men as Voltaire, Tom Paine, and Ingersoll, and of all their followers is due to the fact that Christ and his church are a rebuke to, and condemnation of, their lives.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
world
kosmos = world-system. Joh 8:23; Joh 7:7, See note, Rev 13:3-8, (See Scofield “Rev 13:8”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
world: Joh 15:19, Luk 6:26, Jam 4:4, 1Jo 4:5
but: Joh 15:18, Joh 15:19, Joh 15:23-25, Joh 17:14, Pro 8:36, Isa 49:7, Zec 11:8, Rom 8:7, 1Jo 3:12, 1Jo 3:13
because: Joh 3:19, 1Ki 21:20, 1Ki 22:8, Pro 9:7, Pro 9:8, Pro 15:12, Isa 29:21, Jer 20:8, Amo 7:7-13, Mal 3:5, Luk 11:39-54, Act 5:28-33, Act 7:51-54, Gal 4:16, Rev 11:5-11
Reciprocal: Gen 37:2 – evil report Exo 20:5 – of them Lev 13:10 – quick raw flesh Lev 26:43 – their soul 2Ch 18:7 – I hate him Neh 6:19 – they reported Psa 34:21 – they Pro 15:10 – grievous Pro 29:27 – General Isa 26:18 – the inhabitants Isa 30:10 – speak Jer 6:10 – the word Amo 5:10 – hate Mic 3:2 – hate Mat 10:22 – shall be hated Mat 21:46 – they sought Luk 6:22 – when men Luk 11:45 – thou Luk 21:17 – ye Joh 3:20 – every Joh 8:45 – General Rom 1:30 – haters Rom 12:2 – be not 2Co 6:14 – for Eph 2:2 – walked according Rev 11:10 – these
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7
Cannot hate you does not mean it was literally impossible for the fleshly brethren of Christ to be hated. But it was wholly unlikely to occur, because all of the conditions were against It. They were regarded as ordinary citizens along with other men and were not “out on the firing line” as teachers against sin as was Jesus.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Joh 7:7. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I bear witness concerning it, that its works are wicked. Jesus takes up the word which they had used; but in His mouth it has a depth of solemn meaning of which they knew nothing. With them the world was the whole body of Israelites, with whom lay the acceptance or rejection of His claims; with Him the world was a hostile power, to which indeed He will manifest Himself, but which He has come to subdue. Jesus and His brothers stand in opposite relations to the world,they at one with it, He the Reprover of its wicked works. This difference of relation makes necessary a difference of action: they cannot understand, much less can they guide, His course.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Jesus alluded to the opposition that awaited Him in Jerusalem. His brothers had no particular reason to be careful about when they went to the feast, but Jesus would be in danger when He went. They were part of the world, but Jesus did not belong to it (Joh 1:10; cf. Joh 15:18-21; Joh 17:14; Joh 17:16). Another reason for the Jews’ antagonism was Jesus’ convicting preaching that called for repentance and faith in Him. This verse contains the explanation for Jesus’ statement in the preceding verse.