Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of John 7:4
For [there is] no man [that] doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.
4. there is no man that doeth ] More simply, no man doeth.
and he himself seeketh ] i.e. no one does anything in secret and is thereby personally seeking to act with openness. To conceal His miracles is to deny His Messiahship; the Messiah must accept His position.
to be known openly ] Literally, to be in openness or frankness. The word for ‘frankness’ occurs nine times in this Gospel and four times in the First Epistle; not in Matt. or Luke; only once in Mark.
If thou do these things ] Feeding the 5000, and other miracles. If Thou doest such miracles at all, do them at Jerusalem at the Feast and convince the whole nation. It is assuming a false position to do such things and hide them in obscure parts of Galilee: it is claiming to be the Messiah and being afraid to shew one’s credentials. They knew probably that He had not gone up to Jerusalem for the Passover.
shew thyself ] Better, manifest Thyself. See on Joh 1:31, Joh 21:1, and comp. Joh 9:3, Joh 17:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For there is no man … – The brethren of Jesus supposed that he was influenced as others are. As it is a common thing among men to seek popularity, so they supposed that he would also seek it; and as a great multitude would be assembled at Jerusalem at this feast, they supposed it would be a favorable time to make himself known. What follows shows that this was said, probably, not in sincerity, but in derision; and to the other sufferings of our Lord was to be added, what is so common to Christians, derision from his relatives and friends on account of his pretensions. If our Saviour was derided, we also may expect to be by our relatives; and, having his example, we should be content to bear it.
If thou do … – It appears from this that they did not really believe that he performed miracles; or, if they did believe it, they did not suppose that he was the Christ. Yet it seems hardly credible that they could suppose that his miracles were real, and yet not admit that he was the Messiah. Besides, there is no evidence that these relatives had been present at any of his miracles, and all that they knew of them might have been from report. See the notes at Mar 3:21. On the word brethren in Joh 7:5, see the Mat 13:55 note, and Gal 1:19 note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 4. No man that doeth any thing in secret, c.] They took it for granted that Christ was influenced by the same spirit which themselves felt and that therefore he should use every opportunity of exhibiting himself to the public, that he might get into repute; and they hoped that a part of his honour would be reflected back upon themselves, as being his near relations. They seem to have said: “It is too little to employ thyself in working miracles in Galilee, in the country, and in small villages, among an ignorant and credulous people, from whom thou canst not get much credit: go to Jerusalem, the capital, and among the learned doctors, in the presence of the whole nation assembled at this feast, work thy miracles, and get thyself a name.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
The things which thou doest, thou doest out of a desire by them to be made known, and to spread thy own fame and glory: for this, Galilee is not a proper place, because it is an obscure part in the country. The phrase which we translate
to be known, is in the Greek . The usage of it here seemeth to be something different from the use of it in other places of holy writ. It sometimes signifies confidence and security; and we translate it boldness, Act 13:46; 26:26; 28:31; Phi 1:20; Heb 3:6; 10:19. But this cannot be the sense of this text; for it were no sense to read it, seeketh to be known boldly, confidently, or securely. Sometimes we translate it openly, as in this text, and Joh 11:54; Col 2:15. It sometimes signifieth a freedom of speech, Act 2:29; 4:13; 2Co 7:4. Sometimes it signifieth clearness and plainness of speech, Joh 10:24; Joh 11:14. Sometimes it signifieth a speaking in public meetings, as in Mar 8:32; Joh 18:20. Dr. Hammond notes, that it also sometimes signifies to speak with authority, Act 4:29,31; Eph 6:19. Certainly the word in its primary signification signifieth a freedom and boldness of speech; which freedom and boldness is necessary to him that speaketh openly, and in public meetings; and is advantaged by the authority which any man hath to speak: hence in a secondary sense it may signify both to speak with authority, and also to speak in public assemblies; and this last I take to be here signified. It is (as our Saviours friends tell him) both against reason, and the ordinary course of the world, for men desirous of opportunities to speak boldly and freely in public assemblies, to keep themselves in obscure places, where are no such public assemblies. They therefore advise him, that if indeed he wrought these miraculous operations, and were able to produce such effects, he would not bury up himself and his reputation in such a hole as Galilee, but show himself to the more noted and famous part of the world, which was, as to that part of the world, Jerusalem, and at the feast now, where multitudes of the people would be to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
For there is no man that doeth anything in secret,…. For so they reckoned his doing miracles in such a corner of the land, and in so obscure a place as Galilee:
and he himself seeketh to be known openly; suggesting hereby, that Christ was an ambitious person, and sought popular applause, and honour and glory from men, when nothing was more foreign from him; see Joh 5:41.
If thou do these things; for they question whether the miracles he wrought were real; and suspected that they were deceptions of the sight, and delusions; or at least they questioned their being done by him; and rather thought that they were done by diabolical influence, by Beelzebub the prince of devils: but if they were real ones, they advise him, saying,
shew thyself to the world; or do these openly, and in the presence of the great men of the world; the princes of it, the rulers of the people, the chief priests and sanhedrim; and before all the males of Israel; who at this feast would come up from all parts of the land, and are for their multitude called the world: the reason of this their advice was, that if his miracles were real, and he was the person he would be thought to be, the doing of them before such, would gain him great credit and esteem; and if not, he might be detected by such numbers, and by men of such penetration as were among them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
In secret ( ). See Matt 6:4; Matt 6:6 for this phrase.
Openly ( ). “In public” (, , telling it all). See on Mt 8:32. Common in John (John 7:13; John 7:26; John 10:24; John 16:25; John 16:29; John 18:20; here again contrasted with ). It is wise advice in the abstract that a public teacher must allow inspection of his deeds, but the motive is evil. They might get Jesus into trouble. ( ). This condition of the first class assumes the reality of the deeds of Jesus, but the use of the condition at all throws doubt on it all as in Matt 4:3; Matt 4:6.
Manifest thyself ( ). First aorist active imperative of .
To the world ( ). Not just to “thy disciples,” but to the public at large as at the feast of tabernacles. See John 8:26; John 14:22 for this use of .
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Openly [ ] . Literally, in boldness. The reasoning is : no man can assert the position which Christ claims, and at the same time keep secret the works which go to vindicate it.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For there is no man that doeth anything in secret,” (oudeis gar ti en krupto poiei) “For no one does anything in secret,” as opposed to the idea of public, wide recognition, respect, and acceptance. In secret is in contrast with “walking openly,” Joh 11:54, They seem to feel that Jesus had turned to a state of semi-retirement.
2) “And he himself seeketh to be known openly.” (kai zetei autos en parresia einai) “And seeks himself to be or exist in the open, above board,” or on the level, so as to exert wide influence. After laying down this private versus public premise His own brothers seem to use His own words to needle or motivate Him to be less retiring, Luk 8:16; Luk 11:33; Luk 12:2.
3) “If thou doest these things,” (ei tauta poieis) “if these things you do,” you really do, repeatedly, or “since you do these things;- They were not necessarily expressing doubt, but asking that He go and dispel it from the religious doubters in Judea.
4) “Shew thyself to the world.” (phaneroson seauton to kosmo) “Make yourself manifest (openly) to the world,” to mankind, to all men, the mixed masses. For He came to be manifest and manifest the Father to the world, Joh 14:21-22; 1Ti 3:16; 1Pe 1:20; Heb 1:1-3.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
4. If thou dost these things; that is, if thou aspirest to such greatness that all may applaud thee, direct towards thee the eyes of all. And they add, show thyself to the world, using the word world, as contrasted with the small number of persons among whom he was spending his time without honor. We might also draw from it another meaning. “ If thou dost these things, that is, since thou art endued with so great power as to procure reputation for thyself by miracles, do not throw them away; for all that has been given to thee by God thou spendest here to no purpose, because there are none to bear thee testimony, or to hold thee in just estimation.” Hence we perceive how great is the indolence of men in considering the works of God; for the relations of Christ would never have spoken in this manner, if they had not — as it were — trampled under foot the manifest proofs of his Divine power, which they ought to have beheld with the greatest admiration and reverence. What is here told us concerning Christ happens in daily experience, that the children of God suffer greater annoyance from their near relations than from strangers; for they are instruments of Satan which tempt, sometimes to ambition, and sometimes to avarice, those who desire to serve God purely and faithfully. But such Satans receive a vigorous repulse from Christ, who thus instructs us by his example, that we ought not to yield to the foolish wishes of brethren or relations. (179)
(179) “ De nos parens.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) For there is no man.His course of action seems to them to contradict His personal claim. It is opposed, they think, to the common-sense conduct of mankind.
If thou do these things.The emphasis is on these things. There is no doubt that He does them; but if the acts themselves are such as they seem to be, and establish the claim which He bases on them, they should be done in Jerusalem, not in the villages of Galilee. They are for the world, and not for the retirement of home.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. No man Omitting the italics, (injudiciously inserted by the translators,) the verse may read, No man doeth anything in secret yet seeketh to be himself known openly. That is, no man does both stay in secret and desire to be public. It is inconsistent, and contrary to common sense or ordinary human conduct.
If thou do these things If thou proposest thyself to be a miraculous founder. There is a non-committalism in this if that leads the Evangelist to the explanation in the following verse.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Joh 7:4 . “ For no one does anything in secret, and is thereby personally striving to he of a frank, open-hearted nature;” i.e. no one withdraws himself and his works also into quiet secrecy, and yet strives frankly to assert his personal position (as you must do if you are the Messiah). The two things are, indeed, contradictory! On . comp. Joh 11:54 ; Wis 5:1 ; and Grimm, Exeg. Handb . p. 110 f.; Eph 6:19 ; Phi 1:20 ; Col 2:15 . The word does not signify “ manifest ” or “ known ” (De Wette, Godet, and most others), but it means the opposite of a shy and timid nature, which shrinks from playing the part of a fearless and frank character.
] is the simple aliquid , not magnum quid (Kuinoel and others); and does not stand for , so that would be superfluous (Grotius, Kuinoel), but is the simple “and,” while air [258] is ipse , thus putting the person attributively over-against the work (Herm. ad Vig . p. 735; Fritzsche ad Rom . II. p. 75), and not merely resuming the subject (Lcke, Tholuck), as also it must not be taken in Mat 12:50 .
As to , versari in (Bernhardy, p. 210), thus designating the adverbial predicate as permanent , see Buttmann, N. T. Gr . p. 284 [E. T. p. 330].
] answers to the , Joh 7:3 , and to , Joh 7:4 , and therefore, according to the context (comp. also the consequent clause, which corresponds with , . . .), refers to the miracles which Jesus did in Galilee. has the emphasis: “If thou doest these things, i.e. if thy work consists in such wonderful deeds as thou art performing here in Galilee, do not act so foolishly as to confine thyself with such works within so narrow and obscure a range, but present thyself openly before the world , as thou must do in Judaea , which during the feast is the theatrum mundi .” , like the preceding , gives prominence to His person , as opposed to His work . But the is not expressive of doubt (Euthymius Zigabenus: ; Lcke, De Wette, and most: as if we were to supply, if it be really as we hear; comp. also Brckner, who considers that it is intended to intimate in a disagreeable manner that the fact was doubtful), it is argumentative; the brothers know that His works are of an extraordinary kind, as was evident to them in Galilee ( denotes a permanent course of action; Bernhardy, p. 370); and they consider it absurd that He should withdraw Himself personally from the place whither all the world was flocking.
[258] The reading (Lachm. following B. D.*) is only an error in transcription. Ebrard, who maintains its genuineness, yet marvellously renders: “ but he strives, that it may take place openly.” , meaning “ but ,” is said to be Johannean; it is really neither Johannean nor Greek at all, but simply wrong . The frequent Greek use of it in John in the sense of “ and yet ” is something quite different; see on ver. 29.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.
Ver. 4. For there is no man, &c. ] Here they proceed to charge Christ with folly; and presume to lesson him with their
” Vile latens vlrtus: quid enim submersa latebris
Proderit? Obscuro veluti sine remige puppis:
Vel lyra quae reticet, vel qui non tenditur arcus.
Claudian.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
no man = no one. Greek. oudeis (compound of App-105).
openly. Greek. parrhesia, literally in plain language.
If. Assuming the fact. App-118. Not the same word as in verses: Joh 7:17, Joh 7:37.
shew. Greek. phaneroo. App-106. Compare Joh 1:31; Joh 2:11.
world. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Subject), App-6, for its inhabitants. See note on Joh 1:9, and App-129.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Joh 7:4. , and seeketh) An affirmative assertion, as is clear from the verb manifest [Thyself], which is inferred from this clause. No man includes in it every man and not: every man belongs to both parts of the sentence: not to the former part; in this sense, Every man, who doeth anything, doeth it not in secret, but so as that he seeks himself to be known openly. , and, for but [and yet], as frequently. The figure Diasyrmus [teasing, as if He managed His affairs carelessly].-,) himself; in antithesis to that, which he himself doeth: so, corresponding to this, , Thyself, follows in the next clause.-, if) This particle often has more, not less weight, than when.[163]-) these miracles, which Thou doest.- , to the world) to all. Seek a larger theatre of action, say they, especially at the feast time.
[163] Since, , joined to the Indicative-E. and T.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Joh 7:4
Joh 7:4
For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly.-[No prophet and inspired teacher. The claim that such teachers seek the multitudes, after which, and in their presence, in the most public manner, exhibit their supernatural power.] If a man expects the world to honor him he must keep himself and his work before the world was the idea of these brethren of Jesus. This is the worlds idea.
If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world.-[If implies that his brethren were doubters and the following verse asserts that they were unbelievers.]
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
world
kosmos = mankind. (See Scofield “Mat 4:8”).
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
there: Pro 18:1, Pro 18:2, Mat 6:1, Mat 6:2, Mat 6:5, Mat 6:16, Mat 23:5, Luk 6:45
show: Joh 18:20, 1Ki 22:13, Mat 4:6, Act 2:4-12
Reciprocal: Mat 6:3 – let Luk 4:23 – do Joh 6:15 – take Joh 11:54 – went
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
4
His brethren made their suggestion in a critical mood. They implied that Jesus was inconsistent in avoiding publicity. If he wished to be known by mankind as the Saviour of the world, he should not be acting in such a secret manner.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world.
[In secret; openly.] these brethren of Christ, whoever they were, did not as yet believe; because they saw him live so obscure, and did not behave himself with that pomp and outward appearance which they expected in the Messiah. And therefore they persuade him to go into Judea, where he had baptized most disciples, Joh 3:22; that, upon the lustre of his miracles, he might shine with greater splendour and majesty.
Fuente: Lightfoot Commentary Gospels
Joh 7:4. For no one doeth any thing in secret, and himself seeketh to be in boldness. To be in boldness may seem a singular expression; the Greek words, however, will not admit of the rendering to be known openly; and it is clear that the form of the phrase is chosen so as to be in correspondence with what precedes, doeth anything in secret. The Greek word rendered boldness occurs nine times in I his Gospel, four times in Johns First Epistle, and eighteen times in the rest of the New Testament. In every case it denotes either boldness, as opposed to fear or caution (see Joh 7:13; Joh 7:26, Joh 11:54, Joh 18:20), or plainness of language as opposed to reserve (chap. Joh 10:24, Joh 11:14, Joh 16:25; Joh 16:29); here the meaning is to take a bold position. Working miracles in secret and a bold claim of personal dignity and office are, in the view of these men, things incompatible with one another.
If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world. These words are very remarkable. The brothers would use them as meaning to all men, i.e. to all Israel gathered together at the feast (comp. chap. Joh 12:19); but we cannot doubt that the Evangelist sees here the language of unconscious prophecy, such as appears in many other places of this Gospel, and in one case at least (chap. Joh 11:51) is expressly noted by himself. The words are now uttered with a true instinct; they will be fulfilled in their widest sense.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 4
Show thyself to the world. Galilee was a retired and mountainous region, and thinly peopled, while Jerusalem was the great centre of movement and attraction.