Section 7:10–24

Jesus went to the Feast in Jerusalem

After Jesus stayed in Galilee a while, he went up quietly by himself. The crowds there disagreed about whether Jesus was a good man. He began to teach the people gathered at the temple and the Jewish leaders were amazed at his teaching. Jesus explained that his teaching came from God. Then he made them angry by saying that none of them kept the law.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus began to teach at the festival of Booths
-or-
Jesus’ teaching came from God

Paragraph 7:10–13

Jesus went secretly to the festival. The Jewish leaders were watching for him so that they could accuse him and arrest him. Some of the people there thought that Jesus was good and others opposed him.

7:10a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But marks a contrast with the previous verse. Jesus did in fact go to the festival, but not at that time. He went in private and after his brothers had left. Here is another way to translate this word:

However (New International Version)

after His brothers had gone up to the feast: Jesus’ brothers left Galilee without him and traveled to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

when his brothers had gone up to the feast (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
after his brothers left for the festival (New Living Translation (2004))

the feast: The phrase the feast refers to the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. See how you translated this term in 7:2.

7:10b

He also went: The pronoun He refers to Jesus. Jesus went to the festival, as well as his brothers, but he went later. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

then Jesus also went to the feast
-or-
then Jesus himself also went up (NET Bible Bible)

not publicly: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not publicly means “without letting people see him.” Jesus did not tell people he was going or take a large group of followers with him. He went quietly and secretly. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

without telling anyone (Contemporary English Version)

but in secret: The phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but in secret indicates that Jesus traveled without telling people who he was. He did not want to attract attention by having many people follow him.

There is a textual issue here.

(1) Most Greek manuscripts have words that New Revised Standard Version translates as “as it were.” However, only a few English translations follow these manuscripts. For example:

but as if, in secret (New American Standard Bible)

(New American Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, King James Version)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts do not have the words that the New Revised Standard Version translates as “as it were.” Most English translations follow these manuscripts. For example:

but secretly (New Jerusalem Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, NET Bible Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). It has the support of most Greek manuscripts, even though most English translations do not follow it. Scholars have decided that the words were probably part of the original Greek text, although they are not very sure. So if major language translations in your area follow option (2), you may follow that option instead.

General Comment on 7:10b

The phrases “not publicly” and “in secret” are parallel. They mean the same thing, and in some languages it is more natural to combine them. For example:

Jesus went also. But he did not let people see him. (New Century Version)

General Comment on 7:10a–b

In some languages it is more natural to reverse the order of 7:10a and 7:10b. For example:

10b However, Jesus went up to the feast quietly and in private 10a after his brothers left.

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