Section 7:25–31

People wondered if Jesus was the Messiah

Many people began to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. The authorities tried to arrest Jesus, but it was not yet the time that God would allow that to happen.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Many people believed that Jesus was the Messiah
-or-
Many believed in Jesus, but the leaders tried to arrest him

Paragraph 7:25–27

No one stopped Jesus preaching, and some people from Jerusalem noticed that. They began to wonder if the Jewish leaders did not stop him because they changed their ideas about him. But the people knew who Jesus was and where he came from. They thought that they would not know where the Messiah was from.

7:25a

Then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then is more literally “therefore.” Here it introduces what the people said about Jesus as a result of what he just said. Here are other ways to translate this word:

So (New American Standard Bible)

some of the people of Jerusalem began to say: This clause introduces how some people who lived in Jerusalem reacted to Jesus’ teaching. What they said, the quotation that follows, is a rhetorical question. So it may be natural to use a word like “ask” when you translate this clause. For example:

some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask (New International Version)

7:25b

Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?: This is a rhetorical question that expects the answer “yes.” The people used it to express surprise. The people were confused because they did not understand why the authorities (the Jewish leaders) allowed Jesus to teach in public. They expected that the authorities would arrest him, but they had not.

They did not doubt that the authorities were actually trying to kill Jesus. They knew that this was true, and they were not surprised about it. Instead, they were surprised that the authorities allowed Jesus to teach publicly.

There are two ways to translate this question:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

Isn’t this the man they want to kill? (God’s Word)

• Use a statement. For example:

This is the man they are trying to kill. (New Century Version)

Translate this rhetorical question in the way that is most natural in your language. If using a question implies that people did not know whether the authorities wanted to kill Jesus, it is recommended that you use a statement. See the second meaning line in the Display.

they are trying to kill: The verb are trying can also mean “want.” The Greek is not clear whether they already did something to try to kill Jesus or they just wanted to. In some languages it may be natural to make it explicit that the subject, they, refers to the Jewish leaders. These leaders were not trying to kill Jesus personally, so it may be necessary to say:

the authorities/leaders are trying to cause him to be punished by death
-or-
our (incl.) leaders want/seek his death

General Comment on 7:25a–b

A new paragraph begins at this point, and this may mark the beginning of a passage read in church or public. It is therefore good to indicate that the “man” referred to is Jesus. For example:

25a Some of the people living in Jerusalem then began ⌊to discuss Jesus,⌋ saying, 25b “This is the man they want to have killed!…”
-or-

25a Some of the people of Jerusalem began to say, 25b “This ⌊Jesus⌋ is the one the authorities/leaders want to punish with death!…”

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