Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
All Commentaries on John 7:40 Go To John 7
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Or thus; By the glory of Christ, He means the cross. For, whereas we were enemies, and gifts are not made to enemies, but to friends, it was necessary that the victim should be first offered up, and the enmity of the flesh removed; that, being made friends of God, we might be capable of receiving the gift.
But be it so, they knew not His birth-place: were they ignorant also of His extraction? that He was of the house and family of David? Why did they ask, Has not the Scripture said, that Christ comes of the seed of David? They wished to conceal His extraction, and therefore put forward where He had been educated. For this reason, they donot go to Christ and ask, How say the Scriptures that Christ must come from Bethlehem, whereas you come from Galilee purposely and of malice prepense they do not do this. And because they were thus inattentive, and indifferent about knowing the truth, Christ did not answer them: though He had lauded Nathanael, when he said, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? and called Him an Israelite indeed, as being a lover of truth, an well learned in the ancient Scriptures.
The Evangelist says this to show, that they had no concern for, and no anxiety tolearn, the truth.
This were sufficient to have raised some compunction in them; but no, such malignity believes nothing; it looks only to one thing, blood.
The Pharisees and Scribes profited nothing by seeing the miracles, and reading the Scriptures; but their officers, who had done neither, were captivated with once hearing Him; and they who went to take hold of Him, were themselves taken hold of by the miracle. Nor did they say, We could not because of the multitude: but made themselves proclaimers of Christ’s v wisdom;: The of officers answered, Never man spoke like this Man.
Not only is their wisdom to be admired, for not wanting miracles, but being convinced by His teaching only, (for they do not say, Never man did such miracles as this Man, but, Never man spoke like this Man,) but also their boldness, in saying this to the Pharisees, who were such enemies of Christ. They had not heard a long discourse, but mindsunprepossessed against Him did not require one.
They make use of the most foolish argument against them: Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on Him? but this people who knows not the law are cursed? This then was their ground of accusation, that the people believed, but they themselves did not.
How then are they cursed, who are convinced by the law? Rather are you cursed, who have not observed the law.
As they said that none of the rulers believed on Him, the Evangelist contradicts them: Nicodemus said to them,(he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them.).
Nicodemusshows that they knew the law, and did not act according to the law. They, instead of disproving this, take to rude and angry contradiction: They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee? .
Then, by way of insult, they direct Him to the Scriptures, as if He were ignorant of them; Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet: as if to say, Go, learn what the Scriptures say.
