Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
Read Chapter 7
Alcuin of York
AD 804
These had now begun to drink in that spiritual thirst, and had laid aside the unbelieving thirst. But others still remained driedup in their unbelief: But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said, That Christ comes of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? They knew what were the predictions of the Prophets respecting Christ, but knew not that they all were fulfilled in Him. They knew that He had been brought up at Nazareth, butthe place of His birth they did not know; and did not believe that it answered to the prophecies.
That is, because He Who had the power to control their designs, did not permit it.
They who wished to take and stone Him, reprove the officers for not bringing Him.
And so they were led away; and laudably too, for they had left the evil of unbelief, and were gone over to the faith.
They knew the place where He had resided, but never thought of inquiring where He was born; and therefore they not only denie...
Our Lord having invited those, who believed in Him, to drink of the Holy Spirit, adissension arose among the multitude: Many of the people therefore, when they heart these saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.
They; however who were sent to take Him, returned guiltless of the offense, and full of admiration: Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to the m, Why have you not brought Him? .
He spoke thus, because He was both God and man.
The Pharisees however rejected their testimony: Then answered them the Pharisees, Are you also led away? As if to say, We see that you are charmed by His discourse.
They who knew not the law, believed on Him who had given the law, and they who taught the law condemned Him; thus fulfilling our Lord’s words, I am come, that they which see not might see, and that they which see might be made blind.
He was not unbelieving, but fearful; and therefore came by night to the light, wishing to be enlightened, but afraid of ...
1. You remember, my beloved, that in the last discourse, by occasion of the passage of the Gospel read, we spoke to you concerning the Holy Spirit. When the Lord had invited those that believe in Him to this drinking, speaking among those who meditated to lay hold of Him, and sought to kill Him, and were not able, because it was not His will: well, when He had spoken these things, there arose a dissension among the multitude concerning Him; some thinking that He was the very Christ, others saying that Christ shall not arise from Galilee. But they who had been sent to take Him returned clear of the crime and full of admiration. For they even gave witness to His divine doctrine, when those by whom they had been sent asked, Why have ye not brought him? They answered that they had never heard a man so speak: For not any man so speaks. But He spoke thus, because He was God and man. But the Pharisees, repelling their testimony, said to them: Are ye also deceived? We see, indeed, that you als...
Others said, When Christ comes, no man knows whence He is John 7:27; and there was a difference of opinion, as might be expected in a confused multitude; for not attentively did they listen to His words, nor for the sake of learning. Wherefore He makes them no answer; yet they said, Does Christ come out of Galilee? And He had praised, as being an Israelite indeed, Nathanael, who had said in a more forcible and striking manner, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? John 1:46 But then these men, and they who said to Nicodemus, Search and look, for out of Galilee arises no prophet John 7:52, said it not seeking to learn, but merely to overturn the opinion concerning Christ. Nathanael said this, being a lover of the truth, and knowing exactly all the ancient histories; but they looked only to one thing, and that was to remove the opinion that He was the Christ, on which account He revealed nothing to them. For they who even contradicted themselves, and said at one time, No man kn...
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 o...
The one, that is, who was expected. Others, i.e. the people said, This is the Christ.
Not among the rulers; for they were resolved one way, viz. not to acknowledge Him as Christ. The more moderate of them only used malicious words, in order to oppose Christ’s path to glory; butthe more malignant wished to lay hands on Him: And some of them would haze taken Him.
The Pharisees answer the officers courteously and gently, because they are afraid of their forthwith separating from them, and joining Christ.
