The Meaning of John 7:10 Explained

John 7:10

KJV: But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

YLT: And when his brethren went up, then also he himself went up to the feast, not manifestly, but as in secret;

Darby: But when his brethren had gone up, then he himself also went up to the feast, not openly, but as in secret.

ASV: But when his brethren were gone up unto the feast, then went he also up, not publicly, but as it were in secret.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But  when  his  brethren  were gone up,  then  went  he  also  up  unto  the feast,  not  openly,  but  as it were  in  secret. 

What does John 7:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus proceeded to Jerusalem shortly after his half-brothers did because the Father led Him to go then. He did not herald His arrival with great publicity, as His brothers had recommended, but went without fanfare. If He had gone sooner, the authorities would have had more opportunities to arrest Him ( John 7:1).

Context Summary

John 7:1-13 - Known By Our Attitude Toward Jesus
This feast was celebrated in October. Six entire months had elapsed between this and the preceding chapter. During the Feast of Tabernacles the people dwelt in tents made of boughs, on the roofs of the houses, and in the open places in or around Jerusalem. The rites of the feast recalled the miraculous interpositions of the Exodus. Water was poured forth each morning in the Temple to recall the smiting of the rock. Two candelabra, lighted each evening, represented the luminous cloud which lighted the Israelites by night. The brethren of Jesus are named in Matthew 13:55, of whom James afterward became chief pastor of the Jerusalem church. They could not deny His miracles; could not understand why he did not lead the popular movement that was ready to follow; and urged that he should at least give the authorities at the capital an opportunity of examining His claims. They felt that things had reached a point where there ought to be no standing still. Jesus could not explain the reasons that actuated Him. He knew that His open challenge to Jerusalem would mean His death; but there was yet further work to be done before His time should come. Let us use our time according to the divine plan. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 7

1  Jesus reproves the ambition and boldness of his kinsmen;
10  goes up from Galilee to the feast of tabernacles;
14  teaches in the temple
40  Various opinions of him among the people
45  The Pharisees are angry that their officers took him not,
50  and chide with Nicodemus for taking his side

Greek Commentary for John 7:10

Were gone up [ανεβησαν]
Second aorist active indicative of αναβαινω — anabainō not past perfect though the action is antecedent in fact to the following τοτε ανεβη — tote anebē The Greek does not always draw the precise distinction between the merely punctiliar (aorist) antecedent action and the past perfect (John 2:9; John 4:45). He also As well as the brothers. Not publicly Against their advice in John 7:4, using πανερωσον — phanerōson (the very same word stem). But as it were in secret “Not with the usual caravan of pilgrims” (Bernard). Just the opposite of their advice in John 7:4 with the same phrase εν πανερωι — en phanerōi Plainly Jesus purposely went contrary to the insincere counsel of his brothers as to the manner of his Messianic manifestation. This secrecy concerned solely the journey to Jerusalem, not his public teaching there after his arrival (John 7:26, John 7:28; John 18:20). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:10

Luke 9:51 That he should be received up [της αναλημπσεως αυτου]
Literally, “of his taking up.” It is an old word (from Hippocrates on), but here alone in the N.T. It is derived from αναλαμβανω — analambanō (the verb used of the Ascension, Acts 1:2, Acts 1:11, Acts 1:22; 1 Timothy 3:16) and refers here to the Ascension of Jesus after His Resurrection. Not only in John‘s Gospel (John 17:5) does Jesus reveal a yearning for a return to the Father, but it is in the mind of Christ here as evidently at the Transfiguration (Luke 9:31) and later in Luke 12:49.He steadfastly set his face (αυτος το προσωπον εστηρισεν — autos to prosōpon estērisen). Note emphatic αυτος — autos he himself, with fixedness of purpose in the face of difficulty and danger. This look on Christ‘s face as he went to his doom is noted later in Mark 10:32. It is a Hebraistic idiom (nine times in Ezekiel), this use of face here, but the verb (effective aorist active) is an old one from στηριζω — stērizō (from στηριγχ — stērigx a support), to set fast, to fix.To go to Jerusalem Genitive infinitive of purpose. Luke three times mentions Christ making his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; Luke 13:22; Luke 17:11) and John mentions three journeys to Jerusalem during the later ministry (John 7:10; John 11:17; John 12:1). It is natural to take these journeys to be the same in each of these Gospels. Luke does not make definite location of each incident and John merely supplements here and there. But in a broad general way they seem to correspond. [source]
Luke 9:51 To go to Jerusalem [του πορευεσται εις Ιερουσαλημ]
Genitive infinitive of purpose. Luke three times mentions Christ making his way to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51; Luke 13:22; Luke 17:11) and John mentions three journeys to Jerusalem during the later ministry (John 7:10; John 11:17; John 12:1). It is natural to take these journeys to be the same in each of these Gospels. Luke does not make definite location of each incident and John merely supplements here and there. But in a broad general way they seem to correspond. [source]
John 20:17 My brethren []
The word brethren, applied to the disciples, occurs before (John 7:3, John 7:5, John 7:10), but not the phrase my brethren, which follows from my Father and your Father. Compare Matthew 28:10. [source]
John 7:8 Go ye up to the feast [υμεις αναβητε εις την εορτην]
The emphatic word by position is υμεις — humeis (ye) in contrast with εγω — egō (I). Second aorist active imperative of αναβαινω — anabainō old and common verb for going up to the feast (John 2:13) or anywhere. Take your own advice (John 7:3). I go not up yet So Westcott and Hort after B W L (Neutral) while ου — ou (not) is read by Aleph D, African Latin, Vulgate, Coptic (Western). Some of the early Greek Fathers were puzzled over the reading ουκ — ouk (I go not up) as contradictory to John 7:10 wherein it is stated that Jesus did go up. Almost certainly ουκ — ouk (not) is correct and is not really contradictory when one notes in John 7:10 that the manner of Christ‘s going up is precisely the opposite of the advice of the brothers in John 7:3, John 7:4. “Not yet” One may think, if he will, that Jesus changed his plans after these words, but that is unnecessary. He simply refused to fall in with his brothers‘ sneering proposal for a grand Messianic procession with the caravan on the way to the feast. He will do that on the journey to the last passover. [source]
John 7:20 The multitude [ο οχλος]
Outside of Jerusalem (the Galilean crowd as in John 7:11.) and so unfamiliar with the effort to kill Jesus recorded in John 5:18. It is important in this chapter to distinguish clearly the several groups like the Jewish leaders (John 7:13, John 7:15, John 7:25, John 7:26, John 7:30, John 7:32, etc.), the multitude from Galilee and elsewhere (John 7:10-13, John 7:20, John 7:31, John 7:40, John 7:49), the common people of Jerusalem (John 7:25), the Roman soldiers (John 7:45.). Thou hast a devil “Demon,” of course, as always in the Gospels. These pilgrims make the same charge against Jesus made long ago by the Pharisees in Jerusalem in explanation of the difference between John and Jesus (Matthew 11:18; Luke 7:33). It is an easy way to make a fling like that. “He is a monomaniac labouring under a hallucination that people wish to kill him” (Dods). [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:10 mean?

When however had gone up the brothers of Him to the feast then also He went up not openly but as in secret
Ὡς δὲ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέβη οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλὰ ὡς ἐν κρυπτῷ

δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ἀνέβησαν  had  gone  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
ἀδελφοὶ  brothers 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  Him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ἑορτήν  feast 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἑορτή  
Sense: a feast day, festival.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἀνέβη  went  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
φανερῶς  openly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: φανερῶς  
Sense: manifestly.
κρυπτῷ  secret 
Parse: Adjective, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: κρυπτός 
Sense: hidden, concealed, secret.