The Meaning of John 7:35 Explained

John 7:35

KJV: Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

YLT: The Jews, therefore, said among themselves, 'Whither is this one about to go that we shall not find him? -- to the dispersion of the Greeks is he about to go? and to teach the Greeks;

Darby: The Jews therefore said to one another, Where is he about to go that we shall not find him? Is he about to go to the dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

ASV: The Jews therefore said among themselves, Whither will this man go that we shall not find him? will he go unto the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  said  the Jews  among  themselves,  Whither  will  he  go,  that  we  shall  not  find  him?  will  he go  unto  the dispersed  among the Gentiles,  and  teach  the Gentiles? 

What does John 7:35 Mean?

Context Summary

John 7:32-39 - A Spring Of Life-Giving Water
"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." The truth of that saying clearly appears in the earlier part of this section. When the Lord spoke of returning to the Father His hearers supposed that He was proposing to visit the Jews of the Dispersion. But how profound are these words of promise to those who come to Him! He is not content with speaking of a river. He uses the plural-rivers shall flow from Him. Add stream to stream, torrent to torrent, river to river, and these will barely suffice to set forth the freshness and abundance of life that shall proceed from the soul that previously had been thirsty for its own personal supply.
When our Lord ascended he received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, and then a new era broke on the world. The life of the believer was no longer only an imitation of obedience. It was the uprising and outpouring of the Holy Spirit from within. We become strengthened with might in the inner man and Christ dwells in our hearts by faith. Thereupon we not only are infilled of the Spirit, but it is His gracious ministry to mankind through us that makes the desert rejoice and blossom. [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 7:35

Among themselves [προς εαυτους]
These Jewish leaders of John 7:32 talk among themselves about what Jesus said in a spirit of contempt (this man or fellow, ουτος — houtos). That Almost result like οτι — hoti in Matthew 8:27. Will he go? Negative answer expected in an ironical question, “Is he about to go?” Unto the Dispersion among the Greeks Objective genitive των ελληνων — tōn Hellēnōn (of the Greeks) translated here “among,” because it is the Dispersion of Jews among the Greeks. Διασπορα — Diaspora is from διασπειρω — diaspeirō to scatter apart (Acts 8:1, Acts 8:4). It occurs in Plutarch and is common in the lxx, in the N.T. only here, James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1. There were millions of these scattered Jews. And teach the Greeks Confessing his failure to teach the Jews in Palestine, “thus ignorantly anticipating the course Christianity took; what seemed unlikely and impossible to them became actual” (Dods). [source]
Will He go [οὗτος μέλλει πορεύεσθαι]
Literally, whither does this man intend to go, or whither is He thinking of going? The A.V. misses the contemptuous insinuation in this man (Rev.). [source]
We shall not find him [ἡμεῖς]
The pronoun is emphatic; we, the religious leaders, the wise men, who scrutinize the claims of all professed teachers and keep a watchful eye on all impostors. [source]
The dispersed among the Gentiles [τὴν διασπορὰν τῶν Ἑλλήνων]
Literally, the dispersion of the Greeks. The Jews who remained in foreign lands after the return from the Captivity were called by two names: 1. The Captivity, which was expressed in Greek by three words, viz., ἀποικία , a settlement far from home, which does not occur in the New Testament; μετοικεσία , change of abode, which is found in Matthew 1:11, Matthew 1:12, Matthew 1:17, and always of the carrying into Babylon; αἰχμαλωσία , a taking at the point of the spear; Ephesians 4:8; Revelation 13:10. 2. The Dispersion ( διασπορά ). See on 1 Peter 1:1; see on James 1:1. The first name marks their relation to their own land; the second to the strange lands. [source]
The Gentiles [Ἕλληνας]
Literally, the Greeks. So Rev. See on Acts 6:1. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:35

John 10:16 One fold [μία ποίμνη]
The A.V. entirely ignores the distinction between αὐλή , fold, and ποίμνη , flock. The latter word is found Matthew 26:31; Luke 2:8; 1 Corinthians 9:7, and always distinctly meaning a flock, as does also the diminutive ποίμνιον , little flock (Luke 12:32; 1 Peter 5:2, etc.). Render, as Rev., one flock, one shepherd. So Tyndale's Version of the New Testament. Compare Ezekiel 34:23. We are not, however, to say with Trench (“A.V. of the New Testament”), that the Jew and the Gentile are the two folds which Christ will gather into a single flock. The heathen are not conceived as a fold, but as a dispersion. See John 7:35; John 11:52; and, as Meyer observes, “the thought of a divine leading of the heathen does not correspond at all to the figure of fold, of which the conception of theocratic fellowship constitutes an essential feature.” So Bengel. “He says, other sheep, not another fold, for they were scattered abroad in the world.” When Jesus speaks of the other sheep who are not from this fold, the emphasis is on fold, not on this. Compare Romans 11:17sqq. Nor, moreover, does Jesus mean that the Gentiles are to be incorporated into the Jewish fold, but that the unity of the two is to consist in their common relation to Himself. “The unity of the Church does not spring out of the extension of the old kingdom, but is the spiritual antitype of that earthly figure. Nothing is said of one fold under the new dispensation” (Westcott). It will readily be seen that the incorrect rendering fostered by the carelessness or the mistake of some of the Western fathers, and by the Vulgate, which renders both words by ovile, fold, has been in the interest of Romish claims. [source]
John 13:36 Whither goest thou? [που υπαγεισ]
Peter is puzzled just as the Pharisees were twice (John 7:35; John 8:21.). [source]
1 Peter 1:1 An apostle of Jesus Christ [αποστολος Ιησου Χριστου]
This is his official title, but in 2 Peter 1:1 δουλος — doulos is added, which occurs alone in James 1:1. In 2 John and 3 John we have only ο πρεσβυτερος — ho presbuteros (the elder), as Peter terms himself συνπρεσβυτερος — sunpresbuteros in 1 Peter 5:1. Paul‘s usage varies greatly: only the names in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians, the title αποστολος — apostolos added and defended in Galatians and Romans as also in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and 2 Timothy with “by the will of God” added, and in 1 Timothy with the addition of “according to the command of God.” In Philippians Paul has only “δουλος — doulos (slave) Χριστου Ιησου — Christou Iēsou like James and Jude. In Romans and Titus Paul has both δουλος — doulos and αποστολος — apostolos like 2 Peter, while in Philemon he uses only δεσμιος — desmios (prisoner) Ιησου Χριστου — Iēsou Christou the elect Without article (with the article in Matthew 24:22, Matthew 24:24, Matthew 24:31) and dative case, “to elect persons” (viewed as a group). Bigg takes εκλεκτοις — eklektois (old, but rare verbal adjective from εκλεγω — eklegō to pick out, to select) as an adjective describing the next word, “to elect sojourners.” That is possible and is like γενος εκλεκτον — genos eklekton in 1 Peter 2:9. See the distinction between κλητοι — klētoi (called) and εκλεκτοι — eklektoi (chosen) in Matthew 22:14.Who are sojourners (παρεπιδημοις — parepidēmois). Late double compound adjective (παρα επιδημουντες — paraδιασπορας — epidēmountes Acts 2:10, to sojourn by the side of natives), strangers sojourning for a while in a particular place. So in Polybius, papyri, in lxx only twice (Genesis 23:4 or Psalm 38:13), in N.T. only here, 1 Peter 2:11; Hebrews 11:13. The picture in the metaphor here is that heaven is our native country and we are only temporary sojourners here on earth.Of the Dispersion See John 7:35 for literal sense of the word for scattered (from diaspeirō to scatter abroad, Acts 8:1) Jews outside of Palestine, and James 1:1 for the sense here to Jewish Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples). Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23. [source]
1 Peter 1:1 Of the Dispersion [διασπειρω]
See John 7:35 for literal sense of the word for scattered (from diaspeirō to scatter abroad, Acts 8:1) Jews outside of Palestine, and James 1:1 for the sense here to Jewish Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples). Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from Colossians 1:6, Colossians 1:23. [source]
Revelation 13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity [εἴ τις αἰχμαλωσίαν συνάγει, εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπάγει]
Lit., if any one assemble captivity (i.e., bring together captives) into captivity he goeth away. The best texts insert εἰς intobefore the first captivity, and omit assemble, thus reading if any man is for captivity into captivity he goeth. So Rev. See on dispersion, John 7:35. Compare Jeremiah 15:2; Jeremiah 43:11. The persecutors of the Church shall suffer that which they inflict on the saints. [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:35 mean?

Said therefore the Jews among themselves Where He is about to go that we not will find Him Not to the Dispersion among the Greeks is He about and to teach the Greeks
Εἶπον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι πρὸς ἑαυτούς Ποῦ οὗτος μέλλει πορεύεσθαι ὅτι ἡμεῖς οὐχ εὑρήσομεν αὐτόν μὴ εἰς τὴν Διασπορὰν τῶν Ἑλλήνων μέλλει καὶ διδάσκειν τοὺς Ἕλληνας

Εἶπον  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
Ἰουδαῖοι  Jews 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: Ἰουδαῖος  
Sense: Jewish, belonging to the Jewish race.
ἑαυτούς  themselves 
Parse: Reflexive Pronoun, Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Root: ἑαυτοῦ  
Sense: himself, herself, itself, themselves.
Ποῦ  Where 
Parse: Adverb
Root: ποῦ  
Sense: somewhere.
μέλλει  is  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
πορεύεσθαι  to  go 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Root: πορεύομαι  
Sense: to lead over, carry over, transfer.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
εὑρήσομεν  will  find 
Parse: Verb, Future Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: εὑρίσκω  
Sense: to come upon, hit upon, to meet with.
Διασπορὰν  Dispersion 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: διασπορά  
Sense: a scattering, dispersion.
τῶν  among  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἑλλήνων  Greeks 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: Ἕλλην  
Sense: a Greek either by nationality, whether a native of the main land or of the Greek islands or colonies.
μέλλει  is  He  about 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μέλλω  
Sense: to be about.
διδάσκειν  to  teach 
Parse: Verb, Present Infinitive Active
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
Ἕλληνας  Greeks 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: Ἕλλην  
Sense: a Greek either by nationality, whether a native of the main land or of the Greek islands or colonies.