The Meaning of John 7:8 Explained

John 7:8

KJV: Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.

YLT: Ye -- go ye up to this feast; I do not yet go up to this feast, because my time hath not yet been fulfilled;'

Darby: Ye, go ye up to this feast. I go not up to this feast, for my time is not yet fulfilled.

ASV: Go ye up unto the feast: I go not up unto this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Go  ye  up  unto  this  feast:  I  go  not  up  yet  unto  this  feast;  for  my  time  is  not yet  full come. 

What does John 7:8 Mean?

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 7:8

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]
This feast []
For this, read the, the first time, but not the second. [source]
Full come [πεπλήρωται]
Literally, has been fulfilled. So Rev., is not yet fulfilled. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 7:8

John 7:6 My time is not yet come [ο καιρος ο εμος ουπω παρεστιν]
Only use with John 7:8 of καιρος — kairos in this Gospel, elsewhere χρονος — chronos (John 5:6) or more often ωρα — hōra (John 2:4) “the predestined hour” (Bernard). Here καιρος — kairos is the fitting or proper occasion for Christ‘s manifesting himself publicly to the authorities as Messiah as in John 7:8. At the feast of tabernacles Jesus did make such public claims (John 7:29, John 7:33; John 8:12, John 8:28, John 8:38, John 8:42, John 8:58). Παρεστιν — Parestin is present active indicative of παρειμι — pareimi old compound, to be by, to be present. The brothers of Jesus had the regular Jewish obligation to go up to the feast, but the precise day was a matter of indifference to them. [source]
John 7:30 They sought therefore [εζητουν ουν]
Imperfect active of ζητεω — zēteō inchoative or conative, they began to seek. Either makes sense. The subject is naturally some of the Jerusalemites (Westcott) rather than some of the leaders (Bernard). To take him First aorist active infinitive, Doric form from πιαζω — piazō from the usual πιεζω — piezō occasionally so in the papyri, but πιαζω — piazō always in N.T. except Luke 6:38. And Here = “but.” Laid his hand Second aorist active indicative of επιβαλλω — epiballō to cast upon. Old and common idiom for arresting one to make him a prisoner (Matthew 26:50). See repetition in John 7:44. His hour In John 13:1 we read that “the hour” had come, but that was “not yet” “John is at pains to point out at every point that the persecution and death of Jesus followed a predestined course” (Bernard), as in John 2:4; John 7:6, John 7:8; John 8:10; John 10:39; John 13:1, etc. Was not yet come Past perfect active of ερχομαι — erchomai as John looks back on the story. [source]
1 John 1:4 Full [πεπληρωμένη]
More correctly, fulfilled. Frequent in John. See John 3:29; John 7:8; John 8:38; John 15:11; 2 John 1:12; Revelation 6:11. “The peace of reconciliation, the blessed consciousness of sonship, the happy growth in holiness, the bright prospect of future completion and glory, - all these are but simple details of that which, in all its length and breadth is embraced by one word, Eternal Life, the real possession of which is the immediate source of our joy. We have joy, Christ's joy, because we are blessed, because we have life itself in Christ” (Düsterdieck, cit. by Alford). And Augustine: “For there is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love Thee for thine own sake, whose joy Thou thyself art. And this is the happy life, to rejoice to Thee, of Thee; this is it and there is no other” (“Confessions,” x., 22). Alford is right in remarking that this verse gives an epistolary character to what follows, but it can hardly be said with him that it “fills the place of the χαίρειν greetinglit., rejoice, so common in the opening of Epistles.” [source]

What do the individual words in John 7:8 mean?

You go up to the feast I not am going up feast this for - My time not yet has been fulfilled
ὑμεῖς ἀνάβητε εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀναβαίνω ἑορτὴν ταύτην ὅτι ἐμὸς καιρὸς οὔπω πεπλήρωται

ἀνάβητε  go  up 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Plural
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
ἑορτήν  feast 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἑορτή  
Sense: a feast day, festival.
ἀναβαίνω  am  going  up 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: ἀναβαίνω  
Sense: ascend.
ἑορτὴν  feast 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἑορτή  
Sense: a feast day, festival.
ταύτην  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐμὸς  My 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Nominative Masculine 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐμός  
Sense: my, mine, etc.
καιρὸς  time 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: καιρός  
Sense: due measure.
οὔπω  not  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὔπω  
Sense: not yet.
πεπλήρωται  has  been  fulfilled 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: πληρόω  
Sense: to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full.