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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_7:1-9
1After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. 2Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. 3Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. 4For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world. 5For not even His brothers were believing in Him. 6So Jesus said to them, "My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. 7The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. 8Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come." 9Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
Joh_7:1 "After these things" This is a literary way of moving the account, not a temporal marker (cf. Joh_5:1; Joh_6:1; Joh_7:1; Joh_21:1).
▣ "the Jews were seeking to kill Him" In John "the Jews" often has a sinister connotation (cf. Joh_1:19; Joh_2:18; Joh_2:20; Joh_5:10; Joh_5:15-16; Joh_6:41; Joh_6:52; Joh_7:1; Joh_7:11; Joh_7:13; Joh_7:35; Joh_8:22; Joh_8:52; Joh_8:57; Joh_9:18; Joh_9:22; Joh_10:24; Joh_10:31; Joh_10:33; Joh_11:8; Joh_19:7; Joh_19:12; Joh_20:19). Their hatred and murderous intent is recorded several times (cf. Joh_5:16-18; Joh_7:19; Joh_7:30; Joh_7:44; Joh_8:37; Joh_8:40; Joh_8:59; Joh_10:31; Joh_10:33; Joh_10:39; Joh_11:8; Joh_11:53).
Joh_7:2 "the feast of Jews, the Feast of Booths" This was also called the Feast of the Tabernacles (cf. Lev_23:34-44; Deu_16:13-17) because during the harvest the villagers lived in small shelters in the fields, which reminded the Jews of their Exodus experience. The ritual and liturgy of this feast provides a background for Jesus' teachings in Joh_7:1 to Joh_10:21, as did the Passover feast in chapters 5-6.
Joh_7:3 "His brothers" This is the first mention of Jesus' family since Joh_2:12. It is obvious they did not understand His motive, method, or purpose.
▣ "Leave here, and go into Judea" This refers to the annual caravan of pilgrims (cf. Luk_2:41-44) who left Galilee and made their trek to Jerusalem. Remember that John's Gospel focuses on Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.
Joh_7:4 "publicly" See Special Topic following.
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▣ "If" This is a first class conditional sentence which is assumed to be true from the author's perspective.
▣ "show Yourself to the world" Jesus picked up on their use of the term "world" in Joh_7:4 and commented on it in Joh_7:7. The world was not accepting and sympathetic to Him, but hostile (cf. Joh_15:18-19; Joh_17:14; 1Jn_3:13) because He revealed its rebellion and sin (cf. Joh_3:19-20).
Jesus' brothers' way for Jesus to reveal Himself (i.e., miracles) was very different from Jesus' way (the cross). This is where the prophecy of Isa_55:8-11 comes into clear focus!
Joh_7:5 "For not even His brothers were believing in Him" This is another editorial comment by the author. It must have been very hard to accept Jesus as the Messiah when you have grown up in the same home (cf. Mar_3:20-21). Jesus cared for His half brothers and sisters. One of His post resurrection appearances was for the purpose of revealing Himself to them. They came to believe (cf. Act_1:14)! James became the leader of the Jerusalem church. And both James and Jude wrote books included in the NT canon.
Joh_7:6 "My time is not yet here" The word "time" (kairos) is found only here (twice) and Joh_7:8 in John's Gospel and letters. BAGD gives three basic connotations.
1. - a welcome time (i.e., 2Co_6:2)
- an opportune time (i.e., Luk_4:13)
- an appointed time (i.e., Mar_13:33; Act_3:20; 1Pe_1:11)
2. a proper or favorable time
- proper time (i.e., Mat_24:45; Luk_1:20)
- fixed time (i.e., Joh_7:8; 2Ti_4:6)
3. an eschatological time (i.e., Luk_21:8; Rom_13:11; 1Th_5:1; 2Th_2:6)
Numbers 2, 3 have a semantic overlap.
Jesus understood His mission (cf.JOHN 12:23; Joh_13:1; Joh_17:1-5). There was a divine timetable for these Gospel events to unfold (cf. Luk_22:22; Joh_7:30; Joh_8:20; Act_2:23; Act_3:18; Act_4:28).
Joh_7:7 "the world" See Special Topic: Kosmos at Joh_14:17.
Joh_7:8
NASB "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to the feast"
NKJV "You go up to this feast. I am not yet going up to this feast"
NRSV, NJB "Go to this festival yourselves. I am not going to this festival"
TEV "You go on to the festival. I am not going to this festival"
Several ancient Greek manuscripts ( à , D, and K) do not have the adverb "yet." It seems to have been an early scribal attempt to remove the apparent contradiction between Joh_7:8; Joh_7:10. The adverb is included in MSS P66, P75, B, L, T, and W (NKJV, the Twentieth Century New Testament, NIV).
This brief statement could be understood as
1. I am not going with you (nor for your purposes)
2. I am going in the middle of the eight-day feast (to reveal through feast symbolisms)