John 7:42
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
Original Language Analysis
ἡ
G3588
ἡ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
2 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
γραφὴ
the scripture
G1124
γραφὴ
the scripture
Strong's:
G1124
Word #:
3 of 20
a document, i.e., holy writ (or its contents or a statement in it)
ὅτι
That
G3754
ὅτι
That
Strong's:
G3754
Word #:
5 of 20
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
ἐκ
of
G1537
ἐκ
of
Strong's:
G1537
Word #:
6 of 20
a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), from, out (of place, time, or cause literal or figurative; direct
τοῦ
G3588
τοῦ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
7 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σπέρματος
the seed
G4690
σπέρματος
the seed
Strong's:
G4690
Word #:
8 of 20
something sown, i.e., seed (including the male "sperm"); by implication, offspring; specially, a remnant (figuratively, as if kept over for planting)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
10 of 20
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἀπὸ
out of
G575
ἀπὸ
out of
Strong's:
G575
Word #:
11 of 20
"off," i.e., away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)
Βηθλέεμ
of Bethlehem
G965
Βηθλέεμ
of Bethlehem
Strong's:
G965
Word #:
12 of 20
bethleem (i.e., beth-lechem), a place in palestine
τῆς
G3588
τῆς
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
13 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
18 of 20
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Cross References
Micah 5:2But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.Matthew 2:5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,Jeremiah 23:5Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.Luke 2:4And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)Isaiah 11:1And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:Matthew 1:1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.Psalms 132:11The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.Luke 2:11For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.1 Samuel 16:1And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.Psalms 89:4Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
Historical Context
Micah 5:2 clearly prophesied Messiah's Bethlehem origin. Jewish authorities cited this to Herod when magi inquired about the newborn king (Matthew 2:4-6). Matthew and Luke carefully establish Jesus's Bethlehem birth and Davidic descent. The objectors' error wasn't Scripture knowledge but incomplete knowledge of Jesus's background. This parallels modern objections based on misunderstanding Christian claims.
Questions for Reflection
- How can correct biblical knowledge lead to wrong conclusions if misapplied?
- What does this teach about thorough investigation before rejecting claims about Christ?
- How do we ensure we have complete information before making spiritual judgments?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was? The objectors cite correct Scripture—Messiah comes from David's line and Bethlehem (2 Samuel 7:12-13, Micah 5:2). Their scriptural knowledge is accurate, but they apply it wrongly due to incomplete information about Jesus. Jesus does fulfill these requirements (Matthew 1:1-17, Luke 2:4-7), but they don't know His birth narrative. This shows how correct theology wrongly applied can lead to false conclusions.