John 7:19

KJV

Did not Moses give you the law, and [yet] none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

KJV (with Strong's)

Did {G1325} not {G3756} Moses {G3475} give {G1325} you {G5213} the law {G3551}, and {G2532} yet none {G3762} of {G1537} you {G5216} keepeth {G4160} the law {G3551}? Why {G5101} go ye about {G2212} to kill {G615} me {G3165}?

Complete Jewish Bible

Didn’t Moshe give you the Torah? Yet not one of you obeys the Torah! Why are you out to kill me?”

Berean Standard Bible

Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps it. Why are you trying to kill Me?”

American Standard Version

Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
In John 7:19, Jesus directly challenges the hypocrisy and murderous intent of the Jewish leaders during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. He exposes their profound spiritual contradiction: while they proudly claimed adherence to the Law given by Moses, their actions and intentions — specifically their plot to kill Him — demonstrated a fundamental failure to keep that very Law, revealing a deep-seated spiritual blindness and moral corruption beneath their veneer of religious piety.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a highly confrontational discourse between Jesus and the Jewish authorities during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, as recorded in [John 7](/john/7 "John 7 - Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles"). Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem secretly, but soon begins teaching openly in the Temple courts, astonishing the crowds with His wisdom and authority ([John 7:14-15](/john/7-14-15 "John 7:14-15 - Jesus teaches in the Temple")). The Jewish leaders, however, are not only skeptical but actively hostile, seeking to arrest Him ([John 7:11](/john/7-11 "John 7:11 - The Jews seek Jesus")) and even kill Him ([John 7:1](/john/7-1 "John 7:1 - Jesus avoids Judea")). Jesus's direct accusation in [John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - Jesus' accusation") immediately follows His defense of His Sabbath healing, which He performed in [John 5](/john/5 "John 5 - Jesus heals on the Sabbath") and which had already sparked their murderous intentions ([John 5:16-18](/john/5-16-18 "John 5:16-18 - Persecution for Sabbath healing")). His question serves as a rhetorical dagger, exposing the profound inconsistency between their professed devotion to the Law and their actual violation of its most fundamental tenets.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was one of the three major annual pilgrimage festivals, drawing thousands of Jews to Jerusalem. It was a time of great national and religious fervor, commemorating Israel's wilderness wanderings and God's provision. During such festivals, religious leaders held significant sway, and public teaching in the Temple courts was common. The "Law" Jesus refers to is the Torah, the foundational divine instruction given through Moses, revered by all Jews as the very word of God. The Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees and Sadducees, saw themselves as the custodians and interpreters of this Law. Their authority was deeply intertwined with their perceived adherence to and enforcement of it. Jesus's accusation of not keeping the Law, especially while they were actively plotting murder, was a direct assault on their religious integrity and public standing, highlighting the deep chasm between outward religious observance and inward spiritual reality.
* **Key Themes:** [John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - Jesus' confrontation") powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in John's Gospel. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Hypocrisy and Spiritual Blindness**, revealing how those who claimed to be most devoted to God's Law were, in fact, its greatest transgressors, unable to recognize or receive God's Son. Secondly, it highlights the **Misunderstanding and Misapplication of the Law**, demonstrating that the Jewish leaders had reduced the Law to external rituals and legalistic interpretations, missing its true spirit of love, justice, and mercy, which was meant to point to God's ultimate revelation in Christ. Thirdly, the verse emphasizes Jesus's **Divine Authority and Omniscience**, as He not only perceives their hidden murderous intentions but boldly exposes them in public, demonstrating His unique insight into the human heart and His right to challenge even the most revered religious figures. This confrontation sets the stage for the escalating conflict that defines much of [John's narrative](/john/7 "John 7 - Conflict with the Jewish leaders").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **give (Greek, _dídōmi'_):** This verb signifies the act of imparting or bestowing. Here, it refers to Moses "giving" the Law, emphasizing its divine origin and the authoritative manner in which it was delivered to Israel. Jesus acknowledges the Law's legitimate source through Moses, setting up the contrast with the leaders' failure to uphold it.
* **none (Greek, _oudeís'_):** This strong negative pronoun means "not even one" or "nobody." Jesus's use of "none of you" is a sweeping, pointed indictment, not a general statement about all individuals, but a specific accusation leveled at His immediate audience of Jewish leaders who were plotting His death. It underscores the severity of their collective failure to live by the very Law they professed to uphold.
* **kill (Greek, _apokteínō'_):** This verb means "to kill outright" or "to slay," and figuratively, "to destroy." The direct accusation "Why go ye about to kill me?" reveals the depth of the leaders' malicious intent. This act is a direct violation of the sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not murder" ([Exodus 20:13](/exodus/20-13 "Exodus 20:13 - The Sixth Commandment")), making their claim to keep the Law utterly hollow.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Did not Moses give you the law,"**: Jesus begins with a rhetorical question that acknowledges the undisputed authority and divine origin of the Torah, which was transmitted through Moses. This sets the common ground, reminding His audience of their shared heritage and the foundation of their religious identity. It implies that they, above all, should understand and uphold this Law.
* **"and [yet] none of you keepeth the law?"**: This is the damning accusation. Despite Moses having given them the Law, Jesus asserts that "none" of them are truly keeping it. This is not a superficial critique of minor infractions but a profound indictment of their spiritual state, particularly in light of their murderous intentions, which directly contradict the spirit and letter of the Law. Their outward show of piety is exposed as a facade.
* **"Why go ye about to kill me?"**: This question reveals the specific, egregious violation that underpins Jesus's accusation. Their active plot to murder Him is the ultimate evidence that they do not "keep the law," especially the commandment against murder. It highlights their profound hypocrisy and the spiritual blindness that leads them to seek the life of the very one who perfectly embodies and fulfills the Law.

#### Literary Devices
[John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - Jesus' rhetorical question") is rich in **Rhetorical Question**. Jesus does not ask for information but uses the question to make a forceful assertion and to expose the glaring contradiction in His adversaries' behavior. The question "Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law?" serves as a powerful **Juxtaposition**, contrasting the divine origin and authority of the Law with the utter failure of its supposed custodians to obey it. This is immediately followed by another rhetorical question, "Why go ye about to kill me?", which functions as a direct **Accusation** and a dramatic unveiling of their secret, malicious intent. The entire verse employs **Irony**, as those who pride themselves on their adherence to the Law are shown to be its most profound transgressors, particularly in their desire to murder the innocent Son of God.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly illustrates the chasm between external religious observance and internal spiritual reality. The Jewish leaders, steeped in the Law and its traditions, had missed its very heart: love for God and neighbor. Their desire to kill Jesus, the embodiment of God's love and truth, revealed that their adherence to the Law was superficial, driven by self-righteousness and a desire for power rather than genuine devotion. This exposes the inherent inability of the Law, by itself, to bring about true righteousness in a fallen human heart. The Law reveals sin, but it cannot remove it or transform the heart. This theological truth sets the stage for the necessity of a new covenant, where God's Law is written on the heart, not merely on stone tablets.

* [Matthew 5:21-22](/matthew/5-21-22 "Matthew 5:21-22 - Anger and Murder")
* [Romans 3:20](/romans/3-20 "Romans 3:20 - The Law reveals sin")
* [Galatians 3:24](/galatians/3-24 "Galatians 3:24 - The Law as a guardian")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
[John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - A challenge to self-righteousness") serves as a timeless mirror for all who claim to follow God. It challenges us to look beyond outward religious performance and meticulously examine the true condition of our hearts. Are we, like the Jewish leaders, meticulously observing rituals or traditions while harboring bitterness, unforgiveness, or even hatred towards others? Jesus's teaching consistently emphasized that true righteousness stems from an inward transformation, not merely external conformity. This verse calls us to humility, urging us to confess our own failures to perfectly keep God's Law and to recognize our desperate need for His grace. It reminds us that spiritual pride and self-righteousness are dangerous pitfalls that can blind us to our own sin and to the very truth of God, leading us to reject the light, even when it stands before us.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of my life might I be outwardly religious but inwardly resistant to God's true commands, particularly those concerning love and forgiveness?**
* **How do my attitudes and intentions towards others reflect my true understanding and keeping of God's Law, beyond mere external actions?**
* **What steps can I take to cultivate a heart that genuinely desires to obey God's Law, not out of obligation or self-righteousness, but out of love for Him and others?**

### FAQ
**Why did Jesus say "none of you keepeth the law," when many Jews were devout?**

Answer: Jesus's statement in [John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - Jesus' specific accusation") was not a blanket condemnation of every individual Jew, but a pointed accusation directed at the specific group of Jewish leaders who were actively plotting His murder. These leaders, particularly the Pharisees, prided themselves on their meticulous adherence to the Law. However, their murderous intent towards Jesus, an innocent man, was a direct and egregious violation of the sixth commandment ("Thou shalt not murder" - [Exodus 20:13](/exodus/20-13 "Exodus 20:13 - The Sixth Commandment")) and the spirit of the Law, which is founded on love for God and neighbor ([Matthew 22:37-40](/matthew/22-37-40 "Matthew 22:37-40 - The Greatest Commandments")). Jesus was exposing their profound hypocrisy: they claimed to uphold the Law, yet their hearts were filled with malice and a desire to kill, demonstrating that they had failed to keep the Law in its most fundamental and spiritual sense.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
[John 7:19](/john/7-19 "John 7:19 - Jesus' perfect obedience") profoundly underscores the necessity of Christ as the perfect fulfiller of the Law. The Jewish leaders' failure to keep the Law, specifically in their murderous intent towards Jesus, highlights humanity's universal inability to achieve righteousness through legalistic obedience. This verse implicitly points to Jesus as the only one who truly "kept the law" in every respect, not only outwardly but in the purity of His heart and intentions. He perfectly embodied the love for God and neighbor that the Law demanded, even as He was unjustly persecuted. His perfect obedience, culminating in His sacrificial death, becomes the means by which humanity can be reconciled to God, for He is the "end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes" ([Romans 10:4](/romans/10-4 "Romans 10:4 - Christ, the end of the Law")). Through Him, the righteousness that the Law required but could not produce in us is freely given, fulfilling the Law's ultimate purpose in bringing us to Christ ([Galatians 3:24](/galatians/3-24 "Galatians 3:24 - The Law as a guardian")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

John 1:17

For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 11:53

Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.

Matthew 12:14

¶ Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.

John 7:1

¶ After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

Galatians 6:13

For neither they themselves who are circumcised keep the law; but desire to have you circumcised, that they may glory in your flesh.

Deuteronomy 1:17

Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; [but] ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment [is] God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring [it] unto me, and I will hear it.

Exodus 24:2

And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.