John 7:27

KJV

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

KJV (with Strong's)

Howbeit {G235} we know {G1492} this man {G5126} whence {G4159} he is {G2076}: but {G1161} when {G3752} Christ {G5547} cometh {G2064}, no man {G3762} knoweth {G1097} whence {G4159} he is {G2076}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Surely not — we know where this man comes from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he comes from.”

Berean Standard Bible

But we know where this man is from. When the Christ comes, no one will know where He is from.”

American Standard Version

Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no one knoweth whence he is.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
John 7:27 captures a moment of profound irony and misunderstanding during Jesus' ministry at the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jerusalem crowd, confident in their perceived knowledge of Jesus' earthly origins, contrasts this with a popular, yet flawed, Messianic expectation that the Christ's appearance would be sudden and mysterious, with no one knowing His true source. This verse highlights the tension between superficial human understanding and the deeper, divine reality of Jesus' identity, which remained hidden to those who judged by outward appearances.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is situated within a heated debate surrounding Jesus' identity and authority during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem. After initially coming to the feast secretly ([John 7:10](/john/7-10 "Jesus Goes Secretly to the Feast")), Jesus began teaching openly in the Temple courts ([John 7:14](/john/7-14 "Jesus Teaches in the Temple")). His authoritative teaching and claims sparked intense division among the people, with some believing Him to be the Christ and others rejecting Him. The immediate preceding verses ([John 7:25-26](/john/7-25-26 "The Jerusalemites Question Jesus' Freedom")) show the Jerusalemites marveling that Jesus speaks openly without being apprehended by the authorities, prompting them to wonder if the rulers secretly believe He is the Messiah. Verse [John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception") then presents the crowd's confident assertion, based on their perceived knowledge of Jesus' earthly background, as a reason to dismiss His Messianic claims. This sets the stage for Jesus' powerful response in [John 7:28-29](/john/7-28-29 "Jesus' Divine Origin"), where He directly challenges their superficial understanding by declaring His true origin from God.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) was one of the three major annual pilgrimage festivals, drawing large crowds to Jerusalem. It was a time of great spiritual anticipation, commemorating God's provision during Israel's wilderness wanderings and looking forward to the Messianic age. During this period, Messianic expectations were diverse and often contradictory. A common popular belief, reflected in [John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception"), was that the Messiah would appear suddenly and mysteriously, with His origins unknown to humanity. This belief might have stemmed from interpretations of passages like [Isaiah 53:8](/isaiah/53-8 "Isaiah 53:8 - Who Can Declare His Generation?") or a general sense of divine inscrutability. However, this popular notion stood in stark contrast to other prophecies that clearly identified the Messiah's birthplace as Bethlehem ([Micah 5:2](/micah/5-2 "Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem as Messiah's Birthplace")) and His lineage as Davidic ([2 Samuel 7:12-16](/2_samuel/7-12-16 "God's Covenant with David")). The crowd's "knowledge" of Jesus' origin in Nazareth, Galilee, a region often looked down upon ([John 1:46](/john/1-46 "Nathanael's Skepticism About Nazareth")), further solidified their skepticism, as they believed the Messiah could not come from such a place.

* **Key Themes:** [John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception") contributes significantly to several key themes in John's Gospel. Firstly, it highlights the pervasive **misconceptions about the Messiah** among the Jewish people, demonstrating how their preconceived notions and selective interpretations of prophecy blinded them to Jesus' true identity. They focused on an "unknown" earthly origin, while missing the prophecies of a known birthplace and lineage. Secondly, the verse underscores the central theme of **Jesus' true origin**, contrasting human perception with divine reality. While the crowd confidently asserted they "knew whence He is" in an earthly sense, they were profoundly ignorant of His ultimate, divine origin from God, a truth Jesus repeatedly affirmed ([John 8:42](/john/8-42 "Jesus States He Came from God")). This leads to the third theme: the tension between **human perception and divine revelation**. The crowd's reliance on superficial, worldly knowledge prevented them from recognizing the Son of God, illustrating that spiritual truth often transcends human understanding and requires divine revelation to be truly grasped. The profound **irony** of their statement is a pervasive motif, as their claim to know Jesus' origin ironically serves to demonstrate their utter ignorance of His true, divine nature.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **know (Greek, _eídō'_):** This word (G1492) is used in the first clause, "Howbeit we know this man whence he is." It signifies a knowledge gained through observation or perception, often implying a complete or certain understanding. In this context, it refers to the crowd's confident, yet superficial, knowledge of Jesus' earthly background—His family, hometown of Nazareth, and apparent upbringing. They believe they have seen enough to fully comprehend His origins.
* **whence (Greek, _póthen'_):** Occurring twice in the verse (G4159), "whence" literally means "from where" or "from what place." It speaks directly to the origin, source, or cause of a person or thing. The crowd's use of this word emphasizes their focus on Jesus' geographical and familial roots, contrasting it with their expectation that the Messiah's "whence" would be utterly unknown.
* **knoweth (Greek, _ginṓskō'_):** This word (G1097) is used in the second clause, "no man knoweth whence he is." While also meaning "to know," _ginṓskō_ often implies a deeper, experiential, or relational knowledge, a process of coming to understand. Here, it highlights the popular expectation that the Messiah's origin would be so mysterious that no one could truly ascertain or comprehend it, setting up the ironic contrast with Jesus' true divine origin, which is indeed beyond human comprehension without revelation.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Howbeit we know this man whence he is:"** This opening clause reflects the crowd's confident, almost dismissive, assertion. They believe they possess sufficient information about Jesus' earthly background—His family, His upbringing in Nazareth—to definitively conclude that He cannot be the Messiah. Their "knowledge" is based on human observation and conventional wisdom, which ironically blinds them to the deeper, divine truth of Jesus' identity. They are judging by appearances, a practice Jesus explicitly warns against in [John 7:24](/john/7-24 "Jesus Warns Against Judging by Appearances").
* **"but when Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is."** This second clause reveals the popular Messianic expectation that the crowd held. They believed that the Messiah's arrival would be sudden, mysterious, and His origins completely unknown to humanity. This belief, while perhaps rooted in some interpretations of prophecy, directly contradicted other clear prophecies regarding the Messiah's birthplace (Bethlehem) and lineage (Davidic). The conjunction "but" (G1161, _dé_) introduces a strong contrast between their perceived knowledge of Jesus and their expectation for the true Christ, setting up the profound irony that Jesus *is* the Christ, and His true origin *is* unknown to them in a way far more profound than they imagined.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in [John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception") is **Irony**. The crowd confidently asserts that they "know" Jesus' origin, believing this knowledge disqualifies Him as the Messiah, whom they expect to have an "unknown" origin. The profound irony lies in the fact that while they know His earthly hometown, they are utterly ignorant of His *true*, divine origin, which is indeed "unknown" in the sense of being beyond human comprehension and earthly tracing. Their very claim to knowledge highlights their spiritual blindness. This also creates a strong **Contrast** between superficial human understanding and profound divine reality. The crowd's worldly wisdom stands in stark opposition to the truth of Jesus' pre-existence and divine Sonship. The crowd's statement also functions as a **Foil**, serving to highlight Jesus' actual identity and the nature of His divine origin, which He proceeds to clarify in the subsequent verses.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
John 7:27 powerfully illustrates the theological tension between human wisdom and divine revelation, a recurring theme in John's Gospel. The crowd's confident assertion of knowing Jesus' earthly origin, coupled with their flawed Messianic expectation, underscores humanity's tendency to rely on limited perception rather than seeking deeper spiritual truth. Their "knowledge" becomes a barrier to recognizing the divine. The true "unknown" origin of Christ is not His earthly birthplace, which was prophesied and known ([Micah 5:2](/micah/5-2 "Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem as Messiah's Birthplace")), but rather His eternal pre-existence and divine Sonship, which transcends human comprehension. This verse invites us to consider how our own preconceived notions or limited understanding might prevent us from fully grasping God's work and identity in Christ.

* [Micah 5:2](/micah/5-2 "Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem as Messiah's Birthplace"): This prophecy directly contradicts the crowd's expectation that the Messiah's origin would be entirely unknown, clearly stating His birthplace as Bethlehem.
* [John 8:42](/john/8-42 "John 8:42 - Jesus Came from God"): Jesus explicitly states His true origin, "For I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me."
* [Isaiah 53:8](/isaiah/53-8 "Isaiah 53:8 - Who Can Declare His Generation?"): While not directly about earthly origin, this verse about the Suffering Servant's "generation" being declared by no one might have contributed to the popular notion of the Messiah's mysterious background, though in a different theological context.

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The crowd's error in John 7:27 serves as a profound warning against allowing preconceived notions or superficial knowledge to blind us to deeper spiritual truths. Just as they missed Jesus' true identity because they relied on what they thought they "knew" about His earthly background, we too can miss God's profound work in our lives or fail to recognize His presence if we are not open to His revelation. This verse challenges us to examine our own assumptions about God, about how He "should" act, or about who He "should" be. True spiritual understanding often requires humility, a willingness to set aside our own limited perspectives, and an openness to the truth that transcends human reason. It encourages us to move beyond mere intellectual assent or surface-level information and to seek a deeper, more transformative knowledge of Christ, one that acknowledges His divine mystery and authority.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What preconceived notions or "knowns" might be hindering my understanding of God or His work in my life today?**
* **How willing am I to challenge my own assumptions and expectations when confronted with biblical truth or God's unexpected ways?**
* **In what areas of my faith do I rely on superficial knowledge rather than seeking deeper, divinely revealed understanding?**

### FAQ
**Why did the people think the Messiah's origin would be unknown?**

Answer: The belief that the Messiah's origin would be unknown was a popular, though not universally held, Messianic expectation among some Jews in the first century. This idea might have stemmed from several sources. Some interpretations of Old Testament prophecies, such as [Isaiah 53:8](/isaiah/53-8 "Isaiah 53:8 - Who Can Declare His Generation?") ("Who can declare his generation?"), were taken to mean that the Messiah's lineage or coming would be mysterious. Additionally, there was a general sense that the Messiah would be a figure of divine mystery, perhaps appearing suddenly or from a hidden place. This expectation stood in contrast to other prophecies that clearly identified the Messiah's birthplace as Bethlehem ([Micah 5:2](/micah/5-2 "Micah 5:2 - Bethlehem as Messiah's Birthplace")) and His lineage as Davidic ([2 Samuel 7:12-16](/2_samuel/7-12-16 "God's Covenant with David")). The crowd in [John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception") used their perceived knowledge of Jesus' earthly origins (from Nazareth) to dismiss His claims, believing that the true Christ would not have such a known, seemingly ordinary, background.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
[John 7:27](/john/7-27 "John 7:27 - The Crowd's Misconception") finds its Christ-centered fulfillment not in the crowd's limited understanding, but in the profound truth of Jesus' dual nature and divine origin. While the crowd mistakenly believed they "knew whence He is" in an earthly sense, they were utterly blind to His true, eternal "whence"—His pre-existence as the Word of God, who was with God and was God ([John 1:1](/john/1-1 "John 1:1 - The Word Was God")). Jesus *is* the Christ, but His origin is not merely from Bethlehem or Nazareth; it is from the Father, from eternity past. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation ([Colossians 1:15](/colossians/1-15 "Colossians 1:15 - Image of the Invisible God")), and in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily ([Colossians 2:9](/colossians/2-9 "Colossians 2:9 - Fullness of God in Christ")). The "unknown" origin that the crowd expected for the Messiah is ironically fulfilled in Jesus' divine nature, which is indeed beyond human comprehension, requiring divine revelation to be known ([Matthew 11:27](/matthew/11-27 "Matthew 11:27 - No One Knows the Father Except the Son")). Jesus came not from an unknown earthly place, but from a known heavenly source, sent by the Father ([John 8:42](/john/8-42 "Jesus Came from God")), to reveal the Father to humanity ([John 14:9](/john/14-9 "John 14:9 - Whoever Has Seen Me Has Seen the Father")). Thus, the very objection raised by the crowd inadvertently points to the profound mystery and divine reality of who Jesus truly is.

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 7:41

Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

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?

Micah 5:2

But thou, Bethlehem 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.

John 9:29

We know that God spake unto Moses: [as for] this [fellow], we know not from whence he is.

John 6:42

And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

Matthew 13:54

And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this [man] this wisdom, and [these] mighty works?

Matthew 13:57

And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.