Ye shall seek me, and shall not find [me]: and where I am, [thither] ye cannot come.
Ye shall seek {G2212} me {G3165}, and {G2532} shall {G2147} not {G3756} find {G2147} me: and {G2532} where {G3699} I {G1473} am {G1510}, thither ye {G5210} cannot {G3756}{G1410} come {G2064}.
You will look for me and not find me; indeed, where I am, you cannot come.”
You will look for Me, but you will not find Me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, ye cannot come.
-
Proverbs 1:24
Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; -
Proverbs 1:31
Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. -
John 13:33
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. -
John 13:36
¶ Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. -
John 8:21
¶ Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. -
John 8:24
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am [he], ye shall die in your sins. -
Matthew 23:39
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
John 7:34 KJV presents a solemn declaration from Jesus during the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, highlighting the profound spiritual chasm between Himself and those who rejected His divine identity and message. This verse serves as a stark warning about the consequences of missed opportunities and spiritual blindness.
Context of John 7:34
This verse is spoken amidst intense debate and controversy surrounding Jesus' identity and authority during the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus had been teaching openly in the temple, challenging the prevailing views of the Jewish leaders and the crowds. His words in verse 34 come as He speaks of His impending departure, a concept that was mysterious and unsettling to His listeners. They were trying to understand His origin and where He would go, while simultaneously plotting to seize Him. Jesus' statement here underscores the futility of seeking Him on their own terms or for the wrong reasons after His physical presence among them had ceased.
Key Themes and Messages
Linguistic Insights
The Greek word for "seek" (ζητήσετε - *zētēsete*) implies an earnest, perhaps even desperate, search. However, in this context, it's a search that will prove futile because it lacks the necessary spiritual foundation of faith and repentance. The phrase "ye cannot come" (οὐ δύνασθε ἐλθεῖν - *ou dynasthe elthein*) emphasizes an inherent incapacity or impossibility. It's not merely that they will not come, but that they are unable to come due to their spiritual condition, which is fundamentally opposed to His divine nature and purpose.
Related Scriptures
This warning is echoed elsewhere in John's Gospel, such as in John 8:21, where Jesus again tells the Pharisees, "Whither I go, ye cannot come." The inability to "come" to where Jesus is speaks to the spiritual divide between those who are "from above" and those "from beneath". The only way to bridge this gap and to come to the Father is through Jesus Himself, by believing in Him as the Messiah and Son of God.
Practical Application
John 7:34 serves as a powerful reminder of the urgency of responding to Jesus Christ in faith during the time of grace. It highlights the danger of spiritual procrastination and the consequences of rejecting God's clear revelation in Christ. For us today, it underscores that: