John 7:5 — Community Reflections

JOHN 7:5 — KING JAMES VERSION 0

“For neither did his brethren believe in him.”

For neither did his brethren believe in him — the stark denial of belief frames the brothers' exhortation as coming from unbelief, not faith. This is one of John's recurring motifs: even those closest to Jesus—his own kin—operate outside faith. The brothers' counsel, however sensible it sounds, flows from the same blindness that grips 'the Jews.' Belief is not automatic, even for family; it requires a gift from the Father (6:44, 65). The brothers' position as unbelievers establishes that Jesus's decisions about when and how to reveal himself are not determined by family pressure or public opinion.

Church Fathers on John 7:5

As the believer in Christ would have in time to, come to hide himself from persecution, that no guilt might attach to such concealment, the Head began with doing Himself, what He sanctioned in the member; After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
Augustine · 4th century

The connection of this passage admits of much taking place in the interval previously. Judea and Galilee are divisions of the province of Palestine. Judea has its name from the tribe of Judah; but it embraces not only the territories of Judah, but of Benjamin, all of which were called Judea, because Judah was the royal tribe Galilee has its name, from the milky, i.e. white, color of its inhabitants; Galilee being Greek for milk.
Bede · 8th century

That is to say, He displayed the attribute both of divinity and humanity. He fled from His persecutors as man, He remained and appeared amongst them as God; being really both.
Chrysostom · 4th century

Read all 20 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain

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