John 7:45
New International Version
Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

New Living Translation
When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”

English Standard Version
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?”

Berean Standard Bible
Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?"

King James Bible
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

New King James Version
Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?”

New American Standard Bible
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

NASB 1995
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

NASB 1977
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

Legacy Standard Bible
The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

Amplified Bible
Then the guards went [back] to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring Him [here with you]?”

Christian Standard Bible
Then the servants came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the temple police came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why haven’t you brought Him?”

American Standard Version
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why did ye not bring him?

Contemporary English Version
When the temple police returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, they were asked, "Why didn't you bring Jesus here?"

English Revised Version
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why did ye not bring him?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the temple guards returned, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, "Why didn't you bring Jesus?"

Good News Translation
When the guards went back, the chief priests and Pharisees asked them, "Why did you not bring him?"

International Standard Version
Then the officers returned to the high priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why didn't you bring him?"

Majority Standard Bible
Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?”

NET Bible
Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why didn't you bring him back with you?"

New Heart English Bible
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring him?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have ye not brought him?

Weymouth New Testament
Meanwhile the officers returned to the High Priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why have you not brought him?"

World English Bible
The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
the officers came, therefore, to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, “Why did you not bring Him?”

Berean Literal Bible
Therefore the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?"

Young's Literal Translation
the officers came, therefore, unto the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, 'Wherefore did ye not bring him?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Then came the servants to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why did ye not bring him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The ministers therefore came to the chief priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them: Why have you not brought him?

Catholic Public Domain Version
Therefore, the attendants went to the high priests and the Pharisees. And they said to them, “Why have you not brought him?”

New American Bible
So the guards went to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not bring him?”

New Revised Standard Version
Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why did you not arrest him?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the soldiers returned to the high priests and the Pharisees; and the priests said to them, Why did you not bring him?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And those guards came to the Chief Priests, and the Pharisees and the Priests said to them, “Why have you not brought him?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Then came the attendants to the chief priests and the Pharisees; and they said to them: Why have you not brought him?

Godbey New Testament
Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, Why did you not bring Him?

Haweis New Testament
Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisee; and they said to them, Why have ye not brought him?

Mace New Testament
when the officers return'd to the chief priests and Pharisees, they asked them, why have ye not brought him?

Weymouth New Testament
Meanwhile the officers returned to the High Priests and Pharisees, who asked them, "Why have you not brought him?"

Worrell New Testament
The officers, therefore, came to the high priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did ye not bring Him?"

Worsley New Testament
Then came the officers to the chief priests and pharisees, and they said, Why have ye not brought Him? and the officers answered,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders
44Some of them wanted to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him. 45Then the officers returned to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring Him in?” 46“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.…

Cross References
John 7:32
When the Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, they and the chief priests sent officers to arrest Him.

John 18:3
So Judas brought a band of soldiers and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. They arrived at the garden carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons.

John 11:47-48
Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs. / If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

John 11:57
But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.

John 19:6
As soon as the chief priests and officers saw Him, they shouted, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” “You take Him and crucify Him,” Pilate replied, “for I find no basis for a charge against Him.”

John 18:12
Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him.

John 7:46
“Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.

John 7:52
“Aren’t you also from Galilee?” they replied. “Look into it, and you will see that no prophet comes out of Galilee.”

John 7:30
So they tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

John 8:20
He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts, near the treasury. Yet no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.

Matthew 26:3-4
At that time the chief priests and elders of the people assembled in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, / and they conspired to arrest Jesus covertly and kill Him.

Matthew 21:45-46
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that Jesus was speaking about them. / Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

Mark 14:1
Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away, and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a covert way to arrest Jesus and kill Him.

Luke 22:2
and the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to put Jesus to death, for they feared the people.

Acts 4:1-3
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, / greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. / They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.


Treasury of Scripture

Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said to them, Why have you not brought him?

the officers.

John 7:32
The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

Acts 5:21-27
And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought…

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Chief Finally Guards High Meanwhile Officers Pharisees Priests Servants Temple
John 7
1. Jesus reproves the ambition and boldness of his kinsmen;
10. goes up from Galilee to the feast of tabernacles;
14. teaches in the temple.
40. Various opinions of him among the people.
45. The Pharisees are angry that their officers took him not,
50. and chide with Nicodemus for taking his side.














Then the officers
The term "officers" refers to the temple guards, who were Levites assigned to maintain order in the temple precincts. In the Greek, the word used is "ὑπηρέται" (hypēretai), which can also mean servants or attendants. These officers were under the authority of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, and were tasked with enforcing its decrees. Their role was significant in maintaining religious order, and their actions were closely monitored by the religious leaders.

returned to the chief priests and Pharisees
The "chief priests" were the leading priests in the temple, including the high priest and those of high rank. The "Pharisees" were a prominent religious group known for their strict adherence to the Law and traditions. Historically, the Pharisees were influential in Jewish society, often clashing with Jesus over interpretations of the Law. The officers returning to these leaders indicates a hierarchical structure where the religious authorities held significant power and influence over temple activities and decisions.

who asked them
This phrase indicates a direct inquiry, showing the urgency and concern of the religious leaders. The Greek word "εἶπαν" (eipan) is used here, meaning "they said" or "they asked," reflecting a demand for an explanation. The leaders' questioning underscores their authority and the expectation of obedience from the officers.

Why didn’t you bring Him in?
The question reveals the leaders' intent to arrest Jesus. The phrase "bring Him in" suggests a desire to capture and control Jesus, who was seen as a threat to their authority. The Greek word "ἤγαγον" (ēgagon) implies leading or bringing someone under control. This reflects the tension between Jesus' growing influence and the religious leaders' fear of losing their power. The question also highlights the officers' unexpected decision not to arrest Jesus, which is explored further in the surrounding verses, where they express being awed by His teachings. This moment captures the conflict between divine authority and human institutions, a recurring theme in the Gospel of John.

(45) Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees.--(Comp. Note on John 18:3.) They had been sent (John 7:32), not with a definite warrant to bring Him by force, but to watch their opportunity, and seize any pretext for doing so which may arise. "The chief priests and Pharisees" are the Sanhedrin who met (John 7:32), and, though it was a festival, seemed to have continued in session, expecting the return of their servants.

Why have ye not brought him?--Their question shows the object of the mission. It is asked in the bitterness of disappointed craft. In the presence of the multitude they dared not proceed by open force, and the influence they feared was every hour gaining ground. If their officers could have brought Him on some technical charge away from the people and into their own chamber, all would then have been in their own hands.

Verses 45, 46. - In ver. 32 we learn that Pharisees and chief priests had sent "officers" to lay hands on him, to seize their opportunity for an arrest; but, sharing somewhat the outburst of enthusiasm which wavered between his claims to be the Prophet or the Christ, and only subsided for a moment on a miserable and unveracious plea, they did not dare to execute the command of their masters. The officers therefore came to the chief priests and Pharisees (the absence of the article τούς before Φαρισαίους shows that they were regarded as one body, who had charged these officers to undertake the duty in which they signally failed); and they (ἐκεῖνοι, the latter) said to them, Why did ye not bring him? Foiled in their intention to carry out the order of the committee of the council, they return empty handed, and to some extent baffled and chagrined. They had fallen into the dominant enthusiasm of the crowd for a moment. They had heard the shouts which hailed him as the great Prophet, nay, as Messiah himself, and their reply, according to the curtailed text, was, Never man so spake. It matters little whether the additional clause, "as this Man speaks," was in the original text or not, the idea is the same; and it confirms the supposition to which we have often referred - that John only gives us the great sentences which the Divine Lord made the text of a discourse. An overwhelming impression was produced that the Speaker had a deep secret to disclose, vast treasure to bestow, unlimited power to meet the thirst of man, and even to make those who utterly yield to his influence the fountains of benedictions to others. An awe as of unseen things fell on the officers and the people. They could not resist the sense of benediction which, like some sacred perfume, some supernatural glamour, fell upon them in his reval words. "Never man thus spake." The whole experience is new and wonderful. "These sayings of the Prophet of Nazareth are more than words; they have living powers; they have confounded and disarmed us."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Then
οὖν (oun)
Conjunction
Strong's 3767: Therefore, then. Apparently a primary word; certainly, or accordingly.

the
οἱ (hoi)
Article - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

officers
ὑπηρέται (hypēretai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5257: From hupo and a derivative of eresso; an under-oarsman, i.e. subordinate.

returned
Ἦλθον (Ēlthon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

to
πρὸς (pros)
Preposition
Strong's 4314: To, towards, with. A strengthened form of pro; a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. Toward.

the
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

chief priests
ἀρχιερεῖς (archiereis)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 749: High priest, chief priest. From arche and hiereus; the high-priest; by extension a chief priest.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

Pharisees,
Φαρισαίους (Pharisaious)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5330: Of Hebrew origin; a separatist, i.e. Exclusively religious; a Pharisean, i.e. Jewish sectary.

[who]
ἐκεῖνοι (ekeinoi)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1565: That, that one there, yonder. From ekei; that one (neuter) thing); often intensified by the article prefixed.

asked
εἶπον (eipon)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.

them,
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Why
Διὰ (Dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.

didn’t you bring
ἠγάγετε (ēgagete)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 71: A primary verb; properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, go, pass, or induce.

Him {in}?”
αὐτόν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Gospels: John 7:45 The officers therefore came to the chief (Jhn Jo Jn)
John 7:44
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