John 7:51
◄  John 7:51  ►
New International Version (©2011)
"Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?"

New Living Translation (©2007)
"Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?" he asked.

English Standard Version (©2001)
“Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?”

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
"Our Law does not judge a man unless it first hears from him and knows what he is doing, does it?"

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
Our law doesn't judge a man before it hears from him and knows what he's doing, does it?""

International Standard Version (©2012)
"Surely our Law does not condemn a person without first hearing from him and finding out what he is doing, does it?"

NET Bible (©2006)
"Our law doesn't condemn a man unless it first hears from him and learns what he is doing, does it?"

Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
“Does our Written Law condemn a man unless one shall hear him first and know what he has done?”

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
"Do Moses' Teachings enable us to judge a person without first hearing that person's side of the story? We can't judge a person without finding out what that person has done."

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
Does our law judge any man, before it hears him, and knows what he does?

American King James Version
Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?

American Standard Version
Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?

Douay-Rheims Bible
Doth our law judge any man, unless it first hear him, and know what he doth?

Darby Bible Translation
Does our law judge a man before it have first heard from himself, and know what he does?

English Revised Version
Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?

Webster's Bible Translation
Doth our law judge any man before it heareth him, and knoweth what he doeth?

Weymouth New Testament
"Does our Law," he asked, "judge a man without first hearing what he has to say and ascertaining what his conduct is?"

World English Bible
"Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?"

Young's Literal Translation
'Doth our law judge the man, if it may not hear from him first, and know what he doth?'

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:40-53 The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason, and sometimes the staying of it cannot be accounted for. Never any man spake with that wisdom, and power, and grace, that convincing clearness, and that sweetness, wherewith Christ spake. Alas, that many, who are for a time restrained, and who speak highly of the word of Jesus, speedily lose their convictions, and go on in their sins! People are foolishly swayed by outward motives in matters of eternal moment, are willing even to be damned for fashion's sake. As the wisdom of God often chooses things which men despise, so the folly of men commonly despises those whom God has chosen. The Lord brings forward his weak and timid disciples, and sometimes uses them to defeat the designs of his enemies.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Doth our law judge any man,.... Or condemn any man; or can any man be lawfully condemned:

before it hear him: what he has to say for himself; is this the usual process in our courts? or is this a legal one to condemn a man unheard?

and know what he doth? what his crimes are. This he said, having a secret respect for Christ, though he had not courage enough openly to appear for him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

51. Doth our law, &c.—a very proper, but all too tame rejoinder, and evidently more from pressure of conscience than any design to pronounce positively in the case. "The feebleness of his defense of Jesus has a strong contrast in the fierceness of the rejoinders of the Pharisees" [Webster and Wilkinson].

John 7:51 Parallel Commentaries

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Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders
…50Nicodemus said to them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does? 52They answered and said to him, Are you also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee rises no prophet.

Exodus 23:1 "Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
Numbers 35:30 "'Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Deuteronomy 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is to be put to death, but no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
Proverbs 18:13 To answer before listening-- that is folly and shame.
Acts 23:3 Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"