John 7:24

Context

Chapter 7 of the Gospel of John is set during the Feast of Tabernacles (Feast of Booths). Midway through the feast, Jesus went up to the temple and taught, and a dispute arose among the Jews who heard him over his authority and identity. Saying, "I have done one work" (John 7:21), Jesus returns to the healing of the sick man at the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, recounted in chapter 5.

Jesus' reasoning runs as follows. The Jews perform circumcision even on the Sabbath in order to keep the law of Moses. If circumcision, performed on one part of the body, is permitted on the Sabbath, they have no reason to be angry that he made a man's whole body well (John 7:22–23). As the conclusion of this defense, Jesus says, "Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment." The Greek word opsis, rendered "appearance," refers to what is visible to the eye. In this context it is generally understood to refer not so much to a person's looks as to the outwardly visible fact that work was done on the Sabbath.

Interpretation

• A contextual reading: Many commentators read the verse as the conclusion of the Sabbath controversy. On this view, it is a call not to condemn an act as a violation of the law merely on the basis of its outward form, but to judge by the purpose for which the law was originally given. This reading connects with the teaching that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27–28).
• A reading as a principle of judgment and discernment: The verse is often cited as evidence that Jesus did not forbid all judgment but rather required right judgment. This reading cautions against taking "Judge not" (Matthew 7:1; Luke 6:37–42) as a prohibition of all evaluation. It holds that while hypocrisy and condemnation are to be avoided, fair discernment is still necessary.
• A reading connected to the prohibition of partiality: The verse is also read together with the teaching that people should not be treated according to their appearance or status. Passages frequently cited alongside it include "for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7) and James 2:1–4, which forbids discrimination between rich and poor.

Questions Concerning Application

There is no marked disagreement among denominations over the interpretation of this verse. Several questions, however, are raised regarding its application.

First, in its original context the verse is a defense addressed to people who had misunderstood Jesus' own action. Some therefore argue that using the verse merely as a general license to judge others goes beyond its context. Second, what constitutes "righteous judgment" cannot be determined from this verse alone. Accordingly, it is often added that those who judge must themselves be grounded in the teaching of Scripture as a whole and practice self-examination. In this connection, commentators also frequently note that within the same narrative sequence John records the words "Ye judge after the flesh" (John 8:15).

Related Passages

• John 5:30
• John 7:21–23
• John 8:15
• 1 Samuel 16:7
• Matthew 7:1–5