"The Jews" in John's Gospel

"The Jews" in John's Gospel
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1999

John's gospel mentions "the Jews" more than any other biblical book (69x). This is essentially an in-house term (i.e., used of Jews by a Jew) and is not, by definition, pejorative. Because most of these occurrences refer to members of the religious establishment (50x), whether opponents or proponents of Jesus (the latter in italics below), the term may best be rendered "the Jew[ish authoritie]s." Nevertheless, reference to those who oppose Jesus often includes a negative connotation.

John 1:19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

John 2:18 Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" ...20 The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?"

John 5:10 and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." ... 15 The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews persecuted him.... 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

John 6:41 At this the Jews began to grumble about him because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." ...52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

John 7:1 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.... 11 Now at the Feast the Jews were watching for him and asking, "Where is that man?" ...13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the Jews.... 15 The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?" ...35 The Jews said to one another, "Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

John 8:22 This made the Jews ask, "Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, 'Where I go, you cannot come'?" ...31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.... 48 The Jews answered him, "Aren't we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?" ...52 At this the Jews exclaimed, "Now we know that you are demon-possessed! Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that if anyone keeps your word, he will never taste death.... 57 "You are not yet fifty years old," the Jews said to him, "and you have seen Abraham!"

John 9:18 The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man's parents.... 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.

John 10:19 At these words the Jews were again divided.... 24 The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." ...31 Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him.... 33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."

John 11:8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" ...31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.... 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.... 36 Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" ...45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.... 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples.

John 12:11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and putting their faith in him.

John 13:33 "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.

John 18:14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be good if one man died for the people.... 20 "I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.... 28 Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.... 31 Pilate said, "Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law." "But we have no right to execute anyone," the Jews objected.... 36 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." ...38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

John 19:4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." ...7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." ... 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." ...14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.... 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek.

John 19:21a The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate.... 31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.... 38 Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jews. With Pilate's permission, he came and took the body away.

John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"

Only a few uses have a broader connotation (9x), referring to the nation.

John 2:6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

John 4:22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.

John 5:1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews.

John 18:33 Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?"

John 18:39 But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release 'the king of the Jews'?"

John 19:3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face.

John 19:19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.

John 19:21b "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews."

John does not refer to "the Jews" in his epistles or in his Revelation. The only biblical books that use the term with similar frequency are Esther (44x), written in a gentile setting, and Acts (48x), written by a gentile author. Likewise, Josephus, writing for a gentile audience, also refers to his countrymen in this manner (172x).¹

1. Other Late Second Temple references include:

1QpHab 8:1 This refers to all those who obey the Law among the Jews whom...