“Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
The full verse · John 7:42 · KJV
Hath the , the of , out the of , ?
The Scene
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThis question backs up the objection of John 7:41 with Scripture. The speakers expected everyone to answer yes: of course the Scripture says the Christ comes from David's family and from Bethlehem. Gill says they referred rightly to the prophets, pointing to Isaiah 11:1 and Micah 5:2. Their mistake was assuming Jesus did not fit. Matthew Henry says it was a fact "they willingly are ignorant of," since they could have found out.
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe answer to the question is yes. The Scripture does say this. Micah wrote of Bethlehem, "out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel" (Micah 5:2). What the speakers did not see is that Jesus fulfilled it: He "was born in Bethlehem of Judaea" (Matthew 2:1), and Joseph was "of the house and lineage of David" (Luke 2:4). In the moment, the result was only division (John 7:43). Later the Pharisees told Nicodemus, "Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet" (John 7:52).
Historical Context
The world behind the words"The seed of David" means David's descendants. Gill links it to Isaiah 11:1, where "a rod out of the stem of Jesse" is promised; Jesse was David's father, "Jesse the Beth-lehemite" (1 Samuel 16:1). Barnes points to 1 Samuel 16:1-4, where Samuel goes to Bethlehem to anoint a king from Jesse's sons. That is why Bethlehem is called the town "where David was."
The chief priests and scribes knew this teaching well. When Herod asked them where the Christ should be born, they answered, "In Bethlehem of Judaea," quoting the prophet (Matthew 2:4-6).
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyGod keeps His promises down to the details. He told David his seed would be established (2 Samuel 7:12), and He named Bethlehem through Micah. Jesus was born in that town from that family (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:4). The crowd's question, meant as an objection, actually lists the promises Jesus fulfilled.
The passage also warns how Scripture can be used against the very One it points to. The speakers quoted the Bible correctly and still drew the wrong conclusion. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says, "The malice of Christ's enemies is always against reason." Knowing the promise is not the same as recognizing the One who keeps it.
Look Closer
Why does the crowd mention Bethlehem as "where David was"?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Father, You kept every promise about Your Son, down to the town where He was born; which of Your promises do You want me to trust more fully today?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The crowd used Scripture to keep Jesus at a distance. How can you tell whether you are using the Bible to seek Him or to win an argument?
- Tell about a promise of God you have seen kept in a way you did not expect.
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
God's Word can be trusted in the details. The Christ came from David's family and from Bethlehem, just as Scripture said. When you read God's promises, you can rest on them.
At the same time, quoting Scripture is not the same as understanding it. The crowd had the right verse and drew the wrong conclusion because they did not check the facts about Jesus. Be humble when you use the Bible in an argument. Ask whether you are reading it to find Jesus or to keep Him away.
This does not mean you should stop asking hard questions about Scripture. Ask them honestly, and follow the answers all the way.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Shall Christ come out of Galilee?”
“Art thou also of Galilee?”
“Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?”
“Why have ye not brought him?”