John 7:21
What does John 7:21 mean?
A plain-English look at John 7:21 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What John 7:21 means
Jesus refers to one work He did that caused everyone to marvel. This likely points to His healing of the invalid on a Sabbath in Jerusalem earlier, which triggered persecution. The crowd’s amazement had curdled into controversy because the healing defied their Sabbath interpretations. Jesus does not deny the act; He stands by it and uses their reaction to teach. Their fixation on rules missed the mercy and restoration at the heart of God’s Law. By recalling the event, He prepares to argue that their own practices admit exceptions, revealing their inconsistency and pointing to the Law’s true purpose.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000Jesus answered and said unto them, I did one work, and ye all marvel because thereof.
KJV
King James Version · 1611Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901Jesus answered and said unto them, I did one work, and ye all marvel because thereof.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949This was the answer of Jesus: I have done one work and you are all surprised at it.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Jesus answered and said to them, `One work I did, and ye all wonder,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Jesus answered and said to them: One work I have done: and you all wonder.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Jesus answered and said to them, I have done one work, and ye all wonder.
Context
After being accused of having a demon, Jesus returns to the concrete cause of offense. The next verses build a legal and moral argument from their accepted practice of circumcision on the Sabbath (verse 22) to the greater good of making a whole person well on the Sabbath (verse 23). He will close with a call to judge righteously rather than by appearances (verse 24).
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
Related questions readers ask
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