John 7:12

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

John 7:12 in Other Translations

12 And there was much murmuring among the people concerning him: for some said, He is a good man: others said, Nay; but he deceiveth the people.

12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, "He is a good man," others said, "No, he is leading the people astray."

12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.”

12 There was a lot of contentious talk about him circulating through the crowds. Some were saying, "He's a good man." But others said, "Not so. He's selling snake oil."

12 And there was a lot of discussion about Him among the crowds. Some were saying, "He's a good man." Others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He's deceiving the people."

John 7:12 Meaning and Commentary

John 7:12

And there was much murmuring among the people concerning
him
There was a general whisper, and a private controversy and contention among the people about him, upon inquiry being made after him:

for some said he is a good man;
a man of a good principle, of a good life and conversation; and who is good, kind, and beneficent, both to the bodies and souls of men; preaches good doctrine, and does many good things:

others said: nay,
or denied him to be a good man:

but he deceiveth the people;
drawing them off from the law of Moses, teaching them to break the sabbath, setting himself up for the Messiah, and asserting himself to be the son of God.

John 7:12 In-Context

10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret.

11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesus and asking, “Where is he?”

12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.” Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.”

13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

Cross References

• 1. ver 40,43