John 7:27 Commentary - Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

1) "Howbeit we know this man whence he is:” (alla touton oidamen pothen estin) "But this one we know whence he is:" They still call Him "this man," not willing to call His name, lest they be accused of agreeing to the idea that He was the Christ, and lose their membership to and social and religious privileges in the synagogue, Joh 9:22; Joh 12:42-43; Joh 16:2. They knew the earthly but not the heavenly genealogy of Jesus, Joh 1:1; Joh 1:14; Joh 3:16; Mat 13:55.

2) "But when Christ cometh," (ho de Christos hotan erchetai) "Yet when the Christ comes of his own accord," the promised Messiah; We know His genealogy, While "this one" is reputed to be out of Galilee, the Christ is to come of David, out of Judea, Joh 7:41-42; Mic 5:2. And this is how He had come, but they did not believe, Joh 1:11-13.

3) "No man knoweth whence he is." (oudeis ginoskei pothen estin) "No one knows where he is." These Jews of Jerusalem had accepted the view that when the Messiah came it would be a sudden, bedazzling appearance, announced by Elias, a vague philosophical concept, evidently then taught by the rulers. They gave the impression that He would appear out of nowhere for such an announcement of His kingship and bring them sudden glory and a solution to all their problems under the Roman Caesars. This shows how little they really knew about the Scriptures, Joh 5:39-40.