John 7 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Galilee — the brothers' challenge and the refusal 7:1–9

vv. 1–2 — the setting: hostility in Judea, Tabernacles near

And after these things Jesus was walking about in Galilee;independent — the durative scene resumes after ch. 6 — descriptive imperfect περιεπάτει

for he was not willing to walk in Judea,cause — the γάρ of avoidance — a deliberate, conative refusal

because the Judeans were seeking to kill him.cause — the death-plot of 5:18 still running — conative imperfect ἐζήτουν

Now the feast of the Judeans, the Feast of Tabernacles, was near.independent — setting — Sukkoth (Lev 23:34–43); its water-rite and lamps back vv. 37–38 and 8:12

vv. 3–5 — the brothers' taunt, and the narrator's verdict

So his brothers said to him:independent — inferential οὖν — the approaching feast prompts the challenge

'Leave herecontent — the taunt opens — two imperatives of departure

and go to Judea,content — Judea — the seat of publicity, and of the plot of v. 1

so that your disciples also may see your workspurpose — purpose with future indicative θεωρήσουσιν — a Johannine ἵνα-idiom

which you are doing;relative — the works as credentials — the brothers' publicity logic

for no one does anything in secretcause — the brothers' gnomic maxim — the world's rule of self-promotion

while himself seeking to be in the open;cause — παρρησία — the chapter's keyword enters (vv. 13, 26)

if you are doing these things,conditional — first-class protasis inside the taunt — the signs assumed; leans on φανέρωσον

show yourself to the world.'content — φανέρωσον — the revelation-word demanded on the world's terms

For not even his brothers believed in him.cause — narrator's aside — οὐδὲ γάρ: settled imperfect unbelief unmasks the counsel

vv. 6–9 — my time has not yet come

Jesus therefore says to them:independent — historic present λέγει — the reply vivified

'My time is not yet here,content — ὁ καιρὸς ὁ ἐμός — the appointed hour of glorification, divinely timed

but your time is always ready.content — their time under no constraint — the ironic contrast

The world cannot hate you,content — constitutional incapacity — the world loves its own (15:19)

but me it hates,content — emphatic ἐμέ fronted — the contrast

because I testify about itcause — the ground of hatred — the ongoing legal witness

that its works are evil.content — the content of the testimony — the world's works indicted

You go up to the feast;content — permissive imperative — emphatic ὑμεῖς

I am not going up to this feast,content — οὐκ printed (P66 P75 ℵ B) — the harder reading; later mss smooth to οὔπω against v. 10

because my time has not yet been fulfilled.'cause — the refusal grounded — perfect πεπλήρωται: the appointment stands unfulfilled

And having said these things to them,participial — preposed aorist participle closing the exchange — leans on ἔμεινεν

he remained in Galilee.independent — μένω — he deliberately stays: his timing is not theirs

The secret ascent and the murmuring crowd 7:10–13

But when his brothers had gone up to the feast,conditional — temporal ὡς (typed cnd; no temporal key) — leans on ἀνέβη

then he also went up,independent — he goes after all — on his own terms and time, not the brothers'

not openly but as it were in secret.phrase modifier — the brothers' φανέρωσον inverted — ὡς softens: unannounced rather than hidden

The Judeans therefore were looking for him at the feastindependent — iterative imperfect — ζητέω colored by the lethal search of v. 1

and were saying:independent — the repeated question through the feast

'Where is that man?'content — ἐκεῖνος — the distancing demonstrative: they will not name him

And there was much murmuring about him among the crowds.independent — γογγυσμός — the wilderness-murmuring word (Exod 16 LXX), an ironic Exodus echo

Some were saying:independent — the μέν side of the divided crowd, with recitative ὅτι

'He is a good man';content — the favorable verdict — positive but inadequate

but others were saying:independent — the δέ side — the antithesis that recurs at vv. 40–43

'No, on the contrary he leads the crowd astray.'content — πλανᾷ — the charge of messianic deception, thrown back at the officers in v. 47

Yet no one was speaking about him openly, because of fear of the Judeans.independent — narrator's note — παρρησία suppressed by fear (cf. 9:22; 12:42; 19:38)

Mid-feast teaching — whose teaching, and the sabbath argument 7:14–24

vv. 14–18 — the astonishment, and the teaching traced to the Sender

But when the feast was already at its midpoint,participial — genitive absolute — μεσούσης, only here in the NT; leans on ἀνέβη

Jesus went up into the templeindependent — the public act the brothers urged — on his own timing

and began to teach.independent — inceptive imperfect — the teaching opens and continues

The Judeans therefore were astonished,independent — descriptive imperfect — the running amazement

saying:participial — speech-participle — the frame for the question

'How does this man know letters, never having studied?'content — γράμματα — scribal learning; μὴ μεμαθηκώς, no schooling under a rabbi

Jesus therefore answered them and said:independent — the double speech-frame for the defense

'My teaching is not mine but belongs to him who sent me.content — the paradox of the double ἐμή — resolved by the sending formula

If anyone wills to do his will,conditional — third-class protasis — willing the will precedes knowing; leans on γνώσεται

he will know concerning the teachingcontent — the epistemological criterion — obedient orientation before recognition

whether it is from Godcontent — indirect alternative question — πότερον … ἤ

or whether I speak from myself.content — the self-sourcing Jesus everywhere denies (5:19, 30; 8:28)

The one who speaks from himself seeks his own glory;content — the gnomic antithesis opens — self-sourced speech betrays self-glorification

but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him — this one is true,content — casus pendens resumed by οὗτος — ἀληθής, the reliable witness

and there is no unrighteousness in him.content — no ἀδικία — no fraudulent motive; echo of Ps 32:2

vv. 19–24 — the law turned back: circumcision over sabbath

Did not Moses give you the law?content — the turn to ethics — rhetorical question expecting yes; perfect δέδωκεν, the standing gift

And yet none of you keeps the law.content — adversative καί — possessing the law, not doing it

Why are you seeking to kill me?'content — the plot named aloud — the murderous quest of v. 1 exposed

The crowd answered:independent — the pilgrim crowd — ignorant of the authorities' plot (cf. v. 25)

'You have a demon!content — the madness-charge — recurring at 8:48, 52

Who is seeking to kill you?'content — the crowd's incredulity — they do not know what the Jerusalemites know

Jesus answered and said to them:independent — the frame for the sabbath defense

'I did one work,content — ἓν ἔργον emphatic — the Bethesda sabbath healing (ch. 5)

and you all marvel.content — the marvel still running — one act, all this controversy

For this reason Moses has given you circumcision —content — the a fortiori premise begins — περιτομή, Gen 17 codified at Lev 12:3

not that it is from Moses but from the fathers —content — narrator-style parenthetical correction — the rite predates Sinai, from the patriarchs

and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man.content — the conceded practice — the eighth day overrides the sabbath

If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbathconditional — first-class protasis — what both parties accept; leans on χολᾶτε

so that the law of Moses may not be broken,purpose — the rule's rationale — the law unbroken by the sabbath rite

are you angry at mecontent — χολᾶτε — bilious anger, only here in the NT; the apodosis-question

because I made a whole man well on the Sabbath?cause — qal wahomer — one member against the ὅλον ἄνθρωπον made ὑγιής (5:9)

Do not judge by appearances,content — the prohibition — stop judging κατ' ὄψιν, by the surface

but judge with right judgment.'content — cognate accusative κρίσιν κρίνετε — the righteous-judgment close of the argument

Is this the Christ? — the Jerusalemites' speculation 7:25–31

vv. 25–27 — the locals weigh the hidden-origin criterion

Some of the Jerusalemites therefore were saying:independent — the city locals — who, unlike the pilgrims of v. 20, know the plot

'Is not this the mancontent — the recognition question — expecting yes

whom they are seeking to kill?relative — the death-plot common knowledge in the city

And look — he is speaking openly,content — παρρησίᾳ — the word of vv. 4 and 13, now on Jesus' side of the ledger

and they say nothing to him!content — the authorities' inexplicable silence

Can it be that the rulers have truly recognizedcontent — μήποτε — the tentative, half-doubting guess; the speculation is wrong

that this is the Christ?content — the title surfaces — wrongly premised, rightly worded

But we know where this man comes from;content — the objection — Galilee, Joseph (6:42); the irony: his true origin they do not know

yet when the Christ comes,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd) with casus pendens ὁ Χριστός — leans on γινώσκει

no one will know where he comes from.'content — the popular hidden-Messiah dogma — the criterion they think disqualifies him

vv. 28–31 — the cry in the temple, the failed arrest, the believing many

Jesus therefore cried out in the temple as he was teaching, saying:independent — ἔκραξεν — John's verb of solemn public proclamation (7:37; 12:44)

'You both know mecontent — the concession — surface knowledge granted; crasis κἀμέ

and know where I am from;content — the second concession — and its coming limit

and I have not come from myself,content — not self-sent — perfect ἐλήλυθα, the standing fact of the mission

but the one who sent me is true,content — ἀληθινός — the real Sender behind the envoy

whom you do not know.relative — the verdict — the real ignorance is of the Father

I know him,content — emphatic ἐγώ — the counter-knowledge to their not-knowing

because I am from himcause — the first ground — origin, παρ' αὐτοῦ

and he sent me.'cause — the second ground — commission, ἀποστέλλω; origin and mission together

They were therefore seeking to arrest him,independent — conative imperfect — they kept trying; πιάζω, John's arrest-verb

yet no one laid a hand on him,independent — adversative καί — the restraint: no hand lands

because his hour had not yet come.cause — narrator's aside — the ὥρα governs every attempt (2:4; 8:20); pluperfect ἐληλύθει

But many from the crowd believed in him,independent — πιστεύω εἰς — the full Johannine faith formula, against the failed arrest

and were saying:independent — the believers' sign-based reasoning framed

'When the Christ comes,conditional — temporal ὅταν (typed cnd), casus pendens again — leans on ποιήσει

will he do more signscontent — μή expecting no — the signs argued as messianic surplus

than this man has done?'relative — genitive of comparison ὧν — than this man's tally

Officers sent — the where-I-am riddle 7:32–36

The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things about him,independent — the murmuring of v. 12 overheard — genitive participle folded into one clause

and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officersindependent — the Sanhedrin coalition escalates — temple police dispatched (answered at v. 45)

in order to arrest him.purpose — the warrant — πιάζω again

Jesus therefore said:independent — the response to the warrant — serenity, not flight

'I am with you a little while longer,content — ἔτι χρόνον μικρόν — the little-while of the approaching passion (12:35; 13:33)

and then I am going to him who sent me.content — ὑπάγω — the Johannine departure to the Sender; futuristic present

You will seek mecontent — the future search — after the departure

and will not find me,content — the search fruitless — ζητέω at last unrewarded

and where I am you cannot come.'content — the riddle — ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ: the incapacity moral, not geographical (8:21; 13:33)

The Judeans therefore said to one another:independent — the misunderstanding begins — πρὸς ἑαυτούς, among themselves

'Where does this man intend to gocontent — the mundane reading of the riddle

that we will not find him?cause — consecutive-flavored ὅτι — their bafflement; emphatic ἡμεῖς

Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?content — the diaspora guess — mockery that is unwitting prophecy of the Gentile mission (12:20)

What is this sayingcontent — the saying quoted back — incomprehension verbatim

that he said:relative — the echo-frame for the repeated riddle

'You will seek mecontent — v. 34 repeated word for word —

and will not find me,content — — the second member —

and where I am you cannot come'?content — — the riddle left hanging; readers understand what the characters cannot

The last great day — the cry about living water 7:37–39

Now on the last, the great day of the feast,phrase modifier — the eighth-day solemn assembly (Lev 23:36) — the water-drawing rite as backdrop; leans on εἱστήκει

Jesus stoodindependent — εἱστήκει — pluperfect as stative: the formal posture of proclamation

and cried out,independent — the solemn cry — κράζω again (v. 28; 12:44)

saying:participial — the speech-participle framing the invitation

'If anyone thirsts,conditional — the open third-class protasis — Isa 55:1 behind the thirst; leans on ἐρχέσθω

let him come to mecontent — the invitation — the coming

and drink.content — and the drinking — Tabernacles' water transposed to himself

Whoever believes in me —content — suspended casus pendens — the punctuation crux: subject of the rivers (traditional), or closing v. 37 with Christ as the source (patristic)

as the Scripture has said,comparative — the citation formula — the source unfixed: no OT text matches; Isa 58:11, Zech 14:8, Ezek 47:1–12 the candidates

rivers of living water will flow out of his belly.'content — torrents, not a trickle — αὐτοῦ the believer (trad.) or Christ (patristic); ῥέω only here in the NT

Now he said this about the Spirit,independent — narrator's aside — the living water decoded as the Spirit

whom those who believed in him were about to receive;relative — οὗ attracted to the genitive — the Spirit awaited by the believers

for as yet there was no Spirit,cause — elliptical — 'there was not yet Spirit [given]'; the startling shorthand left as written

because Jesus had not yet been glorified.cause — the condition — glorification: cross, resurrection, ascension as one event (12:23; 17:1)

Division in the crowd 7:40–44

Some of the crowd therefore, having heard these words,participial — preposed partitive participle — leans on ἔλεγον

were saying:independent — the first verdict-frame

'This man truly is the Prophet';content — ὁ προφήτης — the Moses-like prophet of Deut 18:15 (cf. 1:21; 6:14)

others were saying:independent — the second verdict-frame

'This is the Christ.'content — the higher title — flat and unqualified

But some were saying:independent — the objectors' frame — the crowd splits three ways

'Surely the Christ does not come from Galilee, does he?content — μὴ γάρ expecting no — the geography objection

Has not the Scripture saidcontent — the appeal to Scripture — expecting yes

that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from Bethlehem, the village where David was?'content — Mic 5:2 with 2 Sam 7:12 — the irony: fulfilled in Jesus without their knowing

So a division occurred in the crowd because of him.independent — σχίσμα — the split Jesus' presence forces (9:16; 10:19)

Some of them wanted to arrest him,independent — conative imperfect ἤθελον — the wish to seize, frustrated

but no one laid hands on him.independent — again no hand lands — v. 30's restraint holds; the motif brackets the feast

The officers return, and Nicodemus 7:45–52

vv. 45–49 — the empty-handed report and the Pharisees' scorn

The officers therefore came back to the chief priests and Pharisees,independent — the dispatch of v. 32 returns without its prisoner

and those men said to them:independent — ἐκεῖνοι — the narrator's distancing demonstrative for the authorities

'Why did you not bring him?'content — the outraged demand for an explanation

The officers answered:independent — the arresting party answers with testimony instead of a prisoner

'Never has a man spoken like this.'content — οὐδέποτε absolute — the unwitting confession: the word itself disarmed them

The Pharisees therefore answered them:independent — the scorn begins

'Have you also been led astray?content — πεπλάνησθε — v. 12's charge turned on their own officers; perfect: a settled state

Has any one of the rulers believed in him, or of the Pharisees?content — the appeal to elite consensus — with Nicodemus in the room (v. 50) and Joseph of Arimathea waiting at 19:38

But this crowd that does not know the law — they are accursed!'content — the curse — Deut 27 language; constructio ad sensum (plural ἐπάρατοί εἰσιν with ὁ ὄχλος)

vv. 50–52 — Nicodemus' law-question and the Galilean taunt

Nicodemus — the one who had come to him before, being one of them — says to them:independent — historic present — Nicodemus of 3:1–2 (and 19:39), one of their own, speaks from within

'Does our law judge the mancontent — the procedural challenge — not theology but due process; μή expecting no

unless it first hears from himconditional — backward ἐὰν μή — anchored, unlike the forward protases: hearing before judgment

and learns what he is doing?'conditional — the coordinate subjunctive — the very law invoked at v. 49 forbids their conduct

They answered and said to him:independent — the deflection — ad hominem, not answer

'Are you also from Galilee?content — the Galilean taunt — guilt by geography

Searchcontent — the sarcastic imperative — ἐραυνάω, the scripture-search verb (5:39)

and seecontent — the paired command — search-and-see

that no prophet arises from Galilee.'content — the claim is false — Jonah of Gath-hepher was Galilean (2 Kgs 14:25); the chapter closes on unresolved hostility (7:53 travels with the pericope adulterae in the John 8 file)

Analysis. John 7 is Tabernacles drama, and the layout shows a chapter built of speech-frames: flush-left purple narrative verbs (many of them John's iterative imperfects — ἐζήτουν, ἔλεγον, ἐθαύμαζον — and a pair of historic presents, λέγει at vv. 6 and 50) each dangling a blue block of quoted words, while the crowd's μέν/δέ division keeps resetting the left margin as verdict answers verdict (vv. 12, 40–43). Against the mainline lean the forward participles and temporal frames — ταῦτα δὲ εἰπών, the genitive absolutes of vv. 14 and 32, Ὡς δὲ ἀνέβησαν, the great eighth-day phrase of v. 37 — and inside the quotes the protases stack one deeper on their apodoses (the brothers' εἰ ταῦτα ποιεῖς, the discernment-condition ἐάν τις θέλῃ of v. 17, the circumcision protasis of v. 23, the thirst-invitation Ἐάν τις διψᾷ of v. 37; Nicodemus' backward ἐὰν μή at v. 51 alone takes an anchor). The narrator's asides hang as cau lines with their tags naming them: the brothers' unbelief (v. 5), the fathers-not-Moses parenthesis (v. 22), the hour not yet come (v. 30), and the Spirit-explanation of v. 39 with its elliptical οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα. Cruxes the layout inherits and names rather than hides: at v. 8 the text prints the harder οὐκ ἀναβαίνω (P66 P75 ℵ B) where the later tradition smooths to οὔπω against v. 10; at vv. 37–38 the punctuation question is flagged — ὁ πιστεύων stands as a suspended casus pendens whose κοιλία is the believer's on the traditional reading or Christ's on the patristic one — and the γραφή cited has no fixed source (Isa 58:11, Zech 14:8, Ezek 47 the candidates, tagged); at v. 52 the authorities' 'no prophet from Galilee' is tagged as factually false (Jonah of Gath-hepher, 2 Kgs 14:25). The chapter ends at v. 52: the pericope adulterae's lead-in 7:53 travels with the bracketed 8:1–11 in the John 8 file.