But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
These religious leaders weren't just disagreeing with the crowd; they were expressing profound contempt, labeling them "this people" as if they were insignificant rabble. Their insult, "who do not know the law," reveals their arrogant belief that true understanding was exclusive to their elite circle, while dismissing everyone else as "cursed" and unworthy.
But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Pharisees are frustrated because their temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, have returned empty-handed, admitting no one ever spoke like Him. In their arrogance, the Pharisees dismiss anyone who believes in Jesus as ignorant and accursed, relying only on their own authority and interpretation of the Law to validate their views. This sets the stage for Nicodemus to cautiously intervene, appealing to their own law's principle of hearing a case before judging.
Ever feel looked down upon for not knowing all the 'right' things? The religious leaders in John's day felt the same about those who followed Jesus.
In John 7:49, the religious elite express utter disdain for the crowd listening to Jesus. They literally call them "this people" (using a term that implies the 'rabble' or 'multitude') and dismiss them with the harsh judgment, "who do not know the law are cursed."
Why the Scorn?
The leaders declared the crowd 'cursed' for their ignorance. But what if true knowledge leads not to a curse, but to life?
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The statement 'this crowd that does not know the law is accursed' reveals a profound misunderstanding of both the Law and God's redemptive plan.
Misinterpreting the Law
The True 'Cure'
Understand the original words
nomos · Greek Noun
The set of divine instructions given to Israel through Moses, serving as the standard for holiness, moral conduct, and covenant life.
epikataratos · Greek Adjective
Under a curse or divine judgment; someone considered excluded from the covenant community or condemned by God.
This verse reveals the deep social and religious divide in 1st-century Judea, where the educated religious elite viewed the common people with contempt for their perceived ignorance of the Law, a perspective Jesus often challenged.
c. 515 BC - 332 BC
Second Temple Period
This era saw the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and the consolidation of Jewish law and tradition under Persian and then Greek rule.
c. 200 BC - AD 70
Pharisaic Dominance and Oral Law
The Pharisees gained significant influence, emphasizing strict adherence to both the written Law and a growing body of oral traditions and interpretations.
c. 20 BC - AD 30
Jesus' Ministry in Galilee and Judea
Jesus' public ministry, including his teachings and miracles, gains a following among many common people, often drawing the ire of the religious elite.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Trial and Crucifixion
Jesus is arrested, tried by the Sanhedrin (which included Pharisees and chief priests), and crucified under Roman authority.
c. AD 30s— this verse
Sanhedrin Confrontation in John 7
During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus teaches in the Temple, sparking debate and disbelief among the crowds and the religious leaders. His followers are derided.
This verse speaks of the curse that comes upon anyone who does not uphold the words of the Law, echoing the Pharisees' judgment that those ignorant of their interpretation are accursed.
Isaiah 5:13The prophet Isaiah laments the people's lack of knowledge and their exile due to this ignorance, paralleling the Pharisees' accusation that the crowd's lack of understanding of the Law leads to their cursed state.
Matthew 23:13Jesus pronounces a woe on the scribes and Pharisees for shutting the kingdom of heaven in people's faces, directly contrasting with the Pharisees' contempt for the common people and their supposed ignorance of the Law.
1 Corinthians 1:27-28Paul highlights God's choice of the weak and lowly to shame the wise and strong, reflecting how God often chooses the 'ignorant' crowds that the religious elite despised.
Galatians 3:10This passage emphasizes that all who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, offering a profound theological counterpoint to the Pharisees who believed their 'knowledge' of the Law made them superior.
barnesJohn 7:49: "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."
This people - The word here translated "people" is the one commonly rendered "the multitude." It is a word expressive of contempt, or, as we would say, the rabble. It denotes the scorn which they felt that the people should presume to judge for themselves in a case pertaining to their own salvation. Who knoweth not the law - Who have not been instructed in the schools of the Pharisees, and been taught to interpret the Old Testamen…
jfbJohn 7:49: "But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed."
- But this people—literally, "multitude," meaning the ignorant rabble. (Pity these important distinctions, so marked in the original of this Gospel, should not be also in our version.)knoweth not the law—that is, by school learning, which only subverted it by human traditions.are cursed—a cursed set (a kind of swearing at them, out of mingled rage and scorn).
These religious leaders weren't just disagreeing with the crowd; they were expressing profound contempt, labeling them "this people" as if they were insignificant rabble. Their insult, "who do not know the law," reveals their arrogant belief that true understanding was exclusive to their elite circle, while dismissing everyone else as "cursed" and unworthy.
The Pharisees are frustrated because their temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, have returned empty-handed, admitting no one ever spoke like Him. In their arrogance, the Pharisees dismiss anyone who believes in Jesus as ignorant and accursed, relying only on their own authority and interpretation of the Law to validate their views. This sets the stage for Nicodemus to cautiously intervene, appealing to their own law's principle of hearing a case before judging.
The Pharisees are frustrated because their temple officers, sent to arrest Jesus, have returned empty-handed, admitting no one ever spoke like Him. In their arrogance, the Pharisees dismiss anyone who believes in Jesus as ignorant and accursed, relying only on their own authority and interpretation of the Law to validate their views. This sets the stage for Nicodemus to cautiously intervene, appealing to their own law's principle of hearing a case before judging.
"But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”" — These religious leaders weren't just disagreeing with the crowd; they were expressing profound contempt, labeling them "this people" as if they were insignificant rabble. Their insult, "who do not kn…
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Last reviewed October 2026