John 7:51
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?
American King James Version (AKJV)
Does our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he does?
American Standard Version (ASV)
Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?
Basic English Translation (BBE)
Is a man judged by our law before it has given him a hearing and has knowledge of what he has done?
Webster's Revision
Doth our law judge any man before it heareth him, and knoweth what he doeth?
World English Bible
"Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?"
English Revised Version (ERV)
Doth our law judge a man, except it first hear from himself and know what he doeth?
Definitions for John 7:51
Clarke's John 7:51 Bible Commentary
Doth our law judge any man - Τον ανθρωπον, the man, i.e. who is accused. Perhaps Nicodemus did not refer so much to any thing in the law of Moses, as to what was commonly practiced among them. Josephus says, Ant. b. xiv. c. 9. s. 3, That the law has forbidden any man to be put to death, though wicked, unless he be first condemned to die by the Sanhedrin. It was probably to this law, which is not expressly mentioned in the five books of Moses, that Nicodemus here alludes. See laws relative to this point, Deuteronomy 17:8, etc.; Deuteronomy 19:15.
Barnes's John 7:51 Bible Commentary
Doth our law ... - The law required justice to be done, and gave every man the right to claim a fair and impartial trial, Leviticus 19:15-16; Exodus 23:1-2; Deuteronomy 19:15, Deuteronomy 19:18. Their condemnation of Jesus was a violation of every rule of right. He was not arraigned; he was not heard in self-defense, and not a single witness was adduced. Nicodemus demanded that justice should be done, and that he should, not be condemned until he had had a fair trial. Every man should be presumed to be innocent until he is proved to be guilty. This is a maxim of law, and a most just and proper precept in our judgments in private life.