Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
They say nothing unto him (ouden autoi legousin). But only make sneering comments about him (John 7:16) in spite of his speaking "openly" (parrhsiai, for which word see John 7:13; John 18:20) before all. lt was sarcasm about the leaders, though an element of surprise on the part of "these shrewd townsmen" (Bernard) may have existed also.
Can it be that the rulers indeed know (mh pote alhqwv egnwsin oi arxontev). Negative answer expected by mh pote and yet there is ridicule of the rulers in the form of the question. See a like use of mh pote in Luke 3:15, though nowhere else in John. Egnwsan (second aorist ingressive active indicative of ginwskw) may refer to the examination of Jesus by these rulers in John 5:19 ff. and means, "Did they come to know or find out" (and so hold now)?
That this is the Christ (oti outov estin o Xristov). The Messiah of Jewish hope.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 7:26:
John 7:4
John 7:10
John 7:13
John 7:20
John 7:27
John 10:24
Hebrews 9:16
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