John 8:20 Commentary and Bible Study

This was all taking place treasury. That is because the collecting box for various temple funds, including the two boxes for regular tithes and offerings, were kept there. And they were massive chests, eleven of them, we are told, were arranged along one wall, and two were on a separate wall. And they had coming out of them trumpet-shaped collectors made of bronze. It was also known as the court of women. Now that was actually the main outside court of the Temple and the largest, so called not because only women were allowed in it – it was for men and women – but because the women could go no further in those days than the court of women. They could not proceed into the sanctuary, which was only for men, in fact only for Levites and priests. And so, strangely, it came to be known as the court of women. This court was enormous and could accommodate thousands. Christ was preaching on a raised area, seated as was the custom for teachers, and there were thousands of people, men and women, listening to him. The Pharisees cannot stand it. ‘We cannot let him influence so many people.’ Well, he already had, but they could not bear it any longer and they are beginning to barrack him and to interrupt him, to heckle him with questions, to try and cause him to stumble if they can. They are trying to seize the initiative and take over the whole discourse and turn it into an interaction with themselves, in which they can make their point and unloose their derision of him.It is thought, now there was on the Temple side the building side of this court, there was a wall, a lowish wall and a raised area, a kind of internal veranda or gallery that connected with the Temple building itself, and it is thought that maybe the Pharisees and chief priests would stand on that balcony and from an elevated position interrupt from there and shout in their comments. And of course, their comments would carry the weight of their office. They wanted to take the Lord Jesus Christ off track in his ministry: it was a wrecking operation.John notes that no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come, which implies, that they were dying to, but somehow they could not. The power of God was present to prevent them taking him.