John 7:26

(KJV) But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?
(1611 KJV) But loe, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing vnto him: Doe the rulers know indeede that this is the very Christ?
(1568 Bishops Bible) But loe, he speaketh boldly, & they saye nothyng to hym. Do the rulers knowe in deede that this is very Christ?
(1526 Tyndale) Beholde he speaketh boldly and they saye nothinge to him. Do the rulars knowe in dede that this is very Christ?

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?
(1901 ASV) And lo, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing unto him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is the Christ?
(CEB) Here he is, speaking in public, yet they aren’t saying anything to him. Could it be that our leaders actually think he is the Christ?
(CEV) Yet here he is, speaking for everyone to hear. And no one is arguing with him. Do you suppose the authorities know that he is the Messiah?

(CSB) Yet, look, he’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to him. Can it be true that the authorities know he is the Messiah?

(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition-Roman Catholic) And behold, he speaketh openly, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers known for a truth, that this is the Christ?
(ESV) And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
(GNB) Look! He is talking in public, and they say nothing against him! Can it be that they really know that he is the Messiah?
(HCSB) Yet, look! He’s speaking publicly and they’re saying nothing to Him. Can it be true that the authorities know He is the Messiah?
(NABRE) And look, he is speaking openly and they say nothing to him. Could the authorities have realized that he is the Messiah?
(NASV) Look, He is speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to Him. The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?
(NET) Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the rulers really know that this man is the Christ?
(NIRV) Here he is! He is speaking openly. They aren’t saying a word to him. Have the authorities really decided that he is the Messiah?
(NIV) Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah?
(NLT) But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah?
(NRSV) And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah?
(RSV) And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?
(VOICE) But here He is, speaking out in the open to the crowd, while they have not spoken a word to stop or challenge Him. Do these leaders now believe He is the Anointed One?
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) And yet see! he is speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Have the rulers come to know for certain that this is the Christ?

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
και ιδε παρρησια λαλει και ουδεν αυτω λεγουσιν μηποτε αληθως εγνωσαν οι αρχοντες οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο χριστος

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
και ιδε παρρησια λαλει και ουδεν αυτω λεγουσιν μηποτε αληθως εγνωσαν οι αρχοντες οτι ουτος εστιν ο χριστος

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
K 017 - Ninth century
L 019 - Seventh century
T 029 - Fifth century
X 033 - Tenth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for This Verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
Gamma 036 - Ninth or Tenth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “very” before “Christ”
Greisbach, Johann - 1805
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Affected Teaching
The people wanted to know if the rulers had switched positions and have accepted the fact that Jesus was the true Messiah. The word which the modern versions omit “very” carries with it the meaning of “truly or really.” It enforces the fact that Jesus was the true Messiah because there were many who proclaimed themselves to be Messiah. This was one reason why Jesus did miracles, to set Him apart from those false messiahs. There were many false messiahs, especially during the time of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem beginning in 66 A.D. By the modern versions omitting “very,” they place Jesus in with the group of those who claim to be messiah when there can only be one true Messiah.

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