John 7:53 - Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

Bible Comments

‘And they went every man to his own house but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives'.

This proposed closure of the previous section clearly reflects the contrast between the One who goes aside to pray and those have no such intent, those who live in accordance with the world. It is being made clear that He is determined to keep in close touch with His Father, while they follow the ideas of the world. He is thus being seen as the spiritual One. Perhaps because of this, humanly speaking, He is able to do what He does.

In context those who go to their own houses are the Pharisees. They possess their own houses, and live in the world, and do not live lives of prayer (which is not to say that they do not pray). Jesus on the other hand possesses nothing and has nowhere to lay His head, and yet He is seen to have riches divine of which they know nothing.

John 7:53

53 And every man went unto his own house.