John 7:44
ESV
Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
NIV
Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.
NASB
And some of them wanted to arrest Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
CSB
Some of them wanted to seize him, but no one laid hands on him.
NLT
Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him.
KJV
And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.
NKJV
Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him.
What does John 7:44 mean?
Several instances in the Gospels record Jesus being targeted for arrest but escaping. Some of those events have a supernatural feel to them. For example, when Jesus is cornered on a tall, narrow, walkway but still manages to evade capture (John 10:23–24, 39). Others seem mundane. Here, Jesus is in the middle of a deeply divided, highly emotional crowd. Those looking to arrest Him might be enraged, but that does not make them stupid; angry commoners taking Jesus by force is liable to start an all-out riot (John 7:30).The wording of this passage suggests that it is the crowd, not necessarily the authorities, who are intimidated by the crowd. Separately, there is a group of officials, sent by the Pharisees, who are on their way to arrest Jesus (John 7:32). These men will not follow through on that mission, but their reasoning has more to do with Jesus' words than the prospect of a riot (John 7:45–46).
John 7:37–52 shows how Jesus' public ministry challenges the traditional views of Judaism. This causes infighting among both the people and the Jewish leaders themselves. The people hear His words, see His miracles, and begin to wonder if Jesus really is the Promised One. Once again, the religious leaders attempt to arrest Jesus, but the officers are so impressed by His words that they leave Him alone. When Nicodemus, a Pharisee, makes a plea for due process, he is mocked and his suggestion is ignored. Moments such as this will eventually lead the Jewish leaders to extreme measures against Jesus.
Six months after the feeding of thousands, and the public debate which followed, Jesus plans to attend the Feast of Booths, also called the Festival of Tabernacles. Rather than going publicly, He chooses to arrive privately, and after His family. While teaching and preaching there, Jesus once again comes into conflict with local religious leaders. The crowds take note of His profound words, history of miracles, and the inability of the religious leaders to silence Him. This causes the people to openly question their spiritual leaders. This embarrassment is a milestone in the effort to permanently silence Jesus.