John 10:20 (DBY)

Passage

but many of them said, He has a demon and raves; why do ye hear him?

Nearby Context

John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have authority to lay it down and I have authority to take it again. I have received this commandment of my Father.

John 10:19 There was a division again among the Jews on account of these words;

John 10:20 but many of them said, He has a demon and raves; why do ye hear him?

John 10:21 Others said, These sayings are not [those] of one that is possessed by a demon. Can a demon open blind people's eyes?

John 10:22 Now the feast of the dedication was celebrating at Jerusalem, and it was winter.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "said", "demon", "raves", and "hear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "said" and "demon", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "There was a division again among the..." into verse 21's "Others said These sayings are not those...", so "said" and "demon" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "said" and "demon" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.