John 10:39 (DRB)

Passage

They sought therefore to take him: and he escaped out of their hands.

Nearby Context

John 10:37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

John 10:38 But if I do, though you will not believe me, believe the works: that you may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in the Father.

John 10:39 They sought therefore to take him: and he escaped out of their hands.

John 10:40 And he went again beyond the Jordan, into that place where John was baptizing first. And there he abode.

John 10:41 And many resorted to him: and they said: John indeed did no sign.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sought", "therefore", "take", "escaped", and "hands". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sought" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "But if I do though you will..." into verse 40's "And he went again beyond the Jordan...", so "sought" and "therefore" 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 "sought" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.