John 7:11 — ExegesisTAB

The verse begins with the article–particle sequence hoi oun {οἱ οὖν | hoí oûn}, where oun functions as an inferential connector, signaling that the narrative action follows logically from the preceding context. The subject phrase hoi Ioudaioi {οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι | hoí Iou-daî-oi} is placed early for topical prominence, presenting “the Jews” as a unified group who are now in focus. The imperfect verb ezētoun {ἐζήτουν | ezḗ-toun} conveys ongoing or repeated action in past time, depicting a continual search rather than a single attempt. The prepositional phrase en tē heortē {ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ | en tē̂ he-or-tê} situates this search specifically within the setting of the feast, emphasizing the public and religious context. The coordinated imperfect elegon {ἔλεγον | é-le-gon} forms a second, parallel line of action, portraying continuous speech that accompanies the search. Direct discourse is introduced with the interrogative clause Pou estin ekeinos {Ποῦ ἐστιν ἐκεῖνος | Poû es-tín e-keî-nos}, where the demonstrative ekeinos ‘that one’ creates a slightly distanced or loaded reference to Jesus, suggesting mixed attitudes of curiosity, anticipation, or hostility. In translation, the two imperfect verbs are rendered with progressive English forms (“were seeking,” “kept asking”) to preserve their iterative and durative force, and the demonstrative nuance of ekeinos is maintained in formal style (“that one”) while slightly softened in dynamic style (“He”) for natural English.