Charles Ellicott Commentary John 7:36

"What is this word that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me; and where I am, ye cannot come?" — John 7:36 (ASV)

What manner of saying is this . . .?—We get a better sense by omitting the words in italics, and reading, “What saying is this . . .?” Their scorn does not solve their difficulty, and gives way to wonder. They feel His words cannot mean what they have said. “What, then, do they mean? What is the meaning of His saying?”