John 11:48

John 11:48 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.
• New International Version (NIV)If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
• New King James Version (NKJV)If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”

Context of John 11:48

46But some of them went back to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and Pharisees convened a council [of the leaders in Israel], and said, “What are we doing? For this man performs many signs (attesting miracles). If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our [holy] place (the temple) and our nation.” 49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year [the year of Christ’s crucifixion], said to them, “You know nothing at all! 50Nor do you understand that it is expedient and politically advantageous for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

John 11:48 word by word

ἐὰν ἀφῶμεν αὐτὸν οὕτως, πάντες πιστεύσουσιν εἰς αὐτόν, καὶ ἐλεύσονται οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι καὶ ἀροῦσιν ἡμῶν καὶ τὸν τόπον καὶ τὸ ἔθνος.¶Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• we letἀφίημιaphiēmi · to release: leaveG863
• himαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• thus aloneοὕτωςhoutō · thus(-ly)G3779
• allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• will believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
• onεἰςeis · towardG1519
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• the RomansῬωμαῖοςRhōmaios · RomanG4514
• shall comeἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• take awayαἴρωairō · to take upG142
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• placeὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• placeτόποςtopos · placeG5117
• nationἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484

Cross-references for John 11:48

• Acts 5:28saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you intend to bring this Man’s blood on us [by accusing us as His murderers].”
• John 1:7This man came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe [in Christ, the Light] through him.
• Luke 8:12Those beside the road are the people who have heard; then the devil comes and takes the message [of God] away from their hearts, so that they will not believe [in Me as the Messiah] and be saved.
• Luke 11:52Woe to you lawyers, because you have taken away the key to knowledge (scriptural truth). You yourselves did not enter, and you held back those who were entering [by your flawed interpretation of God’s word and your man-made tradition].”
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and harassed and drove us out; and [they] continue to be highly displeasing to God and [to show themselves] hostile to all people,
• Deuteronomy 28:50a defiant nation who will have no respect for the old, nor show favor to the young,
• Daniel 9:26Then after the sixty-two weeks [of years] the Anointed One will be cut off [and denied His Messianic kingdom] and have nothing [and no one to defend Him], and the people of the [other] prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.
• Zechariah 13:7“Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, And against the Man, My Associate,” Declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the Shepherd so that the sheep [of the flock] may be scattered; And I will turn My hand and stretch it out against the little ones [of the flock].
• Zechariah 14:1Behold, a day is coming for the Lord when the spoil taken from you (Jerusalem) will be divided in your midst.
• Matthew 21:40Now when the owner of the vineyard comes back, what will he do to those tenants?”
• Matthew 22:7The king was enraged [when he heard this], and sent his soldiers and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
• Matthew 23:35so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
• Matthew 27:25And all the people answered, “Let [the responsibility for] His blood be on us and on our children!”
• Luke 19:41As He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it [and the spiritual ignorance of its people],
• Luke 21:20“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by [hostile] armies, then understand [with confident assurance] that her complete destruction is near.
• Luke 23:28But Jesus, turning toward them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Commentaries on John 11:48

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 48All men will believe on him - If we permit him to work but a few more miracles like these two last (the cure of the blind man, and the resurrection of Lazarus) he will be universally acknowledged for the Messiah; the people will proclaim him king; and the Romans, who can suffer no government here but their own, will be so irritated that they will send their armies against us, and destroy our temple, and utterly dissolve our civil and ecclesiastical…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 48All men - That is, all men among the Jews. The whole nation. And the Romans shall come - They were then subject to the Romans - tributary and dependent. Whatever privileges they had they held at the will of the Roman emperor. They believed, or feigned to believe, that Jesus was intending to set up a temporal kingdom. As he claimed to be the Messiah, so they supposed, of course, that he designed to be a temporal prince, and they professed to believe that…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 47-53Verses 47-53 There can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom, to advance their own worldly interest. The fear…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 48The council met to discuss what to do about Jesus. During their discussion, they revealed their fear. They were afraid that everyone would believe in him. If many people believed that Jesus was the Messiah (God’s chosen one), this could cause political trouble. In that time, the Romans ruled over Judea. They did not tolerate leaders who claimed to be kings. The Romans viewed Jewish messiahs with suspicion. They feared rebellion. The council worried that…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 47-5447-54. What do we? for this man doeth many miracles--"While we trifle, 'this man,' by His 'many miracles,' will carry all before Him; the popular enthusiasm will bring on a revolution, which will precipitate the Romans upon us, and our all will go down in one common ruin." What a testimony to the reality of our Lord's miracles, and their resistless effect, from His bitterest enemies!Read the comment

Topics related to John 11:48

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Prudence

In the dictionaries

• Awake
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Caiaphas
• Christ, Offices of
• Jesus Christ
• Jesus Christ, the Arrest and Trial of
• John, Gospel of
• Lazarus
• Olives, Mount of

Commentaries on John 11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings