John 11:51

John 11:51 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
• New International Version (NIV)He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation,
• English Standard Version (ESV)He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,

Context of John 11:51

49One of the group was the leader of the priests that year. He was called Caiaphas. He said, ‘You do not understand the problem. 50It is better that one man should die on behalf of our people. That is better than if all Israel's people should die.’ Caiaphas did not say this because he had thought it by himself. No, he was speaking as a prophet, because he was the leader of the priests that year. That is why he said that Jesus would die on behalf of Israel's people. 52And Jesus would die not only for Israel's people. He would also die for all God's people who lived in many different places. He would bring them all together. They would become like one big family. 53From that day, the Jewish leaders decided together how they could kill Jesus.

John 11:51 word by word

τοῦτο δὲ ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἀρχιερεὺς ὢν τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου ἐπροφήτευσεν ὅτι ἔμελλεν Ἰησοῦς ἀποθνῄσκειν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἔθνους,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• spake heλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ofἀπόapo · away fromG575
• himselfἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• beingεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• high priestἀρχιερεύςarchiereus · high-priestG749
• thatἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• yearὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• yearἐνιαυτόςeniautos · yearG1763
• he prophesiedπροφητεύωprophēteuō · to prophesyG4395
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• shouldμέλλωmellō · to ensueG3195
• dieἀποθνήσκωapothnēskō · to dieG599
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• that nationἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484

Cross-references for John 11:51

• Exodus 28:30Put the Urim and Thummim in the pocket of the breastpiece. They will also be over Aaron's heart when he goes in there to serve the Lord. The Urim and Thummim will always be there to show Aaron what the Lord is saying about the Israelites. He will carry this help over his heart all the time.
• Judges 20:27The Covenant Box was in Bethel at that time. Phinehas, son of Eleazar and grandson of Aaron, was the priest who served the Lord there. The Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Should we march out to fight against our relatives, the men of Benjamin, again? Or should we leave them?’ The Lord said, ‘Attack them. Tomorrow I will put them under your power.’
• 1 Samuel 23:9Somebody told David that Saul was preparing to attack him. David said to Abiathar the priest, ‘Bring the ephod here.’
• 1 Samuel 28:6Saul asked the Lord what he should do. But the Lord did not answer him in any way. He did not give Saul a dream. He did not use the Urim. He did not give a message to the prophets.
• Numbers 22:28Then the Lord caused the donkey to speak. It said, ‘What have I done to hurt you? Why have you hit me three times like that?’
• Numbers 24:2When he looked, he saw the Israelite people. They had put up their tents in groups for each tribe. Then the Spirit of God came on him.
• Matthew 7:22On the day when God judges people, many of them will say, “Master, Master! We used your authority and we spoke a message from you. We used your authority and we sent bad spirits out of people. We used your authority to do many powerful things.”
• 1 Corinthians 13:2I may be able to speak messages from God. I may understand all God's secret things, and know all the facts. I may have great faith so that I trust God enough to move mountains. But I am nothing if I do not love others.
• 2 Peter 2:15These false teachers have left the way which is good and right. Like Balaam, Beor's son, they have gone the wrong way. Balaam wanted money so much that he did wrong things to get it.
• John 10:15I know them in the same way that my Father knows me. And they know me in the same way that I know the Father. I will die so that I can save my sheep.
• Isaiah 53:5But it was our sins that caused his wounds. The bad things that we had done crushed him. The punishment that he received has brought peace to us. The wounds that he received have made us well.
• Daniel 9:26After the 62 weeks have passed, people will kill the ruler that God had chosen. He will have nothing. Then a foreign ruler and his army will attack the city and the temple. He will destroy them quickly, like a flood of water. War and terrible trouble will continue until the end that God has decided.
• Matthew 20:28Even the Son of Man himself came to earth to be a servant to other people. He did not come here to have servants who must work for him. No, he came to die so that many people can be free.’
• Romans 3:25God showed everyone that Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. God forgives us if we trust in Jesus and the blood of his sacrifice. God did this to show clearly that he is always right and fair. In past times, God was patient. He did not punish people who did wrong things.
• 2 Corinthians 5:21Christ never did any wrong thing, but God punished him as if he had. He died as punishment for our sins. As a result, we become right with God when we belong to Christ. We become right, because he is right.
• Galatians 3:13So God's Law shows that it is right for God to punish us. But Christ took that punishment away from us, because God punished him instead of us. It says in the Bible: ‘When people hang someone on a tree to kill him, it shows that God has cursed that person.’

Commentaries on John 11:51

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 51This spake he not of himself - Wicked and worthless as he was, God so guided his tongue that, contrary to his intention, he pronounced a prophecy of the death of Jesus Christ. I have already remarked that the doctrine of a vicarious atonement had gained, long before this time, universal credit in the world. Words similar to these of Caiaphas are, by the prince of all the Roman poets, put in the mouth of Neptune, when promising Venus that the fleet of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 51Not of himself - Though he uttered what proved to be a true prophecy, yet it was accomplished in a way which he did not intend He had a wicked design. He was plotting murder and crime. Yet, wicked as he was, and little as he intended it, God so ordered it that he delivered a most precious truth respecting the atonement. Remark: 1.God may fulfill the words of the wicked in a manner which they do not wish or intend. 2.He may make even their malice and…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. 50-51it is better … that one man die: Caiaphas spoke with clear political intent. He argued that it was better for one man to die than for the whole nation to suffer. He meant that it was better for Jesus, whom he saw as a threat, to die than for Rome to destroy the Jewish people. Caiaphas viewed Jesus as a possible revolutionary. He feared that Rome would crush the nation if unrest grew. From his point of view, sacrificing one man would protect many. But his…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 11:51

• Atonement
• Caiaphas
• Jesus, the Christ
• Minister, Christian
• Prudence
• Salvation

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• High priest
• Awake
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Caiaphas
• Christ, Offices of
• Die
• Jesus Christ

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