John 11:56

John 11:56 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then sought they for Jesus, and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple, What think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
• New International Version (NIV)They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, "What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, “What do you think—that He will not come to the feast?”

Context of John 11:56

54So Jesus stopped travelling about in Judea where everyone could see him. Instead, he went away from there to a town called Ephraim that was near to the wilderness. He stayed there with his disciples. 55It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Festival to begin. Many people were going from their country places to Jerusalem. They were going there to make themselves clean in front of God before they went to the festival. They were continuing to look for Jesus. While they stood in the yard of the temple, they spoke to each other about him. They asked each other, ‘Do you think that he will come to the festival or not?’ 57The leaders of the priests and the Pharisees had spoken to the people about Jesus. They had told them, ‘If anyone knows where Jesus is, you must tell us.’ So then they could take hold of him to put him in a prison.

John 11:56 word by word

ἐζήτουν οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἔλεγον μετ᾽ ἀλλήλων ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ ἑστηκότες· τί δοκεῖ ὑμῖν, ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἔλθῃ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν;Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thenοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• sought theyζητέωzēteō · to seekG2212
• for Jesusὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• for JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• spakeλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• amongμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• themselvesἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
• as they stoodἵστημιhistēmi · to standG2476
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• the templeἱερόνhieron · templeG2411
• Whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• thinkδοκέωdokeō · to thinkG1380
• yeσύsu · youG4771
• thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• he willἔρχομαιerchomai · to come/goG2064
• notοὐou · noG3756
• toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• the feastἑορτήheortē · festivalG1859
• ·μήmē · notG3361

Cross-references for John 11:56

• John 11:8The disciples said, ‘Teacher, only a short time ago, the Jews there tried to kill you with stones. You should not return there!’
• John 7:11The Jewish leaders were looking for him at the festival. They asked, ‘Where is that man?’
• John 11:7After that, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘We should return to Judea.’

Commentaries on John 11:56

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 56Then sought they for Jesus - Probably those of Ephraim, in whose company Christ is supposed to have departed for the feast, but, having stayed behind, perhaps at Jericho, or its vicinity, the others had not missed him till they came to the temple, and then inquired among each other whether he would not attend the feast. Or the persons mentioned in the text might have been the agents of the high priest, etc., and hearing that Christ had been at Ephraim…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 56Will not come to the feast? - They doubted whether he would come. On the one hand, it was required by law that all males should come. On the other, his coming was attended with great danger. This was the cause of their doubting. It was in this situation that our Saviour, like many of his followers, was called to act. Danger was on the one hand, and duty on the other. He chose, as all should, to do his duty, and leave the event with God. He preferred to do…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 54-57Verses 54-57 Before our gospel passover we must renew our repentance. Thus by a voluntary purification, and by religious exercises, many, more devout than their neighbours, spent some time before the passover at Jerusalem. When we expect to meet God, we must solemnly prepare. No devices of man can alter the purposes of God: and while hypocrites amuse themselves with forms and disputes, and worldly men pursue their own plans, Jesus still orders all things…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 55-57As crowds arrived in Jerusalem on pilgrimage for Passover (see 2:13), the city was buzzing with talk about Jesus and his miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead. People wondered if Jesus would be obedient to the law and come to the city to celebrate or play it safe in the countryside. The priests and Pharisees knew that Jesus was faithful to the law and would attend the festival, so they tried to make the city a trap for him.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 55-5755-57. passover ... at hand ... many went ... up ... before the passover, to purify themselves--from any legal uncleanness which would have disqualified them from keeping the feast. This is mentioned to introduce the graphic statement which follows.Read the comment

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Awake
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Lazarus
• Olives, Mount of
• Martha

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