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 to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the council. They asked, “What are we doing? This man is performing a lot of miracles. If we let him continue what he’s doing, everyone will believe in him. Then the Romans will take away our position and our nation.” 49One of them, Caiaphas, who was chief priest that year, told them, “You people don’t know anything. 50You haven’t even considered this: It is better for one man to die for the people than for the whole nation to be destroyed.”

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 5:28He said, “We gave you strict orders not to mention Jesus’ name when you teach. Yet, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your teachings. You want to take revenge on us for putting that man to death.”
• John 1:7John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message.
• Luke 8:12Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. They hear the word, but then the devil comes. He takes the word away from them so that they don’t believe and become saved.
• Luke 11:52“How horrible it will be for you experts in Moses’ Teachings! You have taken away the key that unlocks knowledge. You haven’t gained entrance into ⌞knowledge⌟ yourselves, and you’ve kept out those who wanted to enter.”
• 1 Thessalonians 2:15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and who have persecuted us severely. They are displeasing to God. They are enemies of the whole human race
• Deuteronomy 28:50Its people will be fierce-looking. They will show no respect for the old and no pity for the young.
• Daniel 9:26But after the sixty-two sets of seven time periods, the Anointed One will be cut off and have nothing. The city and the holy place will be destroyed with the prince who is to come. His end will come with a flood until the end of the destructive war that has been determined.
• Zechariah 13:7“Arise, sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is my friend,” declares the Lord of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. Then I will turn my hand against the little ones.”
• Zechariah 14:1A day is going to come for the Lord when the loot you have taken will be divided among you.
• Matthew 21:40“Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those workers?”
• Matthew 22:7“The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
• Matthew 23:35As a result, you will be held accountable for all the innocent blood of those murdered on earth. This includes the murder of Abel, who had God’s approval, to that of Zechariah, son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
• Matthew 27:25All the people answered, “The responsibility for killing him will rest on us and our children.”
• Luke 19:41When he came closer and saw the city, he began to cry.
• Luke 21:20“When you see armies camped around Jerusalem, realize that the time is near for it to be destroyed.
• Luke 23:28Jesus turned to them and said, “You women of Jerusalem, don’t cry for me! Rather, cry for yourselves and 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