John 11:55

John 11:55 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.
• New International Version (NIV)When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

Context of John 11:55

53So from that day on they planned together to kill Him. 54Therefore Jesus no longer continued to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim; and there He stayed with the disciples. Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country prior to the Passover, in order to purify themselves. 56So they were looking for Jesus, and saying to one another as they stood in the temple area, “What do you think; that He will not come to the feast at all?” 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it, so that they might arrest Him.

John 11:55 word by word

Ἦν δὲ ἐγγὺς τὸ πάσχα τῶν Ἰουδαίων, καὶ ἀνέβησαν πολλοὶ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα ἐκ τῆς χώρας πρὸ τοῦ πάσχα ἵνα ἁγνίσωσιν ἑαυτούς.Read the interlinear

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• the Passoverπάσχαpascha · Passover lambG3957
• of the JewsἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• was nearἐγγύςeggus · nearG1451
• and manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• wentἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• to JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• from the countryχώραchōra · countryG5561
• priorπρόpro · beforeG4253
• inἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• purifyἁγνίζωhagnizō · to purifyG48
• themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438

Cross-references for John 11:55

• John 2:13The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
• John 5:1After these things there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
• John 6:4Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was near.
• Exodus 12:11Now you shall eat it in this way: with your garment belted around your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in a hurry--it is the Lord’s Passover.
• John 7:8Go up to the feast yourselves; I am not going up to this feast, because My time has not yet fully arrived.”
• John 12:1Therefore, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
• Ezra 3:1Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one person to Jerusalem.
• Nehemiah 8:1And all the people gathered as one person at the public square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel.
• John 2:6Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each.
• Genesis 35:2So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Remove the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments;
• Exodus 19:10The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and have them wash their garments;
• Numbers 9:6But there were some men who were unclean because of contact with a dead person, so that they could not celebrate Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and Aaron on that day.
• 1 Samuel 16:5And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
• 2 Chronicles 30:17For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves; therefore, the Levites were in charge of the slaughter of the Passover lambs for everyone who was unclean, in order to consecrate them to the Lord.
• Job 1:5When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send word to them and consecrate them, getting up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.
• Psalms 26:6I will wash my hands in innocence, And I will go around Your altar, Lord,

Commentaries on John 11:55

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 55The Jews' passover was nigh at hand - It is not necessary to suppose that this verse has any particular connection with the preceding. Most chronologists agree that our Lord spent at least two months in Ephraim. This was the last passover which our Lord attended; and it was at this one that he suffered death for the salvation of a lost world. As the passover was nigh, many of the inhabitants of Ephraim and its neighborhood went up to Jerusalem, some time…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 55Jews‘ passover - See the notes at Leviticus 22:1-6. For want of this, great inconvenience was sometimes experienced. See 2 Chronicles 30:17-18. Different periods were necessary in order to be cleansed from ceremonial pollution. For example, one who had been polluted by the touch of a dead body, of a sepulchre, or by the bones of the dead, was sprinkled on the third and seventh days, by a clean person, with hyssop dipped in water mixed in the ashes of the…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

Topics related to John 11:55

• Purification

In the dictionaries

• Jerusalem
• Awake
• Mourn
• Bethany
• Chronology of the New Testament
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Lazarus
• Olives, Mount of
• Passover

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