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

53Then from that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death. 54Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went thence unto a country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples. And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. 56Then 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? 57Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take 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

• Andδέde · thenG1161
• the Jews’ἸουδαῖοςIoudaios · JewG2453
• passoverπάσχαpascha · Passover lambG3957
• wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• nigh at handἐγγύςeggus · nearG1451
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• manyπολύςpolus polos · muchG4183
• wentἀναβαίνωanabainō · to ascendG305
• out ofἐκek ex · out fromG1537
• the countryὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the countryχώραchōra · countryG5561
• up toεἰςeis · towardG1519
• JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosoluma · JerusalemG2414
• beforeπρόpro · beforeG4253
• toἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• purifyἁγνίζωhagnizō · to purifyG48
• themselvesἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438

Cross-references for John 11:55

• John 2:13And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
• John 5:1After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
• John 6:4And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.
• Exodus 12:11And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is Yhwh’s passover.
• John 7:8Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come.
• John 12:1Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
• Ezra 3:1And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.
• Nehemiah 8:1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yhwh had commanded to Israel.
• John 2:6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
• Genesis 35:2Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments:
• Exodus 19:10And Yhwh said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
• Numbers 9:6And there were certain men, who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day: and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day:
• 1 Samuel 16:5And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto Yhwh: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
• 2 Chronicles 30:17For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto Yhwh.
• Job 1:5And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
• Psalms 26:6I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O Yhwh:

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