John 11:50-57

11:50 You do not realize ¹  that it is more to your advantage to have one man ²  die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” ³  11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, ⁴  but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, ⁵  11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ⁶  only, ⁷  but to gather together ⁸  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ⁹  11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.

11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went ¹⁰  around publicly ¹¹  among the Judeans, ¹²  but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, ¹³  and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹⁴  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ¹⁵  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ¹⁶  11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, ¹⁷  and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, ¹⁸  “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹⁹  had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus ²⁰  was should report it, so that they could arrest ²¹  him.) ²² 

[11:50]  ¹ tn Or “you are not considering.”

[11:50]  ² tn Although it is possible to argue that ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") should be translated “person” here since it is not necessarily masculinity that is in view in Caiaphas’ statement, “man” was retained in the translation because in 11:47 “this man” (οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, outo" Jo anqrwpo") has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.

[11:50]  ³ sn In his own mind Caiaphas was no doubt giving voice to a common-sense statement of political expediency. Yet he was unconsciously echoing a saying of Jesus himself (cf. Mark 10:45). Caiaphas was right; the death of Jesus would save the nation from destruction. Yet Caiaphas could not suspect that Jesus would die, not in place of the political nation Israel, but on behalf of the true people of God; and he would save them, not from physical destruction, but from eternal destruction (cf. 3:16-17). The understanding of Caiaphas’ words in a sense that Caiaphas could not possibly have imagined at the time he uttered them serves as a clear example of the way in which the author understood that words and actions could be invested retrospectively with a meaning not consciously intended or understood by those present at the time.

[11:51]  ⁴ tn Grk “say this from himself.”

[11:51]  ⁵ tn The word “Jewish” is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context (so also NIV; TEV “the Jewish people”).

[11:52]  ⁶ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ⁷ sn The author in his comment expands the prophecy to include the Gentiles (not for the Jewish nation only), a confirmation that the Fourth Gospel was directed, at least partly, to a Gentile audience. There are echoes of Pauline concepts here (particularly Eph 2:11-22) in the stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile.

[11:52]  ⁸ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:54]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “walked.”

[11:54]  ¹¹ tn Or “openly.”

[11:54]  ¹² tn Grk “among the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Judea in general, who would be likely to report Jesus to the religious authorities. The vicinity around Jerusalem was no longer safe for Jesus and his disciples. On the translation “Judeans” cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.

[11:54]  ¹³ tn There is no certain identification of the location to which Jesus withdrew in response to the decision of the Jewish authorities. Many have suggested the present town of Et-Taiyibeh, identified with ancient Ophrah (Josh 18:23) or Ephron (Josh 15:9). If so, this would be 12-15 mi (19-24 km) northeast of Jerusalem.

[11:55]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.

[11:55]  ¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ¹⁶ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[11:56]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”

[11:56]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[11:57]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.

[11:57]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:57]  ²¹ tn Or “could seize.”

[11:57]  ²² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.