John 12:10

Joh 12:10. Ἐβουλεύσαντο) were consulting.—ἀποκτείνωσιν, might put to death) To recall to life was something; but what is it to put to death? There was one doctrine, and one miracle, which especially occasioned their killing Jesus: the doctrine was that of Jesus being the Son of God; the miracle, the raising again of Lazarus. [To such a pitch does the bitterness of the mind that is destitute of faith advance, where there is left no way of escaping the unwelcome truth.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 10. Consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death.] As long as he lived they saw an incontestable proof of the Divine power of Christ; therefore they wished to put him to death, because many of the Jews, who came to see him through curiosity, became converts to Christ through his testimony. How blind were these men not to perceive that he who had raised him, after he had been dead four days, could raise him again though they had slain him a thousand times?

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

10. Now the chief priests consulted. It certainly was worse than insane fury to endeavor to put to death one who had manifestly been raised from the dead by divine power. But such is the spirit of giddiness with which Satan torments the wicked, so that there is no end of their madness, even though God should bring heaven, and earth, and sea, to oppose them. For this wicked consultation is thus described, for the purpose of informing us that the enemies of Christ were led to so great obstinacy, not by mistake or folly, but by furious wickedness, so that they did not even shrink from making war against God; and also for the purpose of informing us that the power of God was not dimly seen in the resurrection of Lazarus, since ungodliness could contrive no other method of banishing it from remembrance than by perpetrating a base and shocking murder on an innocent man. Besides, since Satan labors with his utmost strength utterly to bury, or at least in some measure to obscure, the works of God, it is our duty to devote ourselves diligently to continual meditation on them.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(10) But the chief priests consulted.—The chief priests were for the most part Sadducees (Act_5:17). They have been acting with the Pharisees from Joh_11:47 onwards. Their animus is shown in that, while no charge is brought against Lazarus, his life is a witness to the divinity of Him whom they have condemned to death, and a denial of their own doctrine that there is no resurrection (Act_23:8). The words do not mean that they came to a final decision to put him to death, but that they took counsel on the matter, and watched their opportunity.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. But the chief priests] Nothing is here said about the Pharisees (comp. Joh_11:47; Joh_11:57), who are, however, not necessarily excluded. Both would wish to put Lazarus out of the way for the reason given in Joh_12:11 : but the chief priests, who were mostly Sadducees, would have an additional reason, in that Lazarus was a living refutation of their doctrine that ‘there is no resurrection’ (Act_23:8). See on Joh_11:57.

put Lazarus also to death] Whatever may be true about Joh_11:53, we must not suppose that this verse implies a formal sentence of death: it does not even imply a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

These repeated references to the raising of Lazarus (Joh_11:45; Joh_11:47, Joh_12:1; Joh_12:9-10; Joh_12:17) greatly strengthen the historical evidence for the miracle. They are quite inconsistent with the theory either of a misunderstanding or of deliberate fraud.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the chief priests,.... With the rest of the sanhedrim:

consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; as well as Jesus, and that for no other crime, but because he was raised from the dead by him; which shows what consciences these men had, and how horribly wicked they were; that they stopped at nothing, whereby they might satisfy their malice and envy, and secure their worldly interests and advantages.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

10 But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;

Ver. 10. That they might put Lazarus also to death] In malice is steeped the venom of all vices. What a giant like madness was this, to take up arms against heaven itself! to seek to kill a man, only because God had made him alive! was it not because they were even acted and agitated by the devil? Si videris aliquando persecutorem tuum nimis saevientem, scito quia ab accensore sue daemone perurgetur, saith Bernard. These Pharisees had sinned that sin to death; which made another, in the same case, wish that his wife and children and all the world might be damned together with him. (Mr Burr, Moses’ Choice.) Hacket at the gallows cried out, O heavenly God, show some miracle out of the cloud to convert these infidels and deliver me from mine enemies. But if not, I will set the heaven on fire, and with these hands pluck thee out of thy throne: and other speeches he used, more unspeakable. Camden’s Elizabeth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That they might put Lazarus also to death - When men are determined not to believe the gospel, there is no end to the crimes to which they are driven. Lazarus was alive, and the evidence of his resurrection was so clear that they could not resist it. They could neither deny it, nor prevent its effect on the people. As it was determined to kill Jesus, so they consulted about the propriety of removing Lazarus first, that the number of his followers might be lessened, and that the death of Jesus might make less commotion. Unbelief stops at no crime. Lazarus was innocent; they could bring no charge against him; but they deliberately plotted murder rather than believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

To kill Lazarus. A foolish thought, says St. Augustine, as if Christ who had raised him to life from a natural death, could not also restore him to life, when murdered by them. (Witham) --- O foolish thought, and blinded rage! As if you could, by putting Lazarus to death, take away power from the Lord; as if Christ, who had already raised one that had died, could not as easily have raised one that was slain. But, lo! he has done both. Lazarus dead, he hath restored to life, and himself slain, he hath raised to life. (St. Augustine, tract 50. in Joan.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Never was there a more unreasonable madness and rage, to justify the apostle’s calling of the enemies of the gospel unreasonable men, 2Th 3:2. Suppose that Christ had broken the sabbath, or had spoken blasphemy, yet what had Lazarus done?

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 10, 11. (2) On the chief priests. The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus. They deliberated to kill Lazarus as well as Jesus. It was not enough that one man should die; another and another must follow if their plan is to succeed. And now the hour had come, (Joh_2:4 Joh_7:30) but not until our Lord once more warned the disciples with intense significance and explicitness of his approaching death and burial. Thus another striking illustration is given of the judgment, the crisis, the sifting process, which is always going on in the presence of Christ. His greatest signs, his wisest teachings, his most amazing love, bring out the twofold result. Some receive, some reject, some burst into louder acclaim, some try to slay. As with the history of this "Gospel," some hear in it the very voice of the Eternal, but there are others who would grind it to powder. Because Ignatius and Polycarp bear witness to the existence of the Gospel, these Lazaruses must be put to death, or banished to a later period out of harm"s way. Even the genuineness of the Apocalypse, so long a tower of defense for the T school, is too powerful a proof of St. John"s residence in Asia to be accepted with equanimity or left in possession, and some of the later critics have taken counsel to repudiate its Johannine authorship.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The chief priests consulted, how to kill Lazarus also - Here is the plain reason why the other evangelists, who wrote while Lazarus was living, did not relate his story.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Observe here, 1. The unreasonableness of that rage and madness, which was found in the chief priests against Lazarus. They consulted together how they might put Lazarus to death. But supposing that Christ had spoken blasphemy, in making himself equal with God, supposing that he had broken the sabbath, by curing the man that was born blind, on that day; yet what had Lazarus done, that he must be put to death?

But from hence we learn, That such as have received special mercy and favour from Christ, or are made the instruments of his glory, must expect to be made the mark and the butt of malacious enemies. Christ had highly honoured Lazarus, by raising him from the grave: and here there is a resolution against his life, whom Christ had thus highly honoured: The chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death also.

Observe, 2. The cause why the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death; namely, Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus. That is, many of the Jews, seeing the miracle of Christ’s raising Lazarus from the grave, were drawn thereby to believe in Jesus Christ; and this so enraged the chief priests against Lazarus, that they sought to put him to death.

Learn hence, That nothing so enrages the enemies of Christ, as the enlargement of his kingdom, and the sight of the number of believers daily increasing. This provokes the devil’s wrath, and his servants rage.

William Burkitt's Expository Notes on the New Testament (1700–1703) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10, 11. The chief priests consulted. Lazarus was a living proof of the Divine power of Christ, and they wished him out of the way.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

10. οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς. see on Joh 7:32. Nothing is here said about the Pharisees (comp. Joh 11:47; Joh 11:57), who are, however, not necessarily excluded. Both would wish to put Lazarus out of the way for the reason given in Joh 12:11: but the chief priests, who were mostly Sadducees, would have an additional reason, in that Lazarus was a living refutation of their doctrine that ‘there is no resurrection’ (Act 23:8).

ἵνα καὶ τ. Λάζ. Whatever may be true about Joh 11:53, we must not suppose that this verse implies a formal sentence of death: it does not even imply a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

S. Augustine comments on the folly of the priests—as if Christ could not raise Lazarus a second time! But this ignores the ‘also’: the hierarchy meant to put both to death. Their folly consisted in failing to see, not that He could raise Lazarus again, but that He could raise Himself (Joh 2:19). Note that it is the unscrupulous hierarchy, who attempt this crime. Comp. Joh 18:35, Joh 19:6; Joh 19:15; Joh 19:21.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10.] ἐβουλ., not, ‘came to a (formal) resolution,’ but were in the mind,—had an intention: see Act 5:33; Act 15:37.

The chief priests, named here and in ch. 11:57, were of the sect of the Sadducees; and therefore disbelieved the fact of the raising of Lazarus; only viewing him as one whom it would be desirable to put out of the way, as an object of popular attention in connexion with Jesus.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

10. ἐβουλεύσαντο δὲ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς κτλ. The Sanhedrim (see on 7:32) had given directions that the movements of Jesus should be reported to them (11:57); and having heard of the excitement caused by the presence of Lazarus as well as of Jesus at Bethany, they made up their minds that both Lazarus and Jesus should die: ἵνα καὶ τὸν Λάζ. ἀποκτείνωσιν, “that they would kill Lazarus also.” The priests, being of the Sadducean party, who rejected the idea of resurrection, were naturally disconcerted by the report that Lazarus had been raised from the dead; and they were unscrupulous as to the means which they employed to put an end to what they regarded as mischievous talk.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The chief priests. See on ver. 47.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.