John 12:11

Joh 12:11. [314]Ὑπῆγον, went away) to Bethany.

[314] δἰ αὐτόν, by reason of him) No one truly should shrink from encountering even death, provided that a large number might be brought over thereby, and won to faith in Christ.—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.

(11) Many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.—Better, were going away, and believing on Jesus. The tenses mark the continuance of the secession, and the two words mark the two acts by which on the one hand they were going away from the authority of the priests and, on the other hand, were believing on Jesus. (Comp. Joh_12:18.)

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

11. went away, and believed] Better, were going away and believing. It is best to leave ‘going away’ quite indefinite: the notion of falling away from the hierarchy lies in the context but not in the word. The imperfects denote a continual process.

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.

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.

Because that by reason of him,.... Of the miracle which was wrought upon him, in raising him from the dead, of which he was a living and an abiding witness:

many of the Jews went away; not from Jerusalem only, but from the chief priests and Pharisees, and the rest of the Jews, that combined against Christ; they withdrew themselves from their party, and deserted them:

and believed on Jesus; as the Messiah; so that they found their interest was decreasing and weakening every day, and that those on the side of Christ were increasing; and this they could not bear, and therefore consulted to take away the life of Lazarus, as well as Jesus; who they imagined, as long as he lived, would be a means of inducing persons to believe in Jesus as the Messiah: whereas if he was dead, the fact would be forgotten, or be more easily denied.

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

11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Ver. 11. Because that by reason of him] This was it that embittered the Pharisees, as it doth now their successors the Papists. Bellarmine bewrays his grief, and tells us that ever since we proclaimed the pope to be that Antichrist, his kingdom hath not only not increased, but daily more and more decreased. Ab eo tempore quo per vos Papa Antichristus esse coepit, non modo non crevit eius imperium, &c. (De Papa Rom 3:21) And Erasmus being asked by the Elector of Saxony, why Luther was so hated by the Popish clergy? For two great faults that he had committed, said he, for meddling with the pope’s triple crown and the monks’ fat paunches. (Scultet. Annul.)

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.

Being raised from death to life, he possibly spake of it to the honour and glory of God; for this they consult to put him to death also; and their only reason was, because that many of the Jews believed on Jesus for his sake.

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

11. ὑπῆγον … ἐπίστευον. The imperfects express a continual process: were going away and believing. It is best to leave ‘going away’ quite indefinite; the idea of falling away from the hierarchy lies in the context and not in the word.

The climax is approaching. Of ‘the Jews’ themselves many are being won over to Christ, and are ready to give Him an enthusiastic reception whenever He appears. The remainder become all the more bitter, and resolve to sweep away anyone, however innocent, who contributes to the success of Jesus.

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.

11.] ὑπῆγον, went away (to Bethany); there is something in the ὑπ- which almost always implies away, out from under, the persons or the place in the narrative. And so here, the ἀρχιερεῖς being the main subject of the sentence, the word gets the sense of ‘fell away:’ scil. from under their hand or power.

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

11. The priests were specially urgent about the putting away of Lazarus, because, on his account (διʼ αὐτόν), many of the Jews (cf. 11:45) “began to go away” (ὑπῆγον), perhaps to Bethany, which was the centre of attraction, “and began to believe in Jesus” (ἐπίστευον εἰς τὸν Ἰησοῦν; cf. note on 1:12). The force of the imperfect tenses must be observed. The verb ὑπάγειν, “to withdraw,” is a favourite word with Jn. (see on 7:33), and ὑπῆγον here may mean simply “they began to withdraw,” i.e. from their allegiance to the chief priests, as at 6:67, where Jesus asks His disciples, “Would you also go away?”

The Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem (vv. 12-19)

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

Went away [υπηγον] . Withdrew from their company.

12 - 19. Compare Mt 21:1 - 11; Mr 11:1 - 11; Luk 19:29 - 44.

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