John 12:18

Joh 12:18. Ὄχλος, the people) The people who were hearers, being taught [informed] by the people that were spectators. Matthew [Joh 21:9] and Mark call the former, those that went before; the latter, those that followed. One may infer from thence, that some of the spectators, entering the city, published the miracle, and so, accompanied by several more, came to meet the Lord; whilst others of them, constituting the larger number, tarried outside the rate, and afterwards followed the Lord when making His entry.

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

(18) For this cause the people—i.e. (see last verse), the multitude of Joh_12:12.

For that they heard . . . this miracle.—The emphatic form of the sentence points out that the raising of Lazarus was the miracle which carried the entire conviction of the multitude. They had heard of and in some eases seen the miracles, but this stood by itself, as witness which could not be gainsaid.

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

18. this miracle] ‘This’ is emphatic: other miracles had made comparatively little impression, but this sign had convinced even His adversaries.

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.

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves,.... Either when assembled in their own private houses, or in the sanhedrim; or as they stood together in the streets, seeing Jesus pass by in such pomp, and such a multitude with him:

perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions read, "we prevail nothing", so Nonnus; the sense is the same; suggesting, that all their wise schemes and crafty councils signified nothing; the commands they enjoined the people not to follow him, or to apprehend him, or to show them where he was, were disregarded; their threatenings to put out of the synagogue such as should confess him, were taken no notice of; their promises of reward were slighted; their examples were not followed; and all their artifice and cunning, backed with power and authority, did not succeed:

behold, the world is gone after him; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the whole world", and so Nonnus; the Persic version, "all the people"; that is, a very great number of people; for they could not mean, that all the inhabitants of the world, or every individual of mankind were followers of him, and became his disciples, nor even all in their own land; they themselves, with multitudes more of the same complexion, were an exception to this: but they speak in the common dialect of that nation, of which take two or three instances;

"it happened to a certain high priest, that he went out of the sanctuary, , "and the whole world went after him"; and when they saw Shemaiah and Abtalion, they left him, and went after them (o).''

And again (p),

"R. Aba proclaimed, whoever seeks riches, and whoever seeks the way of life in the world to come, let him come and study in the law, and , "the whole world" will gather together to him.''

Once more (q),

"Jonathan said to David, Sa1 23:17, "Thou shall be king over Israel, and I will be next to thee"; what is the meaning of this? perhaps Jonathan the son of Saul saw "the world" draw after David.''

This shows the sense of those phrases, "the world", and "the whole world", when used in the article of redemption by Jesus Christ; See Gill on Jo1 2:2.

(o) T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 71. 2. (p) Zohar in Gen. fol. 60. 4. (q) T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 85. 1.

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

18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.

Ver. 18. For this cause also the people met him] To the Pharisees’ extreme grief and regret; to show that there is neither "wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the Lord," Pro 21:30.

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.

For this cause also the (o oclov) multitude which here seems to be the aggregate of the (oclov poluv) crowds made up of the Judaean and Galilaean pilgrims and "the Jews" who had believed on himmet him (see especially vers. 12, 13) went forth, and cut down the branches of the palm trees, and came in high jubilance to meet himbecause they heard that he had wrought this sign. The resurrection of Lazarus is the motive of the triumphal procession. The synoptists, who have omitted the whole episode of Bethany, are naturally silent concerning the impression produced by it on the Passover pilgrims and the Jerusalem crowd. John, more intimately acquainted with the currents of thought in the capital than the rest, drew here from his experience and memory, and has preserved historical features which they had ignored.

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

The multitude went to meet him, because they heard - From those who had seen the miracle. So in a little time both joined together, to go before and to follow him.

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

18. ἤκουσαν for ἤκουσε (correction for uniformity).

18. τοῦτο. Emphatic: other signs had made comparatively little impression; this one had convinced even His enemies. There are two multitudes, one coming with Jesus from Bethany, and one (13, 18) meeting Him from Jerusalem. The Synoptists do not notice the latter.

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.

18.] I see no necessity for supposing this multitude distinct from that in the last verse. We have had no account of any multitude coming from Bethany with Him, nor does this narrative imply it: and surely ὁ ὄχλος in the two verses must mean the same persons. The καί here does not imply another ὄχλος, but And on this account the multitude also went out to meet Him: i.e. their coming out to meet Him and their μαρτυρία on the Mount of Olives, had one and the same cause,—the raising of Lazarus.

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

18. διὰ τοῦτο (see on 5:16 for this opening) καὶ ὑπήντησεν αὐτῷ ὁ ὄχλος, “for this reason the crowd also met Him,” sc. the multitude mentioned v. 13, as distinct from the crowd accompanying Him from Bethany, where they had seen the raising of Lazarus. There were two streams of people: one escorting Jesus, the other meeting Him (see on v. 13), “because they heard (ἤκουσαν is preferable to the rec. ἤκουσε) that He had done this sign.”

For the σημεῖα of Jesus, see on 2:11.

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

Met [υπηντησεν] . The verb means to go to meet. Hence Rev., went and met.

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