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John 11:50
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48 If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
49 And one of them, aCaiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,  
50 anor do you consider that it is expedient for1 us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.”  
51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation,
52 and anot for that nation only, but balso that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  
53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to aput Him to death.  
54 aTherefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called bEphraim, and there remained with His disciples.  
Commentaries:
Adam Clarke
<< John 11:49   John 11:51 >>


John 11:50

Nor consider - Ye talk more at random than according to reason, and the exigencies of the case. There is a various reading here in some MSS. that should be noticed. Instead of , which we translate, ye do not consider, and which properly conveys the idea of conferring, or talking together, , neither do ye reason or consider rightly, is the reading of ABDL, three others, and some of the primitive fathers. Griesbach, by placing it in his inner margin, shows that he thinks it bids fair to be the true reading. Dr. White thinks that this reading is equal, and probably preferable, to that in the text: Lectio aequalis, forsitan praeferenda receptae .

That one man should die for the people - In saying these remarkable words, Caiaphas had no other intention than merely to state that it was better to put Jesus to death than to expose the whole nation to ruin on his account. His maxim was, it is better to sacrifice one man than a whole nation. In politics nothing could be more just than this; but there are two words to be spoken to it:

First, The religion of God says, we must not do evil that good may come: Romans 3:8.

Secondly, It is not certain that Christ will be acknowledged as king by all the people; nor that he will make any insurrection against the Romans; nor that the Romans will, on his account, ruin the temple, the city, and the nation. This Caiaphas should have considered. A person should be always sure of his premises before he attempts to draw any conclusion from them. See Calmet. This saying was proverbial among the Jews: see several instances of it in Schoettgen.




Other Adam Clarke entries containing John 11:50:

John 11:57
John 18:14

 

<< John 11:49   John 11:51 >>

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