Our understanding of the Greek New Testament is based almost entirely on English translations, but how would our understanding of the Greek text change if we read it for what it is: as Greek? With The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament, we can now get behind the words of the New Testament writers and discover the particular linguistic tasks that inform translation and interpretation.
| 53 |
| Today | John 11:53–57 |
| ἀπʼ | Demonstrative or Deictic Reference | ἐκείνης | οὖν | |||||||||||
| from | that | so |
| Whom or What Spoken or Written About | τῆς | ἡμέρας | ἐβουλεύσαντο | ||||||||
| [-] | day | they resolved |
| ἵνα | ἀποκτείνωσιν | Whom or What Spoken or | Written About | αὐτόν | ||||||
| that | they should kill | him |
| 54 | Whom or What Spoken or Written | About | Ὁ | οὖν | Ἰησοῦς | οὐκέτι | ||||||||||||||||||
| [-] | so | Jesus | [was] no longer |
| παρρησίᾳ | περιεπάτει | ἐν | Whom or What Spoken or | Written About | τοῖς | Ἰουδαίοις | ||||||||
| openly | walking | among | the | Jews |
| ἀλλὰ | ἀπῆλθεν | ἐκεῖθεν | ||||||||||||
| but | went away | from there |
| εἰς | Whom or What Spoken or Written About | τὴν | χώραν | ἐγγὺς | Whom or | ||||||
| to | the | region | near |
| What Spoken or Written | About | τῆς | ἐρήμου | |||
| the | wilderness |
| εἰς | Ἐφραὶμ | λεγομένην | πόλιν | |||||||||
| to | Ephraim | called | a city |
| κἀκεῖ | ἔμεινεν | μετὰ | Whom or What Spoken or | Written About | τῶν | μαθητῶν | ||||||||||||||||
| and there | he stayed | with | the | disciples |
| 55 | Ἦν | δὲ | ἐγγὺς | Whom or What Spoken or | Written About | τὸ | πάσχα | ||||||||||||
| was | now | near | the | Passover |
| Whom or What | Spoken or Written About | τῶν | Ἰουδαίων | |||
| of the | Jews |
| καὶ | ἀνέβησαν | πολλοὶ | εἰς | Ἱεροσόλυμα | ἐκ | Whom or What Spoken or Written | About | τῆς | |||||||||
| and | went up | many | to | Jerusalem | from | the |
| χώρας | πρὸ | Whom or What Spoken or Written | About | τοῦ | πάσχα | |||||
| [surrounding] country | before | the | Passover |
| ἵνα | ἁγνίσωσιν | Whom or What Spoken | or Written | About | ἑαυτούς | ||||||
| so that | they could purify | themselves |
| 56 | ἐζήτουν | οὖν | Whom or What | Spoken or Written About | τὸν | Ἰησοῦν | |||||||||||
| they were looking for | so | [-] | Jesus |
| καὶ | ἔλεγον | μετʼ | Reciprocal | Reference | ἀλλήλων | ἐν | |||||||
| and | were speaking | with | one another | in |
| Whom or What Spoken or Written | About | τῷ | ἱερῷ | ἑστηκότες | ||||
| the | temple [courts] | [while] standing |
| Whom or What Spoken or Written About | Τί | δοκεῖ | Receptor, | Receptors | ὑμῖν | ||||||||||||||
| what | think | [do] you |
| ὅτι | οὐ | μὴ | ἔλθῃ | εἰς | Whom or | What Spoken or Written | About | τὴν | ἑορτήν | ||||||||||||||||
| that | [he will] not | [-] | come | to | the | feast |
| 57 | δεδώκεισαν | δὲ | Whom or What Spoken or | Written About | οἱ | ἀρχιερεῖς | καὶ | ||||||||||||
| had given | now | the | chief priests | and |
| Whom | or What Spoken or Written About | οἱ | Φαρισαῖοι | ἐντολὰς | ||||
| the | Pharisees | orders |
| ἵνα | ἐάν | Whom or What Spoken or Written | About | τις | γνῷ | ποῦ | ἐστιν | ||||||||||||
| that | if | anyone | knew | where | he was |
| μηνύσῃ | ||
| they should report [it] |
| ὅπως | πιάσωσιν | Whom or | What Spoken or Written | About | αὐτόν | ||||
| in order that | they could arrest | him |
Runge, S. E. (2008–2014). The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament (Jn 11:53–57). Lexham Press.
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge is one of the most comprehensive sets of cross references ever compiled, consisting of over 572,000 entries. This reference tool is an invaluable asset for your Bible study library. The Logos Bible Software edition makes it even more attractive and interactive by making every single reference in the book a link.
Cross References
Matthew 26:1 | When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples,
Mark 14:1 | Two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.
John 2:13 | Now the Jewish feast of Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
John 7:1 | After this Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. He stayed out of Judea because the Jewish leaders wanted to kill him.
John 7:11 | So the Jewish leaders were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?”
Blayney, B., Scott, T., & Torrey, R. A. with Canne, J., Browne. (n.d.). The Treasury of Scripture knowledge (Vol. 2, p. 74). Samuel Bagster and Sons.
Commentary
This set of detailed commentaries provides valuable exegetical, historical, cultural, and linguistic information on the original text. Over the years this series has been instrumental in shedding light on the Scriptures so that translators all over the world could complete the important task of putting God’s Word into the many languages spoken in the world today.
John 11:53 From that day on refers to the time that Caiaphas spoke to the Jewish Council (verses 49–50). In order to make this fact explicit, it may be necessary, as in NAB, to indicate that verses 51–52 are a parenthetical statement by the author of the Gospel. Or one may introduce verse 53 by translating “So from the day that Caiaphas spoke to the Jewish Council, they made plans to kill Jesus.” In Greek the Jewish authorities is literally “they,” while Jesus is literally “him.” Again TEV makes pronominal references explicit. Made plans to kill Jesus may be translated “were planning to kill Jesus” or “were planning how they could kill Jesus.”
John 11:54 The word translated openly appears first in John 7:4, but it is used also in 7:13, 26; 10:24; 11:14, 54; 16:25, 29; and 18:20. Openly is also the translation of RSV and JB; NAB has “freely,” and NEB “publicly” (Mft and Gdsp “in public”). It may be important to indicate clearly the relation of the first part of verse 54 to what immediately precedes it. Hence, the particle So may require expansion in some languages, for example, “As a result of this” or “because of what the Jewish authorities were planning.” Jesus did not travel openly may be translated “Jesus did not travel in such a way that everyone knew where he was” or “… so that everyone would see him.”
In Judea (so also NEB) is literally “among the Jews” (so most translations); NAB has “in Jewish circles.” The exact location of the town called Ephraim is not known, though many scholars believe it to be the present Et-Taiyibeh, which is four miles (seven kilometers) northeast of the town of Bethel. Where (so also NEB, NAB) is literally “and there,” as in most translations.
John 11:55 The three verses 55–57 form a transition to the following section. In this respect they are similar to 7:11, 13. The time … was near may be rendered in some languages “It was almost the day” or “It was only a few more days before the day” or “In a few days it would be the day.” For the third time in John’s Gospel the Passover Festival is definitely mentioned (2:13; 6:14), though it may be that the festival mentioned in 5:1 is also a Passover (see there).
Many people did go up to the Passover Festival. During the Passover season the population of Jerusalem, normally about 25,000 swelled to more than 100,000. Went up is the same verb used in 2:13 (went to). It is the normal word used of a pilgrimage to the Holy City. It was customary for persons coming from the countryside to purify themselves before a major festival. Especially was this true of persons who lived near Gentiles or who had business dealings with Gentiles.
One may recall here Paul’s actions in Acts 21:24–26. To perform the ritual of purification (GeCL “they wanted to purify themselves before the feast according to the prescribed regulations”) is more literally “in order that they might purify themselves.” Ceremonial purification was necessary if a man were to keep the Passover correctly (Num 9:10); and this ritual of purification could last as long as an entire week, depending on the degree of pollution experienced by the worshipper.
The verb “to purify” does not appear again in John’s Gospel; but it does appear in 1 John 3:3 as a reference to spiritual purification. It may be difficult to translate perform the ritual of purification. In some languages it is rendered simply “to do what was necessary in order to be purified” or “… to be pure.”
Other languages, however, have no word which suggests purification in the ritual sense. Some employ such a phrase as “to be clean before God” or “to be clean in God’s eyes.” However, in some languages there is no relation at all between physical cleanliness and spiritual purity. It may be necessary to say “to do what was necessary in order to be free from sin.”
But such an expression may suggest the concept of atonement. If so, one may say instead “to do what was necessary in order that God would look upon them as being good” or “… that God would accept them.” There is no textual evidence to support the omission of the phrase before the festival, as in JB.
John 11:56 The word used for Temple in this verse refers to the Temple precincts, not to the sanctuary proper (see comments at 2:14). What do you think? is the way most translations render the first question the people were asking one another. The second question (Surely he will not come to the festival, will he?) is translated in a variety of ways. NAB has “Is he likely to come for the feast?”; Mft reads “Do you think he will not come up to the festival?”; Gdsp “Do you think he will not come to the festival at all?” NEB has a statement, “Perhaps he is not coming to the festival.” Phps reads “Surely he won’t come to the festival?”; and JB has “Will he come to the festival or not?”
It is difficult to determine precisely the meaning of the question in Greek. It may be that it expects a strong denial, or it may merely suggest doubt. The context suggests that an element of doubt is involved. Since the second question posed by the people is in essence the content of what they were thinking, the two questions are more frequently combined as one, for example, “Do you think that he will come to the Festival?” This form of question suggests in several languages an element of doubt.
John 11:57 As in verse 47, the Greek text here reads the chief priests and the Pharisees. In verse 47 TEV reverses the order, mentioning the Pharisees first because they were already known to the readers and the chief priests were not. It is not necessary to reverse the order here, because both the chief priests and the Pharisees have been introduced into the discourse.
The verb translated must report it (NAB “should report it”; NEB “should give information”; JB “must inform them”; Phps “should tell them”) occurs only here in John’s Gospel. It is used similarly but in a passive form in Acts 23:30 (TEV when I was informed). T
he content of what was ordered by the chief priests and Pharisees must be expressed as direct discourse in some languages, for example, “The chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded, ‘If anyone knows where Jesus is, he must report it to us so that we can arrest him’.” He must report it may also be rendered “he must tell us what he knows.”
Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1993). A handbook on the Gospel of John (pp. 383–385). United Bible Societies.
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