John 11:55

Verse

Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.

American Standard Version (1901)

Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.

Bible in Basic English

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and numbers of people went up from the country to Jerusalem to make themselves clean before the Passover.

Free Bible Version

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside to Jerusalem to purify themselves for the Passover.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Iewes Passeouer was at hande, and many went out of the countrey vp to Hierusalem before the Passeouer, to purifie themselues.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

One Unity Resource Bible

Now the Judean [Person from Praise] festival of Pesac ·Passover· was at hand, (the start of Nissan). Many went up from the country to Jerusalem [City of peace] before the Pesac ·Passover·, to purify themselves.

Plain English Version

It was nearly the time for the Jewish people to have their ceremony called Passover, to remember that a long time ago God got their grand-fathers out of Egypt. A lot of Jewish people from everywhere went to Jerusalem to get ready for that ceremony, and they washed themselves in a special way.

Translation for Translators

When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover celebration, many Jews went up to Jerusalem from other places in the country. They went there to perform the rituals to make themselves acceptable to God before the Passover celebration started.

Unlocked Literal Bible

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover in order to purify themselves.

Noah Webster Bible

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

World English Bible

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

Young's Literal Translation

And the passover of the Jews was nigh, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, that they might purify themselves;

Context

The Plot to Kill Jesus

⁵⁴As a result, Jesus no longer went about publicly among the Jews, but He withdrew to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness. And He stayed there with the disciples.⁵⁵Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover. ⁵⁶They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”

Summary

As the Passover approached, many went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves. They kept looking for Jesus and asked one another as they stood in the temple courts, 'What do you think? Isn't he coming to the festival at all?' This verse sets the scene for the events leading up to Jesus' crucifixion, showing the anticipation and speculation surrounding His presence at the Passover. It reflects the divided opinions among the people regarding Jesus, some expecting Him to attend the festival while others doubted His participation. The verse captures the tension and intrigue surrounding Jesus' ministry as He draws closer to fulfilling His ultimate purpose.

Commentary

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

The Jews' passover was nigh at hand - It is not necessary to suppose that this verse has any particular connection with the preceding. Most chronologists agree that our Lord spent at least two months in Ephraim. This was the last passover which our Lord attended; and it was at this one that he suffered death for the salvation of a lost world. As the passover was nigh, many of the inhabitants of Ephraim and its neighborhood went up to Jerusalem, some time (perhaps seven or eight days, for so much time was required to purify those who had touched the dead) before the feast, that they might purify themselves, and not eat the passover otherwise than prescribed in the law. Many of the country people, in the time of Hezekiah, committed a trespass by not attending to this: see Ch2 30:18, Ch2 30:19. Those mentioned in the text wished to avoid this inconvenience.

John Gill Bible Commentary

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand,.... Which was the fourth passover from Christ's entrance on his public ministry, and the last he ate with his disciples; when he, by being sacrificed for his people, put an end to that, and all other ceremonial observances: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem, before the passover: not only from the country where Ephraim was, but from all other countries in Judea and Galilee: all the males were obliged to go up to Jerusalem, at the time of the passover, where it was only kept; but many went before that time, for the reason following: to purify themselves; we read in Ch2 30:18 of many that had not cleansed themselves, and yet ate the passover; for whom Hezekiah prayed, that they might be pardoned, which shows that they had done amiss: upon which place, Jarchi has this observation; that "Judah (the men of Judah) were all clean, because they were near to Jerusalem, and could purify and sanctify themselves, and return to Jerusalem; but many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Issachar, and Zabulon, could not do so.'' And this seems to be the case of these people, they were country people, that lived at a distance, and not having purified themselves from several uncleannesses, came up before the time, that they might cleanse themselves, and be ready at the time: in several cases purification was required; as with new mothers, menstruous and profluvious persons, and such that had touched a dead body, or any creeping thing, and in other cases; and which by reason of distance, might be neglected; wherefore it was necessary they should come up before the time of the passover, to fit themselves for it: the rule about defiled persons eating the passover, is this (b); "if the congregation is polluted, or the greatest part of it, or the priests are unclean, and the congregation pure, it is kept in uncleanness; but if the lesser part of the congregation is defiled, the pure keep the first passover, and the unclean the second.'' This, their commentators say (c), is to be understood of uncleanness, by touching the dead, which required seven days of purification; and it is very probable that this was the case of these persons, since it was about so many days before the passover, that they came up; see Joh 12:1. The account Maimonides (d) gives of this matter is this; "who is a defiled person, that is put off to the second passover? everyone who cannot eat the passover, on the night of the fifteenth of Nisan, because of his uncleanness; as profluvious men and women, menstruous and new mothers, and the husbands of menstruous women; but he that toucheth the dead carcass of a beast, or a creeping thing, and the like, on the fourteenth, lo, he dips, and they slay for him (the passover) after he has dipped; and in the evening, when his sun is set, he eats the passover; he that is defiled by touching the dead, whose seventh day happens to be on the fourteenth, though he dips and is sprinkled on, and lo, he is fit to eat the holy things at evening, yet they do not kill for him, but he is put off to the second passover; as it is said, Num 9:6. "And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the passover on that day"; by tradition it is learned, that it was their seventh day, and therefore they asked if it should be killed for them, and they should eat at evening? and it was declared to them, that they should not kill for them: of what is this to be understood? when he is polluted with a defilement by the dead, which Nazarites shave for; but if he is polluted with other defilements by the dead, which the Nazarites do not shave for, they kill for him on his seventh day, after he has dipped, and is sprinkled upon; and when his sun is set, he eats his passover; a profluvious person, who sees two appearances, and reckons seven days, and dips on the seventh, they kill for him, and he eats at evening.--They do not kill for a menstruous woman on her seventh day, for lo, she does not dip till the eighth night, and she is not fit to eat holy things until the ninth night.'' These, with many other cases there instanced, may serve to illustrate this passage. (b) Misn. Pesachim, c. 7. sect. 6. Vid. Maimon. Korban Pesach. c. 7. sect. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. & Biah Hamikdash, c. 4. sect. 10-18. (c) Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. ib. (d) Hilchot Korban Pesach. c. 6. sect. 1, 2, 3.

John 11:55

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Scripture
Sermons
Commentary

Berean Standard Bible

Now the Jewish Passover was near, and many people went up from the country to Jerusalem to purify themselves before the Passover.

American Standard Version (1901)

Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves.

Bible in Basic English

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and numbers of people went up from the country to Jerusalem to make themselves clean before the Passover.

Free Bible Version

It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover, and many people went from the countryside to Jerusalem to purify themselves for the Passover.

Geneva Bible 1599

And the Iewes Passeouer was at hande, and many went out of the countrey vp to Hierusalem before the Passeouer, to purifie themselues.

King James (Authorized) Version

¶ And the Jews’ passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

One Unity Resource Bible

Plain English Version

Translation for Translators

Unlocked Literal Bible

Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover in order to purify themselves.

Noah Webster Bible

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves.

World English Bible

Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand. Many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.

Young's Literal Translation

And the passover of the Jews was nigh, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, that they might purify themselves;

Adam Clarke
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
John Gill
Tyndale

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

John 11:55

Verse

Context

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Summary

Commentary

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes

John 11:55

The Plot to Kill Jesus

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

John Gill Bible Commentary

Tyndale Open Study Notes