Teks -- John 11:50 (NET)

11:50 You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Joh 11:50 - That it is expedient for you

That it is expedient for you ( hoti sumpherei humin ).

Indirect discourse with present active indicative of sumpherō used with the hina clause as subject. It means to bear together, to be profitable, with the dative case as here (humin , for you). It is to your interest and that is what they cared most for.

Robertson: Joh 11:50 - That one man die

That one man die ( hina heis anthrōpos apothanēi ).

Sub-final use of hina with second aorist active subjunctive of apothnēskō as subject clause with sumpherei . See Joh 16:7; Joh 18:7 for the same construction.

Robertson: Joh 11:50 - For the people

For the people ( huper tou laou ).

Huper simply means over , but can be in behalf of as often, and in proper context the resultant idea is "instead of"as the succeeding clause shows and as is clearly so in Gal 3:13 of the death of Christ and naturally so in 2Co 5:14.; Rom 5:6. In the papyri huper is the usual preposition used of one who writes a letter for one unable to write.

Robertson: Joh 11:50 - And that the whole nation perish not

And that the whole nation perish not ( kai mē holon to ethnos apolētai ).

Continuation of the hina construction with mē and the second aorist subjunctive of apollumi . What Caiaphas has in mind is the giving of Jesus to death to keep the nation from perishing at the hands of the Romans. Politicians are often willing to make a sacrifice of the other fellow.

Vincent: Joh 11:50 - People - nation

People - nation ( τοῦ λαοῦ - τὸ ἔθνος )

The former the theocratic nation , the people of God: the latter, the body politic . See on 1Pe 2:9.

Wesley: Joh 11:50 - It is expedient that one man should die for the people

So God overruled his tongue, for he spake not of himself, by his own spirit only, but by the spirit of prophecy. And thus he gave unawares as clear a testimony to the priestly, as Pilate did to the kingly office of Christ.

JFB: Joh 11:47-54 - What do we? for this man doeth many miracles

"While we trifle, 'this man,' by His 'many miracles,' will carry all before Him; the popular enthusiasm will bring on a revolution, which will precipitate the Romans upon us, and our all will go down in one common ruin." What a testimony to the reality of our Lord's miracles, and their resistless effect, from His bitterest enemies!

Clarke: Joh 11:50 - Nor consider

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 ουδε διαλογιζεσθε, which we translate, ye do not consider, and which properly conveys the idea of conferring, or talking together, ουδε λογιζεσθε, 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

Clarke: Joh 11:50 - That one man should die for the people

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: Rom 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.

TSK: Joh 11:50

Joh 11:48, Joh 18:14, Joh 19:12; Luk 24:46; Rom 3:8

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Joh 11:50 - it is expedient for us that one man

Never was any thing spoken more diabolically: he regards not what was their duty, nor what was lawful for them to do; whether they might upon any pretence shed innocent blood, much more the blood of one whose life was spent in nothing but a going up and down in doing good; only, like a wretched politician, who was concerned for nothing but the people’ s safety, he saith not, it is lawful, but,

it is expedient for us that one man be he never so good, never so innocent and just,

should die for the people that is, to save the whole nation from destruction.

Haydock: Joh 11:50

How great is the power of the Holy Ghost? From a wicked mind he brings forth the words of prophecy. And how great is the power attached to the pontifical dignity! For Caiphas having becoming high priest, though unworthy of that dignity, prophesies, not knowing indeed what he says. The Holy Ghost makes use of his tongue only, but touches not his sinful heart. (St. John Chrysostom, hom. lxiv. in Joan.)

Gill: Joh 11:50 - Nor consider that it is expedient for us // that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not

Nor consider that it is expedient for us,.... Priests, Levites, Pharisees, the sanhedrim, and ecclesiastical rulers of the people; who, as Caiaphas apprehended, must suffer in their characters and revenues, must quit their honourable and gainful posts and places, if Jesus went on and succeeded at this rate: wherefore it was most expedient and advantageous for them, which was the main thing to be considered in such a council, so he thought it was,

that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not; he proceeded entirely upon this political principle, that a public good ought to be preferred to a private one; that it was no matter what the man was, whether innocent or not; common prudence, and the public safety of the nation, required him to fall a sacrifice, rather than the Romans should be exasperated and provoked to such a degree, as to threaten the utter ruin and destruction of the whole nation.