John 11:48

48 if we may let him alone thus, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and will take away both our place and nation.'

John 11:48 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:48

If we let him thus alone
Going about from place to place, teaching the people, and doing such miracles:

all men will believe on him;
the whole nation will receive him as the Messiah, and proclaim him their king, and yield a cheerful obedience to all his commands:

the Romans will come;
against us, with their powerful armies; interpreting the setting him up as Messiah, to be an instance of rebellion against Caesar, and his government:

and take away both our place and nation;
that is, will destroy the temple, their holy place, the place of their religion and worship; and their city, the place of their habitation, and lay waste their country; and take away from them that little share of power and government they had, and strip them both of their civil and religious privileges: the Persic version renders it, "they will take away our place, and make a decree against our religion".

John 11:48 In-Context

46 but certain of them went away unto the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus did;

47 the chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered together a sanhedrim, and said, `What may we do? because this man doth many signs?

48 if we may let him alone thus, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and will take away both our place and nation.'

49 and a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being chief priest of that year, said to them, `Ye have not known anything,

50 nor reason that it is good for us that one man may die for the people, and not the whole nation perish.'