John 11:56

56 They kept looking for Jesus and asking one another as they stood in the temple courts, ^[a] “What do you think? Will He come to the feast at all?”

John 11:56 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:56

Then sought they for Jesus
That is, the country people; some on one account, and some on another; some out of curiosity to see his person, others to see his miracles, and others to hear his doctrine; and some, it may be, to take him, and deliver him up to the sanhedrim, who had issued out a proclamation to that purpose, and doubtless offered a reward:

and spake among themselves, as they stood in the temple;
whither they came to purify themselves, according to the law of the sanctuary:

what think ye, that he will not come to the feast?
it was a matter of dispute with them, whether Christ would come or not, to the feast; some might be of opinion that he would not, at least they very much questioned it, since the sanhedrim had published such an order for the discovery of him; and since upon it he was gone from Bethany, farther into the country; though others might be differently minded, and believe he would come, since all the males of Israel were obliged to appear at that feast, and it was his duty; and they could not persuade themselves that he would neglect his duty, for fear of the Jews.

John 11:56 In-Context

54 As 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.

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

56 They 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?”

57 But the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that anyone who knew where He was must report it, so that they could arrest Him.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally the temple