John 11:49

49 But one of them, Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that year, said to them, "You people don't know anything!

John 11:49 Meaning and Commentary

John 11:49

And one of them, [named] Caiaphas
(See Gill on Matthew 26:3), (See Gill on Luke 3:2), (See Gill on John 18:13).

being the high priest that same year;
the high priesthood originally was not annual, but for life; but towards the close of the second temple, it came into the hands of the king, to appoint who would to be high priest ^F15; and it became venal; it was purchased with money; insomuch that they changed the priesthood once a twelve month, and every year a new high priest was made ^F16 now this man being in such an high office, and a man of no conscience, and of bad principles, being a Sadducee, as seems from ( Acts 4:6 ) ( 5:17 ) , who denied the resurrection of the dead, and was unconcerned about a future state; and having no restraint upon him, in a bold, haughty, and blustering manner,

said unto them, ye know nothing at all;
ye are a parcel of ignorant and stupid creatures, mere fools and idiots, to sit disputing and arguing, pro and con about such a fellow as this; what is to be done is obvious enough, and that is to take away this man's life, without any more ado; it matters not what he is, nor what he does; these are things that are not to be considered, they are out of the question; would you save the nation, destroy the man; things are come to this crisis, that either his life must go, or the nation perish; and which is most expedient, requires no time to debate about.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Misn. Yebamot, c. 6. sect. 4.
F16 T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 8. 2. Juchasin, fol. 139. 1.

John 11:49 In-Context

47 So the head cohanim and the P'rushim called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and said, "What are we going to do? -- for this man is performing many miracles.

48 If we let him keep going on this way, everyone will trust in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both the Temple and the nation."

49 But one of them, Kayafa, who was cohen gadol that year, said to them, "You people don't know anything!

50 You don't see that it's better for you if one man dies on behalf of the people, so that the whole nation won't be destroyed."

51 Now he didn't speak this way on his own initiative; rather, since he was cohen gadol that year, he was prophesying that Yeshua was about to die on behalf of the nation,