John 11 · Verse 47

John 11:47

Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
John 11:47, King James Version

John 11:47 in other translations

BSBThen the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
WEBThe chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
ASVThe chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many signs.
YLTthe chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees, gathered together a sanhedrim, and said, ‘What may we do? because this man doth many signs?
DARBYThe chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many signs.
BBEThen the high priests and the Pharisees had a meeting and said, What are we doing? This man is doing a number of signs.
WebsterThen the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and said, What do we? for this man performeth many miracles.

What does John 11:47 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on John 11:47-54
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!

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes
Verse 47. A council. A meeting of the Sanhedrim, or great council of the nation. Mt 2:4. They claimed the right of regulating all the affairs of religion. Jn 1:19.

What do we? What measures are we taking to arrest the progress of his sentiments?

For this man doeth many miracles. If they admitted that he performed miracles, it was clear what they ought to do. They should have received him as the Messiah. It may be asked, If they really believed that he worked miracles, why did they not believe on him? To this it may be replied that they did not doubt that impostors might work miracles. See Mt 24:24. To this opinion they were led, probably, by the wonders which the magicians performed in Egypt (Exodus chapters 7 & 8), and by the passage in De 13:1. As they regarded the tendency of the doctrines of Jesus to draw off the people from the worship of God, and from keeping his law (Jn 9:16), they did not suppose themselves bound to follow him, even if he did work miracles.

(f) "gathered" Ps 2:2

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council - The Pharisees, as such, had no power to assemble councils; and therefore only those are meant who were scribes or elders of the people, in conjunction with Annas and his son-in-law Caiaphas, who were the high priests here mentioned. See Joh 18:13, Joh 18:24. What do we? - This last miracle was so clear, plain, and incontestable, that they were driven now to their wit's end. Their own spies had come and borne testimony of it. They told them what they had seen, and on their word, as being in league with themselves against Jesus, they could confidently rely.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on John 11:47-53
There can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom, to advance their own worldly interest. The fear of the wicked shall come upon them. The conversion of souls is the gathering of them to Christ as their ruler and refuge; and he died to effect this. By dying he purchased them to himself, and the gift of the Holy Ghost for them: his love in dying for believers should unite them closely together.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

John 11:47 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ΣυνήγαγονSunēgagonGatheredG4863
οὖνounthereforeG3767
οἱhoitheG3588
ἀρχιερεῖςarchiereischief priestsG749
καὶkaiandG2532
οἱhoitheG3588
ΦαρισαῖοιPharisaioiPhariseesG5330
συνέδριονsunedriona councilG4892
καὶkaiandG2532
ἔλεγον·elegonthey were saying;G3004
τίtiWhatG5101
ποιοῦμεν,poioumenare we to do?G4160
ὅτιhotiForG3754
οὗτοςhoutosthisG3778
ὁho<the>G3588
ἄνθρωποςanthrōposmanG444
πολλὰpollamanyG4183
ποιεῖpoieidoesG4160
σημεῖα;sēmeiasigns!G4592

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for John 11:47

  • Matthew 26:3

    Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

  • Acts 4:16-17

    Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

  • Matthew 5:22

    But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

  • Acts 4:5-6

    And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

  • John 2:11

    This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

  • John 11:57

    Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment, that, if any man knew where he were, he should shew it, that they might take him.

  • John 12:19

    The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

  • Acts 5:24

    Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.

  • Acts 5:21

    And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

  • Acts 4:27-28

    For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

  • Luke 22:2

    And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

  • Mark 14:1

    After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
gathered.
Ps 2:2-4; Mt 26:3; 27:1,2; Mr 14:1; Lu 22:2; Ac 4:5,6,27,28; 5:21
What.
12:19; Ac 4:16,17; 5:24

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • John 11:46

    But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

  • John 11:47

    Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.

  • John 11:48

    If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

Read all of John 11

John 11:47 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Entonces los pontífices y los Fariseos juntaron concilio, y decían: ¿Qué hacemos? porque este hombre hace muchas señales.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Les principaux sacrificateurs et les pharisiens donc assemblèrent un sanhédrin, et dirent: Que faisons-nous? car cet homme fait beaucoup de miracles.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da versammelten die Hohenpriester und die Pharisäer ein Synedrium und sprachen: Was tun wir? Denn dieser Mensch tut viele Zeichen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Collegerunt ergo pontifices et pharisæi concilium, et dicebant: Quid facimus, quia hic homo multa signa facit?