John 11:55

“Now the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem from the country before the Passover to purify themselves.”
John 11:55 · direct translation from the Greek

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With the Greek beneath

Nowδὲthe Passoverτὸ πάσχαof the Jewsτῶν ἸουδαίωνwasἮνnear,ἐγγὺςandκαὶmanyπολλοὶwent upἀνέβησανtoεἰςJerusalemἹεροσόλυμαfromἐκthe countryτῆς χώραςbeforeπρὸthe Passoverτοῦ πάσχαtoἵναpurifyἁγνίσωσινthemselves.ἑαυτούς

Theme · Numbers 9:6-12

Go to Numbers 9:6-12

John 11:55 says that many went up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves; Numbers 9:6-12 deals with those who were unclean and could not keep it.

The same term appears in both passages.

πάσχαpaschaG3957פֶּסַחpesajH6453“Passover”

John 11:55, word by word

the Passoverπάσχαpascha

Passover

Passover: the feast that remembered the going out from Egypt; also the lamb and the meal of that night.

Where else “pascha” appears

of the JewsἸουδαίωνIoudaiōn

Jew

A person of the people of Israel, named after the tribe of Judah.

Where else “Ioudaiōn” appears

wasἮνĒn

be present

To be in a place or with someone.

Where else “Ēn” appears

nearἐγγὺςengys

near

Near, close.

Where else “engys” appears

manyπολλοὶpolloi

many

A great number of people or things.

Where else “polloi” appears

went upἀνέβησανanebēsan

go up

To go upward: up a mountain, to Jerusalem or to heaven.

Where else “anebēsan” appears

JerusalemἹεροσόλυμαHierosolyma

Jerusalem

See it on the map Where else “Hierosolyma” appears

the countryχώραςchōras

field

Farmland.

Where else “chōras” appears

purifyἁγνίσωσινhagnisōsin

purify

Purify; purify oneself according to the law in order to take part in worship.

Where else “hagnisōsin” appears

Translation note

To eat the Passover one had to be clean according to the law; some purifications lasted seven days (Numbers 9:6-12; 19:11-12).

Places in this verse

Approximate location. A “?” means it is not known for sure where it was.

Jerusalem
Today: Old City of Jerusalem
A city in the hills of Judea, about 22 miles (35 km) west of the Dead Sea and 35 miles (55 km) east of the Mediterranean.
David took it and made it his city (2 Sam 5:7); Solomon built the temple there (1 Kgs 8:1). Jesus was presented there, and the apostles' witness began from it (Luke 2:22; Acts 1:8).
2 Samuel 5:6 1 Kings 8:1 Luke 2:22 Acts 1:8

The context

54So Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, and there he stayed with the disciples.

55 · This verse (above)

56So they were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?”

Read all of John 11

To study John 11 in a group

1. What it says
What does Jesus do when he arrives at Lazarus's tomb and sees Mary and those with her weeping? (vv. 32-44)
2. What it means
Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” What does he ask her next, and how does she answer? (vv. 25-27)
3. How I live it
Jesus wept with those who wept (v. 35). How can you accompany someone who is grieving today?

How to use it