Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, a little less than two miles away,
Parallel translations
- WEB Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.
- KJV Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off:
- NKJV Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.
- NASB Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away;
- NLT Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
John notes that Bethany was about fifteen stadia, roughly two miles, from Jerusalem. The nearness explains the presence of many mourners.
Overview
This geographical detail accounts for the crowd of Jews who came to console the sisters. Its closeness to Jerusalem also means the miracle would be widely known and would provoke the authorities. The precise note reflects the eyewitness character of the account.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- Luke 24:13That same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem.
- John 11:1At this time a man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
- Rev 14:20And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood that flowed from it rose as high as the bridles of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
- John 6:19When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the sea—and they were terrified.
- Rev 21:16The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 11:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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