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Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, “What shall we do? For this Man works many signs.
John 11:47 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs.
  • KJV Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
  • BSB Then the chief priests and Pharisees convened the Sanhedrin and said, “What are we to do? This man is performing many signs.
  • NASB Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council meeting, and they were saying, “What are we doing in regard to the fact that this Man is performing many signs?
  • NLT Then the leading priests and Pharisees called the high council together. “What are we going to do?” they asked each other. “This man certainly performs many miraculous signs.

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

The chief priests and Pharisees convene a council, alarmed at Jesus' many signs. They cannot deny his works, only oppose them.

Overview

The leaders gather to address the threat Jesus poses, acknowledging that he performs many signs. Tellingly, they do not dispute the miracles but fear their consequences. Their council begins the formal movement toward condemning Jesus, fulfilling the pattern of rejection John traces throughout his Gospel.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 14

  • Matt 26:3Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.
  • Acts 4:16–17saying, “What shall we do to these men? Because indeed a notable miracle has been done through them, as can be plainly seen by all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we can’t deny it.
  • Matt 5:22But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna.
  • John 2:11This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
  • John 12:19The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, “See how you accomplish nothing. Behold, the world has gone after him.”
  • John 11:57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, that they might seize him.
  • Acts 4:5–6In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.
  • Matt 27:1–2Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
  • Acts 5:21When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak, and taught. But the high priest came, and those who 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.
  • Ps 2:2–4The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers take counsel together, against Yahweh, and against his Anointed, saying,
  • Luke 22:2The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.
  • Acts 4:27–28“For truly, in this city against your holy servant, Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together
  • Mark 14:1It was now two days before the feast of the Passover and the unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might seize him by deception, and kill him.
  • Acts 5:24Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these words, they were very perplexed about them and what might become of this.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 11:47YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

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 11:47 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

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.