If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.”
Parallel translations
- WEB If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
- KJV 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.
- BSB If we let Him go on like this, everyone will believe in Him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
- NASB If we let Him go on like this, all the people will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take over both our place and our nation.”
- NLT If we allow him to go on like this, soon everyone will believe in him. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our Temple and our nation.”
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 leaders fear that Jesus' growing following will provoke Roman intervention against their nation. Self-preservation drives their hostility.
Overview
The council worries that widespread belief in Jesus will bring Roman reprisal, costing them temple and nation. Their reasoning is political and ironic, for rejecting him will not prevent the very destruction they fear. Their concern exposes hearts ruled by power and unbelief rather than truth.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- 1 Th 2:15–16who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and drove us out, and didn’t please God, and are contrary to all men;
- Acts 5:28saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us, and on our children!”
- Zech 14:1–2Behold, a day of Yahweh comes, when your plunder will be divided within you.
- Dan 9:26–27After the sixty-two weeks the Anointed One shall be cut off, and shall have nothing: and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and its end shall be with a flood, and even to the end shall be war; desolations are determined.
- Matt 23:35–38that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the altar.
- Luke 11:52Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”
- Zech 13:7–8“Awake, sword, against my shepherd, and against the man who is close to me,” says Yahweh of Armies. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
- Luke 21:20–24“But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.
- Luke 23:28–31But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
- Matt 22:7When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
- Matt 21:40–42When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”
- Deut 28:50–68a nation of fierce facial expressions, that doesn’t respect the elderly, nor show favor to the young,
- Luke 8:12Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.
- John 1:7The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
- Luke 19:41–44When he came near, he saw the city and wept over it,
- Acts 5:38–40Now I tell you, withdraw from these men, and leave them alone. For if this counsel or this work is of men, it will be overthrown.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
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 11:48 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.