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because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
John 12:11 · New King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.
  • KJV Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
  • BSB for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.
  • NASB because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus.
  • NLT for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

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

Many were believing in Jesus because of Lazarus. The miracle's effect provokes the leaders' hostility.

Overview

Lazarus's raising leads many Jews to faith in Jesus, which the authorities find intolerable. Their reaction shows that the issue is not lack of evidence but refusal to believe. The verse links the sign's saving power with the deepening opposition that drives toward the cross.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • John 11:45Therefore many of the Jews, who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did, believed in him.
  • John 12:18For this cause also the multitude went and met him, because they heard that he had done this sign.
  • Jas 3:14–16But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth.
  • Acts 13:45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.
  • John 11:48If 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.”
  • John 15:18–25If the world hates you, you know that it has hated me before it hated you.
  • John 7:31But of the multitude, many believed in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, he won’t do more signs than those which this man has done, will he?”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

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 12:11YouTube · 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 12:11 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.