Bible Strands
John 12:11
for on account of him many of the Jews were deserting them and believing in Jesus.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The narrator states this detail to explain the chief priests' hostility, placing it immediately after their plot to kill Lazarus and before Jesus' arrival in Jerusalem.
The words — The Greek ὑπῆγον (hupēgon) literally means "were going away," describing a physical departure from the religious leaders. The preposition δι᾽ (di') combined with αὐτὸν (auton) specifies that this defection occurred specifically because of Jesus.
The thread — This movement of Jews leaving their leaders to follow Jesus appears in John 11:45 and John 12:18, where witnessing his sign causes the shift, and the resulting crowd pressure triggers Jewish opposition in Acts 13:45.
Why it lands — The text records that Jesus' authority actively fractures existing religious alliances, requiring a reader to acknowledge that belief demands a decisive departure from established leadership. It presents faith as an observable movement toward him rather than a private conviction.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.
Cross-references
- John 11:45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in Him.
- John 12:18 That is also why the crowd went out to meet Him, because they heard that He had performed this sign.
- Acts 13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and they blasphemously contradicted what Paul was saying.
- James 3:14 But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
- John 7:31 Many in the crowd, however, believed in Him and said, “When the Christ comes, will He perform more signs than this man?”
- John 11:48 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.”
- John 15:18 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first.