John 11:18 (ASV)

Passage

Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;

Nearby Context

John 11:16 Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

John 11:17 So when Jesus came, he found that he had been in the tomb four days already.

John 11:18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off;

John 11:19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.

John 11:20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "bethany", "nigh", "jerusalem", "fifteen", and "furlongs". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "bethany" and "nigh", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "So when Jesus came he found that..." into verse 19's "and many of the Jews had come...", so "bethany" and "nigh" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "bethany" and "nigh" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.