John 11:47 (DRB)

Passage

The chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees gathered a council and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles?

Nearby Context

John 11:45 Many therefore of the Jews, who were come to Mary and Martha and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed in him.

John 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus had done.

John 11:47 The chief priests, therefore, and the Pharisees gathered a council and said: What do we, for this man doth many miracles?

John 11:48 If we let him alone so, all will believe in him; and the Romans will come, and take away our place and nation.

John 11:49 But one of them, named Caiphas, being the high priest that year, said to them: You know nothing.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "chief", "priests", "therefore", "pharisees", "gathered", "council", "said", and "doth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "chief" and "priests", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 46's "But some of them went to the..." into verse 48's "If we let him alone so all...", so "chief" and "priests" 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 "chief" and "priests" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.