John 11:48 (DRB)

Passage

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

Nearby Context

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.

John 11:50 Neither do you consider that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "alone", "believe", "romans", "come", "take", "away", "place", and "nation". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "alone" and "believe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 47's "The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees..." into verse 49's "But one of them named Caiphas being...", so "alone" and "believe" 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 "alone" and "believe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.