Joh 11:54-55 | Clarke | e4.org | Verse 54. Walked no more openly ] παρρησια, He did not go as before through the cities and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing the sick. Near to the wilderness ] Some MSS. add, of Samphourein , or Samphourim , or Sapfurim . A city chilled Ephraim ] Variously written in the MSS., Ephraim, Ephrem, Ephram , and Ephratha . This was a little village, situated in the neighbourhood of Bethel ; for the scripture, , and Josephus, War, b. iv. c. 8. s. 9, join them both together. Many believe that this city or village was the same with that mentioned, 1 Macc. 5:46; 2 Macc. 12:27. Joshua gave it to the tribe of Judah, ; and Eusebius and Jerome say it was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem. And there continued ] Calmet says, following Toynard , that he stayed there two months, from the 24th of January till the 24th of March.

‏ John 11:54-55

Verse 54. Walked no more openly] παρρησια, He did not go as before through the cities and villages, teaching, preaching, and healing the sick.

Near to the wilderness] Some MSS. add, of Samphourein, or Samphourim, or Sapfurim.

A city chilled Ephraim] Variously written in the MSS., Ephraim, Ephrem, Ephram, and Ephratha. This was a little village, situated in the neighbourhood of Bethel; for the scripture, 2Ch 13:19, and Josephus, War, b. iv. c. 8. s. 9, join them both together. Many believe that this city or village was the same with that mentioned, 1 Macc. 5:46; 2 Macc. 12:27. Joshua gave it to the tribe of Judah, Jos 15:9; and Eusebius and Jerome say it was about twenty miles north of Jerusalem.

And there continued] Calmet says, following Toynard, that he stayed there two months, from the 24th of January till the 24th of March.

Verse 55. The Jews' passover was nigh at hand] It is not necessary to suppose that this verse has any particular connection with the preceding. Most chronologists agree that our Lord spent at least two months in Ephraim. This was the last passover which our Lord attended; and it was at this one that he suffered death for the salvation of a lost world. As the passover was nigh, many of the inhabitants of Ephraim and its neighbourhood went up to Jerusalem, some time (perhaps seven or eight days, for so much time was required to purify those who had touched the dead) before the feast, that they might purify themselves, and not eat the passover otherwise than prescribed in the law. Many of the country people, in the time of Hezekiah, committed a trespass by not attending to this: see 2Ch 30:18, 19. Those mentioned in the text wished to avoid this inconvenience.