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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - John 12:1-11

In these verses we have, I. The kind visit our Lord Jesus paid to his friends at Bethany, John 12:1. He came up out of the country, six days before the passover, and took up at Bethany, a town which, according to the computation of our metropolis, lay so near Jerusalem as to be within the bills of mortality. He lodged here with his friend Lazarus, whom he had lately raised from the dead. His coming to Bethany now may be considered, 1. As a preface to the passover he intended to celebrate, to... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 12:1-8

12:1-8 Now six days before the Passover Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was whom he raised from the dead. So they made him a meal there, and Martha was serving while Lazarus was one of those who reclined at table with him. Now Mary took a pound of very precious genuine spikenard ointment, and anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the perfume of the ointment. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, the one who was going to betray him,... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - John 12:1-8

(iii) There is the character of Judas. There are three things here about him. (a) We see Jesus' trust in Judas. As far back as John 6:70-71 , John shows us Jesus well aware that there was a traitor within the ranks. It may well be that he tried to touch Judas' heart by making him the treasurer of the apostolic company. It may well be that he tried to appeal to his sense of honour. It may well be that he was saying in effect to him: "Judas, here's something that you can do for me. Here is... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - John 12:1

Then Jesus, six days before the passover ,.... Or "before the six days of the passover"; not as designing the days of that feast, for they were seven; but as reckoning so many days back from it, that is, before the sixth day from the ensuing passover: if there were six complete days between this and the passover, as this way of speaking seems to imply; then this must be the day before the Jewish sabbath, and this is more likely, than that Christ should travel on the sabbath day: but if this... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:1

Six days before the Passover - Reckoning the day of the Passover to be the last of the six. Our Lord came on our Sabbath, the first day of the Jewish week, to Bethany, where he supped; and on the next day he made his public entry into Jerusalem: John 12:12 . Calmet thinks that this was about two months after the resurrection of Lazarus, on the 9th of Nisan, (March 29), in the thirty-sixth year of our Lord's age. It has been observed before - that Calmet adds three years to the common... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - John 12:1

Verse 1 1.Jesus came to Bethany. We see that they judged too rashly who thought that Christ would not come to the feast, (2) (John 11:56;) and this, reminds us that we ought not to be so hasty as not to wait patiently and quietly, till the season arrive, which is unknown to us. Now Jesus came first to Bethany, that thence he might go three days afterwards to Jerusalem. Meanwhile, he intended to give Judas a fit time and place for betraying him, that he might present himself, ready to be... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:1

Jesus therefore, six days before the Passover. Every preliminary of that solemn feast is memorable to our evangelist. The coincidence of the Passover feast and the killing of the Paschal lamb, with the sacrifice of "Christ our Passover," cannot be concealed. [For the grammatical construction with πρὸ , cf. note, John 11:18 , where a similar use of ἀπό occurs; not, however, a Latinism, as some have supposed, as similar phrases are found in good Greek.] The date from which the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:1-8

A good work wrought in season. When Jesus lay, a helpless Infant, in the manger at Bethlehem, there came strangers from the East and poured rich offerings at his feet—gold and frankincense and myrrh; and now that he was about to leave the world, an unexpected act of homage was done to him, not indeed by a stranger, but by a gentle and unobtrusive disciple. The occasion was this. Our Lord, weary with his journey from the country beyond Jordan, his last long earthly journey, was resting the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - John 12:1-11

The supper at Bethany. While the hostility of the Jews grows day by day, the devotion of our Lord's friends visibly increases. I. THE TIME OF THE SUPPER . "Six days before the Passover." 1. The most probable opinion is that it took place on the day after the Jewish sabbath . 2. The edict of the authorities at Jerusalem respecting Jesus had no deterrent effect upon his friends at Bethany . This feast is their answer to it. II. THE PLACE OF THE SUPPER... read more

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