John 11:48 - Exposition

If we let him alone thus, as we have been doing hitherto—if we suffer him to do these things— all men will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away from us, i . e . from the Sanhedrin, from the lawful rulers in all matters affecting religious order or privilege, our place —the city or temple— and the nation , which we rule through our subordinates and surrogates, but to accomplish which we shall prove our incompetence if we cannot keep down all insubordination and hold perilous enthusiasm in check. De Wette and Hengstenberg strongly urge that by τόπον was meant the temple, "the dwelling-place and seat of the whole people" ( Psalms 84:4 ; Psalms 27:4 ; cf. Matthew 23:38 ). Ewald, Godet, Meyer, Watkins, consider τόπον to be the city, the seat of all the power of the nation, spiritual and civil. The nation was a province of the Roman empire, but the hierarchy was still invested with great powers.