1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, who had died, whom He raised out of the dead; 2 they made, therefore, a dinner to Him there, and Martha was ministering, and Lazarus was one of those reclining together with Him; 3 Mary, therefore, having taken a pound of ointment of spikenard, of great price, anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair, and the house was filled from the fragrance of the ointment. 4 Therefore one of His disciples—Judas Iscariot, of Simon, who is about to deliver Him up—says, 5 “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii, and given to the poor?” 6 And he said this, not because he was caring for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and what things were put in he was carrying. 7 Jesus, therefore, said, “Permit her; she has kept it for the day of My embalming, 8 for you always have the poor with yourselves, and you do not always have Me.” 9 Therefore, a great multitude of the Jews knew that He is there, and they came, not only because of Jesus, but that they may also see Lazarus, whom He raised out of the dead; 10 and the chief priests took counsel, that they may also kill Lazarus, 11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away, and were believing in Jesus. 12 On the next day, a great multitude that came to the celebration, having heard that Jesus comes to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palms, and went forth to meet Him, and were crying, “Hosanna! Blessed [is] He who is coming in the Name of the LORD—the King of Israel”; 14 and Jesus having found a young donkey sat on it, according as it is written, 15 “Do not fear, daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes, sitting on a colt of a donkey.” 16 And His disciples did not know these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were having been written about Him, and these things they did to Him. 17 The multitude, therefore, who are with Him, were testifying that He called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him out of the dead; 18 because of this the multitude also met Him, because they heard of His having done this sign, 19 therefore the Pharisees said among themselves, “You see that you do not gain anything, behold, the world went after Him.” 20 And there were certain Greeks out of those coming up that they may worship in the celebration, 21 these then came near to Philip, who [is] from Bethsaida of Galilee, and were asking him, saying, “Lord, we wish to see Jesus”; 22 Philip comes and tells Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. 23 And Jesus responded to them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man may be glorified; 24 truly, truly, I say to you, if the grain of the wheat, having fallen to the earth, may not die, itself remains alone; and if it may die, it bears much fruit; 25 he who is cherishing his life will lose it, and he who is hating his life in this world will keep it to continuous life; 26 if anyone may minister to Me, let him follow Me, and where I am, there My servant will be also; and if anyone may minister to Me—the Father will honor him. 27 Now My soul has been troubled; and what will I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But because of this I came to this hour; 28 Father, glorify Your Name.” Therefore there came a voice out of Heaven, “I both glorified, and again I will glorify [it]”; 29 the multitude, therefore, having stood and heard, were saying that there has been thunder; others said, “A messenger has spoken to Him.” 30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice has not come because of Me, but because of you; 31 now is a judgment of this world, now will the ruler of this world be cast forth; 32 and I, if I may be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” 33 And this He said signifying by what death He was about to die; 34 the multitude answered Him, “We heard that the Christ remains out of the Law—throughout the age; and how do You say that it is required that the Son of Man be lifted up? Who is this—the Son of Man?” 35 Therefore Jesus said to them, “Yet a short time is the light with you; walk while you have the light, that darkness may not overtake you; and he who is walking in the darkness has not known where he goes; 36 while you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” Jesus spoke these things, and having gone away, He was hid from them, 37 yet He, having done so many signs before them, they were not believing in Him, 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he said, “LORD, who gave credence to our report? And the arm of the LORD—to whom was it revealed?” 39 Because of this they were not able to believe, that again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, that they might not see with the eyes, and understand with the heart, and turn, and I might heal them”; 41 Isaiah said these things when he saw His glory, and spoke of Him. 42 Still, however, out of the rulers many also believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing, that they might not be put out of the synagogue, 43 for they loved the glory of men more than the glory of God. 44 And Jesus cried and said, “He who is believing in Me, does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me; 45 and He who is beholding Me, beholds Him who sent Me; 46 I—light to the world—have come, that everyone who is believing in Me may not remain in the darkness; 47 and if anyone may hear My sayings, and not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come that I might judge the world, but that I might save the world. 48 He who is rejecting Me, and not receiving My sayings, has one who is judging him, the word that I spoke, that will judge him in the last day, 49 because I did not speak from Myself, but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a command, what I may say, and what I may speak, 50 and I have known that His command is continuous life; what, therefore, I speak, according as the Father has said to Me, so I speak.”
John · Literal Standard Version
John 12 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Lazarus
A man of Bethany, brother of Mary and Martha, whom Jesus loved and raised from the dead and who was later at table with Him.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 11:5; John 12:1
Places
Bethany
Bethany was Jesus' lodging near Jerusalem during Passion week and the home of Lazarus. Luke sets the Ascension close by.
Cited in the guide: John 11:1; John 12:1; Luke 24:50
Cross references (50)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Mark 14:3–8; Luke 24:50; John 11:1; Matthew 21:17; John 11:55
- 2 Luke 22:27; Revelation 3:20; Luke 10:38–42; John 12:9–10; Mark 14:3
- 3 Mark 14:3–9; John 11:2; Luke 10:38–39; Luke 7:37–38; Matthew 26:6–13
- 4 Matthew 10:4; 1 Samuel 17:28–29; John 18:2–5; John 13:2; Luke 6:16
- 5 Luke 12:33; Luke 18:22; Mark 14:4–5; Matthew 26:8–9; Luke 6:41
- 6 John 13:29; Psalm 50:16–20; James 2:6; James 2:2; 2 Kings 5:20–27
- 7 Matthew 26:12; Mark 14:6; Matthew 27:57–60; Matthew 26:10; Mark 15:42–47
- 8 Deuteronomy 15:11; Mark 14:7; Matthew 26:11; John 12:35; John 13:33
- 9 Acts 4:14; John 11:43–45; Acts 3:10–11
- 10 Luke 16:31; Genesis 4:4–10; Matthew 2:16; John 11:47–53; Job 40:8–9
- 11 John 11:45; Acts 13:45; James 3:14–16; John 12:18; John 15:18–25
- 12 Mark 11:7–10; Luke 19:35–38; Matthew 21:4–9; John 11:55–56
- 13 Psalm 118:25–26; Revelation 15:3; Luke 19:35–38; Matthew 21:9–11; Revelation 7:9
- 14 Zechariah 9:9; Mark 11:1–7; Matthew 21:1–7; Luke 19:29–35
- 15 Zechariah 9:9; Isaiah 62:11; Zephaniah 3:16–17; Isaiah 35:4–5; 2 Samuel 16:2
- 16 John 2:22; John 14:26; John 7:39; John 12:23; Acts 2:36
- 17 1 John 5:9–12; Revelation 1:2; Acts 1:22; John 12:9; Acts 5:32
- 18 John 12:11
- 19 Acts 17:6; Psalm 22:27; Acts 4:16–17; 1 John 2:2; John 3:26
- 20 John 7:35; Isaiah 11:10; Acts 17:4; 1 Kings 8:41–43; Mark 7:26
- 21 Matthew 2:2; Luke 19:2–4; John 14:8–9; John 6:40; Matthew 11:21
- 22 Luke 9:49–50; John 1:40–41; Mark 10:13–14; John 6:8; Matthew 10:5
- 23 John 13:31–32; John 17:1–5; Mark 14:41; 1 Peter 2:9–10; Isaiah 49:5–6
- 24 1 Corinthians 15:36–38; Hebrews 2:9–10; Isaiah 53:10–12; John 12:32–33; Psalm 72:16
- 25 Matthew 10:39; Luke 9:23–24; Mark 8:35; Luke 17:33; Matthew 16:25
- 26 Colossians 3:24; Galatians 1:10; 1 Samuel 2:30; John 10:27; John 17:24
- 27 John 12:23; Isaiah 38:15; Hebrews 5:7; Mark 14:33–36; Matthew 26:42
- 28 John 13:31–32; Matthew 26:42; Revelation 5:9–14; John 11:40–44; Isaiah 49:3–7
- 29 Job 37:2–5; Revelation 6:1; Revelation 14:2; Exodus 19:16; Ezekiel 10:5
- 30 John 11:42; 2 Corinthians 8:9; John 11:15; John 5:34
- 31 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 3:8; 1 John 5:19; John 14:30; Ephesians 6:12
- 32 John 3:14; John 8:28; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; John 1:7
- 33 John 18:32; John 21:19
- 34 Ezekiel 37:24–25; Isaiah 9:7; Daniel 7:14; Psalm 110:4; Daniel 2:44
- 35 John 12:46; John 16:16; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:6–7; John 8:12
- 36 Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; John 8:59; Luke 16:8; John 1:7
- 37 Luke 16:31; John 1:11; John 15:24; Matthew 11:20; John 11:42
- 38 Isaiah 53:1; Romans 10:16; Romans 10:20; 1 Corinthians 1:24; 2 Corinthians 4:3–6
- 39 John 5:44; Isaiah 6:9–10; 2 Peter 2:14; John 10:38; John 6:44
- 40 Isaiah 6:10; Matthew 13:13–15; Luke 8:10; Mark 4:12; Isaiah 57:18–19
- 41 Isaiah 6:1–5; John 1:14; Isaiah 6:9–10; John 1:18; John 5:39
- 42 John 7:13; Isaiah 51:7; John 9:22; Proverbs 29:25; Matthew 10:32
- 43 John 5:44; Matthew 23:5–7; John 5:41; Luke 16:15; 2 Corinthians 10:18
- 44 Matthew 10:40; John 5:24; John 13:20; Mark 9:37; John 7:28
- 45 John 14:9–10; 2 Corinthians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3; John 12:41
- 46 John 8:12; Psalm 36:9; John 9:5; Isaiah 42:7; John 12:35–36
- 47 John 3:17; John 12:48; John 8:15–16; 1 Timothy 1:15–16; 1 John 4:14
- 48 Luke 10:16; Hebrews 9:27–28; Romans 2:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; John 3:17–20
- 49 John 14:10; John 8:26; John 5:30; John 17:8; Deuteronomy 18:18
- 50 John 17:3; John 6:68; 1 John 5:20; John 6:63; 1 Timothy 1:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
What is it, Brethren, which we have heard the Lord saying, "He that believeth on Me, believeth not on Me, but on Him that sent Me"?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
After our Lord's raising of one to life, who had been four days dead, to the utter amazement of the Jews, some of whom believed on seeing it, and others perished in their envy, because of that sweet savor which is unto life to some, and to others unto death; after He had sat down to meat with Lazarus--the one …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
As wealth is wont to hurl into destruction those who are not heedful, so also is power; the first leads into covetousness, the second into pride.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 14 (1889)
… again, was indicated when He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death;" her fear by the words, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me;" and her perplexity, too, when He said, "And what I shall say, I know not."
For there is yet a little light in men; let them walk--let them "walk," that the "darkness" seize them not.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)