John 11:55 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

And the Jews' passover was nigh at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover, to purify themselves. 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 neighborhood 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 2 Chronicles 30:18, 2 Chronicles 30:19. Those mentioned in the text wished to avoid this inconvenience.