[1] The author of the book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that John composed this Gospel.

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter in Koine Greek are: Events recorded in this chapter refer to the following locations: The narrative suggests that Jesus and His disciples travelled to Bethany from Ephraim, where Jesus had been staying to avoid the Jewish leaders who were plotting to kill him (John 11:53–54).

The author of John seems[citation needed] to have combined elements from several – apparently originally unrelated – stories into a single narrative.

Meanwhile, other elements were removed [citation needed] or replaced; for example, Simon the Leper/Simon the Pharisee was replaced[citation needed] by Lazarus as the host of the feast in Jesus' honour, and Bethany in Judea was chosen as the setting, while most elements of John's narrative correspond to traditions that the Synoptics set in Galilee.

[16][11] Esler and Piper (2006) posited that verse 11:2 is evidence that the author of the Gospel of John deliberately mixed up several traditions in an 'audacious attempt (...) to rework the collective memory of the Christ-movement'.

[11] Judas Iscariot, described as "one of [Jesus'] disciples" and "Simon’s son, who would betray Him", asks “Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii (Greek: δηναρίων τριακοσίων) and the money given to poor people (or the poor)?” The New International Version, New King James Version and New Living Translation all equate this amount to a year's wages.

The word το γλωσσοκομον (glōssokomon) "means literally "a case for mouthpieces" of musical instruments, and hence any portable chest.

[24] But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus" (John 12:9–11).

Bengel's Gnomen notes that "it is not clear that they were circumcised: certainly, at least, they were worshippers of the One God of Israel" - they were present in Jerusalem "that they might worship at the feast (Greek: ἵνα προσκυνήσωσιν ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ).

They had presumably "heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem" on the same basis as the Jewish multitude mentioned in John 12:12, although Meyer raises the possibility that "they came to Philip accidentally".

The evangelist repeats the information already provided at John 1:44, that Philip came from Bethsaida in Galilee, which was "also the city of Andrew and Peter".

[20] Watkins observes that the coming of the Greeks is mentioned "not for the sake of the fact itself, but for that of the discourse which followed upon it",[20] while Swedish-based commentator René Kieffer notes that it is to them, along with the rest of his audience, that Jesus reveals the mystery of his imminent death:[35] Jesus' discourse, set out in John 12:24–27, leaves readers "in doubt as to the result of the Greeks’ request":[21] The evangelist addresses directly the issue that the Messiah had died: "Strange as it may seem to you that the Messiah should die, yet this is but the course of nature: a seed cannot be glorified unless it dies".

[40] Others have appealed to the contextual detail in verse 20 ("some Greeks" sought Jesus), so as to infer that Christ only means that people of all kinds (Gentiles as well as Jews) will be drawn to him, rather than every individual without exception.

The two passages quoted are Isaiah 6:10 and 53:1, both relating to belief and resistance: Meyer identifies these words with "the close of the public ministry of Jesus", a point at which there is an assessment of the results of His teaching "in respect to faith in Him".