Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews; but went from there unto the country near to the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.
All Commentaries on John 11:54 Go To John 11
Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, i.e, freely, openly, publicly. S. Cyril says: "As God He knew what the Jews had determined on, though none of them declared it; as man He withdrew Himself, because the hour of His death, decreed by His Father, had not yet come." He did this to give an example to us, of avoiding peril to life by flight.
But went thence, &c. Leontius thinks Ephraim was Bethlehem, in which Christ had been born; but this seems unlikely, because Bethlehem was near to Jerusalem, and Jesus knew that He would be specially sought there by the chief priests. S. Jerome, and after him Jansenius, think it was Ephron ( 2 Chronicles 13:19). Others think that Ephraim was situated above Jericho, and beside the desert there; but Adrichomius places it about five miles towards the east from Bethel, about seven hours" [journey] distant from Jerusalem, beside the desert of Hai, not far from the brook Cherith, to which Elijah, flying from Jezebel, withdrew, and was fed there by ravens (1Kings xvii5). Jesus withdrew thither, as well that He might avoid the rage of the chief priests for the time, as that He might have leisure in that retirement for prayer and contemplation, and thus strengthen and arm Himself for His approaching death, for the arduous contest with the chief priests—yea, more, with Lucifer—when He was upon the Cross.
Ephraim is symbolically the type of the Gentile Church. So Origen says: "Jesus was lately dwelling among the Jews, the Divine Word, that is to say, through the prophets; but He departed, He is not among them, for He has entered a hamlet which is almost deserted, of which it is said, "Many are the sons of the deserted one more than of the married:" for Ephraim is interpreted fertility. But Ephraim was the brother of Prayer of Manasseh , of an elder people given over to forgetfulness; for after a people devoted to forgetfulness had been passed over, abundance has come forth from the Gentiles. The Lord then, departing from the Jews, came to a land nigh to the desert, a city called fruitful, the Church of the whole earth, and there He tarries with His disciples even until now."
Typically, Ephraim, as situated beside the desert, is the symbol of a holy soul which has leisure for solitude and prayer; for this becomes Ephraim—that Isaiah , fruitful in good works: wherefore Jesus tarries in it by His abundant grace.
