Charles Ellicott Commentary John 11:49

"But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all," — John 11:49 (ASV)

And one of them, named Caiaphas.—Compare notes on Matthew 26:3; Luke 3:2. His proper name was Joseph, and the name Caiaphas is the Syriac form of Cephas. He, like Peter, took the name of “Rockman,” as a title to indicate his work! For the succession of high priests at this time, see Josephus, Antiquities Book 18, chapter 2, section 2. Caiaphas himself was priest from A.D. 26–36.

Being the high priest that same year.—These words occur again in John 11:51 and in John 18:13. They are used with a solemnity of meaning to express “that fatal and decisive year.”

Ye know nothing at all.—There had probably been various suggestions made by different members of the Sanhedrin which seemed to him to miss the mark, or to fall short of the one means which would have a successful issue.