1
sn (1:1) In the beginning. The search for the basic "stuff" out of which things are made was the earliest one in Greek philosophy. It was attended by the related question of "What is the process by which the secondary things came out of the primary one (or ones)?," or in Aristotelian terminology, "What is the `beginning' (same Greek word as beginning, John 1:1) and what is the origin of the things that are made?" In the New Testament the word usually has a temporal sense, but even BAGD 112 s.v. 2 lists the second major category of meaning as "the first cause." For John, the words "In the beginning" are most likely a conscious allusion to the opening words of Genesis--"In the beginning." Other concepts which occur prominently in Gen 1 are also found in John's prologue: "life" (1:4) "light" (1:4) and "darkness" (1:5). Gen 1 describes the first (physical) creation; John 1 describes the new (spiritual) creation. But this is not to play off a false dichotomy between "physical" and "spiritual"; the first creation was both physical and spiritual. The new creation is really a re-creation, of the spiritual (first) but also the physical. (In spite of the common understanding of John's `spiritual' emphasis, the "physical" recreation should not be overlooked; this occurs in John 2 with the changing of water into wine, in John 11 with the resurrection of Lazarus, and the emphasis of John 20-21 on the aftermath of Jesus' own resurrection.)
2tn (1:1) The preposition prov" (pros) implies not just proximity, but intimate personal relationship. M. Dods stated, "Prov" ...means more than metav or parav, and is regularly employed in expressing the presence of one person with another" ("The Gospel of St. John," The Expositor's Greek Testament, 1:684). See also Mark 6:3, Matt 13:56, Mark 9:19, Gal 1:18, 2 John 12.
3tn (1:1) Or "and what God was, the Word was too"; or "and the Word was fully God." Colwell's Rule is often invoked to support the translation of qeov" (qeos) as definite ("God") rather than indefinite here. However, Colwell's Rule merely permits, but does not demand, that a predicate nominative ahead of an equative verb be translated as definite rather than indefinite. Furthermore, Colwell's Rule did not deal with a third possibility, that the anarthrous predicate noun may have more of a qualitative nuance when placed ahead of the verb. Orthodox Christian theology would permit either a definite or a qualitative meaning for qeov" here. From a technical standpoint, though, it is probably preferable to see something of a qualitative aspect to anarthrous qeov" in John 1:1. Translations like the NEB, REB, and Moffatt are helpful in capturing the sense in John 1:1, that the Word was fully deity in essence (just as much God as God the Father). However, in contemporary English "the Word was divine" does not quite catch the meaning since "divine" as a descriptive term is not used in English exclusively of God. Thus the translation "what God was, the Word was too" is more likely to convey the meaning to the average English reader.
sn (1:1) And the Word was God. John's theology consistently drives toward the conclusion that Jesus, the incarnate Word, is just as much God as God the Father. This can be seen, for example, in John's use of the verb "worship" (proskunevw, proskunew) with Jesus as object in John 9:38, a word that elsewhere in John (4:21, 23-24) has only God the Father as its object. The construction in John 1:1c does not equate the Word with the person of God; rather it equates the essence of the Word with that of God.
4tn (1:2) Grk "He"; the referent (the Word) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
5tn (1:3) Or "made"; Grk "came into existence."
6tn (1:3) Or "made"; Grk "nothing came into existence."
7tc (1:3) There is a major punctuation problem here: should this relative clause go with v. 3 or v. 4? The earliest MSS have no punctuation (Ì66 Ì75* Í* A B D). Many of the later MSS which do have punctuation place it before the phrase, thus putting it with v. 4 (Ì75c C D L Q al). NA25 placed the phrase in v. 3; NA26 moved the words to the beginning of v. 4. In a detailed article K. Aland defended the change ("Eine Untersuchung zu Johannes 1, 3-4. Über die Bedeutung eines Punktes," ZNW 59 [1968]: 174-209). He sought to prove that the attribution of o} gevgonen (}o gegonen) to v. 3 began to be carried out in the 4th century in the Greek church. This came out of the Arian controversy, and was intended as a safeguard for doctrine. The change was unknown in the West. Aland is probably correct in affirming that the phrase was attached to v. 4 by the Gnostics and the Eastern Church; only when the Arians began to use them were they attached to v. 3. But this does not rule out the possibility that, by moving the words from v. 4 to v. 3, one is restoring the original reading. Understanding the words as part of v. 3 is natural and adds to the emphasis which is built up there; while it also gives a terse, forceful statement in v. 4. On the other hand, taking the phrase o} gevgonen with v. 4 gives a complicated expression: C. K. Barrett says that both ways of understanding v. 4 with o} gevgonen included `are almost impossibly clumsy' (St. John, 157): "That which came into being--in it the Word was life"; "That which came into being--in the Word was its life." The following stylistic points should be noted in the solution of this problem: (1) John frequently starts sentences with ejn (en); (2) he repeats frequently ("nothing was created that has been created"); (3) 5:26 and 6:53 both give a sense similar to v. 4 if it is understood without the phrase; (4) it makes far better Johannine sense to say that in the Word was life than to say that the created universe (what was made, o} gevgonen) was life in him. In conclusion: The phrase is best taken with v. 3. Schnackenburg, Barrett, Carson, Haenchen, Morris, KJV, and NIV concur (against Brown, Beasley-Murray, and NEB). The arguments of R. Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. John, 1:239-40, are particularly persuasive.
tn (1:3) Or "made"; Grk "that has come into existence."
8tn (1:4) John uses zwhv (zwh) 37 times: 17 times it occurs with aijwvnio" (aiwnios), and in the remaining occurrences outside the prologue it is clear from context that `eternal' life is meant. The two uses in 1:4, if they do not refer to `eternal' life, would be the only exceptions. (Also 1 John uses zwhv 13 times, always of `eternal' life.)
sn (1:4) An allusion to Ps 36:9, which gives significant OT background: "For with you is the fountain of life; In your light we see light." In later Judaism, Bar 4:2 expresses a similar idea. Life, especially eternal life, will become one of the major themes of John's Gospel.
9tn (1:4) Grk "of men" (but in a generic sense, not restricted to males only, thus "mankind").
10tn (1:5) Up till now the author has used past tenses (imperfects, aorists); now he switches to a present. The light continually shines (thus the translation, "shines on"). Even as the author writes, it is shining. The present here most likely has gnomic force (though it possible to take it as a historical present); it expresses the timeless truth that the light of the world (cf. 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) never ceases to shine.
sn (1:5) The light shines on. The question of whether John has in mind here the pre-incarnate Christ or the incarnate Christ is probably too specific. The incarnation is not really introduced until v. 9, but here the point is more general: it is of the very nature of light, that it shines.
11sn (1:5) The author now introduces what will become a major theme of John's Gospel: the opposition of light and darkness. The antithesis is a natural one, widespread in antiquity. Gen 1 gives considerable emphasis to it in the account of the creation, and so do the writings of Qumran. It is the major theme of one of the most important extra-biblical documents found at Qumran, the so-called War Scroll, properly titled The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness. Connections between John and Qumran are still an area of scholarly debate and a consensus has not yet emerged. See T. A. Hoffman, "1 John and the Qumran Scrolls," BTB 8 (1978): 177-21.
12tn (1:5) Grk "and," but the context clearly indicates a contrast, so this is translated as an adversative use of kaiv (kai).
13tn (1:5) Or "comprehended it," or "overcome it." The verb katevlaben (katelaben) is not easy to translate. "To seize" or "to grasp" is possible, but this also permits "to grasp with the mind" in the sense of "to comprehend" (esp. in the middle voice). This is probably another Johannine double meaning--one does not usually think of darkness as trying to "understand" light. For it to mean this, "darkness" must be understood as meaning "certain people," or perhaps "humanity" at large, darkened in understanding. But in John's usage, darkness is not normally used of people or a group of people. Rather it usually signifies the evil environment or `sphere' in which people find themselves: "They loved darkness rather than light" (John 3:19). Those who follow Jesus do not walk in darkness (8:12). They are to walk while they have light, lest the darkness "overtake/overcome" them (12:35, same verb as here). For John, with his set of symbols and imagery, darkness is not something which seeks to "understand (comprehend)" the light, but represents the forces of evil which seek to "overcome (conquer)" it. The English verb "to master" may be used in both sorts of contexts, as "he mastered his lesson" and "he mastered his opponent."
14sn (1:6) John refers to John the Baptist.
15tn (1:7) Grk "came for a testimony."
sn (1:7) Witness is also one of the major themes of John's Gospel. The Greek verb marturevw (marturew) occurs 33 times (compare to once in Matthew, once in Luke, 0 in Mark) and the noun marturiva (marturia) 14 times (0 in Matthew, once in Luke, 3 times in Mark).
16tn (1:7) Or "to bear witness."
17tn (1:7) Grk "all."
18tn (1:8) Or "to bear witness."
19tn (1:9) Grk "every man" (but in a generic sense, "every person," or "every human being").
20tn (1:9) Or "He was the true light, who gives light to everyone who comes into the world." The participle ejrcovmenon (ercomenon) may be either (1) neuter nominative, agreeing with toV fw'" (to fw"), or (2) masculine accusative, agreeing with a[nqrwpon (anqrwpon). Option (1) results in a periphrastic imperfect with h\n (hn), h\n toV fw'"... ejrcovmenon, referring to the incarnation. Option (2) would have the participle modifying a[nqrwpon and referring to the true light as enlightening "every man who comes into the world." Option (2) has some rabbinic parallels: the phrase "all who come into the world" is a fairly common expression for "every man" (cf. Leviticus Rabbah 31.6). But (1) must be preferred here, because: (a) In the next verse the light is in the world; it is logical for v. 9 to speak of its entering the world; (b) in other passages Jesus is described as "coming into the world" (6:14, 9:39, 11:27, 16:28) and in 12:46 Jesus says: ejgwV fw'" eij" toVn kovsmon ejlhvluqa (egw fw" ei" ton kosmon elhluqa); (c) use of a periphrastic participle with the imperfect tense is typical Johannine style: 1:28, 2:6, 3:23, 10:40, 11:1, 13:23, 18:18 and 25. In every one of these except 13:23 the finite verb is first and separated by one or more intervening words from the participle.
sn (1:9) In v. 9 the world (kovsmo", kosmos) is mentioned for the first time. This is another important theme word for John. Generally, the world as a Johannine concept does not refer to the totality of creation (the universe), although there are exceptions at 11:9. 17:5, 24, 21:25, but to the world of human beings and human affairs. Even in 1:10 the world created through the Logos is a world capable of knowing (or reprehensibly not knowing) its Creator. Sometimes the world is further qualified as this world (oJ kovsmo" ou|to", Jo kosmos Joutos) as in 8:23, 9:39, 11:9, 12:25, 31; 13:1, 16:11, 18:36. This is not merely equivalent to the rabbinic phrase "this present age"(oJ aijwvn ou|to", Jo aiwn Joutos) and contrasted with "the world to come." For John it is also contrasted to a world other than this one, already existing; this is the lower world, corresponding to which there is a world above (see especially 8:23, 18:36). Jesus appears not only as the Messiah by means of whom an eschatological future is anticipated (as in the synoptic gospels) but also as an envoy from the heavenly world to this world.
21tn (1:10) Or "was made"; Grk "came into existence."
22tn (1:10) Grk "and," but in context this is an adversative use of kaiv (kai) and is thus translated "but."
23tn (1:10) Or "know."
24tn (1:11) Grk "to his own things."
25tn (1:11) Grk "and," but in context this is an adversative use of kaiv (kai) and is thus translated "but."
26tn (1:11) "People" is not in the Greek text but is implied.
27sn (1:11) His own people did not receive him. There is a subtle irony here: when the lovgo" (logos) came into the world, he came to his own (taV i[dia, ta idia, literally "his own things") and his own people (oiJ i[dioi, Joi idioi), who should have known and received him, but they did not. This time John does not say that "his own" did not know him, but that they did not receive him (parevlabon, parelabon). The idea is one not of mere recognition, but of acceptance and welcome.
28tn (1:12) On the use of the pisteuvw + eij" (pisteuw + ei") construction in John: the verb pisteuvw occurs 98 times in John (compared to 11 times in Matthew, 14 times in Mark (including the longer ending), and 9 times in Luke). One of the unsolved mysteries is why the corresponding noun form pivsti" (pistis) is never used at all. Many have held the noun was in use in some pre-Gnostic sects and this rendered it suspect for John. It might also be that for John, faith was an activity, something that men do (cf. W. Turner, "Believing and Everlasting Life--A Johannine Inquiry," ExpTim 64 [1952/53]: 50-52). John uses pisteuvw in 4 major ways: (1) of believing facts, reports, etc., 12 times; (2) of believing people (or the scriptures), 19 times; (3) of believing "in" Christ" (pisteuvw + eij" + acc.), 36 times; (4) used absolutely without any person or object specified, 30 times (the one remaining passage is 2:24, where Jesus refused to "trust" himself to certain individuals). Of these, the most significant is the use of pisteuvw with eij" + accusative. It is not unlike the Pauline ejn Cristw'/ (en Cristw) formula. Some have argued that this points to a Hebrew (more likely Aramaic) original behind the Fourth Gospel. But it probably indicates something else, as C. H. Dodd observed: "pisteuvein with the dative so inevitably connoted simple credence, in the sense of an intellectual judgment, that the moral element of personal trust or reliance inherent in the Hebrew or Aramaic phrase--an element integral to the primitive Christian conception of faith in Christ--needed to be otherwise expressed" (The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, 183).
29tn (1:13) The Greek term translated "born" here also involves conception.
30tn (1:13) Grk "of blood(s)." The plural aiJmavtwn (Jaimatwn) has seemed a problem to many interpreters. At least some sources in antiquity imply that blood was thought of as being important in the development of the fetus during its time in the womb: thus Wis 7:1: "in the womb of a mother I was molded into flesh, within the period of 10 months, compacted with blood, from the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage." In John 1:13, the plural aiJmavtwn may imply the action of both parents. It may also refer to the `genetic' contribution of both parents, and so be equivalent to "human descent" (see BAGD 22 s.v. ai|ma). E. C. Hoskyns thinks John could not have used the singular here because Christians are in fact `begotten' by the blood of Christ (The Fourth Gospel, 143), although the context would seem to make it clear that the blood in question is something other than the blood of Christ.
31tn (1:13) Or "of the will of the flesh." The phrase oujdeV ejk qelhvmato" sarkov" (oude ek qelhmato" sarko") is more clearly a reference to sexual desire, but it should be noted that savrx (sarx) in John does not convey the evil sense common in Pauline usage. For John it refers to the physical nature in its weakness rather than in its sinfulness. There is no clearer confirmation of this than the immediately following verse, where the lovgo" (logos) became savrx.
32tn (1:13) Or "man's."
33tn (1:13) The third phrase, oujdeV ejk qelhvmato" ajndrov" (oude ek qelhmato" andros), means much the same as the second one. The word here (ajnhr, anhr) is often used for a husband, resulting in the translation "or a husband's decision," or more generally, "or of any human volition whatsoever." L. Morris may be right when he sees here an emphasis directed at the Jewish pride in race and patriarchal ancestry, although such a specific reference is difficult to prove (John [NICNT], 101).
34tn (1:14) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic, the incarnation of the Word. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with "and," but English style generally does not.
35tn (1:14) This looks at the Word incarnate in humility and weakness; the word savrx (sarx) does not carry overtones of sinfulness here as it frequently does in Pauline usage. See also John 3:6.
36tn (1:14) Grk "and tabernacled."
sn (1:14) The Greek word translated took up residence (skhnovw, skhnow) alludes to the OT tabernacle, where the Shekinah, the visible glory of God's presence, resided. The author is suggesting that this glory can now be seen in Jesus (note the following verse). The verb used here may imply that the Shekinah glory that used be found in the tabernacle has taken up residence in the person of Jesus. Cf. also John 2:19-21. The Word became flesh. This verse constitutes the most concise statement of the incarnation in the New Testament. John 1:1 makes it clear that the Logos was fully God, but 1:14 makes it clear that he was also fully human. A Docetic interpretation is completely ruled out. Here for the first time the Logos of 1:1 is identified as Jesus of Nazareth--the two are one and the same. Thus this is the last time the word logos is used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the second person of the Trinity. From here on it is Jesus of Nazareth who is the focus of John's Gospel.
37tn (1:14) Grk "and we saw."
38tn (1:14) Or "of the unique one." Although this word is often translated "only begotten," such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clement 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant., 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham's only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means "one-of-a-kind" and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God (tevkna qeou', tekna qeou), Jesus is God's Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).
39sn (1:15) John refers to John the Baptist.
40tn (1:15) Or "bore witness."
41tn (1:15) Grk "and cried out saying."
42tn (1:15) Or "has a higher rank than I."
43tn (1:16) Grk "for from his fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace." The meaning of the phrase cavrin ajntiV cavrito" (carin anti carito") could be: (1) love (grace) under the New Covenant in place of love (grace) under the Sinai Covenant, thus replacement; 2) grace "on top of" grace, thus accumulation; (3) grace corresponding to grace, thus correspondence. The most commonly held view is (2) in one sense or another, and this is probably the best explanation. This sense is supported by a fairly well-known use in Philo, Posterity 43 (145). Morna D. Hooker suggested that Exod 33:13 provides the background for this expression: "How therefore, I pray you , if I have found cavri" (LXX) in your sight, let me know your ways, that I may know you, so that I may find cavri" (LXX) in your sight." Hooker proposed that it is this idea of favor given to one who has already received favor which lies behind 1:16, and this seems very probable as a good explanation of the meaning of the phrase ("The Johannine Prologue and the Messianic Secret," NTS 21 [1974/75]: 53).
sn (1:16) Earlier commentators (including Origen and Luther) took the words For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another to be John the Baptist's. Most modern commentators take them as the words of the author.
44tn (1:17) "But" is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the implied contrast between the Mosaic law and grace through Jesus Christ. John 1:17 seems to indicate clearly that the Old Covenant (Sinai) was being contrasted with the New. In Jewish sources the Law was regarded as a gift from God (Josephus, Ant. 3.8.10 [3.223]; Pirqe Aboth 1.1; Sifre Deut 31:4 §305). Further information can be found in T. F. Glasson, Moses in the Fourth Gospel.
45tc (1:18) The textual problem monogenhV" qeov" (monogenh" qeo", "the only God") versus oJ monogenhV" uiJov" (Jo monogenh" Juio", "the only son") is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in some MSS, since Ì66, one of the earliest MSS (2nd-3rd century), uses the contraction qMs; the alternative would have been uMs. The external evidence is difficult to evaluate objectively because it is so evenly split between Alexandrian and Byzantine readings and one's view toward the relative importance of these two texttypes will probably decide one's evaluation of the external evidence. Internally, uiJov" fits the immediate context more readily; qeov" is much more difficult, but also explains the origin of the other reading (uiJov"), because it is difficult to see why a scribe who found uiJov" in the text he was copying would alter it to qeov". On the whole neither reading seriously alters the meaning of the text. But qeov" as the older and more difficult reading is preferred. As for translation, it makes the most sense to see the word qeov" as in apposition to monogenhv", and the participle oJ w[n (Jo wn) as in apposition to qeov", giving in effect three descriptions of Jesus rather than only two. The modern translations which best express this are the NEB (margin) and TEV. Several things should be noted: monogenhv" alone, without uiJov", can mean "only son," "unique son," "unique one," etc. (see 1:14). Furthermore, qeov" is anarthrous. As such it carries qualitative force much like it does in 1:1c, where qeoV" h\n oJ lovgo" (qeo" hn Jo logo") means "the Word was fully God" or "the Word was fully of the essence of deity." Finally, oJ w[n occurs in Rev 1:4, 1:8, 4:8, 11:17, and 16:5, but even more significantly in the LXX of Exod 3:14. Putting all of this together leads to the translation given in the text.
tn (1:18) Or "The unique one." For the meaning of monogenhv" (monogenh") see the note on "one and only" in 1:14.
46tn (1:18) Grk "in the bosom" (an idiom for closeness or nearness).
47tn (1:18) Grk "him"; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
48sn (1:18) Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, "The one who has seen me has seen the Father."
49tn (1:19) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "now" to indicate the transition to a new topic. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with "and," but English style generally does not.
50tn (1:19) Grk "is."
51sn (1:19) John's refers to John the Baptist.
52tn (1:19) Or "witness."
sn (1:19) John the Baptist's testimony seems to take place over 3 days: day 1, John's testimony about his own role is largely negative (1:19-28); day 2, John gives positive testimony about who Jesus is (1:29-34); day 3, John sends his own disciples to follow Jesus (1:35-40).
53tn (1:19) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.)
54sn (1:19) "Who are you?" No uniform Jewish expectation of a single eschatological figure existed in the 1st century. A majority expected the Messiah. But some pseudepigraphic books describe God's intervention without mentioning the anointed Davidic king; in parts of 1 Enoch, for example, the figure of the Son of Man, not the Messiah, embodies the expectations of the author. Essenes at Qumran seem to have expected three figures: a prophet, a priestly messiah, and a royal messiah. In baptizing, John the Baptist was performing an eschatological action. It also seems to have been part of his proclamation (John 1:23, 26-27). Crowds were beginning to follow him. He was operating in an area not too far from the Essene center on the Dead Sea. No wonder the authorities were curious about who he was.
55tn (1:20) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (1:20) "I am not the Christ." A 3rd century work, the pseudo-Clementine Recognitions (1.54 and 1.60 in the Latin text; the statement is not as clear in the Syriac version) records that John's followers proclaimed him to be the Messiah. There is no clear evidence that they did so in the 1st century, however--but Luke 3:15 indicates some wondered. Concerning the Christ, the term cristov" (cristos) was originally an adjective ("anointed"), developing in LXX into a substantive ("an anointed one"), then developing still further into a technical generic term ("the anointed one"). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for anointed one, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus' last name.
56tn (1:21) Grk "What then?" (an idiom).
57sn (1:21) According to the 1st century rabbinic interpretation of 2 Kgs 2:11, Elijah was still alive. In Mal 4:5 it is said that Elijah would be the precursor of Messiah. How does one reconcile John the Baptist's denial here ("I am not") with Jesus' statements in Matt 11:14 (see also Mark 9:13 and Matt 17:12) that John the Baptist was Elijah? Some have attempted to remove the difficulty by a reconstruction of the text in the Gospel of John which makes the Baptist say that he was Elijah. However, external support for such emendations is lacking. According to Gregory the Great, John was not Elijah, but exercised toward Jesus the function of Elijah by preparing his way. But this avoids the real difficulty, since in John's Gospel the question of the Jewish authorities to the Baptist concerns precisely his function. It has also been suggested that the author of the Gospel here preserves a historically correct reminiscence--that John the Baptist did not think of himself as Elijah, although Jesus said otherwise. Mark 6:14-16 and Mark 8:28 indicate the people and Herod both distinguished between John and Elijah--probably because he did not see himself as Elijah. But Jesus' remarks in Matt 11:14, Mark 9:13, and Matt 17:12 indicate that John did perform the function of Elijah--John did for Jesus what Elijah was to have done for the coming of the Lord. C. F. D. Moule pointed out that it is too simple to see a straight contradiction between John's account and that of the synoptic gospels: "We have to ask by whom the identification is made, and by whom refused. The synoptic gospels represent Jesus as identifying, or comparing, the Baptist with Elijah, while John represents the Baptist as rejecting the identification when it is offered him by his interviewers. Now these two, so far from being incompatible, are psychologically complementary. The Baptist humbly rejects the exalted title, but Jesus, on the contrary, bestows it on him. Why should not the two both be correct?" (The Phenomenon of the New Testament, 70).
58sn (1:21) The Prophet is a reference to the "prophet like Moses" of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. Acts 3:22 identifies Jesus as this prophet.
59tn (1:22) The words "Tell us" are not in the Greek but are implied.
60tn (1:23) Grk "He"; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61sn (1:23) This call to "make straight" is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
62sn (1:23) A quotation from Isa 40:3.
63sn (1:24) Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
64sn (1:24) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
65tn (1:25) Grk "And they asked him, and said to him"; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the phrase has been simplified in the translation to "So they asked John."
66tn (1:25) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (1:25) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
67tn (1:26) Grk "answered them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
68tn (1:26) Or "know."
69tn (1:27) Grk "of whom I am not worthy."
sn (1:27) The humility of John is evident in the statement I am not worthy. This was considered one of the least worthy tasks of a slave, and John did not consider himself worthy to do even that for the one to come, despite the fact he himself was a prophet.
70tn (1:27) The term refers to the leather strap or thong used to bind a sandal. This is often viewed as a collective singular and translated as a plural, "the straps of his sandals," but it may be more emphatic to retain the singular here.
71tn (1:28) "River" is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
72tn (1:29) Grk "he"; the referent (John) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
73sn (1:29) Gen 22:8 is an important passage in the background of the title Lamb of God as applied to Jesus. In Jewish thought this was held to be a supremely important sacrifice. G. Vermès stated: "For the Palestinian Jew, all lamb sacrifice, and especially the Passover lamb and the Tamid offering, was a memorial of the Akedah with its effects of deliverance, forgiveness of sin and messianic salvation" (Scripture and Tradition in Judaism, 225).
74tn (1:30) Or "has a higher rank than I."
75tn (1:31) Or "know."
76sn (1:31) John the Baptist, who has been so reluctant to elaborate his own role, now more than willingly gives his testimony about Jesus. For the author, the emphasis is totally on John the Baptist as a witness to Jesus. No attention is given to the Baptist's call to national repentance and very little to his baptizing. Everything is focused on what he has to say about Jesus: so that he could be revealed to Israel.
77tn (1:32) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "then" to indicate the implied sequence of events in the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with "and," but English style generally does not.
78tn (1:32) Grk "testified, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
79sn (1:32) The phrase like a dove is a descriptive comparison. The Spirit is not a dove, but descended like one in some sort of bodily representation.
80tn (1:32) Or "from the sky." The Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven," depending on the context.
81sn (1:32) John says the Spirit remained on Jesus. The Greek verb mevnw (menw) is a favorite Johannine word, used 40 times in the Gospel and 27 times in the Epistles (67 together) against 118 times total in the NT. The general significance of the verb mevnw for John is to express the permanency of relationship between Father and Son and Son and believer. Here the use of the word implies that Jesus permanently possesses the Holy Spirit, and because he does, he will dispense the Holy Spirit to others in baptism. Other notes on the dispensation of the Spirit occur at John 3:5 and following (at least implied by the wordplay), John 3:34, 7:38-39, numerous passages in John 14-16 (the Paraclete passages) and John 20:22. Note also the allusion to Isa 42:1--"Behold my servant...my chosen one in whom my soul delights. I have put my Spirit on him."
82tc (1:34) There is a discrepancy as to what the original text of John read here. The debate has to do with what John the Baptist declared about Jesus on this occasion. Did he say, "This is the Son of God" (ou|tov" ejstin oJ uiJoV" tou' qeou', |outo" estin Jo Juio" tou qeou), or "This is the Chosen One of God" (ou|tov" ejstin oJ ejklektoV" tou' qeou', outo" estin Jo eklekto" tou qeou)? The majority of the witnesses, impressive because of their diversity in age and locales, read "This is the Son of God" (so Ì66 Ì75 B C L bo aur c f l g et plu). Most scholars take this to be sufficient evidence that they regard the issue as settled without much of a need to reflect on internal evidence. On the other hand, the earliest MS for this verse, Ì5 (3rd century), evidently read ou|tov" ejstin oJ ejklektoV" tou' qeou'. (There is a gap in the MS at the point of the disputed words; it is too large for uiJov" especially if written, as it surely would have been, as a nomen sacrum [uMs]. The term ejklektov" was not a nomen sacrum and would have therefore taken up much more space [eklektos]. Given these two variants, there is hardly any question as to what Ì5 read.) This papyrus has many affinities with Í*, which here also has oJ ejklektov". In addition to their combined testimony b e ff2* syrs,c et alii also support this reading. A third reading combines these two: "the elect Son" (electus filius in ff2c sa and a [with slight variation]). Although the evidence for ejklektov" is not nearly as impressive as that for uiJov", the reading is found in early Alexandrian and Western witnesses. Turning to the internal evidence, "the Chosen One" clearly comes out ahead. "Son of God" is a favorite expression of the author (cf. 1:49; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31); further, there are several other references to "his Son," "the Son," etc. Scribes would be naturally motivated to change ejklektov" to uiJov" since the latter is both a Johannine expression and is, on the surface, richer theologically in 1:34. On the other hand, there is not a sufficient reason for scribes to change uiJov" to ejklektov". The term never occurs in John; even its verbal cognate (ejklevgw, eklegw) is never affirmed of Jesus in this Gospel. ejklektov" clearly best explains the rise of uiJov". Further, the third reading ("Chosen Son of God") is patently a conflation of the other two. It has all the earmarks of adding uiJov" to ejklektov". Thus, oJ uiJov" tou' qeou' is almost certainly a motivated reading. As R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 1:57), "On the basis of theological tendency...it is difficult to imagine that Christian scribes would change `the Son of God' to `God's chosen one,' while a change in the opposite direction would be quite plausible. Harmonization with the Synoptic accounts of the baptism (`You are [This is] my beloved Son') would also explain the introduction of `the Son of God' into John; the same phenomenon occurs in vi 69. Despite the weaker textual evidence, therefore, it seems best--with Lagrange, Barrett, Boismard, and others--to accept `God's chosen one' as original."
83sn (1:35) John refers to John the Baptist.
84tn (1:35) "There" is not in the Greek text but is implied by current English idiom.
85sn (1:36) This section (1:35-51) is joined to the preceding by the literary expedient of repeating the Baptist's testimony about Jesus being the Lamb of God (1:36, cf. 1:29). This repeated testimony (1:36) no longer has revelatory value in itself, since it has been given before; its purpose, instead, is to institute a chain reaction which will bring John the Baptist's disciples to Jesus and make them Jesus' own disciples.
86tn (1:37) Grk "And the two disciples heard him speaking."
87sn (1:37) The expression followed Jesus pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one's life.
88tn (1:38) Grk "What are you seeking?"
89sn (1:38) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
90tn (1:39) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
91tn (1:39) Grk "said to them."
92tn (1:39) Grk "about the tenth hour."
sn (1:39) About four o'clock in the afternoon. What system of time reckoning is the author using? B. F. Westcott thought John, unlike the synoptic gospels, was using Roman time, which started at midnight (St. John, 282). This would make the time 10 a.m., which would fit here. But later in the Gospel's Passover account (John 19:42, where the sixth hour is on the "eve of the Passover") it seems clear the author had to be using Jewish reckoning, which began at 6 a.m. This would make the time here in 1:39 to be 4 p.m. This may be significant: if the hour was late, Andrew and the unnamed disciple probably spent the night in the same house where Jesus was staying, and the events of 1:41-42 took place on the next day. The evidence for Westcott's view, that the Gospel is using Roman time, is very slim. The Roman reckoning which started at midnight was only used by authorities as legal time (for contracts, official documents, etc.). Otherwise, the Romans too reckoned time from 6 a.m. (e.g., Roman sundials are marked VI, not XII, for noon).
93tn (1:40) Grk "who heard from John."
94tn (1:40) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
95sn (1:41) Naturally part of Andrew's concept of the Messiah would have been learned from John the Baptist (v. 40). However, there were a number of different messianic expectations in 1st century Palestine (see the note on "Who are you?" in v. 19), and it would be wrong to assume that what Andrew meant here is the same thing the author means in the purpose statement at the end of the Fourth Gospel, 20:31. The issue here is not whether the disciples' initial faith in Jesus as Messiah was genuine or not, but whether their concept of who Jesus was grew and developed progressively as they spent time following him, until finally after his resurrection it is affirmed in the climactic statement of John's Gospel, the affirmation of Thomas in 20:28.
96tn (1:41) Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "the one who has been anointed."
sn (1:41) This is a parenthetical note by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
97tn (1:42) Grk "He brought him"; both referents (Andrew, Simon) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
98sn (1:42) This is a parenthetical note by the author. The change of name from Simon to Cephas is indicative of the future role he will play. Only John among the gospel writers gives the Greek transliteration (Khfa'", Khfas) of Simon's new name, Qéphâ (which is Galilean Aramaic). Neither Pevtro" (Petros) in Greek nor Qéphâ in Aramaic is a normal proper name; it is more like a nickname.
99tn (1:43) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Jesus is best taken as the subject of euJrivskei (Jeuriskei), since Peter would scarcely have wanted to go to Galilee.
100sn (1:43) No explanation is given for why Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee, but probably he wanted to go to the wedding at Cana (about a two day trip).
101tn (1:43) Grk "and he." Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
102tn (1:43) Grk "and Jesus said."
103sn (1:44) Although the author thought of the town as in Galilee (12:21), Bethsaida technically was in Gaulanitis (Philip the Tetrarch's territory) across from Herod's Galilee. There may have been two places called Bethsaida, or this may merely reflect popular imprecision--locally it was considered part of Galilee, even though it was just east of the Jordan river. This territory was heavily Gentile (which may explain why Andrew and Philip both have Gentile names).
104tn (1:44) Probably ajpov (apo) indicates "originally from" in the sense of birthplace rather than current residence; Mark 1:21, 29 seems to locate the home of Andrew and Peter at Capernaum. The entire remark (v. 44) amounts to a parenthetical comment by the author.
105sn (1:45) Nathanael is traditionally identified with Bartholomew (although John never describes him as such). He appears here after Philip, while in all lists of the twelve except in Acts 1:13, Bartholomew follows Philip. Also, the Aramaic Bar-tolmai means "son of Tolmai," the surname; the man almost certainly had another name.
106tn (1:45) "Also" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
107tn (1:46) Grk "And Nathanael."
108tn (1:46) Grk "said to him."
109sn (1:46) Can anything good come out of Nazareth? may be a local proverb expressing jealousy among the towns.
110tn (1:46) Grk "And Philip said to him."
111tn (1:47) Grk "said about him."
112tn (1:47) Or "treachery."
sn (1:47) An allusion to Ps 32:2.
113tn (1:48) Grk "answered and said to him." This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to "replied."
114sn (1:48) Many have speculated about what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Meditating on the Messiah who was to come? A good possibility, since the fig tree was used as shade for teaching or studying by the later rabbis (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5:11). Also, the fig tree was symbolic for messianic peace and plenty (Mic 4:4, Zech 3:10.)
115tn (1:49) Although basileuv" (basileus) lacks the article it is definite due to contextual and syntactical considerations. See D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Grammar, 263.
116sn (1:49) What is the significance of Nathanael's confession You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel? It is best understood as a confession of Jesus' messiahship. It has strong allusions to Ps 2:6-7, a well-known messianic psalm. What Nathanael's exact understanding was at this point is hard to determine, but "son of God" was a designation for the Davidic king in the OT, and Nathanael parallels it with King of Israel here.
117tn (1:50) Grk "answered and said to him." This has been simplified in the translation to "said to him."
118sn (1:50) What are the greater things Jesus had in mind? In the narrative this forms an excellent foreshadowing of the miraculous signs which began at Cana of Galilee.
119tn (1:51) Grk "and he said to him."
120tn (1:51) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
121sn (1:51) The title Son of Man appears 13 times in John's Gospel. It is associated especially with the themes of crucifixion (3:14; 8:28), revelation (6:27; 6:53), and eschatological authority (5:27; 9:39). The title as used in John's Gospel has for its background the son of man figure who appears in Dan 7:13-14 and is granted universal regal authority. Thus for the author, the emphasis in this title is not on Jesus' humanity, but on his heavenly origin and divine authority.
1sn (2:1) Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.
2tn (2:1) Grk "in Galilee, and Jesus' mother."
3sn (2:2) There is no clue to the identity of the bride and groom, but in all probability either relatives or friends of Jesus' family were involved, since Jesus' mother and both Jesus and his disciples were...invited to the wedding. The attitude of Mary in approaching Jesus and asking him to do something when the wine ran out also suggests that familial obligations were involved.
4tn (2:3) The word "left" is not in the Greek text but is implied.
sn (20:30) They have no wine left. On the backgrounds of this miracle J. D. M. Derrett pointed out among other things the strong element of reciprocity about weddings in the Ancient Near East. It was possible in certain circumstances to take legal action against the man who failed to provide an appropriate wedding gift. The bridegroom and family here might have been involved in a financial liability for failing to provide adequately for their guests ("Water into Wine," BZ 7 55: 80-97). Was Mary asking for a miracle? There is no evidence that Jesus had worked any miracles prior to this (although this is an argument from silence). Some think Mary was only reporting the situation, or (as Calvin thought) asking Jesus to give some godly exhortations to the guests and thus relieve the bridegroom's embarrassment. But the words, and the reply of Jesus in v. 4, seem to imply more. It is not inconceivable that Mary, who had probably been witness to the events of the preceding days, or at least was aware of them, knew that her son's public career was beginning. She also knew the supernatural events surrounding his birth, and the prophetic words of the angel, and of Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jesus' dedication. In short, she had good reason to believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and now his public ministry had begun. In this kind of context, her request does seem more significant.
5tn (2:4) Grk "and Jesus said to her."
6sn (2:4) The term Woman is Jesus' normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus' use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the "Son of Man." This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is "given" to Mary as her "new" son.
7tn (2:4) Grk "Woman, what to me and to you?" (an idiom). The phrase tiv ejmoiVV kaiV soiv, guvnai (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say "What to me and to you?" meaning, "What have I done to you that you should do this to me?" (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, "What to me and to you?" meaning, "That is your business, how am I involved?" (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).
8tn (2:4) Grk "my hour" (referring to the time of Jesus' crucifixion and return to the Father).
sn (2:4) The Greek word translated time (w{ra, Jwra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus' life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension--though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus' arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the "hour." In John 2:4 Jesus' remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.
9tn (2:6) Grk "for the purification of the Jews."
10tn (2:6) Grk "holding two or three metretes" (about 75 to 115 liters). Each of the pots held 2 or 3 metrhtaiv (metrhtai). A metrhth'" (metrhths) was about 9 gallons (40 liters); thus each jar held 18-27 gallons (80-120 liters) and the total volume of liquid involved was 108-162 gallons (480-720 liters).
sn (2:6) Significantly, these jars held water for Jewish ceremonial washing (purification rituals). The water of Jewish ritual purification has become the wine of the new messianic age. The wine may also be, after the fashion of Johannine double meanings, a reference to the wine of the Lord's Supper. A number have suggested this, but there does not seem to be anything in the immediate context which compels this; it seems more related to how frequently a given interpreter sees references to the sacraments in John's Gospel as a whole.
11tn (2:7) Grk "them" (it is clear from the context that the servants are addressed).
12tn (2:8) Or "the master of ceremonies."
13tn (2:9) Grk "And when." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, dev (de) is not translated here.
14tn (2:9) Grk "and he did not know where it came from."
15tn (2:9) Grk "the head steward"; here the repetition of the phrase is somewhat redundant in English and the pronoun ("he") is substituted in the translation.
16tn (2:10) Grk "every man" (in a generic sense).
17tn (2:10) Or "poorer."
18tn (2:10) Grk "when they"; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19sn (2:11) Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs. The sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either "Jesus did this as," or possibly "Jesus made this to be," The latter translation accents not only Jesus' power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54.
20tn (2:11) Grk "in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed."
21tn (2:11) Or "his disciples trusted in him," or "his disciples put their faith in him."
22sn (2:12) Verse 12 is merely a transitional note in the narrative (although Capernaum does not lie on the direct route to Jerusalem from Cana). Nothing is mentioned in John's Gospel at this point about anything Jesus said or did there (although later his teaching is mentioned, see 6:59). From the synoptics it is clear that Capernaum was a center of Jesus' Galilean ministry and might even be called "his own town" (Matt 9:1). The royal official whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46-54) was from Capernaum. He may have heard Jesus speak there, or picked up the story about the miracle at Cana from one of Jesus' disciples.
23sn (2:12) With respect to Jesus' brothers, the so-called Helvidian view is to be preferred (named after Helvidius, a 4th century theologian). This view holds that the most natural way to understand the phrase is as a reference to children of Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. Other views are that of Epiphanius (they were children of Joseph by a former marriage) or Jerome (they were cousins). The tradition of Mary's perpetual virginity appeared in the 2nd century and is difficult to explain (as J. H. Bernard, St. John [ICC], 1:85, points out) if some of her other children were prominent members of the early church (e.g., James of Jerusalem). But this is outweighed by the natural sense of the words.
24tn (2:13) Grk "the Passover of the Jews." This is first of at least three (and possibly four) Passovers mentioned in John's Gospel. If it is assumed that the Passovers appear in the Gospel in their chronological order (and following a date of A.D. 33 for the crucifixion), this would be the Passover of the spring of A.D. 30, the first of Jesus' public ministry. There is a clear reference to another Passover in 6:4, and another still in 11:55, 12:1, 13:1, 18:28, 39, and 19:14. The latter would be the Passover of A.D. 33. There is a possibility that 5:1 also refers to a Passover, in which case it would be the second of Jesus' public ministry (A.D. 31), while 6:4 would refer to the third (A.D. 32) and the remaining references would refer to the final Passover at the time of the crucifixion. It is entirely possible, however, that the Passovers occurring in the Fourth Gospel are not intended to be understood as listed in chronological sequence. If the material of the Fourth Gospel originally existed in the form of homilies or sermons by the Apostle John on the life and ministry of Jesus, the present arrangement would not have to be in strict chronological order (it does not explicitly claim to be). In this case the Passover mentioned in 2:13, for example, might actually be later in Jesus' public ministry than it might at first glance appear. This leads, however, to a discussion of an even greater problem in the passage, the relationship of the temple cleansing in John's Gospel to the similar account in the synoptic gospels.
25sn (2:14) John 2:14-22. Does John's account of the temple cleansing describe the same event as the synoptic gospels describe, or a separate event? The other accounts of the cleansing of the temple are Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; and Luke 19:45-46. None are as long as the Johannine account. The fullest of the synoptic accounts is Mark's. John's account differs from Mark's in the mention of sheep and oxen, the mention of the whip of cords, the Greek word kermatisth'" (kermatisths) for money changer (the synoptics use kollubisth'" [kollubisths], which John mentions in 2:15), the scattering of the coins (2:15), and the command by Jesus, "Take these things away from here!" The word for overturned in John is ajnastrefw (anastrefw), while Matthew and Mark use katastrefw (katastrefw; Luke does not mention the moneychangers at all). The synoptics all mention that Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 followed by Jer 7:11. John mentions no citation of scripture at all, but says that later the disciples remembered Ps 69:9. John does not mention, as does Mark, Jesus' prohibition on carrying things through the temple (i.e., using it for a shortcut). But the most important difference is one of time: In John the cleansing appears as the first great public act of Jesus' ministry, while in the synoptics it is virtually the last. The most common solution of the problem, which has been endlessly discussed among NT scholars, is to say there was only one cleansing, and that it took place, as the synoptics record it, at the end of Jesus' ministry. In the synoptics it appears to be the event that finalized the opposition of the high priest, and precipitated the arrest of Jesus. According to this view, John's placing of the event at the opening of Jesus' ministry is due to his general approach; it was fitting `theologically' for Jesus to open his ministry this way, so this is the way John records it. Some have overstated the case for one cleansing and John's placing of it at the opening of Jesus' public ministry, however. For example William Barclay stated: "John, as someone has said, is more interested in the truth than in the facts. He was not interested to tell men when Jesus cleansed the Temple; he was supremely interested in telling men that Jesus did cleanse the Temple" (John, 94). But this is not the impression one gets by a reading of John's Gospel: he seems to go out of his way to give details and facts, including notes of time and place. To argue as Barclay does that John is interested in truth apart from the facts is to set up a false dichotomy. Why should one have to assume, in any case, that there could have been only one cleansing of the temple? This account in John is found in a large section of nonsynoptic material. Apart from the work of John the Baptist--and even this is markedly different from the references in the synoptics--nothing else in the first five chapters of John's Gospel is found in any of the synoptics. It is certainly not impossible that John took one isolated episode from the conclusion of Jesus' earthly ministry and inserted it into his own narrative in a place which seemed appropriate according to his purposes. But in view of the differences between John and the synoptics, in both wording and content, as well as setting and time, it is at least possible that the event in question actually occurred twice (unless one begins with the presupposition that the Fourth Gospel is non-historical anyway). In support of two separate cleansings of the temple, it has been suggested that Jesus' actions on this occasion were not permanent in their result, and after (probably) 3 years the status quo in the temple courts had returned to normal. And at this time early in Jesus' ministry, he was virtually unknown. Such an action as he took on this occasion would have created a stir, and evoked the response John records in 2:18-22, but that is probably about all, especially if Jesus' actions met with approval among part of the populace. But later in Jesus' ministry, when he was well-known, and vigorously opposed by the high-priestly party in Jerusalem, his actions might have brought forth another, harsher response. It thus appears possible to argue for two separate cleansings of the temple as well as a single one relocated by John to suit his own purposes. Which then is more probable? On the whole, more has been made of the differences between John's account and the synoptic accounts than perhaps should have been. After all, the synoptic accounts also differ considerably from one another, yet few scholars would be willing to posit four cleansings of the temple as an explanation for this. While it is certainly possible that the author did not intend by his positioning of the temple cleansing to correct the synoptics' timing of the event, but to highlight its significance for the course of Jesus' ministry, it still appears somewhat more probable that John has placed the event he records in the approximate period of Jesus' public ministry in which it did occur, that is, within the first year or so of Jesus' public ministry. The statement of the Jewish authorities recorded by the author (this temple has been under construction for forty-six years) would tend to support an earlier rather than a later date for the temple cleansing described by John, since 46 years from the beginning of construction on Herod's temple in c. 19 B.C. (the date varies somewhat in different sources) would be around A.D. 27. This is not conclusive proof, however.
26tn (2:14) Grk "in the temple."
sn (2:14) The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
27tn (2:14) Grk "the money changers sitting"; the words "at tables" are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
28tn (2:15) A variant reading inserts wJ" (Jws, "like") before fragevllion (fragellion; supported by Ì66, Ì75, etc.). The variant reading (whether or not it is authentic) reflects the Torah tradition accurately--what Jesus made was something like a whip. According to tradition, no weapons or sticks of any kind were permitted in the temple courts.
29tn (2:15) Grk "the temple."
30sn (2:15) Because of the imperial Roman portraits they carried, Roman denarii and Attic drachmas were not permitted to be used in paying the half-shekel temple-tax (the Jews considered the portraits idolatrous). The money changers exchanged these coins for legal Tyrian coinage at a small profit.
31tn (2:16) Or (perhaps) "Stop making."
32tn (2:16) Or "a house of merchants" (an allusion to Zech 14:21).
sn (2:16) A marketplace. Zech 14:20-21, in context, is clearly a picture of the messianic kingdom. The Hebrew word translated "Canaanite" may also be translated "merchant" or "trader." Read in this light, Zech 14:21 states that there will be no merchant in the house of the Lord in that day (the day of the Lord, at the establishment of the messianic kingdom). And what would Jesus' words (and actions) in cleansing the temple have suggested to the observers? That Jesus was fulfilling messianic expectations would have been obvious--especially to the disciples, who had just seen the miracle at Cana with all its messianic implications.
33tn (2:17) Or "zeal."
34sn (2:17) A quotation from Ps 69:9.
35tn (2:18) Grk "the Jews."
36tn (2:18) Grk "answered and said to him."
37sn (2:18) The request "What sign can you show us" by Jesus' adversaries was a request for a defense of his actions--a mark of divine authentication. Whether this was a request for a miracle is not entirely clear. Jesus never obliged such a request. Yet, ironically, the only sign the Jewish leadership will get is that predicted by Jesus in 2:19--his crucifixion and resurrection. Cf. the "sign of Jonah" in the synoptics (Matt 12:39, 40; Luke 11:29-32).
38tn (2:19) Grk "answered and said to them."
39tn (2:19) The imperative here is really more than a simple conditional imperative (= "if you destroy"); its semantic force here is more like the ironical imperative found in the prophets (Amos 4:4, Isa 8:9) = "Go ahead and do this and see what happens."
40tn (2:20) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.)
41tn (2:20) A close parallel to the aorist oijkodomhvqh (oikodomhqh) can be found in Ezra 5:16 (LXX), where it is clear from the following verb that the construction had not yet been completed. Thus the phrase has been translated "This temple has been under construction for forty-six years." Some, however, see the term naov" (naos) here as referring only to the sanctuary and the aorist verb as consummative, so that the meaning would be "this temple was built forty-six years ago" (so D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 560-61). Ultimately in context the logic of the authorities' reply appears to fit more naturally if it compares length of time for original construction with length of time to reconstruct it.
42sn (2:20) According to Josephus (Ant. 15.11.1 [15.380]), work on this temple was begun in the 18th year of Herod the Great's reign, which would have been c. 19 B.C. (The reference in the Ant. is probably more accurate than the date given in J. W. 1.21.1 [1.401]). Forty-six years later would be around the Passover of A.D. 27/28.
43tn (2:21) Grk "that one."
44tn (2:21) The genitive "of his body" (tou' swvmato" aujtou', tou swmato" autou) is a genitive of apposition, clarifying which temple Jesus was referring to. Thus, Jesus not only was referring to his physical resurrection, but also to his participation in the resurrection process. The New Testament thus records the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as all performing the miracle of Christ's resurrection.
sn (2:21) Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. For the author, the temple is not just the building, it is Jesus' resurrected body. Compare the non-localized worship mentioned in John 4:21-23, and also Rev 21:22 (there is to be no temple in the New Jerusalem; the Lord and the Lamb are its temple). John points to the fact that, as the place where men go in order to meet God, the temple has been supplanted and replaced by Jesus himself, in whose resurrected person people may now encounter God (see John 1:18, 14:6).
45sn (2:22) They believed the scripture is probably an anaphoric reference to Ps 69:9 (69:10 LXX), quoted in John 2:17 above. Presumably the disciples did not remember Ps 69:9 on the spot, but it was a later insight.
46tn (2:23) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
47sn (2:23) Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of "Messiah" was the same as Jesus' own, or the author's.
48tn (2:24) Grk "all." The word "people" has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word pavnta" (pantas) is masculine plural (thus, indicating people rather than things).
49tn (2:25) The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with "a man of the Pharisees" in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.
50tn (2:25) See previous note on "man" in this verse.
1sn (3:1) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
2tn (3:1) Grk "a ruler of the Jews" (denoting a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
3tn (3:2) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4sn (3:2) Possibly Nicodemus came...at night because was afraid of public association with Jesus, or he wanted a lengthy discussion without interruptions; no explanation for the timing of the interview is given by the author. But the timing is significant for John in terms of the light-darkness motif--compare John 9:4, 11:10, 13:30 (especially), 19:39, and 21:3. Out of the darkness of his life and religiosity Nicodemus came to the Light of the world. The author probably had multiple meanings or associations in mind here, as is often the case.
5sn (3:2) The reference to signs (shmei'a, shmeia) forms a link with John 2:23-25. Those people in Jerusalem believed in Jesus because of the signs he had performed. Nicodemus had apparently seen them too. But for Nicodemus all the signs meant is that Jesus was a great teacher sent from God. His approach to Jesus was well-intentioned but theologically inadequate; he had failed to grasp the messianic implications of the miraculous signs.
6tn (3:3) Grk "answered and said to him."
7tn (3:3) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
8tn (3:3) The word a[nwqen (anwqen) has a double meaning, as pointed out by Z. C. Hodges ("Water and Spirit: John 3:5" BSac 135 [1978]: 206-20). The word may mean either "again" (in which case it is synonymous with palivn [palin]) or "from above" (BAGD 77 s.v. a[nwqen). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in 3:3, 7; 3:31; 19:11 and 23. In the latter 3 cases the context makes clear that it means "from above." Here (3:3, 7) it could mean either, but Hodges is right that the primary meaning intended by Jesus is "from above." Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, "How can a man be born when he is old? He can't enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?" The author uses the technique of the "misunderstood question" often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.
sn (3:3) Or born again. The Greek word a[nwqen (anwqen) can mean both "again" and "from above," giving rise to Nicodemus' misunderstanding about a second physical birth (v. 4).
9sn (3:3) What does Jesus' statement about not being able to see the kingdom of God mean within the framework of John's Gospel? John uses the word kingdom (basileiva, basileia) only 5 times (3:3, 5; 18:36 [3x]). Only here is it qualified with the phrase of God. The fact that John does not stress the concept of the kingdom of God does not mean it is absent from his theology, however. Remember the messianic implications found in John 2, both the wedding and miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple. For Nicodemus, the term must surely have brought to mind the messianic kingdom which Messiah was supposed to bring. But Nicodemus had missed precisely this point about who Jesus was. It was the Messiah himself with whom Nicodemus was speaking. Whatever Nicodemus understood, it is clear that the point is this: he misunderstood Jesus' words. He over-literalized them, and thought Jesus was talking about repeated physical birth, when he was in fact referring to new spiritual birth.
10tn (3:4) The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.
11tn (3:5) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
12sn (3:5) Or born of water and wind (the same Greek word, pneuvmato" [pneumatos], may be translated either "spirit/Spirit" or "wind"). Jesus' somewhat enigmatic statement points to the necessity of being born "from above," because water and wind/spirit/Spirit come from above. Isaiah 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are pertinent examples of water and wind as life-giving symbols of the Spirit of God in his work among people. Both occur in contexts that deal with the future restoration of Israel as a nation prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. It is therefore particularly appropriate that Jesus should introduce them in a conversation about entering the kingdom of God. Note that the Greek word pneuvmato" is anarthrous (has no article) in v. 5. This does not mean that spirit in the verse should be read as a direct reference to the Holy Spirit, but that both water and wind are figures (based on passages in the OT, which Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel should have known) that represent the regenerating work of the Spirit in the lives of men and women.
13sn (3:6) What is born of the flesh is flesh, i.e., what is born of physical heritage is physical. (It is interesting to compare this terminology with that of the dialogue in John 4, especially 4:23, 24.) For John the "flesh" (savrx, sarx) emphasizes merely the weakness and mortality of the creature--a neutral term, not necessarily sinful as in Paul. This is confirmed by the reference in John 1:14 to the Logos becoming "flesh." The author avoids associating sinfulness with the incarnate Christ.
14tn (3:7) "All" has been supplied to indicate the plural pronoun in the Greek text.
15tn (3:7) Or "born again" (the Greek word can mean both "again" and "from above").
16sn (3:8) The same Greek word, pneuvmato" (pneumatos), may be translated "wind" or "spirit."
17sn (3:8) Again, the physical illustrates the spiritual, although the force is heightened by the word-play here on wind-spirit (see the note on wind at the beginning of this verse). By the end of the verse, however, the final usage of pneuvmato" (pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit.
18tn (3:9) Grk "Nicodemus answered and said to him."
19sn (3:9) "How can these things be?" is Nicodemus' answer. It is clear that at this time he has still not grasped what Jesus is saying. Note also that this is the last appearance of Nicodemus in the dialogue. Having served the purpose of the author, at this point he disappears from the scene. As a character in the narrative, he has served to illustrate the prevailing Jewish misunderstanding of Jesus' teaching about the necessity of a new, spiritual birth from above. Whatever parting words Nicodemus might have had with Jesus, the author does not record them.
20tn (3:10) Grk "Jesus answered and said to him."
21sn (3:10) Jesus' question "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don't understand these things?" implies that Nicodemus had enough information at his disposal from the OT scriptures to have understood Jesus' statements about the necessity of being born from above by the regenerating work of the Spirit. Isa 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are passages Nicodemus might have known which would have given him insight into Jesus' words. Another significant passage which contains many of these concepts is Prov 30:4-5.
22tn (3:11) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
23tn (3:11) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "but" to show the contrast present in the context.
24tn (3:11) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).
25sn (3:11) Note the remarkable similarity of Jesus' testimony to the later testimony of the Apostle John himself in 1 John 1:2: "And we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us." This is only one example of how thoroughly the author's own thoughts were saturated with the words of Jesus (and also how difficult it is to distinguish the words of Jesus from the words of the author in the Fourth Gospel).
26tn (3:12) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).
27sn (3:12) Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others--this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things--which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.
28tn (3:13) Grk "And no one."
29sn (3:13) The verb ascended is a perfect tense in Greek (ajnabevbhken, anabebhken) which seems to look at a past, completed event. (This is not as much of a problem for those who take Jesus' words to end at v. 12, and these words to be a comment by the author, looking back on Jesus' ascension.) As a saying of Jesus, these words are a bit harder to explain. Note, however, the lexical similarities with 1:51: "ascending," "descending," and "son of man." Here, though, the ascent and descent is accomplished by the Son himself, not the angels as in 1:51. There is no need to limit this saying to Jesus' ascent following the resurrection, however; the point of the Jacob story (Gen 28), which seems to be the background for 1:51, is the freedom of communication and relationship between God and men (a major theme of John's Gospel). This communication comes through the angels in Gen 28 (and John 1:51); but here (most appropriately) it comes directly through the Son of Man. Although Jesus could be referring to a prior ascent, after an appearance as the pre-incarnate Son of Man, more likely he is simply pointing out that no one from earth has ever gone up to heaven and come down again. The Son, who has come down from heaven, is the only one who has been `up' there. In both Jewish intertestamental literature and later rabbinic accounts, Moses is portrayed as ascending to heaven to receive the Torah and descending to distribute it to men (e.g., Targum Ps 68:19.) In contrast to these Jewish legends, the Son is the only one who has ever made the ascent and descent.
30sn (3:13) See the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.
31tn (3:14) Grk "And just as."
32sn (3:14) Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.
33sn (3:14) An allusion to Num 21:5-9.
34sn (3:14) So must the Son of Man be lifted up. This is ultimately a prediction of Jesus' crucifixion. Nicodemus could not have understood this, but John's readers, the audience to whom the Gospel is addressed, certainly could have (compare the wording of John 12:32). In John, being lifted up refers to one continuous action of ascent, beginning with the cross but ending at the right hand of the Father. Step 1 is Jesus' death; step 2 is his resurrection; and step 3 is the ascension back to heaven. It is the upward swing of the "pendulum" which began with the incarnation, the descent of the Word become flesh from heaven to earth (cf. Paul in Phil 2:5-11). See also the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.
35tn (3:15) This is the first use of the term zwhVn aijwvnion (zwhn aiwnion) in the Gospel, although zwhv (zwh) in chap. 1 is to be understood in the same way without the qualifying aijwvnio" (aiwnios).
sn (3:15) Some interpreters extend the quotation of Jesus' words through v. 21.
36tn (3:16) Or "this is how much"; or "in this way." The Greek adverb ou{tw" (Joutws) can refer (1) to the degree to which God loved the world, that is, to such an extent or so much that he gave his own Son (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:133-34; D. A. Carson, John, 204) or (2) simply to the manner in which God loved the world, i.e., by sending his own son (see R. H. Gundry and R. W. Howell, "The Sense and Syntax of John 3:14-17 with Special Reference to the Use of Ou{tw"...w{ste in John 3:16," NovT 41 [1999]: 24-39). Though the term more frequently refers to the manner in which something is done (see BAGD 597-98 s.v. ou{tw"), the following clause involving w{ste (Jwste) plus the indicative (which stresses actual, but [usually] unexpected result) emphasizes the greatness of the gift God has given. With this in mind, then, it is likely (3) that John is emphasizing both the degree to which God loved the world as well as the manner in which He chose to express that love. This is in keeping with John's style of using double entendre or double meaning. Thus, the focus of the Greek construction here is on the nature of God's love, addressing its mode, intensity, and extent.
37tn (3:16) Although this word is often translated "only begotten," such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clement 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant. 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham's only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means "one-of-a-kind" and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God (tevkna qeou', tekna qeou), Jesus is God's Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).
38tn (3:16) In John the word ajpovllumi (apollumi) can mean either (1) to be lost (2) to perish or be destroyed, depending on the context.
39sn (3:16) The alternatives presented are only two (again, it is typical of Johannine thought for this to be presented in terms of polar opposites): perish or have eternal life.
40sn (3:17) That is, "to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment."
41tn (3:18) Grk "judged."
42tn (3:18) Grk "judged."
43tn (3:18) See the note on the term "one and only" in 3:16.
44tn (3:19) Or "this is the reason for God judging," or "this is how judgment works."
45tn (3:19) Grk "and men," but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as "everyone" in v. 20 makes clear).
46sn (3:21) John 3:16-21 provides an introduction to the (so-called) "realized" eschatology of the Fourth Gospel: judgment has come; eternal life may be possessed now, in the present life, as well as in the future. The terminology "realized eschatology" was originally coined by E. Haenchen and used by J. Jeremias in discussion with C. H. Dodd, but is now characteristically used to describe Dodd's own formulation. See L. Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament, 1:54, note 10, and R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:cxvii-cxviii) for further discussion. Especially important to note is the element of choice portrayed in John's Gospel. If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John's Gospel, it should be emphasized that that reaction is very much dependent on a person's choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (John 3:20-21). For John there is virtually no trace of determinism at the surface. Only when one looks beneath the surface does one find statements like "no one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44).
47tn (3:22) This section is related loosely to the preceding by metaV tau'ta (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.
48sn (3:23) John refers to John the Baptist.
49tn (3:23) The precise locations of Aijnwvn (Ainwn) and Saleivm (Saleim) are unknown. Three possibilities are suggested: (1) In Perea, which is in Transjordan (cf. 1:28). Perea is just across the river from Judea. (2) In the northern Jordan Valley, on the west bank some 8 miles [13 km] south of Scythopolis. But with the Jordan River so close, the reference to abundant water (3:23) seems superfluous. (3) Thus Samaria has been suggested. 4 miles (6.6 km) east of Shechem is a town called Salim, and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Salim lies modern Ainun. In the general vicinity are many springs. Because of the meanings of the names (Aijnwvn = "springs" in Aramaic and Saleivm = Salem, "peace") some have attempted to allegorize here that John the Baptist is near salvation. Obviously there is no need for this. It is far more probable that the author has in mind real places, even if their locations cannot be determined with certainty.
50tn (3:23) Or "people were continually coming."
51sn (3:24) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
52tn (3:25) There is a textual problem here: was the dispute between the Baptist's disciples and an individual Jew (*Ioudaivou, Ioudaiou) or representatives of the Jewish authorities (*Ioudaivwn, Ioudaiwn)? While NA27 and UBS4 opt for the singular *Ioudaivou as the more difficult reading, there is good external support for the plural *Ioudaivwn (Ì66 Í* Q Ë1 Ë13 565 it vg al). In the final analysis it does not make a great deal of difference whether the dispute arose between the Baptist's disciples and a single representative of the authorities or several.
53tn (3:25) Or ceremonial cleansing," or "purification."
sn (3:25) What was the controversy concerning ceremonial washing? It is not clear. Some have suggested that it was over the relative merits of the baptism of Jesus and John. But what about the ceremonial nature of the washing? There are so many unanswered questions here that even R. E. Brown (who does not usually resort to dislocations in the text as a solution to difficulties) proposes that this dialogue originally took place immediately after 1:19-34 and before the wedding at Cana. (Why else the puzzled hostility of the disciples over the crowds coming to Jesus?) Also, the synoptics imply John was imprisoned before Jesus began his Galilean ministry. At any rate, there is no reason to rearrange the material here--it occurs in this place for a very good reason. As far as the author is concerned, it serves as a further continuation of the point made to Nicodemus, that is, the necessity of being born "from above" (3:3). Note that John the Baptist describes Jesus as "the one who comes from heaven" in 3:31 (a[nwqen [anwqen], same word as in 3:3). There is another lexical tie to preceding material: ceremonial washing (3:25), the subject of the dispute, calls to mind the six stone jars of water changed to wine at the wedding feast in 2:6, put there for "Jewish ceremonial washing." This section ultimately culminates and concludes ideas begun in chap. 2 and continued in chap. 3. Although the author does not supply details, one scenario would be this: The disciples of John, perplexed after this disagreement with an individual Jew (or with the Jewish authorities), came to John and asked about the fact that Jesus was baptizing and more and more were coming to him. John had been preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sin (see Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). Possibly what the Jew(s) reported to John's disciples was that Jesus was now setting aside the Jewish purification rituals as unnecessary. To John's disciples this might also be interpreted as: (a) a falling away from Judaism, and (b) a break with John's own teaching. That Jesus could have said this is very evident from many incidents in his ministry in all the gospels. The thrust would be that outward cleansing (that is, observance of purification rituals) was not what made a person clean. A new heart within (that is, being born from above) is what makes a person clean. So John's disciples came to him troubled about an apparent contradiction in doctrine though the explicit problem they mentioned is that Jesus was baptizing and multitudes were coming to him. (Whether Jesus was or was not baptizing really wasn't the issue though, and John the Baptist knew that because he didn't mention it in his reply. In 4:2 the author says that Jesus was not baptizing, but his disciples. That reference would seem to cover this incident as well, and so the disciples of John are just reporting what they have heard, or thought they heard.) The real point at issue is the authority of Jesus to "overturn" the system of ritual purification within Judaism. John replied to this question of the authority of Jesus in 3:27-36. In 3:27-30 he reassured his disciples, reminding them that if more people were coming to Jesus, it did not threaten him at all, because "heaven" had ordained it to be so (v. 27). (After all, some of these very disciples of John had presumably heard him tell the Jewish delegation that he was not the Messiah but was sent before him, mentioned in John 1.) Then John compared himself to the friend of the bridegroom who stands by and yet participates in the bridegroom's joy (v. 29). John was completely content in his own position as forerunner and preparer of the way.
54tn (3:26) "River" is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
55tn (3:27) Grk "answered and said."
56tn (3:28) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (3:28) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
57tn (3:29) Grk "rejoices with joy" (an idiom).
58tn (3:29) Grk "Therefore this my joy is fulfilled."
59sn (3:30) Some interpreters extend the quotation of John the Baptist's words through v. 36.
60tn (3:31) Or "is above all."
61tn (3:31) Grk "speaks from the earth."
62sn (3:31) The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word's preexistence is indicated here.
63tn (3:31) Or "is above all."
64tn (3:33) Or "is true."
65tn (3:34) That is, Christ.
66tn (3:34) Grk "for not by measure does he give the Spirit" (an idiom). Leviticus Rabbah 15:2 states: "The Holy Spirit rested on the prophets by measure." Jesus is contrasted to this. The Spirit rests upon him without measure.
67tn (3:35) Grk "has given all things into his hand" (an idiom).
68tn (3:36) Or "refuses to believe," or "disobeys."
69tn (3:36) Or "anger because of evil," or "punishment."
70tn (3:36) Or "resides."
1sn (4:1) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
2tn (4:1) Grk "Jesus"; the repetition of the proper name is somewhat redundant in English (see the beginning of the verse) and so the pronoun ("he") has been substituted here.
3tn (4:1) Grk "was making."
4sn (4:2) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
5sn (4:3) The author doesn't tell why Jesus chose to set out once more for Galilee. Some have suggested that the Pharisees turned their attention to Jesus because John the Baptist had now been thrown into prison. But the text gives no hint of this. In any case, perhaps Jesus simply did not want to provoke a confrontation at this time (knowing that his "hour" had not yet come).
6sn (4:4) Travel through Samaria was not geographically necessary; the normal route for Jews ran up the east side of the Jordan River (Transjordan). Although some take the impersonal verb had to (dei', dei) here to indicate logical necessity only, normally in John's Gospel its use involves God's will or plan (3:7, 3:14, 3:30, 4:4, 4:20, 4:24, 9:4, 10:16, 12:34, 20:9).
7sn (4:4) Samaria. The Samaritans were descendants of 2 groups: (1) The remnant of native Israelites who were not deported after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 B.C.; (2) Foreign colonists brought in from Babylonia and Media by the Assyrian conquerors to settle the land with inhabitants who would be loyal to Assyria. There was theological opposition between the Samaritans and the Jews because the former refused to worship in Jerusalem. After the exile the Samaritans put obstacles in the way of the Jewish restoration of Jerusalem, and in the 2nd century B.C. the Samaritans helped the Syrians in their wars against the Jews. In 128 B.C. the Jewish high priest retaliated and burned the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.
8tn (4:5) Grk "town of Samaria."
9sn (4:5) Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob's well.
10sn (4:5) Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.
11tn (4:6) Grk "on (ejpiv, epi) the well." There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of Ì66 ("on the ground") may be correct.
12tn (4:6) Grk "the sixth hour."
sn (4:6) It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at "the sixth hour."
13tn (4:7) The phrase "some water" is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive pei'n (pein).
14tn (4:8) Grk "buy food."
15sn (4:8) This is a parenthetical note by the author, indicating why Jesus asked the woman for a drink (for presumably his disciples also took the water bucket with them).
16tn (4:9) "Water" is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive pei'n (pein).
17tn (4:9) D. Daube ("Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of sugcravomai [Jn 4:7ff]," JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.
sn (4:9) The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.
18sn (4:9) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
19tn (4:10) Grk "answered and said to her."
20tn (4:10) Or "if you knew."
21tn (4:10) The phrase "some water" is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive pei'n (pein).
22tn (4:10) This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.
sn (4:10) The word translated living is used in Greek of flowing water, which leads to the woman's misunderstanding in the following verse. She thought Jesus was referring to some unknown source of drinkable water.
23tn (4:11) Or "Lord." The Greek term kuvrio" (kurios) means both "Sir" and Lord." In this passage there is probably a gradual transition from one to the other as the woman's respect for Jesus grows throughout the conversation (4:11, 15, 19).
24tn (4:11) The word for "well" has now shifted to frevar (frear, "cistern"); earlier in the passage it was phghv (phgh).
25tn (4:11) The anaphoric article is translated "this."
26sn (4:11) Where then do you get this living water? The woman's reply is an example of the "misunderstood statement," a technique appearing frequently in John's Gospel. Jesus was speaking of living water which was spiritual (ultimately a Johannine figure for the Holy Spirit, see John 7:38-39), but the woman thought he was speaking of flowing (fresh drinkable) water. Her misunderstanding gave Jesus the opportunity to explain what he really meant.
27tn (4:12) Or "our forefather"; Grk "our father."
28tn (4:12) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of "for he" the Greek reads "who").
29tn (4:13) Grk "answered and said to her."
30tn (4:13) Grk "will thirst."
31tn (4:14) Grk "will never be thirsty forever." The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.
32tn (4:14) Or "well." "Fountain" is used as the translation for phghv (phgh) here since the idea is that of an artesian well that flows freely, but the term "artesian well" is not common in contemporary English.
33tn (4:14) The verb aJllomevnou (Jallomenou) is used of quick movement (like jumping) on the part of living beings. This is the only instance of its being applied to the action of water. However, in the LXX it is used to describe the "Spirit of God" as it falls on Samson and Saul. See Judg 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Kgdms 10:2, 10 LXX (= 1 Sam 10:6, 10 Eng. text); and Isa 35:6 (note context).
34tn (4:15) Grk "or come here to draw."
35tn (4:15) The direct object of the infinitive ajntlei'n (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.
36tn (4:16) Grk "come here" ("back" is implied).
37tn (4:17) Grk "answered and said to him."
38tn (4:17) Grk "Well have you said."
39tn (4:17) The word order in Jesus' reply is reversed from the woman's original statement. The word "husband" in Jesus' reply is placed in an emphatic position.
40tn (4:18) Grk "the one you have."
41tn (4:19) Grk "behold" or "perceive," but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.
42sn (4:20) This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.
43tn (4:20) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated "say" is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone).
44sn (4:21) Woman was a polite form of address (see BAGD 168 s.v. gunhv), similar to "Madam" or "Ma'am" used in English in different regions.
45tn (4:21) Grk "an hour."
46tn (4:21) The verb is plural.
47tn (4:22) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated "worship" is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.
48tn (4:23) Grk "an hour."
49tn (4:23) "Here" is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
50sn (4:23) See also John 4:27.
51tn (4:23) Or "as." The object-complement construction implies either "as" or "to be."
52tn (4:23) This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with toiouvtou' (toioutou) as the object and the participle proskunou'nta" (proskunounta") as the complement.
sn (4:23) The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.
53tn (4:24) Here pneu'ma (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular qeov" (qeos) is the subject.
54tn (4:25) Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "the one who has been anointed."
sn (4:25) The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
55tn (4:25) Grk "that one."
56tn (4:25) Or "he will announce to us."
57tn (4:25) Grk "all things."
58tn (4:27) Or "his disciples returned"; Grk "came" ("back" is supplied in keeping with English usage). Because of the length of the Greek sentence it is better to divide here and begin a new English sentence, leaving the kaiv (kai) before ejqauvmazon (eqaumazon) untranslated.
59tn (4:27) BAGD 352 s.v. qaumavzw 1.a.g has "be surprised that" followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.
60tn (4:27) The o{ti (Joti) could also be translated as declarative ("that he had been speaking with a woman") but since this would probably require translating the imperfect verb as a past perfect (which is normal after a declarative o{ti), it is probably better to take this o{ti as causal.
61tn (4:27) Grk "seek." See John 4:23.
sn (4:27) The question "What do you want?" is John's editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus' statement in v. 23: it is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.
62tn (4:28) The term a[nqrwpoi (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either "people" or "men" (though there is a more specific term for adult males). Thus the woman could have been speaking either to all the people or to the leaders of the city as their representatives.
63tn (4:29) Grk "the Christ" (both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed"). Although the Greek text reads cristov" (cristos) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Messiva" [Messias] is the lead term and is qualified by cristov") to translate cristov" as "Messiah" here.
64tn (4:29) The use of mhvti (mhti) normally presupposes a negative answer. This should not be taken as an indication that the woman did not believe, however. It may well be an example of "reverse psychology," designed to gain a hearing for her testimony among those whose doubts about her background would obviate her claims.
65tn (4:30) "So" is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.
66sn (4:30) The imperfect tense is here rendered began coming for the author is not finished with this part of the story yet; these same Samaritans will appear again in v. 35.
67tn (4:31) Grk "were asking him, saying."
68tn (4:31) The direct object of favge (fage) in Greek is understood; "something" is supplied in English.
69tn (4:33) An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus' reply provoked the disciples' response.
70tn (4:33) The direct object of h[negken (hnenken) in Greek is understood; "anything" is supplied in English.
71tn (4:33) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here it is "did they?").
72sn (4:34) The one who sent me refers to the Father.
73tn (4:34) Or "to accomplish."
74tn (4:34) The substantival i{na (Jina) clause is translated as an English infinitive clause.
sn (4:34) No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: the disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.
75tn (4:35) The recitative o{ti (Joti) after levgete (legete) is not translated.
76tn (4:35) Grk "lift up your eyes" (an idiom). BAGD 281 s.v. ejpaivrw 1 has "look up" here.
77tn (4:35) That is, "ripe."
78tn (4:36) Or "a reward"; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.
79tn (4:37) The recitative o{ti (Joti) after ajlhqinov" (alhqino") is not translated.
80tn (4:39) Grk "when she testified."
81tn (4:40) Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the action of the imperfect is understood to be ingressive.
82tn (4:40) Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction kaiv (kai) is not translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
83tn (4:41) Or "and they believed much more."
84tn (4:42) Or "this."
85sn (4:42) There is irony in the Samaritans' declaration that Jesus was really the Savior of the world, an irony foreshadowed in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (1:11): "He came to his own, and his own did not receive him." Yet the Samaritans welcomed Jesus and proclaimed him to be not the Jewish Messiah only, but the Savior of the world.
86sn (4:44) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
87sn (4:45) All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.
88sn (4:45) See John 2:23-25.
89sn (4:45) John 4:44-45. The last part of v. 45 is a parenthetical note by the author. The major problem in these verses concerns the contradiction between the proverb stated by Jesus in v. 44 and the reception of the Galileans in v. 45. Origen solved the problem by referring his own country to Judea (which Jesus had just left) and not Galilee. But this runs counter to the thrust of John's Gospel, which takes pains to identify Jesus with Galilee (cf. 1:46) and does not even mention his Judean birth. R. E. Brown typifies the contemporary approach: he regards v. 44 as an addition by a later redactor who wanted to emphasize Jesus' unsatisfactory reception in Galilee. Neither expedient is necessary, though, if honor is understood in its sense of attributing true worth to someone. The Galileans did welcome him, but their welcome was to prove a superficial response based on what they had seen him do at the feast. There is no indication that the signs they saw brought them to place their faith in Jesus any more than Nicodemus did on the basis of the signs. But a superficial welcome based on enthusiasm for miracles is no real honor at all.
90sn (4:46) See John 2:1-11.
91tn (4:46) Grk "And in."
92sn (4:46) Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
93tn (4:46) Although basilikov" (basiliko") has often been translated "nobleman" it is almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.
94tn (4:47) The direct object of hjrwvta (hrwta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
95tn (4:48) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than the royal official alone).
96tn (4:48) Or "you never believe." The verb pisteuvshte (pisteushte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.
97tn (4:50) Grk "Go"; the word "home" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
98tn (4:50) Grk "and left." The words "for home" are implied by the following verse.
99sn (4:51) While he was on his way down. Going to Capernaum from Cana, one must go east across the Galilean hills and then descend to the Sea of Galilee. The 20 mi (33 km) journey could not be made in a single day. The use of the description on his way down shows the author was familiar with Palestinian geography.
100tn (4:51) Traditionally, "servants." Though dou'lo" (doulos) is normally translated "servant," the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BAGD notes that "`servant' for `slave' is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times...in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished" (BAGD 205 s.v.). The most accurate translation is "bondservant" (sometimes found in the ASV for dou'lo"), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
101tn (4:52) Grk "the hour."
102tn (4:52) BAGD 443 translates the idiom komyovteron e[cein (komyoteron ecein) as "begin to improve."
103tn (4:52) The second ou\n (oun) in 4:52 is translated as "and" to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.
104tn (4:52) Grk "at the seventh hour."
105tn (4:53) Grk "at that hour."
106sn (4:54) Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign. The sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either "Jesus did this as," or possibly "Jesus made this to be," The latter translation accents not only Jesus' power but his sovereignty too. Cf. 2:11.
1sn (5:1) The temporal indicator After this is not specific, so it is uncertain how long after the incidents at Cana this occurred.
2tn (5:1) The textual variants eJorthv or hJ eJorthv (Jeorth or Jh Jeorth, "a feast" or "the feast") may not appear significant at first, but to insert the article would almost certainly demand a reference to the Jewish Passover. Externally this problem is difficult to decide, but it is probably better to read the word eJorthv as anarthrous in agreement with NA27 and UBS4, and thus a reference to a feast other than the Passover. The incidental note in 5:3, that the sick were lying outside in the porticoes of the pool, makes Passover an unlikely time because it fell toward the end of winter and the weather would not have been warm. L. Morris (John [NICNT], 299, n. 6) thinks it impossible to identity the feast with certainty.
sn (5:1) A Jewish feast. Jews were obligated to go up to Jerusalem for 3 major annual feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. If the first is probably ruled out because of the time of year, the last is not as likely because it forms the central setting for chap. 7 (where there are many indications in the context that Tabernacles is the feast in view.) This leaves the feast of Pentecost, which at some point prior to this time in Jewish tradition (as reflected in Jewish intertestamental literature and later post-Christian rabbinic writings) became identified with the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Such an association might explain Jesus' reference to Moses in 5:45-46. This is uncertain, however. The only really important fact for the author is that the healing was done on a Sabbath. This is what provoked the controversy with the Jewish authorities recorded in 5:16-47.
3tn (5:2) Regarding the use of the present tense ejstin (estin) and its implications for the dating of the Gospel of John, see the article by D. B. Wallace, "John 5,2 and the Date of the Fourth Gospel," Bib 71 (1990): 177-205.
4tn (5:2) The site of the miracle is also something of a problem: probatikh'/ (probatikh) is usually taken as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple. Some (R. E. Brown and others) would place the word kolumbhvqra (kolumbhqra) with probatikh'/ to read "in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Pool, there is (another pool) with the Hebrew name." This would imply that there is reference to two pools in the context rather than only one. This does not seem necessary (although it is a grammatical possibility). The gender of the words do not help since both are feminine (as is the participle ejpilegomevnh [epilegomenh]). Note however that Brown's suggestion would require a feminine word to be supplied (for the participle ejpilegomevnh to modify). The traditional understanding of the phrase as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple appears more probably correct.
5tc (5:2) Some MSS read Bethzatha, while a few read Bethsaida. A lot of controversy has surrounded the name of the pool itself: the reading of the Byzantine (or majority) text, Bhqesdav (Bhqesda), has been virtually discarded in favor of what is thought to be the more primitive Bhqzaqav (Bhqzaqa) or Betzetha (Old Latin). The latter is attested by Josephus as the name of a quarter of the city near the northeast corner of the temple area. He reports that the Syrian Legate Cestius burned this suburb in his attack on Jerusalem in October A.D. 68 (J. W. 2.19.4 [2.530]). However, there is some new archeological evidence (published by M. Baillet, J. T. Milik, and R. de Vaux in Les "petites grottes" de Qumran): Copper scroll 3Q15 from Qumran seems to indicate that in the general area of the temple, on the eastern hill of Jerusalem, a treasure was buried in Bet *Esdatayin, in the pool at the entrance to the smaller basin. The name of the region or pool itself seems then to have been Bet *Esda, "house of the flowing." It appears with the dual ending in the scroll because there were 2 basins. Bhqesdav seems to be an accurate Greek rendition of the name, while Milik suggests Bhqzaqav is a rendition of the Aramaic intensive plural Bet *Esdata. All of this is not entirely certain, but is certainly plausible; if Milik is correct, both the textual variants would refer to the same location, one a Greek rendering of the Hebrew name, the other a Greek rendering of the Aramaic. This would be an unusual instance where two textual traditions which appear to be in conflict would both be correct.
sn (5:2) On the location of the pool called Bethesda, the double-pool of St. Anne is the probable site, and has been excavated; the pools were trapezoidal in shape, 165 ft (49.5 m) wide at one end, 220 ft (66 m) wide at the other, and 315 ft (94.5 m) long, divided by a central partition. There were colonnades (rows of columns) on all 4 sides and on the partition, thus forming the five covered walkways mentioned in John 5:2. Stairways at the corners permitted descent to the pool.
6tn (5:2) Grk "in Hebrew."
7tn (5:2) Or "porticoes," or "colonnades"; Grk "stoas."
sn (5:2) The pool had five porticoes. These were covered walkways formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the side facing the pool. People could stand, sit, or walk on these colonnaded porches, protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.
8tc (5:3) The majority of later MSS add the following to 5:3: "waiting for the moving of the water. 5:4 For an angel of the Lord went down and stirred up the water at certain times. Whoever first stepped in after the stirring of the water was healed from whatever disease which he suffered." Few textual scholars today would accept the authenticity of vv. 3b-4, for they are not found in the earliest witnesses (Ì66 Ì75 Í B C* D), they include un-Johannine vocabulary and syntax, several of the MSS that include the verses mark them as spurious (with an asterisk or obelisk), and because there is a great amount of textual diversity among the witnesses that do include the verses. Internally, to include such verses would suggest an inappropriate divine modus operandi: that the angel would heal only the first sick person who gets to the pool is akin to the unbiblical pop theological aphorism, "God helps those who help themselves." However, in support of their inclusion, there is fairly broad geographical support. Further, the text is incomplete without something here to explain v. 7, the reference to the troubling of the water. Most today would say this is what motivated a copyist to add vv. 3b-4; but the text as it would stand without the verses in question is so difficult that it does not seem consistent with Johannine style elsewhere. It would seem, in fact, either obscure or careless to leave this incident unexplained, when elsewhere John goes to such great lengths to add notes and comments to aid readers who might not be familiar with Jewish customs, places, names, etc. It has also been said on the other hand that there was a popular tradition about the stirring of the water by an angel, which the author of the Gospel chose not to include because he regarded it as popular superstition, and therefore left the matter unexplained (there is, in fact, archeological evidence that the bubbling waters were due to an underground spring). It would seem, however, that he could have included the reference while pointing out that it was only legend; but in any case this is sometimes advanced as an argument in favor of the shorter reading. Thus at this point it must be acknowledged that some portion of vv. 3b-4 may be authentic, though certainly not all; but sorting out which exact combination of words is difficult and may be impossible, given the present state of knowledge of the history of the text. The present translation follows the standard critical Greek texts in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.
9tn (5:5) Grk "who had had thirty-eight years in his disability."
10tn (5:6) Or "knew."
11tn (5:7) Or "Lord." The Greek kuvrio" (kurios) means both "Sir" and Lord." In this passage the paralytic who was healed by Jesus never acknowledges Jesus as Lord--he rather reports Jesus to the authorities.
12tn (5:7) Grk "while I am going."
13tn (5:7) Grk "another."
14tn (5:8) Or "pallet," "mattress," "cot," or "stretcher." Some of these items, however, are rather substantial (e.g., "mattress") and would probably give the modern English reader a false impression.
15tn (5:9) Grk "became well."
16tn (5:9) Or "pallet," "mattress," "cot," or "stretcher." See the note on "mat" in the previous verse.
17tn (5:9) Grk "Now it was Sabbath on that day."
sn (5:9) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
18tn (5:10) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409).
19tn (5:10) Or "pallet," "mattress," "cot," or "stretcher." See the note on "mat" in v. 8.
20tn (5:11) Or "pallet," "mattress," "cot," or "stretcher." See the note on "mat" in v. 8.
21tc (5:12) While a number of later MSS include the words ton krab(b)at(t)on sou ("your mat") here, the earliest and best (Ì66 Ì75 Í B C* L pc) do not. Nevertheless, in the translation, it is necessary to supply the words due to the demands of English style, which does not typically allow for understood or implied direct objects as Greek does.
22tn (5:12) Grk "Pick up and walk"; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.
23tn (5:14) Since this is a prohibition with a present imperative, the translation "stop sinning" is sometimes suggested. This is not likely, however, since the present tense is normally used in prohibitions involving a general condition (as here) while the aorist tense is normally used in specific instances. Only when used opposite the normal usage (the present tense in a specific instance, for example) would the meaning "stop doing what you are doing" be appropriate.
24tn (5:15) Grk "the Jews." See the note on the phrase "Jewish authorities" in v. 10.
25sn (5:16) Note the plural phrase these things which seems to indicate that Jesus healed on the Sabbath more than once (cf. John 20:30). The synoptic gospels show this to be true; the incident in 5:1-15 has thus been chosen by the author as representative.
26tn (5:16) Grk "the Jews." See the note on the phrase "Jewish authorities" in v. 10.
27tn (5:16) Or "harassing."
28tn (5:17) Grk "told."
29sn (5:17) "My Father is working until now, and I too am working." What is the significance of Jesus' claim? A preliminary understanding can be obtained from John 5:18, noting the Jewish authorities' response and the author's comment. They sought to kill Jesus, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God. This must be seen in the context of the relation of God to the Sabbath rest. In the commandment (Exod 20:11) it is explained that "In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth...and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Philo, based on the LXX translation of Exod 20:11, denied outright that God had ever ceased his creative activity. And when Rabban Gamaliel II, R. Joshua, R. Eleazar ben Azariah, and R. Akiba were in Rome, c. A.D. 95, they gave as a rebuttal to sectarian arguments evidence that God might do as he willed in the world without breaking the Sabbath because the entire world was his private residence. So even the rabbis realized that God did not really cease to work on the Sabbath: Divine providence remained active on the Sabbath, otherwise, all nature and life would cease to exist. As regards men, divine activity was visible in two ways: men were born and men died on the Sabbath. Since only God could give life and only God could deal with the fate of the dead in judgment, this meant God was active on the Sabbath. This seems to be the background for Jesus' words in 5:17. He justified his work of healing on the Sabbath by reminding the Jewish authorities that they admitted God worked on the Sabbath. This explains the violence of the reaction. The Sabbath privilege was peculiar to God, and no one was equal to God. In claiming the right to work even as his Father worked, Jesus was claiming a divine prerogative. He was literally making himself equal to God, as 5:18 goes on to state explicitly for the benefit of the reader who might not have made the connection.
30tn (5:18) Grk "the Jews." See the note on the phrase "Jewish authorities" in v. 10.
31tn (5:19) Grk "answered and said to them."
32tn (5:19) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
33tn (5:19) Grk "nothing from himself."
34tn (5:19) Grk "that one"; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35sn (5:19) What works does the Son do likewise? The same that the Father does--and the same that the rabbis recognized as legitimate works of God on the Sabbath (see note on working in v. 17). (1) Jesus grants life (just as the Father grants life) on the Sabbath. But as the Father gives physical life on the Sabbath, so the Son grants spiritual life (John 5:21; note the "greater things" mentioned in v. 20). (2) Jesus judges (determines the destiny of people) on the Sabbath, just as the Father judges those who die on the Sabbath, because the Father has granted authority to the Son to judge (John 5:22-23). But this is not all. Not only has this power been granted to Jesus in the present; it will be his in the future as well. In v. 28 there is a reference not to spiritually dead (only) but also physically dead. At their resurrection they respond to the Son as well.
36tn (5:21) Grk "and makes them live."
37tn (5:21) Grk "the Son makes whomever he wants to live."
38tn (5:22) Or "condemn."
39tn (5:22) Or "given," or "handed over."
40tn (5:24) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
41tn (5:24) Or "obeys."
42tn (5:24) Or "word."
43tn (5:24) Grk "and does not come into judgment."
44tn (5:25) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
45tn (5:25) Grk "an hour."
46tn (5:27) Grk "him."
47tn (5:27) Grk "authority to judge."
48tn (5:28) Grk "an hour."
49tn (5:29) Or "a resurrection resulting in judgment."
50tn (5:30) Grk "nothing from myself."
51tn (5:30) Or "righteous," or "proper."
52tn (5:30) That is, "the will of the Father who sent me."
53sn (5:32) To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.
54sn (5:33) John refers to John the Baptist.
55tn (5:34) Or "I do not receive."
56sn (5:35) He was a lamp that was burning and shining. Sir 48:1 states that the word of Elijah was "a flame like a torch." Because of the connection of John the Baptist with Elijah (see John 1:21 and the note on John's reply, "I am not"), it was natural for Jesus to apply this description to John.
57tn (5:35) Grk "for an hour."
58tn (5:36) Or "works."
59tn (5:36) Grk "complete, which I am now doing"; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating "deeds" from the previous clause.
60tn (5:37) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs ("heard," "seen," "have residing," "do not believe") are second person plural.
61sn (5:37) You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer--their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century A.D. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.
62tn (5:39) Or "Study the scriptures thoroughly" (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
63sn (5:39) In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Aboth ("The Sayings of the Fathers"): Pirqe Aboth 2:8, "He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come"; Pirqe Aboth 6:7, "Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come."
64tn (5:39) The words "same scriptures" are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent ("these").
65tn (5:41) Or "I do not receive."
66tn (5:41) Or "honor" (Grk "glory," in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
67tn (5:41) Grk "from men," but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.
68tn (5:43) Or "you do not receive."
69tn (5:43) Or "you will receive."
70tn (5:44) Or "honor" (Grk "glory," in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
71tn (5:44) Or "honor" (Grk "glory," in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
72sn (5:45) The final condemnation will come from Moses himself--again ironic, since Moses is the very one the Jewish authorities have trusted in (placed your hope). This is again ironic if it is occurring at Pentecost, which at this time was being celebrated as the occasion of the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. There is evidence that some Jews of the 1st century looked on Moses as their intercessor at the final judgment (see W. A. Meeks, The Prophet King, 161). This would mean the statement Moses, in whom you have placed your hope should be taken literally and relates directly to Jesus' statements about the final judgment in John 5:28-29.
73tn (5:46) Grk "For if."
74tn (5:47) Grk "that one" ("he"); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
1tn (6:1) Again, metaV tau'ta (meta tauta) is a vague temporal reference. How Jesus got from Jerusalem to Galilee is not explained, which has led many scholars (e.g., Bernard, Bultmann, and Schnackenburg) to posit either editorial redaction or some sort of rearrangement or dislocation of material (such as reversing the order of chaps. 5 and 6, for example). Such a rearrangement of the material would give a simple and consistent connection of events, but in the absence of all external evidence it does not seem to be supportable. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:236) says that such an arrangement is attractive in some ways but not compelling, and that no rearrangement can solve all the geographical and chronological problems in John.
2sn (6:1) This is a parenthetical note by the author. Only John in the New Testament refers to the Sea of Galilee by the name Sea of Tiberias (see also John 21:1), but this is correct local usage. In the mid-20's Herod completed the building of the town of Tiberias on the southwestern shore of the lake; after this time the name came into use for the lake itself.
3sn (6:3) Up on the mountainside does not necessarily refer to a particular mountain or hillside, but may simply mean "the hill country" or "the high ground," referring to the high country east of the Sea of Galilee (known today as the Golan Heights).
4sn (6:4) Passover. According to John's sequence of material, considerable time has elapsed since the feast of 5:1. If the feast in 5:1 was Pentecost of A.D. 31, then this feast would be the Passover of A.D. 32, just one year before Jesus' crucifixion.
5sn (6:4) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
6tn (6:5) Grk "when he lifted up his eyes" (an idiom).
7tn (6:6) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8sn (6:6) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
9tn (6:7) Grk "Philip answered him."
10tn (6:7) Grk "two hundred denarii." The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day's wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth about eight months' pay.
11tn (6:8) Grk "one of his disciples."
12tn (6:9) Grk "but what are these"; the word "good" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
13tn (6:10) Grk "Make."
14sn (6:10) This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).
15tn (6:10) Here "men" has been used in the translation because the following number, 5,000, probably included only adult males (see the parallel in Matt 14:21).
16tn (6:11) Grk "likewise also (he distributed) from the fish."
17tn (6:12) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18sn (6:13) Note that the fish mentioned previously (in John 6:9) are not emphasized here, only the five barley loaves. This is easy to understand, however, because the bread is of primary importance for the author in view of Jesus' upcoming discourse on the Bread of life.
19tn (6:14) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
20sn (6:14) The Prophet is a reference to the "prophet like Moses" of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.
21sn (6:14) An allusion to Deut 18:15.
22sn (6:15) Jesus, knowing that his "hour" had not yet come (and would not, in this fashion) withdrew again up the mountainside alone. The ministry of miracles in Galilee, ending with this, the multiplication of the bread (the last public miracle in Galilee recorded by John) aroused such a popular response that there was danger of an uprising. This would have given the authorities a legal excuse to arrest Jesus. The nature of Jesus' kingship will become an issue again in the passion narrative of the Fourth Gospel (John 18:33ff.). Furthermore, the volatile reaction of the Galileans to the signs prepares for and foreshadows the misunderstanding of the miracle itself, and even the misunderstanding of Jesus' explanation of it (John 6:22-71).
23tn (6:16) Or "sea." The Greek word indicates a rather large body of water, but the English word "sea" normally indicates very large bodies of water, so the word "lake" in English is a closer approximation.
24tn (6:17) Or "sea." See the note on "lake" in the previous verse.
25sn (6:17) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
26tn (6:19) Grk "about twenty-five or thirty stades" (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
sn (6:19) About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.
27tn (6:19) Or "sea." See the note on "lake" in v. 16. John uses the phrase ejpi (epi) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew's ejpi followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking on the lake.
28tn (6:22) Or "sea." See the note on "lake" in v. 16.
29tn (6:22) Grk "entered."
30tn (6:23) Or "boats from Tiberias landed"; Grk "came."
31tn (6:24) Or "embarked in the boats."
32tn (6:25) Or "sea." See the note on "lake" in v. 16.
33sn (6:25) John 6:25-31. The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus' disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26-27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30-31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.
34tn (6:26) Grk "answered and said to them."
35tn (6:26) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
36tn (6:26) Grk "because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled."
37tn (6:27) Or "perishes" (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).
sn (6:27) Do not work for the food that disappears. Note the wordplay on "work" here. This does not imply "working" for salvation, since the "work" is later explained (in John 6:29) as "to believe in the one whom he (the Father) sent."
38tn (6:27) The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word "food" from the previous clause.
39tn (6:27) Grk "on this one."
40tn (6:28) Grk "the works."
41tn (6:28) Grk "What must we do to work the works of God?"
42tn (6:29) Grk "answered and said to them."
43tn (6:29) Grk "the work."
44tn (6:29) Grk "This is the work of God."
45tn (6:29) Grk "that one" (i.e., God).
46tn (6:31) Or "forefathers"; Grk "fathers."
47sn (6:31) A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).
48tn (6:32) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
49tn (6:33) Or "he who."
50tn (6:34) Or "Lord." The Greek kuvrio" (kurios) means both "Sir" and Lord." In this passage it is not at all clear at this point that the crowd is acknowledging Jesus as Lord. More likely this is simply a form of polite address ("sir").
51tn (6:35) Grk "the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever."
sn (6:35) The one who believes in me will never be thirsty. Note the parallelism between "coming to Jesus" in the first part of v. 35 and "believing in Jesus" in the second part of v. 35. For the author of the Gospel of John these terms are virtually equivalent, both referring to a positive response to Jesus (see John 3:17-21).
52tn (6:36) Grk "But I said to you."
53tn (6:37) Or "drive away"; Grk "cast out."
54tn (6:39) Or "resurrect them all," or "make them all live again"; Grk "raise it up." The word "all" is supplied to bring out the collective nature of the neuter singular pronoun aujtov (auto) in Greek. The plural pronoun "them" is used rather than neuter singular "it" because this is clearer in English, which does not use neuter collective singulars in the same way Greek does.
55tn (6:40) Or "resurrect him," or "make him live again."
56sn (6:40) Notice that here the result (having eternal life and being raised up at the last day) is produced by looking on the Son and believing in him. Compare John 6:54 where the same result is produced by eating Jesus' flesh and drinking his blood. This suggests that the phrase in 6:54 (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood in terms of the phrase here (looks on the Son and believes in him).
57tn (6:41) Grk "Then the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase should probably be restricted to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus, since the "crowd" mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as "Rabbi" (6:25).
58tn (6:43) Grk "answered and said to them."
59tn (6:43) Or "Do not grumble among yourselves." The words "about me" are supplied to clarify the translation "complain to one another" (otherwise the Jewish opponents could be understood to be complaining about one another, rather than complaining to one another about Jesus).
60tn (6:44) Or "attracts him," or "pulls him." The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).
sn (6:44) The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this "drawing" consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40).
61sn (6:45) A quotation from Isa 54:13.
62tn (6:45) Or "listens to the Father and learns."
63tn (6:46) Grk "this one."
64sn (6:46) This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Although some would attribute these words to Jesus himself, the switch from first person in Jesus' preceding and following remarks to third person in v. 46 suggests that the author has added a clarifying comment here.
65tn (6:47) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
66tn (6:47) Compare John 6:40.
67tn (6:48) That is, "the bread that produces (eternal) life."
68tn (6:49) Or "forefathers"; Grk "fathers."
69tn (6:50) Or "Here."
70tn (6:50) Grk "someone" (ti", tis).
71tn (6:51) Grk "And the bread."
72tn (6:52) Grk "Then the Jews began to argue." Here the phrase should probably be restricted to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus, since the "crowd" mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as "Rabbi" (6:25). See the note on the phrase "the Jews who were hostile to Jesus" in v. 41.
73tn (6:52) Grk "with one another, saying."
74tn (6:52) Grk "this one," "this person."
75tn (6:53) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
76sn (6:53) Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. These words are at the heart of the discourse on the Bread of Life, and have created great misunderstanding among interpreters. Anyone who is inclined toward a sacramental viewpoint will almost certainly want to take these words as a reference to the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist, because of the reference to eating and drinking. But this does not automatically follow: by anyone's definition there must be a symbolic element to the eating which Jesus speaks of in the discourse, and once this is admitted, it is better to understand it here, as in the previous references in the passage, to a personal receiving of (or appropriation of) Christ and his work.
77tn (6:53) That is, "no eternal life" (as opposed to physical life).
78tn (6:54) Or "who chews"; Grk oJ trwvgwn (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ejsqivw (esqiw, "eat," v. 53) and trwvgw (trwgw, "eats," vv. 54, 56, 58; "consumes," v. 57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author's part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (trwvgw) is the more graphic and vivid of the two ("gnaw" or "chew").
79sn (6:54) Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus') flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by "looking on the Son and believing in him." This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).
80tn (6:55) Or "real."
81tn (6:55) Or "real."
82tn (6:56) Or "who chews." On the alternation between ejsqivw (esqiw, "eat," v. 53) and trwvgw (trwgw, "eats," vv. 54, 56, 58; "consumes," v. 57) see the note on "eats" in v. 54.
83sn (6:56) Resides in me, and I in him. Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus' flesh and drinking his blood produces eternal life and the promise of resurrection at the last day. Here the same process of eating Jesus' flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of `possessing eternal life' and of `residing in Jesus' are virtually interchangeable.
84tn (6:57) Or "who chews"; Grk "who eats." Here the translation "consumes" is more appropriate than simply "eats," because it is the internalization of Jesus by the individual that is in view. On the alternation between ejsqivw (esqiw, "eat," v. 53) and trwvgw (trwgw, "eats," vv. 54, 56, 58; "consumes," v. 57) see the note on "eats" in v. 54.
85tn (6:58) Or "This one."
86tn (6:58) Or "forefathers"; Grk "fathers."
87tn (6:58) Grk "This is the bread that came down from heaven, not just like your ancestors ate and died." The cryptic Greek expression has been filled out in the translation for clarity.
88tn (6:58) Or "who chews." On the alternation between ejsqivw (esqiw, "eat," v. 53) and trwvgw (trwgw, "eats," vv. 54, 56, 58; "consumes," v. 57) see the note on "eats" in v. 54.
89tn (6:59) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
90sn (6:59) A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the post-exilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
91tn (6:60) The words "these things" are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.
92tn (6:60) Or "hard," "demanding."
93tn (6:60) Or "teaching"; Grk "word."
94tn (6:60) Or "obey it"; Grk "hear it." The Greek word ajkouvw (akouw) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of "obey." It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., "who can accept what he said?" However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning "understand" is preferred here.
95tn (6:61) Grk "When Jesus knew within himself."
96tn (6:61) Or "were grumbling."
97tn (6:61) Or "Does this cause you to no longer believe?" (Grk "cause you to stumble?").
sn (6:61) Does this cause you to be offended? It became apparent to some of Jesus' followers at this point that there would be a cost involved in following him. They had taken offense at some of Jesus' teaching (perhaps the graphic imagery of "eating his flesh" and "drinking his blood," and Jesus now warned them that if they thought this was a problem, there was an even worse cause for stumbling in store: his upcoming crucifixion (John 6:61b-62). Jesus asked, in effect, "Has what I just taught caused you to stumble? What will you do, then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?" This ascent is to be accomplished through the cross; for John, Jesus' departure from this world and his return to the Father form one continual movement from cross to resurrection to ascension.
98tn (6:62) Or "he was formerly?"
99tn (6:63) Grk "the flesh counts for nothing."
100tn (6:63) Or "are spirit-giving and life-producing."
101sn (6:64) This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
102tn (6:65) Grk "And he said"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
103tn (6:65) Grk "unless it has been permitted to him by the Father."
104tn (6:66) Grk "many of his disciples went back to what lay behind."
105tn (6:66) Grk "were not walking with him."
106tn (6:67) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here it is "do you?").
107tn (6:69) Grk "And we."
108sn (6:69) See 1 John 4:16.
109sn (6:69) You have the words of eternal life...you are the Holy One of God! In contrast to the response of some of his disciples, here is the response of the twelve, whom Jesus then questioned concerning their loyalty to him. This was the big test, and the twelve, with Peter as spokesman, passed with flying colors. The confession here differs considerably from the synoptic accounts (Matt 16:16, Mark 8:29, and Luke 9:20) and concerns directly the disciples' personal loyalty to Jesus, in contrast to those other disciples who had deserted him (John 6:66).
110tn (6:70) Grk "Jesus answered them."
111tn (6:70) Although most translations render this last phrase as "one of you is a devil," such a translation presupposes that there is more than one devil. This finds roots in the KJV in which the Greek word for demon was often translated "devil." In fact, the KJV never uses the word "demon." (Sixty-two of the 63 NT instances of daimovnion [daimonion] are translated "devil" [in Acts 17:18 the plural is translated "gods"]. This can get confusing in places where the singular "devil" is used: Is Satan or one of the demons in view [cf. Matt 9:33 (demon); 13:39 (devil); 17:18 (demon); Mark 7:26 (demon); Luke 4:2 (devil); etc.]?) Now regarding John 6:70, both the construction in Greek and the technical use of diavbolo" (diabolos) indicate that the one devil is in view. To object to the translation "the devil" because it thus equates Judas with Satan does not take into consideration that Jesus often spoke figuratively (e.g., "destroy this temple" [John 2:19]; "he [John the Baptist] is Elijah" [Matt 11:14]), even equating Peter with the devil on one occasion (Mark 8:33). According to D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 249, "A curious phenomenon has occurred in the English Bible with reference to one particular monadic noun, diavbolo". The KJV translates both diavbolo" and daimovnion as `devil.' Thus in the AV translators' minds, `devil' was not a monadic noun. Modern translations have correctly rendered daimovnion as `demon' and have, for the most part, recognized that diavbolo" is monadic (cf., e.g., 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 20:2). But in John 6:70 modern translations have fallen into the error of the King James translators. The KJV has "one of you is a devil." So does the RSV, NRSV, ASV, NIV, NKJV, and the Jerusalem Bible. Yet there is only one devil. ...The legacy of the KJV still lives on, then, even in places where it ought not."
112sn (6:71) At least six explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning "man of Kerioth" (there are at least two villages that had that name). See D. A. Carson, John, 304.
113tn (6:71) Grk "this one"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114sn (6:71) This parenthetical statement by the author helps the reader understand Jesus' statement one of you is the devil in the previous verse. This is the first mention of Judas in the Fourth Gospel, and he is immediately identified (as he is in the synoptic gospels, Matt 10:4, Mark 3:19, Luke 6:16) as the one who would betray Jesus.
1sn (7:1) Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus' ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of A.D. 32, just one year before Jesus' crucifixion (assuming a date of A.D. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring A.D. 29, assuming a date of A.D. 30 for the crucifixion.
2tn (7:1) Grk "Jesus was traveling around in Galilee."
3tn (7:1) Grk "For he." Here gavr (gar, "for") has not been translated.
4tn (7:1) Grk "he did not want to travel around in Judea."
5tn (7:1) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities who were Jesus' primary opponents.
6tn (7:1) Grk "were seeking."
7tn (7:2) Or "feast of the Tents" (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John's use of skhnophgiva (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.
8sn (7:2) Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (A.D. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in A.D. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus' final departure from Galilee.
9tn (7:3) Grk "his brothers."
sn (7:3) Jesus' brothers. Jesus' brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.
10tn (7:3) Grk "your deeds that you are doing."
sn (7:3) Should the advice by Jesus' brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus' brothers of the true nature of his mission--he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.
11tn (7:4) Or "seeks to be well known."
12sn (7:4) No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: "if you're going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem." (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)
13sn (7:5) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
14tn (7:6) Grk "Then Jesus said to them."
15tn (7:6) Or "my opportunity."
16tn (7:6) Or "is not yet here."
17tn (7:6) Grk "your time is always ready."
18sn (7:8) One always speaks of "going up" to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as "down" (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.
19tc (7:8) Some Greek MSS omit the word "yet" (ou[pw, oupw). MS evidence is very weighty in favor of this reading: (Ì66 Ì75 B L T W Q Y 0105 0180 0250 Ë1 Ë13 Byz etc.). It is true that the reading with oujk (ouk) is the more difficult reading, but it is also easy to see how homoioarcton could have occurred in uncial script: a copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk.
20tn (7:8) Although the word is kairov" (kairos) here, it parallels John's use of w{ra (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father--the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.
21tn (7:8) Or "my time has not yet come to an end" (a possible hint of Jesus' death at Jerusalem); Grk "my time is not yet fulfilled."
22tn (7:10) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23tn (7:11) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities who were Jesus' primary opponents. See the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 1.
24tn (7:11) Grk "Where is that one?"
25tn (7:12) Grk "And there was."
26tn (7:12) Or "complaining."
27tn (7:12) Or "among the common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).
28tn (7:12) Or "the crowd."
29tn (7:13) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities who were Jesus' primary opponents. See the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 1.
30tn (7:14) Or "started teaching." An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb ("began to teach" or "started teaching") fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.
31tn (7:15) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities who were Jesus' primary opponents. See the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 1.
32tn (7:15) Or "began to be astonished." This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively ("began to be astonished"), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.
33tn (7:15) Grk "How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?" The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul's comment in Acts 22:3).
sn (7:15) He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh--the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified--they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.
34tn (7:16) Grk "So Jesus answered and said to them."
35tn (7:16) The phrase "the one who sent me" refers to God.
36tn (7:17) Grk "his will."
37tn (7:17) Grk "or whether I speak from myself."
38tn (7:18) Grk "who speaks from himself."
39tn (7:18) Or "seeks."
40tn (7:18) Or "praise"; Grk "glory."
41tn (7:18) Or "seeks."
42tn (7:18) Or "praise"; Grk "glory."
43tn (7:18) Or "is truthful"; Grk "is true."
44tn (7:19) Or "accomplishes"; Grk "does."
45tn (7:19) Grk "seek."
46tn (7:20) Or "The common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).
47tn (7:20) Grk "You have a demon!"
48tn (7:20) Grk "Who is seeking to kill you?"
sn (7:20) Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.
49tn (7:21) Grk "Jesus answered and said to them."
50tn (7:21) Grk "I did one deed."
51sn (7:21) The "one miracle" that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)
52tn (7:22) Grk "gave you circumcision."
53tn (7:22) Grk "a man." While the text literally reads "circumcise a man" in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.
54tn (7:23) Grk "a man." See the note on "male child" in the previous verse.
55tn (7:23) Grk "receives circumcision."
56sn (7:23) If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man's body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (c. A.D. 100) states: "If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the 248 members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall the saving of the whole body suspend the Sabbath?" So absolutely binding did rabbinic Judaism regard the command of Lev 12:3 to circumcise on the eighth day, that in the Mishnah m. Shabbat 18.3; 19.1, 2; and m. Nedarim 3.11 all hold that the command to circumcise overrides the command to observe the Sabbath.
57tn (7:23) Or "made an entire man well."
58tn (7:24) Or "based on sight."
59tn (7:24) Or "honest"; Grk "righteous."
60tn (7:25) Grk "Is it not this one."
61tn (7:25) Grk "seeking."
62tn (7:26) Or "speaking openly."
63sn (7:26) They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus' claims.
64tn (7:26) Grk "this one."
65tn (7:26) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (7:26) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
66tn (7:27) Grk "this one."
67sn (7:27) We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus' origins were readily available for any reader who didn't know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.
68tn (7:27) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (7:27) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
69sn (7:27) The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Mishnah (m. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: "Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion." Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: the scribes called by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.
70tn (7:28) Grk "the temple."
71tn (7:28) Grk "Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying."
72sn (7:28) You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus' response while teaching in the temple is difficult--it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: "So you know me and know where I am from, do you?" On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: he came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.
73tn (7:28) Grk "And I have not come from myself."
74tn (7:28) The phrase "the one who sent me" refers to God.
75tn (7:28) Grk "the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know."
76tn (7:29) Although the conjunction "but" is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).
77tn (7:29) The preposition parav (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.
78tn (7:29) Grk "and that one."
79tn (7:30) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
sn (7:30) Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus. This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32.
80tn (7:30) Grk "his hour."
81tn (7:31) Or "The common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities).
82tn (7:31) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (7:31) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
83tn (7:31) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here it is "will he?").
84sn (7:32) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
85tn (7:32) Or "The common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).
86tn (7:32) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
87tn (7:32) Or "servants." The "chief priests and Pharisees" is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As "servants" or "officers" of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44); also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing `police' duties such as here, their "officers" are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).
88tn (7:32) Grk "to seize him." In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb "arrest" conveys the point more effectively.
89tn (7:33) Grk "Yet a little I am with you."
90tn (7:33) The word "then" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
91tn (7:34) Grk "seek me."
92tn (7:35) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase probably refers to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned separately in this context (John 7:32, 45).
93tn (7:35) Grk "this one."
94tn (7:35) Grk "will not find him."
95sn (7:35) The Jewish people dispersed (Grk "He is not going to the Diaspora"). The Greek term diaspora ("dispersion") originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.
96tn (7:35) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "is he?").
sn (7:35) Note the Jewish opponents' misunderstanding of Jesus' words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn't realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author's use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.
97tn (7:36) Grk "What is this word that he said."
98tn (7:36) Grk "seek me."
99tn (7:37) There is something of a problem with this reference to the "last day of the feast, the greatest day": it appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the "last great day of the feast." Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.
100tn (7:37) Grk "Jesus stood up and cried out, saying."
101tn (7:38) An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, `From within him will flow rivers of living water.'" John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: "The LORD will continually lead you, he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water." Other passages which have been suggested are Prov 4:23 and 5:15; Isa 44:3 and 55:1; Ezek 47:1 ff.; Joel 3:18; and Zech 13:1 and 14:8. The meaning in this case is that when anyone comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person's life are fulfilled. "When the believer comes to Christ and drinks he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him" (L. Morris, John [NICNT], 424-25). In other words, with this view, the believer himself becomes the source of the living water. This is the traditional understanding of the passage, often called the "Eastern interpretation" following Origen, Athanasius, and the Greek Fathers. It is supported by such modern scholars as Barrett, Behm, Bernard, Cadman, Carson, R. H. Lightfoot, Lindars, Michaelis, Morris, Odeberg, Schlatter, Schweizer, C. H. Turner, M. M. B. Turner, Westcott, and Zahn. In addition it is represented by the following Greek texts and translations: KJV, RSV, NASB, UBS4 and NA27. D. A. Carson, John, 322-29, has a thorough discussion of the issues and evidence although he opts for the previous interpretation. There is another interpretation possible, however, called the "Western interpretation" because of patristic support by Justin, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus. Modern scholars who favor this view are Abbott, Beasley-Murray, Bishop, Boismard, Braun, Brown, Bullinger, Bultmann, Burney, Dodd, Dunn, Guilding, R. Harris, Hoskyns, Jeremias, Loisy, D. M. Stanley, Thüsing, N. Turner, and Zerwick. This view is represented by the translation in the RSV margin and by the NEB. It is also sometimes called the "christological interpretation" because it makes Jesus himself the source of the living water in v. 38, by punctuating as follows: (37b) ejavn ti diya'/ ejrcevsqw prov" me, kaiV pinevtw (38) oJ pisteuvwn eij" ejmev. KaqwV" ei\pen hJ grafhv, potamoiV ejk th'" koiliva" aujtou' rJeuvsousin u{dato" zw'nto". Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of aujtou' (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì66 does place a full stop after pinevtw (pinetw), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of aujtou'. Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the `source' of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10, of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus "departs" (16:7). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses ("Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile," RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul's understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4. Jesus is the Rock from which the living water--the Spirit--will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or "Eastern" interpretation. In summary, the latter or "Western" interpretation is to be preferred.
102tn (7:38) Or "out of the innermost part of his person"; Grk "out of his belly."
103sn (7:38) An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.
104tn (7:39) Grk "for the Spirit was not yet." Although only B and a handful of other NT MSS supply the participle dedomevnon (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John's phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.
105sn (7:39) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
106tn (7:40) Or "The common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
107tn (7:40) Or "truly."
108sn (7:40) The Prophet is a reference to the "prophet like Moses" of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.
109tn (7:41) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (7:41) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
110tn (7:41) An initial negative reply ("No") is suggested by the causal or explanatory gavr (gar) which begins the clause.
111tn (7:41) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "does he?").
112tn (7:42) Grk "is from the seed" (an idiom for human descent).
113sn (7:42) An allusion to Ps 89:4.
114sn (7:42) An allusion to Mic 5:2.
115tn (7:42) Grk "the village where David was."
116tn (7:43) Or "among the common people" (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
117tn (7:43) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
118sn (7:44) Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.
119tn (7:45) Or "servants." The "chief priests and Pharisees" is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As "servants" or "officers" of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing `police' duties such as here, their "officers" are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).
120tn (7:45) Grk "came."
121sn (7:45) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
122tn (7:45) Grk "Why did you not bring him?" The words "back with you" are implied.
123tn (7:47) Grk "answered them."
124tn (7:47) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "have you?").
125sn (7:48) The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word ("ruler") is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).
126tn (7:48) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "have they?").
127tn (7:49) Grk "crowd." "Rabble" is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
128tn (7:50) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
129tn (7:50) Grk "who was one of them"; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
130tn (7:50) Grk "said to them."
131tn (7:51) Grk "judge."
132tn (7:51) Grk "knows."
133tn (7:51) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "does it?").
134tn (7:52) Grk "They answered and said to him."
135tn (7:52) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "are you?").
136tc (7:52) At least one early and important MS (Ì66) places the Greek article before "prophet," making this a reference to the "prophet like Moses" mentioned in Deut 18:15.
tn (7:52) This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gathhepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, "There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets" (b. Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of Ì66 which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John's Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that "the Prophet" could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus' place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).
1tc (7:53) This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best MSS and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John. Among modern commentators and textual critics, it is a foregone conclusion that the section is not original but represents a later addition to the text of the Gospel. B. M. Metzger summarizes: "the evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming" (Textual Commentary, 187-89). External evidence is as follows: For the omission of 7:53-8:11, Ì66 Ì75 Í B L N T W X Y D Q Y 053 0141 0211 22 33 124 157 209 565 788 828 1230 1241 1242 1253 2193 al. In addition codices A and C are defective in this part of John, but it appears that neither contained the pericope, because careful measurement shows that there would not have been enough space on the missing pages to include the pericope 7:53-8:11 along with the rest of the text. Among the MSS that include 7:53-8:11 are: D F G H K M U G 28 700 892 1009 1010 1071 1079 1195 1216 1344 1365 1546 1646 2148 2174 Byz al. In addition E, S, L, and P include part or all of the passage with asterisks or obeli, 225 places the pericope after John 7:36, Ë1 places it after John 21:24 or 25, 115 after John 8:12, Ë13 after Luke 21:38, and the corrector of 1333 includes it after Luke 24:53. In evaluating this MS evidence, it should be remembered that in the gospels A is usually considered to be of Byzantine texttype (unlike in the Pauline epistles, where it is Alexandrian), as are E, F, and G (MSS with the same designation are of Western texttype in the Pauline epistles). This leaves D as the only major Western uncial witness in the gospels for the inclusion. Therefore the evidence could be summarized by saying that almost all early MSS of the Alexandrian texttype omit the pericope, while most MSS of the Western and Byzantine texttype include it. But it must be remembered that "Western MSS" here refers only to D, a single witness. Thus it can be seen that practically all of the earliest and best MSS extant omit the pericope; it is found only in MSS of secondary importance. But before one can conclude that the passage was not originally part of the Gospel of John, internal evidence needs to be considered as well. Internal evidence in favor of the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) 7:53 fits in the context. If the "last great day of the feast" (7:37) refers to the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, then the statement refers to the pilgrims and worshipers going home after living in "booths" for the week while visiting Jerusalem. (2) The chief priests and Pharisees had just mocked Nicodemus for suggesting that Jesus' claims might possibly be true. In particular they heaped scorn on Jesus' Galilean origins (7:52). But far more than a prophet was to come from Galilee, according to Isa 9:1-2. In view of John's observed fondness for Isaiah, it seems impossible that he was unaware of this prophecy. But if he was aware of it, he might be expected to work it into the background of the narrative, as he has often done before. And that is exactly what is found: 8:12 is the point when Jesus describes himself as the Light of the world. But the section in question mentions that Jesus returned to the temple at "early dawn" ( [Orqrou, Orqrou, in 8:2). This is the "dawning" of the Light of the world (8:12) mentioned by Isa 9:2. (3) Furthermore, note the relationship to what follows: just prior to presenting Jesus' statement that he is the Light of the world, John presents the reader with an example that shows Jesus as the light. Once again, this calls to mind one of the major themes of the Gospel: light and darkness (compare especially 3:19-21). Here the woman "came to the light" (although not at first willingly) while her accusers shrank away into the shadows, because their deeds were evil. This could be seen as an appropriate setting for Jesus to follow with the statement of 8:12, "I am the light of the world." Internal evidence against the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) In reply to the claim that the introduction to the pericope, 7:53, fits the context, it should also be noted that the narrative reads well without the pericope, so that Jesus' reply in 8:12 is directed against the charge of the Pharisees in 7:52 that no prophet comes from Galilee. (2) The assumption that the author "must" somehow work Isa 9:12 into the narrative is simply that--an assumption. The statement by the Pharisees in 7:52 about Jesus' Galilean origins is allowed to stand without correction by the author, although one might have expected him to mention that Jesus was really born in Bethlehem. And 8:12 does directly mention Jesus' claim to be the Light of the world. The author may well have presumed familiarity with Isa 9:12 on the part of his readers because of its widespread association with Jesus among early Christians. (3) The fact that the pericope deals with the light/darkness motif does not inherently strengthen its claim to authenticity, because the motif is so prominent in the Fourth Gospel that it may well have been the reason why someone felt that the pericope, circulating as an independent tradition, fit so well here. (4) In general the style of the pericope is not Johannine either in vocabulary or grammar. According to R. E. Brown it is closer stylistically to Lucan material (John [AB], 1:336). Interestingly one important family of MSS (Ë13) places the pericope after Luke 21:38. Conclusion: In the final analysis, the weight of evidence in this case must go with the external evidence. The earliest and best MSS do not contain the pericope. It is true with regard to internal evidence that an attractive case can be made for inclusion, but this is by nature subjective (as evidenced by the fact that strong arguments can be given against such as well). In terms of internal factors like vocabulary and style, the pericope does not stand up very well. The question may be asked whether this incident, although not an original part of the Gospel of John, should be regarded as an authentic tradition about Jesus. It could well be that it is ancient and may indeed represent an unusual instance where such a tradition survived outside of the bounds of the canonical literature.
sn (7:53) Double brackets have been placed around this passage to indicate that most likely it was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. In spite of this, the passage has an important role in the history of the transmission of the text, so it has been included in the translation.
2sn (8:1) The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.
3tn (8:2) An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.
4tn (8:3) Or "The scribes." The traditional rendering of grammateuv" (grammateu") as "scribe" does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean "professional copyist," if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus "expert in the law" comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
5sn (8:3) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
6tn (8:4) Grk "to him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
7sn (8:5) An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.
8sn (8:5) The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.
9tn (8:6) Grk "so that they could accuse."
10sn (8:6) This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53-8:11.
11tn (8:6) Or possibly "Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger." The Greek verb katagravfw (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus' response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added "the sins of each one of them" either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 115 264 700 et alii]).
12tn (8:7) Or "he straightened up."
13tn (8:7) Grk "and said to them."
14tn (8:7) Or "sinless."
15tn (8:8) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "Then" to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with "and," but English style generally does not.
16tn (8:9) Or "beginning from the eldest."
17tn (8:10) Or "stood up straight."
18sn (8:10) Woman was a polite form of address (see BAGD 168 s.v. gunhv), similar to "Madam" or "Ma'am" used in English in different regions.
19tc (8:11) The earliest and best MSS do not contain 7:53-8:11 (see note on 7:53).
20tn (8:12) Grk "Then again Jesus spoke to them saying."
21sn (8:12) The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88) that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus' remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: a choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person's decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus' opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.
22tn (8:12) The double negative ouj mhv (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.
23sn (8:13) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
24tn (8:13) Grk "Then the Pharisees said to him."
25sn (8:13) Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus' own statement about his testimony in 5:31.
26tn (8:14) Grk "Jesus answered and said to them."
27tn (8:14) The word "people" is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb ("do not know" in Greek are plural.
28sn (8:14) You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus' origin works on two levels at once: first, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.
29tn (8:15) The word "people" is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb ("judge") in Greek are plural.
30tn (8:15) Or "judge according to external things," Grk "according to the flesh." These translations are given by BAGD 744 s.v. savrx 6.
31sn (8:15) What is the meaning of Jesus' statement "I do not judge anyone"? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn't practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged--just as 3:19-21 previously stated. One's response to Jesus determines one's eternal destiny.
32tn (8:16) Grk "my judgment is true."
33tn (8:16) The phrase "when I judge" is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
34tn (8:16) The phrase "do so together" is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
35sn (8:17) An allusion to Deut 17:6.
36tn (8:18) Grk "I am the one who testifies about myself."
37tn (8:19) Grk "Then they were saying to him." The imperfect verb is translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.
38sn (8:19) If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus' reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).
39tn (8:20) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
40tn (8:20) The term gazofulavkion (gazofulakion) can be translated "treasury" or "treasure room" in this context. BAGD 149 s.v. gazofulakei'on notes, "It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 in (or at) the treasury. For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is certainly preferable. Acc. to Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets." However, it is more likely that it refers to one or more of the offering boxes in the temple forecourt near the Court of Women just as in the synoptics.
sn (8:20) Often translated "treasury," the Greek word gazofulavkion (gazofulakion) actually refers to one or more of the large collection boxes into which people placed their offerings. These were located in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women and were used to collect freewill offerings. They are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1).
41tn (8:20) Grk "the temple."
42tn (8:20) Grk "his hour."
43sn (8:20) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
44tn (8:21) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
45tn (8:21) The expression ou\n pavlin (oun palin) indicates some sort of break in the sequence of events, but it is not clear how long. The author does not mention the interval between 8:12-20 and this next recorded dialogue. The feast of Tabernacles is past, and the next reference to time is 10:22, where the feast of the Dedication is mentioned. The interval is two months, and these discussions could have taken place at any time within that interval, as long as one assumes something of a loose chronological framework. However, if the material in the Fourth Gospel is arranged theologically or thematically, such an assumption would not apply.
46tn (8:21) Grk "you will seek me."
47tn (8:21) The expression ejn th'/ aJmartiva/ uJmw'n ajpoqanei'sqe (en th Jamartia Jumwn apoqaneisqe) is similar to an expression found in the LXX at Ezek 3:18, 20 and Prov 24:9. Note the singular of aJmartiva (the plural occurs later in v. 24). To die with one's sin unrepented and unatoned would be the ultimate disaster to befall a person. Jesus' warning is stern but to the point.
48tn (8:22) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the religious leaders in Jerusalem. It was the Pharisees who had begun this line of questioning in John 8:13, and there has been no clear change since then in the identity of Jesus' opponents.
49tn (8:22) The imperfect verb is translated with ingressive force ("began to say") because the comments that follow were occasioned by Jesus' remarks in the preceding verse about his upcoming departure.
50tn (8:23) Grk "And he said to them."
51tn (8:23) The word "people" is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
52tn (8:24) Grk "thus I said to you."
53tn (8:24) Grk "unless you believe that I am." In this context there is an implied predicate nominative ("the Christ") following the "I am" phrase. What Jesus' hearers had to acknowledge is that he was the Messiah (cf. 20:31). For a different view that takes this "I am" and the one in 8:28 as non-predicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38.
sn (8:24) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
54tn (8:25) Grk "Jesus said to them."
55tn (8:26) Or "I have many things to pronounce in judgment about you." The two Greek infinitives could be understood as a hendiadys, resulting in one phrase.
56tn (8:26) Grk "the one"; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
57tn (8:26) Grk "true" (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
58tn (8:26) Grk "and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world."
59sn (8:27) They did not understand...about his Father is a parenthetical note by the author. This type of comment, intended for the benefit of the reader, is typical of the "omniscient author" convention adopted by the author, who is writing from a post-resurrection point of view. He writes possessing knowledge that those who originally heard Jesus' words would not have had.
60tn (8:28) Grk "Then Jesus said to them" (the words "to them" are not found in all MSS).
61tn (8:28) Grk "that I am."
62tn (8:28) Grk "I do nothing from myself."
63tn (8:28) Grk "but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak."
64tn (8:29) That is, "he has not abandoned me."
65tn (8:30) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
66tn (8:31) Grk "to the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus' teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah.
67tn (8:31) Grk "If you continue in my word."
68tn (8:31) Or "truly."
69tn (8:32) Or "the truth will release you." The translation "set you free" or "release you" (unlike the more traditional "make you free") conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.
sn (8:32) The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John's Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, "it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)" (John [NICNT], 457).
70tn (8:33) Grk "We are the seed" (an idiom).
71tn (8:33) Grk "They answered to him."
72tn (8:33) Or "How is it that you say."
73tn (8:34) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
74tn (8:34) Or "who commits." This could simply be translated, "everyone who sins," but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle poiw'n (poiwn) in a construction with pa'" (pas), a typical Johannine construction). Here repeated, continuous action is in view. The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence.
75tn (8:34) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
76tn (8:35) Or "household." The Greek work oijkiva (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an "extended family").
77sn (8:35) Jesus' point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).
78tn (8:36) Or "Son." The question is whether "son" is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).
79tn (8:37) Grk "seed" (an idiom).
80tn (8:37) Grk "you are seeking."
81tn (8:37) Grk "my word."
82tn (8:37) Or "finds no place in you." The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus' teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BAGD 889 s.v. 2.
83tc (8:38) The first personal pronoun ("my") is clearly implied, and no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading mou (mou) found in the majority of witnesses (Í Q Y 0250 Ë1 Ë13 Byz Itala et alii).
tn (8:38) Grk "with the Father."
84tn (8:38) Grk "The things which I have seen with [my] Father I speak about."
85tn (8:38) Grk "and you thus" (context indicates a contrast here).
86tc (8:38) A few significant witnesses omit "your" (uJmw'n, Jumwn) here (Ì66 B L W 070 et pauci). However, this omission seems motivated by the omission of mou (mou) with the previous mention of pathvr (pathr) in this verse. It is not insignificant that a few important MSS that omitted mou earlier now have uJmw'n (e.g., Ì75 C et pauci).
87tn (8:39) Grk "They answered and said to him."
88tn (8:39) Or "Our father is Abraham."
89tn (8:39) Grk "Jesus said to them."
90tc (8:39) Some MSS read, "If you are Abraham's children, then do."
tn (8:39) Or "you would do."
91tn (8:40) Grk "seeking."
92tn (8:40) Grk "has spoken to you."
93tn (8:40) The Greek word order is emphatic: "This Abraham did not do." The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.
94tn (8:41) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
95tn (8:41) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
96sn (8:41) We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus' opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus' true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents' suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story.
97tn (8:42) Grk "Jesus said to them."
98tn (8:42) Or "I came from God and have arrived."
99tn (8:42) Grk "For I." Here gavr (gar) has not been translated.
100tn (8:42) Grk "from myself."
101tn (8:42) Grk "that one" (referring to God).
102tn (8:43) Grk "you cannot hear," but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.
103tn (8:43) Grk "my word."
104tn (8:44) The word "people" is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
105tn (8:44) Many translations read "You are of your father the devil" (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or "You belong to your father, the devil" (NIV), but the Greek preposition ejk (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil's very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).
106tn (8:44) Grk "the desires of your father you want to do."
107tn (8:44) Grk "That one" (referring to the devil).
108tn (8:44) Grk "he does not stand in the truth" (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
109tn (8:44) Grk "Whenever he speaks the lie."
110tn (8:44) Grk "he speaks from his own."
111tn (8:44) Grk "because he is a liar and the father of it."
112tn (8:45) Or "because I tell you."
113tn (8:46) Or "can convict me."
114tn (8:46) Or "of having sinned"; Grk "of sin."
115tn (8:46) Or "if I tell you."
116tn (8:47) Grk "who is of."
117tn (8:47) Grk "to God hears" (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
118tn (8:47) Grk "you do not hear" (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
119tn (8:47) Grk "you are not of God."
120tn (8:48) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus' teaching in the temple and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (John 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.
121tn (8:48) Grk "answered and said to him."
122tn (8:48) Grk "Do we not say rightly."
123tn (8:48) Grk "and have a demon." It is not clear what is meant by the charge Samarivth" ei\ suV kaiV daimovnion e[cei" (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be "you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon." Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.
124tn (8:49) Grk "I do not have a demon."
125tn (8:49) "Yet" is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
126tn (8:50) Grk "I am not seeking."
127tn (8:50) Grk "my glory."
128tn (8:50) Grk "who seeks."
129tn (8:50) Or "will be the judge."
130tn (8:51) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
131tn (8:51) Grk "If anyone keeps."
132tn (8:51) Grk "my word."
133tn (8:51) Grk "he will never see death forever."
sn (8:51) Those who keep Jesus' words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.
134tn (8:52) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus' teaching in the temple and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (John 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach.
135tn (8:52) Grk "said to him."
136tn (8:52) Grk "you have a demon."
137tn (8:52) "Yet" has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
138tn (8:52) Grk "If anyone keeps."
139tn (8:52) Grk "my word."
140tn (8:52) Grk "he will never taste of death forever."
141tn (8:53) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "are you?").
142tn (8:54) Grk "Jesus answered."
143tn (8:54) Grk "is nothing."
144tn (8:54) The word "people" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
145tn (8:55) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "Yet" to indicate the contrast present in the context.
146tn (8:55) Grk "If I say, `I do not know him.'"
147tn (8:55) Grk "I keep."
148tn (8:55) Grk "his word."
149tn (8:56) Or "rejoiced greatly."
150tn (8:56) What is the meaning of Jesus' statement that the patriarch Abraham "saw" his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch's lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus' words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah ("Binding"), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice--an occasion of certain rejoicing.
151tn (8:57) Grk "Then the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus' teaching in the temple and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (John 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.
152tn (8:57) Grk "said to him."
153tn (8:57) Grk `You do not yet have fifty years" (an idiom).
154tn (8:57) Grk "And have."
155tn (8:58) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
156tn (8:58) Grk "before Abraham was."
157sn (8:58) I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase "I am" in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).
158tn (8:59) Grk "they took up."
159sn (8:59) Jesus' Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.
1tn (9:1) Or "going along." The opening words of chap. 9, kaiV paravgwn (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances. Since there is no break with chap. 8, Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. 9 fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). But in the author's narrative the connection exists--the incident recorded in chap. 9 (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12, I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. 9 is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind (Exod 4:11, Ps 146:8). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18, 35:5, 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.
2tn (9:2) Grk "asked him, saying."
3tn (9:2) Grk "this one."
4tn (9:2) Grk "in order that he should be born blind."
sn (9:2) The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man's blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man's parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.
5tn (9:3) Grk "this one."
6tn (9:3) Grk "but so that." There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: "but [he was born blind] so that" or "but [it happened to him] so that."
7tn (9:3) Or "deeds"; Grk "works."
8tn (9:3) Or "manifested," "brought to light."
9tn (9:3) Grk "in him."
10tn (9:4) Grk "We must work the works."
11tn (9:4) Or "of him who sent me" (God).
12tn (9:4) Or "while."
13sn (9:5) Jesus' statement I am the light of the world connects the present account with 8:12. Here (seen more clearly than at 8:12) it is obvious what the author sees as the significance of Jesus' statement. "Light" is not a metaphysical definition of the person of Jesus but a description of his effect on the world, forcing everyone in the world to `choose up sides' for or against him (cf. 3:19-21).
14tn (9:6) Grk "said these things."
15tn (9:6) Or "clay" (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency). The textual variant preserved in the Syriac text of Ephraem's commentary on the Diatessaron ("he made eyes from his clay") probably arose from the interpretation given by Irenaeus in Against Heresies: "that which the Artificer, the Word, had omitted to form in the womb, he then supplied in public." This involves taking the clay as an allusion to Gen 2:7, which is very unlikely.
16tn (9:6) Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction kaiv (kai) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.
17tn (9:6) Grk "on his."
18tn (9:7) The pool's name in Hebrew is shiloah from the Hebrew verb "to send." In Gen 49:10 the somewhat obscure shiloh was interpreted messianically by later Jewish tradition, and some have seen a lexical connection between the two names (although this is somewhat dubious). It is known, however, that it was from the pool of Siloam that the water which was poured out at the altar during the feast of Tabernacles was drawn.
19sn (9:7) This is a parenthetical note by the author. Why does he comment on the meaning of the name of the pool? Here, the significance is that the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the man born blind. The name of the pool is applicable to the man, but also to Jesus himself, who was sent from heaven.
20tn (9:7) Grk "So he"; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.
21tn (9:8) Or "formerly."
22tn (9:8) An ingressive force ("began saying") is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.
23tn (9:8) Grk "the one."
24tn (9:9) Grk "Others were saying."
25tn (9:9) Grk "This is the one."
26tn (9:9) Grk "No, but he is like him."
27tn (9:9) Grk "That one"; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.
28tn (9:9) Grk "I am he."
29tn (9:10) Grk "So they were saying to him."
30tn (9:10) Grk "How then were your eyes opened" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
31tn (9:11) Grk "That one answered."
32tn (9:11) Or "clay" (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
33tn (9:11) Grk "and smeared." Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.
34tn (9:11) Grk "said to me."
35tn (9:11) Or "and I gained my sight."
36tn (9:12) Grk "And they said."
37tn (9:12) Grk "that one." "Man" is more normal English style for the referent.
38tn (9:12) Grk "He said."
39tn (9:13) Grk "who was formerly blind."
40sn (9:13) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
41tn (9:14) Or "clay" (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
42tn (9:14) Grk "and opened his eyes" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
43sn (9:14) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
44tn (9:15) Or "how he had become able to see."
sn (9:15) So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: on the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).
45tn (9:15) Grk "And he said to them."
46tn (9:15) Or "clay" (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
47tn (9:15) The word "now" is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man's former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).
48tn (9:16) As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect ("began to say" or "started saying").
49tn (9:16) Grk "he does not keep."
50sn (9:16) The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.
51tn (9:16) Grk "do."
52tn (9:16) Or "So there was discord."
53tn (9:17) Grk "the blind man."
54tn (9:17) Grk "since he opened your eyes" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
55tn (9:17) Grk "And he said, `He is a prophet.'"
sn (9:17) At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn't have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a "prophet."
56tn (9:18) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16.
57tn (9:18) The Greek text contains the words "about him" at this point: "the Jewish authorities did not believe about him..."
58tn (9:18) Grk "they called."
59tn (9:18) Or "the man who had gained his sight."
60tn (9:19) Grk "and they asked them, saying"; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61tn (9:19) The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).
62tn (9:20) Grk "So his parents answered and said."
63tn (9:21) Grk "who opened his eyes" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
64tn (9:21) Or "he is of age."
65tn (9:22) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. See the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 18.
66tn (9:22) Grk "confessed him."
67tn (9:22) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (9:22) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
68tn (9:22) Or "would be expelled from."
69sn (9:22) This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and non-historical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.
70tn (9:23) Or "he is of age."
71sn (9:23) This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents' response.
72tn (9:24) Grk "they called."
73tn (9:24) Grk "who was blind."
74tn (9:24) Grk "Give glory to God" (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).
75tn (9:24) The phrase "this man" is a reference to Jesus.
76tn (9:25) Grk "Then that one answered."
77tn (9:26) Grk "open your eyes" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
78tn (9:27) Grk "He answered them." The indirect object aujtoi'" (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
79tn (9:27) Grk "you did not hear."
80tn (9:27) "It" is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.
81tn (9:27) The word "people" is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
82tn (9:28) Grk "And they." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
83tn (9:28) The Greek word means "to insult strongly" or "slander."
84tn (9:28) Grk "and said."
85tn (9:28) Grk "You are that one's disciple."
86tn (9:29) Grk "where this one."
87tn (9:30) Grk "The man answered and said to them." This has been simplified in the translation to "The man replied."
88tn (9:30) Grk "For in this is a remarkable thing."
89tn (9:30) Grk "and he opened my eyes" (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
90tn (9:31) Grk "God does not hear."
91tn (9:31) Or "godly."
92tn (9:31) Grk "he"; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
93tn (9:31) Or "hears."
94tn (9:31) Grk "this one."
95tn (9:32) Or "Never from the beginning of time," Grk "From eternity."
96tn (9:32) Grk "someone opening the eyes of a man born blind" ("opening the eyes" is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
97tn (9:33) Grk "this one."
98tn (9:34) Grk "They answered and said to him." This has been simplified in the translation to "They replied."
99tn (9:34) Or "From birth you have been evil." The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.
100tn (9:34) Grk "and are you teaching us?"
101tn (9:35) Grk "found him"; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
102tn (9:36) Grk "That one."
103tn (9:36) Grk answered and said." This has been simplified in the translation to "replied."
104tn (9:36) Or "And who is he, sir? Tell me so that..." Some translations supply elliptical words like "Tell me" (NIV, NRSV) following the man's initial question, but the shorter form given in the translation is clear enough.
105tn (9:37) Grk "that one."
106tn (9:37) The kaiv--kaiv (kai--kai) construction would normally be translated "both--and": "You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you." In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.
107sn (9:38) Assuming the authenticity of John 9:38-39a (see the tc (9:38) note following the bracket in v. 39), the man's response after Jesus' statement of v. 37 is extremely significant: he worshiped Jesus. In the Johannine context the word would connote its full sense: this was something due God alone. Note also that Jesus did not prevent the man from doing this. The verb proskunevw (proskunew) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. This would be the only place in John's Gospel where anyone is said to have worshiped Jesus using this term. As such, it forms the climax of the story of the man born blind, but the uniqueness of the concept of worshiping Jesus at this point in John's narrative (which reaches its ultimate climax in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28) may suggest it is too early for such a response and it represents a later scribal addition.
108tn (9:39) Grk "And Jesus." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
109tc (9:39) Some early and important witnesses (Ì75 Í* W et pauci itb,(l) sams ac2 mf) lack the words, "He said, `Lord, I believe,' and he worshiped him. Jesus said," (vv. 38-39a). This is weighty evidence for the omission of these words. It is difficult to overstate the value of Ì75 here, since it is the only currently available papyrus MS extant for the text of John 9:38-39. Further, Í is an important and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other MSS, however, include these words. The omission may have been occasioned by parablepsis (both verses 37 and 39 begin with "Jesus said to him"), though it is difficult to account for such an error across such a wide variety of witnesses. On the other hand, the longer reading appears to be motivated by liturgical concerns (so R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:375), since the verb proskunevw (proskunew, "I worship") is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. If these words were authentic here, this would the only place in John's Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of proskunevw. Even if these words are not authentic, such an omission would nevertheless hardly diminish John's high Christology (cf. 1:1; 5:18-23; 14:6-10; 20:28), nor the implicit worship of him by Thomas (20:28). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult, and the included words may reflect a very early tradition about the blind man's response to Jesus. Because of the difficulty of this problem, the words have been retained, but placed in square brackets to indicate a strong degree of doubt as to their inclusion in the original text of John.
110tn (9:39) Or "that those who do not see may see."
111sn (9:40) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
112tn (9:40) Grk "heard these things."
113tn (9:40) Grk "and said to him."
114tn (9:40) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "are we?").
115tn (9:41) Grk "Jesus said to them."
116tn (9:41) Grk "you would not have sin."
117tn (9:41) Grk "now because you say, `We see...'"
118tn (9:41) Or "your sin."
119sn (9:41) Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus' words to Nicodemus in 3:10, "Are you the teacher of Israel and don't understand these things?" In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one's eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).
1tn (10:1) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
2sn (10:1) There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus' day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, aujlhv [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).
3tn (10:1) Or "entrance."
4tn (10:3) Or "porter" (British English).
sn (10:3) There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.
5tn (10:3) The words "the door" are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
6tn (10:3) Grk "For this one."
7tn (10:3) Grk "And he." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
8sn (10:3) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.
9tn (10:4) The word "sheep" is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
10tn (10:4) Grk "because they know."
11tn (10:5) Or "someone whom they do not know."
12tn (10:5) Grk "know."
13tn (10:5) Or "the voice of someone they do not know."
14sn (10:6) A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word paroimivan (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where parabolhv (parabolh) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.
15tn (10:6) Grk "these."
16tn (10:6) Or "comprehend."
17tn (10:7) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
18tn (10:7) Or "I am the sheep's door."
19tn (10:8) Grk "are" (present tense).
20tn (10:8) Or "the sheep did not hear them."
21tn (10:9) Since the Greek phrase eijsevrcomai kaiV ejxevrcomai (eisercomai kai exercomai, "come in and go out") is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community ("to live with, to live among" [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus' words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BAGD 233 s.v. eijsevrcomai 1.d.
22sn (10:9) That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
23tn (10:10) That is, "to slaughter" (in reference to animals).
24tn (10:10) That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
25tn (10:11) Or "model" (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that "model" is a more exact translation of kalov" [kalos] here).
26tn (10:11) Or "The good shepherd dies willingly."
sn (10:11) Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: the thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: he has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd's death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).
27sn (10:12) Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.
28tn (10:12) Grk "leaves."
29tn (10:12) Or "flees."
30tn (10:12) Or "seizes." The more traditional rendering, "snatches," has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so "attacks" is preferable.
31tn (10:13) Grk "does not have a care for the sheep."
32tc (10:13) The phrase "he runs away" is not included in several important manuscripts (Ì66 Ì75 A* B D 1 33 et alii). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv.12-13 which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.
33tn (10:14) Grk "And I." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
34tn (10:14) The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be "sheep," but Jesus was ultimately talking about "people."
35tn (10:15) Or "I die willingly."
36tn (10:15) Or "on behalf of" or "for the sake of."
37tn (10:16) Grk "And I have." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
38tn (10:16) Or "that do not belong to"; Grk "that are not of."
39sn (10:16) The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world--not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.
40tn (10:16) Grk "they will hear my voice."
41tn (10:16) Grk "voice, and."
42tn (10:16) The word "and" is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.
43tn (10:17) Grk "Because of this the Father loves me."
44tn (10:17) Or "die willingly."
45tn (10:18) Or "give it up."
46tn (10:18) Or "of my own accord." "Of my own free will" is given by BAGD 253 s.v. ejmautou' 3.
47tn (10:18) Or "I have the right."
48tn (10:18) Or "I have the right."
49tn (10:18) Or "order."
50tn (10:19) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities. The Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40.
51tn (10:20) Or "is insane." To translate simply "he is mad" (so KJV, ASV, RSV; "raving mad" NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.
52tn (10:21) Or "the sayings."
53tn (10:21) Grk "open the eyes of the blind" ("opening the eyes" is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
54tn (10:21) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "can it?").
55tn (10:22) That is, Hanukkah or the `Festival of Lights.' The Greek name for the feast, taV ejgkaivnia (ta enkainia), literally means "renewal" and was used to translate Hanukkah which means "dedication." The Greek noun, with its related verbs, was the standard term used in the LXX for the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle (Num 7:10-11), the altar of the temple of Solomon (1 Kgs 8:63; 2 Chr 7:5), and the altar of the second temple (Ezra 6:16). The word is thus connected with the consecration of all the houses of God in the history of the nation of Israel.
sn (10:22) The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164 B.C.--when Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians, rebuilt the altar, and rededicated the temple on 25 Kislev (1 Macc 4:41-61). From a historical standpoint, it was the last great deliverance the Jewish people had experienced, and it came at a time when least expected. Josephus ends his account of the institution of the festival with the following statement: "And from that time to the present we observe this festival, which we call the festival of Lights, giving this name to it, I think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it" (Ant. 12.7.6 [12.325]).
56sn (10:23) It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.
57tn (10:23) Or "portico," "colonnade"; Grk "stoa."
sn (10:23) Solomon's Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.
58tn (10:24) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities. The question they ask Jesus ("Are you the Christ?") is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 19.
59tn (10:24) Grk "said to him."
60tn (10:24) Grk "How long will you take away our life?" (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase thVn yuchVn hJmw'n ai[rei" (thn yuchn Jhmwn airei") meaning "to keep in suspense" is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means "to annoy, bother."
61tn (10:24) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (10:24) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
62tn (10:24) Or "publicly."
63tn (10:25) Grk "answered them."
64tn (10:25) Or "the works."
65tn (10:28) Grk "And I give."
66tn (10:28) Or "will never die" or "will never be lost."
67tn (10:28) Or "no one will seize."
68tn (10:29) Or "is superior to all."
69tn (10:29) Or "no one can seize."
70tn (10:30) Grk "I and the Father." The order has been reversed to reflect English style.
71tn (10:30) The phrase e{n ejsmen ({en esmen) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. e{n is neuter, not masculine, so the assertion is not that Jesus and the Father are one person, but one `thing.' Identity of the two persons is not what is asserted, but essential unity (unity of essence).
72tn (10:31) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities. See the notes on the phrases "Jewish authorities" in v. 19 and "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 24.
73tn (10:32) Grk "Jesus answered them."
74tn (10:32) Or "good works."
75tn (10:33) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities. See the notes on the phrases "Jewish authorities" in v. 19, "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 24, and "Jewish authorities" in v. 31.
76tn (10:33) Grk "answered him."
77tn (10:33) Or "good work."
78sn (10:33) This is the first time the official charge of blasphemy is voiced openly in the Fourth Gospel (although it was implicit in John 8:59).
79tn (10:33) Grk "and because."
80tn (10:33) Grk "you, a man, make yourself to be God."
81tn (10:34) Grk "answered them."
82sn (10:34) A quotation from Ps 82:6. Technically the Psalms are not part of the OT "law" (which usually referred to the five books of Moses), but occasionally the term "law" was applied to the entire OT, as here. The problem in this verse concerns the meaning of Jesus' quotation from Ps 82:6. It is important to look at the OT context: the whole line reads, "I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you." Jesus will pick up on the term "sons of the Most High" in 10:36, where he refers to himself as the Son of God. The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title "gods" because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. What is the argument here? It is often thought to be as follows: if it was an OT practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and not blasphemy, why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus? This really doesn't seem to fit the context, however, since if that were the case Jesus would not be making any claim for "divinity" for himself over and above any other human being--and therefore he would not be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Rather, this is evidently a case of arguing from the lesser to the greater, a common form of rabbinic argument. The reason the OT judges could be called gods is because they were vehicles of the word of God (cf. 10:35). But granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is the Word incarnate, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world (10:36). In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men "gods" because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word "God" of him who is the Word of God?
83sn (10:35) The parenthetical note And the scripture cannot be broken belongs to Jesus' words rather than the author's. Not only does Jesus appeal to the OT to defend himself against the charge of blasphemy, but he also adds that the scripture cannot be "broken." In this context he does not explain precisely what is meant by "broken," but it is not too hard to determine. Jesus' argument depended on the exact word used in the context of Ps 82:6. If any other word for "judge" had been used in the psalm, his argument would have been meaningless. Since the scriptures do use this word in Ps 82:6, the argument is binding, because they cannot be "broken" in the sense of being shown to be in error.
84tn (10:36) Or "dedicated."
85tn (10:37) Or "do."
86tn (10:37) Or "works."
87tn (10:38) Or "works."
sn (10:38) Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.
88tn (10:38) Or "so that you may learn."
89tn (10:39) Grk "they were seeking."
90tn (10:39) Grk "he departed out of their hand."
sn (10:39) It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to "arrest" him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches. Nor is it clear whether Jesus' escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his "hour" comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: his enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.
91tn (10:40) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
92tn (10:40) The word "River" is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
93sn (10:40) John refers to John the Baptist.
94tn (10:40) Grk "formerly."
sn (10:40) This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).
95tn (10:41) Grk "And many." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
96sn (10:41) John refers to John the Baptist.
97tn (10:41) Grk "did."
98tn (10:41) Grk "this one."
99tn (10:42) Grk "in him."
1tn (11:1) Grk "from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha."
2tn (11:2) Or "perfume," "ointment."
3sn (11:2) This is a parenthetical note by the author. It is a bit surprising that the author here identifies Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, since this event is not mentioned until later, in 12:3. Many see this "proleptic" reference as an indication that the author expected his readers to be familiar with the story already, and go on to assume that in general the author in writing the Fourth Gospel assumed his readers were familiar with the other three gospels. Whether the author assumed actual familiarity with the synoptic gospels or not, it is probable that he did assume some familiarity with Mary's anointing activity.
4tn (11:3) The phrase "a message" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.
5tn (11:3) Grk "to him, saying"; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
6tn (11:4) Grk "This sickness is not to death."
sn (11:4) Jesus plainly stated the purpose of Lazarus' sickness in the plan of God: the end of the matter would not be death, but the glorification of the Son. Johannine double-meanings abound here: death would not be the end of the matter, but Lazarus is going to die; and ultimately his death and resurrection would lead to the death and resurrection of the Son of God (11:45-53). Furthermore, the glorification of the Son is not praise that comes to him for the miracle, but his death, resurrection, and return to the Father which the miracle precipitates (note the response of the Jewish authorities in 11:47-53).
7tn (11:4) Or "to God's praise."
8sn (11:4) So that the Son of God may be glorified through it. These statements are highly ironic: For Lazarus, the sickness did not end in his death, because he was restored to life. But for Jesus himself, the miraculous sign he performed led to his own death, because it confirmed the authorities in their plan to kill Jesus (11:47-53). In the Gospel of John, Jesus' death is consistently portrayed as his `glorification' through which he accomplishes his return to the Father.
9sn (11:5) This is a parenthetical note by the author. It was necessary for the author to reaffirm Jesus' love for Martha and her sister and Lazarus here because Jesus' actions in the following verse appear to be contradictory.
10tn (11:6) Grk "that he"; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
11sn (11:7) The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).
12tn (11:8) Grk "The disciples said to him."
13tn (11:8) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities. See the previous references and the notes on the phrases "Jewish authorities" in v. 19, "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 24, and "Jewish authorities" in vv. 31, 33.
14tn (11:8) Grk "seeking."
15tn (11:8) Grk "And are." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
16tn (11:9) Grk "Jesus answered."
17tn (11:9) Or "he does not trip."
18sn (11:9) What is the light of this world? On one level, of course, it refers to the sun, but the reader of John's Gospel would recall 8:12 and understand Jesus' symbolic reference to himself as the light of the world. There is only a limited time left (Are there not twelve hours in a day?) until the Light will be withdrawn (until Jesus returns to the Father) and the one who walks around in the dark will trip and fall (compare the departure of Judas by night in 13:30).
19tn (11:10) Or "he trips."
20tn (11:11) Grk "He said these things, and after this he said to them."
21tn (11:11) The verb koimavw (koimaw) literally means "sleep," but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: believers will one day "wake up" out of death. Here the term refers to death, but "asleep" was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term, especially in light of the disciples' confusion over what Jesus actually meant (see v. 13).
22tn (11:12) Grk "Then the disciples said to him."
23tn (11:13) Or "speaking about."
24tn (11:13) Grk "these."
25tn (11:13) Grk "the sleep of slumber"; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.
sn (11:13) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
26tn (11:15) Grk "and I rejoice."
27sn (11:15) So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples' belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples' faith previous to this in John's Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.
28sn (11:16) Didymus means "the twin" in Greek.
29sn (11:16) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
30sn (11:16) One gets the impression from Thomas' statement "Let us go too, so that we may die with him" that he was something of a pessimist resigned to his fate. And yet his dedicated loyalty to Jesus and his determination to accompany him at all costs was truly commendable. Nor is the contrast between this statement and the confession of Thomas in 20:28, which forms the climax of the entire Fourth Gospel, to be overlooked; certainly Thomas' concept of who Jesus is has changed drastically between 11:16 and 20:28.
31tn (11:17) Grk "Then when."
32tn (11:17) Grk "came."
33tn (11:17) Grk "he"; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
34tn (11:17) Grk "he had already had four days in the tomb" (an idiom).
sn (11:17) There is no description of the journey itself. The author simply states that when Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. He had died some time before this but probably not very long (cf. Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:6,10 who were buried immediately after they died, as was the common practice of the time). There is some later evidence (early 3rd century) of a rabbinic belief that the soul hovered near the body of the deceased for three days, hoping to be able to return to the body. But on the fourth day it saw the beginning of decomposition and finally departed (Leviticus Rabbah 18.1). If this belief is as old as the 1st century, it might suggest the significance of the four days: after this time, resurrection would be a first-order miracle, an unequivocal demonstration of the power of God. It is not certain if the tradition is this early, but it is suggestive. Certainly the author does not appear to attach any symbolic significance to the four days in the narrative.
35tn (11:18) Or "three kilometers"; Grk "fifteen stades" (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
36tn (11:19) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:45-46. See the note on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 8.
37tn (11:19) Or "to comfort them" or "to offer them sympathy."
38tn (11:19) Grk "to comfort them concerning their brother"; the words "loss of" are not in the Greek text but are implied.
sn (11:19) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
39sn (11:20) Notice the difference in the response of the two sisters: Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains sitting in the house. It is similar to the incident in Luke 10:38-42. Here again one finds Martha occupied with the responsibilities of hospitality; she is the one who greets Jesus.
40tn (11:21) Grk "Then Martha." Here ou\n (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
41tn (11:22) Or "give."
42sn (11:22) The statement "whatever you ask from God, God will grant you" by Martha presents something of a dilemma, because she seems to be suggesting here (implicitly at least) the possibility of a resurrection for her brother. However, Martha's statement in 11:39 makes it clear that she had no idea that a resurrection was still possible. How then are her words in 11:22 to be understood? It seems best to take them as a confession of Martha's continuing faith in Jesus even though he was not there in time to help her brother. She means, in effect, "Even though you weren't here in time to help, I still believe that God grants your requests."
43tn (11:23) Grk "Jesus said to her."
44tn (11:23) Or "Your brother will rise again."
sn (11:23) Jesus' remark to Martha that Lazarus would come back to life again is another example of the misunderstood statement. Martha apparently took it as a customary statement of consolation and joined Jesus in professing belief in the general resurrection of the body at the end of the age. However, as Jesus went on to point out in 11:25-26, Martha's general understanding of the resurrection at the last day was inadequate for the present situation, for the gift of life that conquers death was a present reality to Jesus. This is consistent with the author's perspective on eternal life in the Fourth Gospel: it is not only a future reality, but something to be experienced in the present as well. It is also consistent with the so-called "realized eschatology" of the Fourth Gospel.
45tn (11:24) Grk "Martha said to him."
46tn (11:24) Or "will rise again."
47tn (11:25) That is, will come to life.
48tn (11:26) Grk "will never die forever."
49tn (11:27) Grk "She said to him."
50tn (11:27) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (11:27) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
51tn (11:27) Or "the Son of God, the One who comes into the world."
52tn (11:28) Grk "she"; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
53tn (11:28) Or "in secret" (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).
54tn (11:28) Grk "is calling you."
55tn (11:29) Grk "she"; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
56tn (11:31) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:45-46. See also the notes on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 8 and "the Jewish people who lived in Jerusalem" in v. 19.
57tn (11:31) Grk "her"; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
58tn (11:31) Grk "Mary"; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.
59tn (11:31) Or "to mourn" (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
60tn (11:33) Grk "the Jews" Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:45-46. See also the notes on the phrase "the Jewish authorities" in v. 8, "the Jewish people who lived in Jerusalem" in v. 19, and "the Jewish people from Jerusalem" in v. 31.
61tn (11:33) Or (perhaps) "he was deeply indignant." The verb ejnebrimhvsato (enebrimhsato), which is repeated in John 11:38, indicates a strong display of emotion, somewhat difficult to translate--"shuddered, moved with the deepest emotions." In the LXX, the verb and its cognates are used to describe a display of indignation (Dan 11:30, for example--see also Mark 14:5). Jesus displayed this reaction to the afflicted in Mark 1:43, Matt 9:30. Was he angry at the afflicted? No, but he was angry because he found himself face-to-face with the manifestations of Satan's kingdom of evil. Here, the realm of Satan was represented by death.
62tn (11:33) Or "greatly troubled." The verb taravssw (tarassw) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ejnebrimhvsato (enebrimhsato). John uses it in 14:1 and 27 to describe the reaction of the disciples to the imminent death of Jesus, and in 13:21 the verb describes how Jesus reacted to the thought of being betrayed by Judas, into whose heart Satan had entered.
63tn (11:34) Grk "And he said." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
64tn (11:34) Or "Where have you placed him?"
65tn (11:34) Grk "They said to him." The indirect object aujtw'/ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.
66sn (11:35) Jesus wept. The Greek word used here for Jesus' weeping (ejdavkrusen, edakrusen) is different from the one used to describe the weeping of Mary and the Jews in v. 33 which indicated loud wailing and cries of lament. This word simply means "to shed tears" and has more the idea of quiet grief. But why did Jesus do this? Not out of grief for Lazarus, since he was about to be raised to life again. L. Morris (John [NICNT], 558) thinks it was grief over the misconception of those round about. But it seems that in the context the weeping is triggered by the thought of Lazarus in the tomb: this was not personal grief over the loss of a friend (since Lazarus was about to be restored to life) but grief over the effects of sin, death, and the realm of Satan. It was a natural complement to the previous emotional expression of anger (11:33). It is also possible that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus because he knew there was also a tomb for himself ahead.
67tn (11:36) Grk "the Jews" Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:45-46. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, and 33.
68tn (11:37) Grk "who opened the eyes of the blind man" ("opening the eyes" is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
69tn (11:37) Grk "this one"; the second half of 11:37 reads Grk "Could not this one who opened the eyes of the blind have done something to keep this one from dying?" In the Greek text the repetition of "this one" in 11:37b referring to two different persons (first Jesus, second Lazarus) could confuse a modern reader. Thus the first reference, to Jesus, has been translated as "he" to refer back to the beginning of v. 37, where the reference to "the man who caused the blind man to see" is clearly a reference to Jesus. The second reference, to Lazarus, has been specified ("Lazarus") in the translation for clarity.
70tn (11:38) Or (perhaps) "Jesus was deeply indignant."
71sn (11:38) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
72tn (11:39) Or "Remove the stone."
73tn (11:39) Grk "the sister of the one who had died."
74tn (11:39) Grk "already he stinks."
75tn (11:39) Or "been there" (in the tomb--see John 11:17).
76sn (11:39) He has been buried four days. Although all the details of the miracle itself are not given, those details which are mentioned are important. The statement made by Martha is extremely significant for understanding what actually took place. There is no doubt that Lazarus had really died, because the decomposition of his body had already begun to take place, since he had been dead for four days.
77tn (11:40) Grk "Jesus said to her."
78tn (11:41) Or "they removed."
79tn (11:41) Grk "lifted up his eyes above."
80tn (11:41) Or "that you have heard me."
81tn (11:42) Grk "that you always hear me."
82tn (11:42) The word "this" is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
83tn (11:43) Grk "And when."
84sn (11:43) The purpose of the loud voice was probably to ensure that all in the crowd could hear (compare the purpose of the prayer of thanksgiving in vv. 41-42).
85sn (11:44) Many have wondered how Lazarus got out of the tomb if his hands and feet were still tied up with strips of cloth. The author does not tell, and with a miracle of this magnitude, this is not an important fact to know. If Lazarus' decomposing body was brought back to life by the power of God, then it could certainly have been moved out of the tomb by that same power. Others have suggested that the legs were bound separately, which would remove the difficulty, but the account gives no indication of this. What may be of more significance for the author is the comparison which this picture naturally evokes with the resurrection of Jesus, where the graveclothes stayed in the tomb neatly folded (20:6-7). Jesus, unlike Lazarus, would never need graveclothes again.
86tn (11:44) Grk "and his face tied around with cloth."
87tn (11:44) Grk "Loose him."
88tn (11:45) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:45-46. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.
89tn (11:45) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
90sn (11:46) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
91tn (11:46) Grk "told them."
92tn (11:47) The phrase "chief priests and Pharisees" is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.
93tn (11:47) Or "Sanhedrin" (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). The sunevdrion (sunedrion) which they gathered was probably an informal meeting rather than the official Sanhedrin. This is the only occurrence of the word sunevdrion in the Gospel of John, and the only anarthrous singular use in the NT. There are other plural anarthrous uses which have the general meaning "councils." The fact that Caiaphas in 11:49 is referred to as "one of them" supports the unofficial nature of the meeting; in the official Sanhedrin he, being high priest that year, would have presided over the assembly. Thus it appears that an informal council was called to discuss what to do about Jesus and his activities.
94tn (11:48) Grk "If we let him do thus."
95tn (11:48) Or "holy place"; Grk "our place" (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
96tn (11:49) Grk "said to them." The indirect object aujtoi'" (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
97tn (11:50) Or "you are not considering."
98tn (11:50) Although it is possible to argue that a[nqrwpo" (anqrwpo") should be translated "person" here since it is not necessarily masculinity that is in view in Caiaphas' statement, "man" was retained in the translation because in 11:47 "this man" (ou|to" oJ a[nqrwpo", outo" Jo anqrwpo") has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.
99sn (11:50) In his own mind Caiaphas was no doubt giving voice to a common-sense statement of political expediency. Yet he was unconsciously echoing a saying of Jesus himself (cf. Mark 10:45). Caiaphas was right; the death of Jesus would save the nation from destruction. Yet Caiaphas could not suspect that Jesus would die, not in place of the political nation Israel, but on behalf of the true people of God; and he would save them, not from physical destruction, but from eternal destruction (cf. 3:16-17). The understanding of Caiaphas' words in a sense that Caiaphas could not possibly have imagined at the time he uttered them serves as a clear example of the way in which the author understood that words and actions could be invested retrospectively with a meaning not consciously intended or understood by those present at the time.
100tn (11:51) Grk "say this from himself."
101tn (11:51) The word "Jewish" is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context.
102tn (11:52) The word "Jewish" is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context.
103sn (11:52) The author in his comment expands the prophecy to include the Gentiles (not for the Jewish nation only), a confirmation that the Fourth Gospel was directed, at least partly, to a Gentile audience. There are echoes of Pauline concepts here (particularly Eph 2:11-22) in the stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile.
104tn (11:52) Grk "that he might gather together."
105sn (11:52) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
106tn (11:54) Or "openly."
107tn (11:54) Grk "among the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general who would be most likely to report Jesus to the religious authorities. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.
108tn (11:54) There is no certain identification of the location to which Jesus withdrew in response to the decision of the Jewish authorities. Many have suggested the present town of Et-Taiyibeh, identified with ancient Ophrah (Josh 18:23) or Ephron (Josh 15:9). If so, this would be 12-15 mi (19-24 km) northeast of Jerusalem.
109tn (11:55) Grk "the Passover of the Jews." This is the final Passover of Jesus' ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts (ejk th'" cwvra", ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.
110tn (11:55) Or "to purify themselves" (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
111tn (11:56) Grk "they were seeking Jesus."
112tn (11:57) The phrase "chief priests and Pharisees" is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.
113tn (11:57) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
114tn (11:57) Or "could seize."
115sn (11:57) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
1tn (12:1) Grk "whom Jesus," but a repetition of the proper name (Jesus) here would be redundant in the English clause structure, so the pronoun ("he") is substituted in the translation.
2tn (12:2) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.
3tn (12:2) Grk "And Martha." The connective kaiv (kai, "and") has been omitted in the translation because it would produce a run-on sentence in English.
4tn (12:2) Grk "reclining at the table."
sn (12:2) 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one's side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.
5tn (12:3) Or "half a liter"; Grk "a pound" (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).
6tn (12:3) Muvron (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The adjective pistikh'" (pistikh") is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from pivsti" (pistis) and relate to the purity of the oil of nard. More probably it is something like a brand name, "pistic nard," the exact significance of which has not been discovered.
sn (12:3) Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year's pay for an average laborer.
7tn (12:3) Grk "And she." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
8sn (12:3) This is a parenthetical note by the author. With a note characteristic of someone who was there and remembered, the author adds that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. In the later rabbinic literature, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states "The fragrance of good oil is diffused from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other." If such a saying was known in the 1st century, this might be the author's way of indicating that Mary's act of devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare the comment in Mark 14:9).
9sn (12:4) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
10tn (12:5) Grk "three hundred denarii." The denarius was a silver coin worth a standard day's wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking in to account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).
11tn (12:5) The words "the money" are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).
12tn (12:6) Grk "he"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13tn (12:6) Grk "a thief, and having the money box." Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.
14sn (12:6) This is a parenthetical note by the author. This is one of the indications in the gospels that Judas was of bad character before the betrayal of Jesus. John states that he was a thief and had responsibility for the finances of the group. More than being simply a derogatory note about Judas' character, the inclusion of the note at this particular point in the narrative may be intended to link the frustrated greed of Judas here with his subsequent decision to betray Jesus for money. The parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that after this incident Judas went away immediately and made his deal with the Jewish authorities to deliver up Jesus. Losing out on one source of sordid gain, he immediately went out and set up another.
15tn (12:7) Grk "Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it." The construction with i{na (Jina) is somewhat ambiguous. The simplest way to read it would be, "Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial." This would imply that Mary was going to use the perfumed oil on that day, while vv. 3 and 5 seem to indicate clearly that she had already used it up. Some understand the statement as elliptical: "Leave her alone; (she did this) in order to keep it for the day of my burial." Another alternative would be an imperatival use of i{na with the meaning: "Leave her alone; let her keep it." The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the i{na and substitutes a perfect tense tethvrhken (tethrhken), while not likely to be original, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.
16tn (12:9) Grk "of the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general who by this time had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and were curious to see him.
17tn (12:9) Grk "knew."
18tn (12:9) Grk "he"; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the referent (Jesus) has been specified here.
19tn (12:9) Grk "Jesus"; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the pronoun ("him") has been substituted here.
20sn (12:10) According to John 11:53 the Jewish leadership had already planned to kill Jesus. This plot against Lazarus apparently never got beyond the planning stage, however, since no further mention is made of it by the author.
21tn (12:11) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and as a result were embracing Jesus as Messiah. See also the note on the phrase "Jewish people from Jerusalem" in v. 9.
22sn (12:13) The Mosaic law stated (Lev 23:40) that branches of palm trees were to be used to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. Later on they came to be used to celebrate other feasts as well (1 Macc. 13:51, 2 Macc. 10:7).
23tn (12:13) Grk "And they were shouting." An ingressive force for the imperfect tense ("they began to shout" or "they started shouting") is natural in this sequence of events. The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is left untranslated to improve the English style.
24tn (12:13) The expression &Wsannav (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, "O Lord, save") in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of "Hail to the king," although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant "O Lord, save us." As in Mark 11:9 the introductory wJsannav is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, eujloghmevno" oJ ejrcovmeno" ejn ojnovmati kurivou (euloghmeno" Jo ercomeno" en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure kaiV oJ basileuV" tou' *Israhvl (kai Jo basileu" tou Israhl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.
sn (12:13) Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, "help, I pray," or "save, I pray." By Jesus' time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.
25sn (12:13) A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
26tn (12:13) Grk "Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel." The words "Blessed is" are not repeated in the Greek text, but are repeated in the translation to avoid the awkwardness in English of the ascensive kaiv (kai).
27sn (12:14) The author does not repeat the detailed accounts of the finding of the donkey recorded in the synoptic gospels. He does, however, see the event as a fulfillment of scripture, which he indicates by quoting Zech 9:9.
28tn (12:15) Grk "Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion" (the phrase "daughter of Zion" is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: "people of Zion"). The idiom "daughter of Zion" is translated as "people of Zion" because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
29sn (12:15) A quotation from Zech 9:9.
30tn (12:16) Or "did not understand these things at first"; Grk "formerly."
31sn (12:16) When Jesus was glorified, that is, glorified through his resurrection, exaltation and return to the Father. Jesus' glorification is consistently portrayed this way in the Gospel of John.
32tn (12:16) Grk "and that they had done these things," though the referent is probably indefinite and not referring to the disciples; as such, the best rendering is as a passive (see D. B. Wallace, Exegetical Syntax, 402-03; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).
33sn (12:16) The comment His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened (a parenthetical note by the author) informs the reader that Jesus' disciples did not at first associate the prophecy from Zechariah with the events as they happened. This came with the later (post-resurrection) insight which the Holy Spirit would provide after Jesus' resurrection and return to the Father. Note the similarity with John 2:22, which follows another allusion to a prophecy in Zechariah (14:21).
34tn (12:17) The word "it" is not included in the Greek text. Direct object in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
35tn (12:18) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36sn (12:19) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
37tn (12:20) These Greeks (@Ellhnev" tine", {ellhne" tine") who had come up to worship at the feast were probably "God-fearers" rather than proselytes in the strict sense. Had they been true proselytes, they would probably not have been referred to as Greeks any longer. Many came to worship at the major Jewish festivals without being Jewish proselytes, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, who could not have been a proselyte if he were physically a eunuch.
38sn (12:21) These Greeks approached Philip, although it is not clear why they did so. Perhaps they identified with his Greek name (although a number of Jews from border areas had Hellenistic names at this period). By see it is clear they meant "speak with," since anyone could "see" Jesus moving through the crowd. The author does not mention what they wanted to speak with Jesus about.
39tn (12:21) Grk "and were asking him, saying." The participle levgonte" (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
40tn (12:22) Grk "Andrew and Philip"; because a repetition of the proper names would be redundant in contemporary English style, the phrase "they both" has been substituted in the translation.
41tn (12:23) Grk "Jesus answered them, saying." The participle levgwn (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
42tn (12:23) Grk "the hour."
43sn (12:23) Jesus' reply, the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, is a bit puzzling. As far as the author's account is concerned, Jesus totally ignores these Greeks and makes no further reference to them whatsoever. It appears that his words are addressed to Andrew and Philip, but in fact they must have had a wider audience, including possibly the Greeks who had wished to see him in the first place. The words the time has come recall all the previous references to "the hour" throughout the Fourth Gospel (see the note on time in 2:4). There is no doubt, in light of the following verse, that Jesus refers to his death here. On his pathway to glorification lies the cross, and it is just ahead.
44tn (12:24) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
45tn (12:24) Or "it remains only a single kernel."
46tn (12:24) Or "bears."
47tn (12:24) Grk "much fruit."
48tn (12:25) Or "soul."
49tn (12:25) Or "loses." Although the traditional English translation of ajpolluvei (apolluei) in John 12:25 is "loses," the contrast with fulavxei (fulaxei, "keeps" or "guards") in the second half of the verse favors the meaning "destroy" here.
50tn (12:25) Or "keeps."
51tn (12:26) As a third person imperative in Greek, ajkolouqeivtw (akolouqeitw) is usually translated "let him follow me." This could be understood by the modern English reader as merely permissive, however ("he may follow me if he wishes"). In this context there is no permissive sense, but rather a command, so the translation "he must follow me" is preferred.
52tn (12:26) Grk "where I am, there my servant will be too."
53tn (12:27) Or "save me."
54tn (12:27) Or "this occasion."
sn (12:27) Father, deliver me from this hour. It is now clear that Jesus' hour has come--the hour of his return to the Father through crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension (see 12:23). This will be reiterated in 13:1 and 17:1. Jesus states (employing words similar to those of Ps 6:4) that his soul is troubled. What shall his response to his imminent death be? A prayer to the Father to deliver him from that hour? No, because it is on account of this very hour that Jesus has come. His sacrificial death has always remained the primary purpose of his mission into the world. Now, faced with the completion of that mission, shall he ask the Father to spare him from it? The expected answer is no.
55tn (12:27) Or "this occasion."
56tn (12:28) Or "from the sky" (see note on 1:32).
57tn (12:28) "It" is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
58tn (12:28) "It" is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
59tn (12:29) "The voice" is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
60tn (12:29) Grk "Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." The direct discourse in the second half of v. 29 was converted to indirect discourse in the translation to maintain the parallelism with the first half of the verse, which is better in keeping with English style.
61tn (12:30) Grk "Jesus answered and said."
62tn (12:30) Or "for my sake."
63sn (12:31) The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
64tn (12:31) Or "will be thrown out." This translation regards the future passive ejkblhqhvsetai (ekblhqhsetai) as referring to an event future to the time of speaking.
sn (12:31) The phrase driven out must refer to Satan's loss of authority over this world. This must be in principle rather than in immediate fact, since 1 John 5:19 states that the whole world (still) lies in the power of the evil one (a reference to Satan). In an absolute sense the reference is proleptic. The coming of Jesus' hour (his crucifixion, death, resurrection, and exaltation to the Father) marks the end of Satan's domain and brings about his defeat, even though that defeat has not been ultimately worked out in history yet and awaits the consummation of the age.
65sn (12:33) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
66tn (12:34) Grk "Then the crowd answered him."
67tn (12:34) Or "the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (12:34) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
68tn (12:34) Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Ps 89:36-37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but "law" could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus' use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David's "seed" remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the "anointed" (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5, 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).
69tn (12:34) Grk "And how"; the conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
70tn (12:35) Grk "Then Jesus said to them."
71tn (12:35) Grk "Yet a little while the light is with you."
72sn (12:35) The warning Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you operates on at least two different levels: (1) To the Jewish people in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke, the warning was a reminder that there was only a little time left for them to accept him as their Messiah. (2) To those later individuals to whom the Fourth Gospel was written, and to every person since, the words of Jesus are also a warning: there is a finite, limited time in which each individual has opportunity to respond to the Light of the world (i.e., Jesus); after that comes darkness. One's response to the Light decisively determines one's judgment for eternity.
73tn (12:36) The idiom "sons of light" means essentially, "people of God."
sn (12:36) The expression sons of light refers to men and women to whom the truth of God has been revealed and who are therefore living according to that truth, thus, "people of God."
74tn (12:37) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
75tn (12:37) Or "done."
76tn (12:38) Or "message."
77tn (12:38) Grk "who said."
78tn (12:38) "The arm of the Lord" is an idiom for "God's great power" (as exemplified through Jesus' miraculous signs). This response of unbelief is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Isaiah (Isa 53:1). The phrase oJ bracivwn kurivou (Jo braciwn kuriou) is a figurative reference to God's activity and power which has been revealed in the sign-miracles which Jesus has performed (compare the previous verse).
79sn (12:38) A quotation from Isa 53:1.
80sn (12:39) The author explicitly states here that Jesus' Jewish opponents could not believe, and quotes Isa 6:10 to show that God had in fact blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. This OT passage was used elsewhere in the NT to explain Jewish unbelief: Paul's final words in Acts (28:26-27) are a quotation of this same passage, which he uses to explain why the Jewish people have not accepted the gospel he has preached. A similar passage (Isa 29:10) is quoted in a similar context in Rom 11:8.
81tn (12:40) Or "closed their mind."
82tn (12:40) Or "their mind."
83tn (12:40) One could also translate strafw'sin (strafwsin) as "repent" or "change their ways," but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words "to me" are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
84sn (12:40) A quotation from Isa 6:10.
85tn (12:41) Grk "his"; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is "Christ" rather than "Jesus" because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9).
sn (12:41) Because he saw Christ's glory. The glory which Isaiah saw in Isa 6:3 was the glory of Yahweh (typically rendered as "LORD" in the OT). Here John speaks of the prophet seeing the glory of Christ since in the next clause and spoke about him, "him" can hardly refer to Yahweh, but must refer to Christ. On the basis of statements like 1:14 in the prologue, the author probably put no great distinction between the two. Since for the author Jesus is fully God, it presents no problem to him to take words originally spoken by Isaiah of Yahweh himself and apply them to Jesus.
86sn (12:42) The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word ("ruler") is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.
87sn (12:42) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
88tn (12:42) The words "Jesus to be the Christ" are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb wJmolovgoun (Jwmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous "it," or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause "believed in him" so that the rulers would not confess "their faith" or "their belief." However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been "Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah)."
sn (12:42) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
89tn (12:42) Or "be expelled from."
90sn (12:42) Compare John 9:22.
sn (12:42) See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
91tn (12:43) Grk "the glory."
92tn (12:43) Grk "the glory."
93tn (12:44) Grk "shouted out and said."
94sn (12:44) The one who sent me refers to God.
95sn (12:45) Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.
96tn (12:47) Grk "And if anyone"; the conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
97tn (12:47) Or "guard them," "keep them."
98sn (12:47) Cf. John 3:17.
99tn (12:48) Or "does not receive."
100tn (12:48) Grk "has one who judges him."
101tn (12:48) Or "message."
102tn (12:49) Grk "I have not spoken from myself."
103tn (12:49) Grk "has given me commandment."
104tn (12:50) Or "his commandment results in eternal life."
105tn (12:50) Grk "The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak."
1tn (13:1) Grk "his hour."
2tn (13:1) Grk "that he should depart." The i{na (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).
3tn (13:1) Or "he now loved them completely," or "he now loved them to the uttermost" (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom eij" tevlo" (eis telos) was translated literally as "to the end" and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, tetevlestai (tetelestai, "It is ended").
sn (13:1) The full extent of Jesus' love for his disciples is not merely seen in his humble service to them in washing their feet (the most common interpretation of the passage). The full extent of his love for them is demonstrated in his sacrificial death for them on the cross. The footwashing episode which follows then becomes a prophetic act, or acting out beforehand, of his upcoming death on their behalf. The message for the disciples was that they were to love one another not just in humble, self-effacing service, but were to be willing to die for one another. At least one of them got this message eventually, though none understood it at the time (see 1 John 3:16).
4tn (13:2) Or "Supper." To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between "dinner" and "supper" as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to "the evening meal."
5sn (13:2) At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil's own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas' heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one's own body is indicated. Judas' name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.
6tc (13:2) MSS are divided between the readings "Judas Iscariot, Simon's son," and "Judas, son of Simon Iscariot" (there is little doubt who the referent is, however).
7tn (13:2) Or "that he should hand over."
8tn (13:2) Grk "betray him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
9tn (13:3) Grk "Because he knew"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
10tn (13:3) Grk "had given all things into his hands."
11tn (13:4) Grk "and removed"; the conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
12tn (13:4) The plural taV iJmavtia (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation "outer clothes" is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities.
13tn (13:4) Grk "taking a towel he girded himself." Jesus would have wrapped the towel (levntion, lention) around his waist (dievzwsen eJautovn, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples' feet. The term levntion is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BAGD 471 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples' feet.
14tn (13:5) Grk "with the towel with which he was girded."
15tn (13:6) Grk "He"; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.
16tn (13:6) Grk "do you wash" or "are you washing."
17tn (13:7) Grk "answered and said to him."
18tn (13:7) Grk "You do not know."
19tn (13:7) Grk "you will know."
20tn (13:8) Grk "You will never wash my feet forever." The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.
21tn (13:8) Grk "Jesus answered him."
22tn (13:8) Or "you have no part in me."
23tn (13:9) The word "wash" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter's utterance a complete sentence.
24tn (13:10) Grk "Jesus said to him."
25tn (13:10) Grk "has no need except to wash his feet."
26tn (13:10) Or "entirely."
27sn (13:10) The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the "bath" Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only "lesser, partial" cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more--Jesus' self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter's initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus' seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan").
28tn (13:10) The word "disciples" is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.
29tn (13:11) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30tn (13:11) Grk "Not all of you are."
31sn (13:11) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
32tn (13:12) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
33tn (13:12) Grk "he reclined at the table." The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
34tn (13:12) Grk "Do you know."
35tn (13:13) Or "rightly."
36tn (13:13) Grk "I am these things."
37sn (13:15) I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another's feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).
38tn (13:16) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
39tn (13:16) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
40tn (13:16) Or "nor is the apostle" ("apostle" means "one who is sent" in Greek).
41tn (13:17) Grk "If you know."
42tn (13:18) Grk "But so that the scripture may be fulfilled."
43tn (13:18) Or "The one who shares my food."
44tn (13:18) Or "has become my enemy"; Grk "has lifted up his heel against me." The phrase "to lift up one's heel against someone" reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 "has made his heel great against me." There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning "has given me a great fall," "has taken cruel advantage of me," or "has walked out on me." Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, "`He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me'--Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9)," ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.
sn (13:18) A quotation from Ps 41:9.
45tn (13:19) Or (perhaps) "I am certainly telling you this." According to BDF §12.3 ajp* a[rti (ap' arti) should be read as ajpartiv (aparti), meaning "exactly, certainly."
46tn (13:19) Grk "so that you may believe."
47tn (13:19) Grk "that I am." R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a non-predicated ejgwv eijmi (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
48tn (13:20) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
49tn (13:20) Or "receives," and so throughout this verse.
50sn (13:20) The one who sent me refers to God.
51tn (13:21) Or "greatly troubled."
52tn (13:21) Grk "and testified and said."
53tn (13:21) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
54tn (13:21) Or "will hand me over."
55tn (13:22) Grk "uncertain," "at a loss." Here two terms, "worried and perplexed," were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ajporevw (aporew).
56sn (13:23) Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the `beloved disciple,' is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.
57tn (13:23) Grk "was reclining." This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
58tn (13:23) Grk "was reclining in the bosom (or "lap") of Jesus (an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ejn tw'/ kovlpw/ tou' *Ihsou' (en tw kolpw tou Ihsou; "leaning on Jesus' bosom," KJV; "lying close to the breast of Jesus," RSV; "reclining on Jesus' breast," NASB; "reclining next to him," NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple's position seems clear. The phrase as an idiom for the place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.
sn (13:23) Note that the same expression translated in the place of honor here (Grk "in the bosom of") is used to indicate Jesus' relationship with the Father in 1:18.
59sn (13:24) It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus' other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus' right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus' left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).
60tn (13:24) Grk "to this one"; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
61tn (13:24) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62sn (13:24) That is, who would betray him (v. 21).
63tn (13:25) Grk "he"; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
64tn (13:26) Grk "Jesus answered."
65sn (13:26) The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).
66tn (13:26) Grk "after I have dipped it." The words "in the dish" are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
67tn (13:26) The words "in the dish" are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
68tn (13:27) Grk "he"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
69tn (13:27) Grk "into that one"; the pronoun "he" is more natural English style here.
sn (13:27) This is the only time in the Fourth Gospel that Satan is mentioned by name. Luke 22:3 uses the same terminology of Satan "entering into" Judas but indicates it happened before the last supper at the time Judas made his deal with the authorities. This is not necessarily irreconcilable with John's account, however, because John 13:2 makes it clear that Judas had already come under satanic influence prior to the meal itself. The statement here is probably meant to indicate that Judas at this point came under the influence of Satan even more completely and finally. It marks the end of a process which, as Luke indicates, had begun earlier.
70tn (13:27) Grk "Then Jesus said to him."
71tn (13:28) Grk "reclining at the table." The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
72tn (13:28) Or "knew."
73tn (13:28) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
74tn (13:28) Grk "to him"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
75tn (13:29) Grk "telling him, `Buy whatever we need for the feast.'" The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).
76sn (13:29) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
77tn (13:30) Grk "That one"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
78sn (13:30) Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).
79tn (13:31) Grk "Then when."
80tn (13:31) Grk "he"; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
81tc (13:32) A number of early MSS (Ì66 Í* B C* D L W al) do not have the words "If God is glorified in him." Although many of these are important MSS, the omission of the words because of an error of sight due to homoioteleuton is more likely.
82tn (13:32) Or "immediately."
83tn (13:33) Or "You will seek me."
84tn (13:33) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general, or to the Jewish religious leaders in particular, who had sent servants to attempt to arrest Jesus on that occasion (John 7:33-35).
85sn (13:33) See John 7:33-34.
86tn (13:33) The words "the same" are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
87tn (13:34) The i{na (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.
88sn (13:34) The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God's chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love "Just as I have loved you" (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: it is an act of love that gives life to men. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet). In this way Jesus' disciples are to love one another: they are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.
89tn (13:35) Grk "All people," although many modern translations have rendered pavnte" (pantes) as "all men" (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.
90tn (13:36) Grk "Jesus answered him."
91tn (13:37) Or "I will die willingly for you."
92tn (13:38) Or "Will you die willingly for me?"
93tn (13:38) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
1sn (14:1) The same verb is used to describe Jesus' own state in John 11:33, 12:27, and 13:21. Jesus is looking ahead to the events of the evening and the next day, his arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, which will cause his disciples extreme emotional distress.
2tn (14:1) Or "Believe in God." The translation of the two uses of pisteuvete (pisteuete) is difficult. Both may be either indicative or imperative, and as L. Morris points out (John [NICNT], 637), this results in a bewildering variety of possibilities. To complicate matters further, the first may be understood as a question: "Do you believe in God? Believe also in me." Morris argues against the KJV translation which renders the first pisteuvete as indicative and the second as imperative on the grounds that for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God. But this is precisely the point that Jesus is addressing in context. He is about to undergo rejection by his own people as their Messiah. The disciples' faith in him as Messiah and Lord would be cast into extreme doubt by these events, which the author makes clear were not at this time foreseen by the disciples. After the resurrection it is this identification between Jesus and the Father which needs to be reaffirmed (cf. John 20:24-29). Thus it seems best to take the first pisteuvete as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation "You believe in God; believe also in me."
3tn (14:2) Many interpreters have associated monaiv (monai) with an Aramaic word that can refer to a stopping place or resting place for a traveler on a journey. This is similar to one of the meanings the word can have in secular Greek (Pausanius 10.31.7). Origen understood the use here to refer to stations on the road to God. This may well have been the understanding of the Latin translators who translated monhv (monh) by mansio, a stopping place. The English translation "mansions" can be traced back to Tyndale, but in Middle English the word simply meant "a dwelling place" (not necessarily large or imposing) with no connotation of being temporary. The interpretation put forward by Origen would have been well suited to Gnosticism, where the soul in its ascent passes through stages during which it is gradually purified of all that is material and therefore evil. It is much more likely that the word monhv should be related to its cognate verb mevnw (menw), which is frequently used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the Father and/or Jesus and the believer. Thus the idea of a permanent dwelling place, rather than a temporary stopping place, would be in view. Luther's translation of monaiv by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.
4sn (14:2) Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father's house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (monhv, monh) as the permanent residences of believers there. This seems consistent with the vocabulary and the context, where in v. 3 Jesus speaks of coming again to take the disciples to himself. However, the phrase in my Father's house was used previously in the Fourth Gospel in 2:16 to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The author in 2:19-22 then reinterpreted the temple as Jesus' body, which was to be destroyed in death and then rebuilt in resurrection after three days. Even more suggestive is the statement by Jesus in 8:35, "Now the slave does not remain (mevnw, menw) in the household forever, but the son remains (mevnw) forever." If in the imagery of the Fourth Gospel the phrase in my Father's house is ultimately a reference to Jesus' body, the relationship of monhv to mevnw suggests the permanent relationship of the believer to Jesus and the Father as an adopted son who remains in the household forever. In this case the "dwelling place" is "in" Jesus himself, where he is, whether in heaven or on earth. The statement in v. 3, "I will come again and receive you to myself," then refers not just to the parousia, but also to Jesus' post-resurrection return to the disciples in his glorified state, when by virtue of his death on their behalf they may enter into union with him and with the Father as adopted sons. Needless to say, this bears numerous similarities to Pauline theology, especially the concepts of adoption as sons and being "in Christ" which are prominent in passages like Eph 1. It is also important to note, however, the emphasis in the Fourth Gospel itself on the present reality of eternal life (John 5:24, 7:38-39, etc.) and the possibility of worshiping the Father "in the Spirit and in truth" (John 4:21-24) in the present age. There is a sense in which it is possible to say that the future reality is present now. See further J. McCaffrey, The House With Many Rooms.
5tc (14:2) A number of MSS supply "that" (o{ti, Joti) here. Should the o{ti be included or omitted? The external evidence is almost equally divided. Most Alexandrian and Western MSS favor inclusion (it is unusual for the Alexandrian to favor the longer reading) while most Byzantine MSS favor omission (again unusual). Complicating things is the reading of Ì66, which aligns with the Byzantine. Because of the strength of a papyrus reading aligned with the Byzantine, and because the shorter reading is out of character for the Byzantine text, the shorter reading (omitting the o{ti) could certainly be authentic. If the o{ti is included, there are no less than four possible translations of the phrase: (1) "Otherwise I would have told you [= warned you], because I am going to prepare a place" (2) "Otherwise would I have told you so, because I am going to prepare a place?" (3) "Otherwise I would have told you that I am going to prepare a place" (4) "Otherwise would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place?" The first option (1) can be understood only if "otherwise I would have told you" is a parenthetical statement, and the o{ti clause goes with the preceding "There are many dwelling places in my Father's house." Translations (2) and (4) should probably be ruled out because they imply a previous statement by Jesus that either (2) there are many dwelling places in his Father's house or (4) He was going off to prepare a place for them. There is no indication anywhere in the Fourth Gospel that Jesus had made such statements prior to this time. Finally, (3) is understandable--if there were no dwelling places, Jesus would have told them that he was going off to make dwelling places. But the following verse makes clear that Jesus' departure is not hypothetical but real--he is really going away. Thus all the possibilities for understanding the verse with the inclusion of o{ti present some difficulties. R. E. Brown is probably right when he states: "all in all, the translation without o{ti makes the best sense" (John [AB], 2:620). Thus the following translation seems best: "Otherwise, I would have told you [= warned you]. I go to prepare a place."
6tn (14:2) Or "to prepare."
7tn (14:2) Or "If not, would have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?" What is the meaning of the last clause with or without the o{ti? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not tovpo" (topos) is to be equated with monhv (monh). In Rev 12:8 tovpo" is used to refer to a place in heaven, which would suggest that the two are essentially equal here. Jesus is going ahead of believers to prepare a place for them, a permanent dwelling place in heaven (the Father's house).
8tn (14:3) Or "prepare."
9tn (14:3) Or "bring you."
10tn (14:3) Grk "to myself."
11tc (14:4) Some early MSS read, "You know where I am going, and you know the way." Once again there is a difficult textual problem in this verse. Either assertion on the part of Jesus would be understandable: "you know the way where I am going" or "you know where I am going and you know the way." In this case the shorter reading is basically Alexandrian; the primary Western codex D sides with Ì66 and the majority of Byzantine minuscules in favor of the longer reading kaiV thVn oJdovn oi[date (kai thn Jodon oidate).
sn (14:4) Where I am going. Jesus had spoken of his destination previously to the disciples, most recently in John 13:33. Where he was going was back to the Father, and they could not follow him there, but later he would return for them and they could join him then. The way he was going was via the cross. This he had also mentioned previously (e.g., 12:32) although his disciples did not understand at the time (cf. 12:33). As Jesus would explain in v. 6, although for him the way back to the Father was via the cross, for his disciples the "way" to where he was going was Jesus himself.
12tn (14:5) Grk "said to him."
13tn (14:6) Grk "Jesus said to him."
14tn (14:6) Or "I am the way, even the truth and the life."
15tc (14:7) Again there is a difficult textual problem: the statement reads either "If you have known (ejgnwvkate, egnwkate) me, you will know (gnwvsesqe, gnwsesqe) my Father" or "If you had really known (ejgnwvkeite, egnwkeite) me, you would know (ejgnwvkeite) my Father." The division of the external evidence is difficult, but would appear to favor the first alternative, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by Ì66. In this case (a first class condition) Jesus promises the disciples that (assuming they have known him) they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (7b) which asserts that "from the present time you know him and have seen him" (compare John 1:18).
16tn (14:8) Grk "said to him."
17tn (14:8) Or "and that is enough for us."
18tn (14:9) Grk "Jesus said to him."
19tn (14:9) Or "recognized."
20tn (14:10) The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ejgwV ejn tw'/ patriV kaiV oJ pathVr ejn ejmoiv ejstin, egw en tw patri kai Jo pathr en emoi estin) is something that Jesus expected even his opponents to recognize (cf. John 10:38). The question Jesus asks of Philip (ouj pisteuvei", ou pisteuei") expects the answer "yes." Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (uJmi'n, Jumin) is used. Jesus says that his teaching (the words he spoke to them all) did not originate from himself, but the Father who permanently remains (mevnwn, menwn) in relationship with Jesus performs his works. One would have expected "speaks his words" here rather than "performs his works"; many of the church fathers (e.g., Augustine and Chrysostom) identified the two by saying that Jesus' words were works. But there is an implicit contrast in the next verse between words and works, and v. 12 seems to demand that the works are real works, not just words. It is probably best to see the two terms as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus' words (recall the Samaritans' response in John 4:42) and Jesus' works are revelatory of who he is, but as the next verse indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words.
21tn (14:10) Grk "I do not speak from myself."
22tn (14:10) Or "does."
23tn (14:10) Or "his mighty acts"; Grk "his works."
sn (14:10) Miraculous deeds is most likely a reference to the miraculous signs Jesus had performed, which he viewed as a manifestation of the mighty acts of God. Those he performed in the presence of the disciples served as a basis for faith (although a secondary basis to their personal relationship to him; see the following verse).
24tn (14:11) The phrase "but if you do not believe me" contains an ellipsis; the Greek text reads Grk "but if not." The ellipsis has been filled out ("but if [you do] not [believe me]...") for the benefit of the modern English reader.
25tn (14:11) Grk "because of the works."
sn (14:11) In the context of a proof or basis for belief, Jesus is referring to the miraculous deeds (signs) he has performed in the presence of the disciples.
26tn (14:12) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
27tn (14:12) Or "will do."
28tn (14:12) Grk "the works."
29tn (14:12) Or "that I do."
sn (14:12) See the note on miraculous deeds in v. 11.
30tn (14:12) Or "will do."
31tn (14:12) Grk "greater works."
sn (14:12) What are the greater deeds that Jesus speaks of, and how is this related to his going to the Father? It is clear from both John 7:39 and 16:7 that the Holy Spirit will not come until Jesus has departed. After Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit to indwell believers in a permanent relationship, believers would be empowered to perform even greater deeds than those Jesus did during his earthly ministry. When the early chapters of Acts are examined, it is clear that, from a numerical standpoint, the deeds of Peter and the other Apostles surpassed those of Jesus in a single day (the day of Pentecost). On that day more were added to the church than had become followers of Jesus during the entire three years of his earthly ministry. And the message went forth not just in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee, but to the farthest parts of the known world. This understanding of what Jesus meant by "greater deeds" is more probable than a reference to "more spectacular miracles." Certainly miraculous deeds were performed by the apostles as recounted in Acts, but these do not appear to have surpassed the works of Jesus himself in either degree or number.
32tn (14:13) Grk "And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it."
33tn (14:13) Or "may be praised" or "may be honored."
34tn (14:15) Or "will keep."
35sn (14:15) Jesus' statement If you love me, you will obey my commandments provides the transition between the promises of answered prayer which Jesus makes to his disciples in vv. 13-14 and the promise of the Holy Spirit which is introduced in v. 16. Obedience is the proof of genuine love.
36tn (14:16) Here kaiv (kai) has been translated as "Then" to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.
37tn (14:16) Or "Helper" or "Counselor"; Grk "Paraclete," from the Greek word paravklhto" (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for paravklhto" is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word. "Comforter," used by some of the older English versions, appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral. "Counselor" is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like "marriage counselor" or "camp counselor." "Helper" or "Assistant" could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. "Advocate," the word chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones that the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11 a forensic context is certainly present. Because an "advocate" is someone who "advocates" or supports a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was selected in spite of the drawbacks.
38tn (14:17) Or "cannot receive."
39tn (14:17) Or "he remains."
40tn (14:18) Or "leave."
41tn (14:18) The entire phrase "abandon you as orphans" could be understood as an idiom meaning, "leave you helpless."
42sn (14:18) I will come to you. Jesus had spoken in 14:3 of going away and coming again to his disciples. There the reference was both to the parousia (the second coming of Christ) and to the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. Here the post-resurrection appearances are primarily in view, since Jesus speaks of the disciples "seeing" him after the world can "see" him no longer in the following verse. But many commentators have taken v. 18 as a reference to the coming of the Spirit, since this has been the topic of the preceding verses. Still, vv. 19-20 appear to contain references to Jesus' appearances to the disciples after his resurrection. It may well be that another Johannine double meaning is found here, so that Jesus `returns' to his disciples in one sense in his appearances to them after his resurrection, but in another sense he `returns' in the person of the Holy Spirit to indwell them.
43tn (14:19) Grk "Yet a little while, and."
44tn (14:20) Grk "will know in that day."
sn (14:20) At that time could be a reference to the parousia (second coming of Christ). But the statement in 14:19, that the world will not see Jesus, does not fit. It is better to take this as the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples (which has the advantage of taking in a little while in v. 19 literally).
45tn (14:21) Or "keeps."
46tn (14:21) Grk "obeys them, that one is the one who loves me."
47tn (14:21) Grk "And the one." Here the conjunction kaiv (kai) is not translated to improve the English style.
48tn (14:21) Or "will disclose."
49tn (14:22) Grk "(not Iscariot)." The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.
sn (14:22) This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
50tn (14:22) Grk "said to him."
51tn (14:22) Or "disclose."
sn (14:22) The disciples still expected at this point that Jesus, as Messiah, was going to reveal his identity as such to the world (cf. 7:4).
52tn (14:23) Grk "answered and said to him."
53tn (14:23) Or "will keep."
54tn (14:23) Grk "we will come to him and will make our dwelling place with him." The context here is individual rather than corporate indwelling, so the masculine singular pronoun has been retained throughout v. 23. It is important to note, however, that the pronoun is used generically here and refers equally to men, women, and children.
55tn (14:24) Or "does not keep."
56tn (14:24) Or "the message."
57tn (14:25) Or "while remaining" or "while residing."
58tn (14:26) Or "Helper" or "Counselor"; Grk "Paraclete," from the Greek word paravklhto" (paraklhto"). See the note on the word "Advocate" in v. 16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
59tn (14:26) Grk "that one will teach you." The words "that one" have been omitted from the translation since they are redundant in English.
60tn (14:26) Grk "all things."
61tn (14:26) Grk "all things."
62sn (14:27) Peace I leave with you. In spite of appearances, this verse does not introduce a new subject (peace). Jesus will use the phrase as a greeting to his disciples after his resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). It is here a reflection of the Hebrew shalom as a farewell. But Jesus says he leaves peace with his disciples. This should probably be understood ultimately in terms of the indwelling of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who has been the topic of the preceding verses. It is his presence, after Jesus has left the disciples and finally returned to the Father, which will remain with them and comfort them.
63tn (14:27) The pronoun "it" is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
64tn (14:27) Grk "not as the world gives do I give to you."
65tn (14:27) Or "distressed or fearful and cowardly."
66tn (14:28) Or "You have heard that I said to you."
67tn (14:28) Or "you would rejoice."
68sn (14:28) Jesus' statement the Father is greater than I am has caused much christological and trinitarian debate. Although the Arians appealed to this text to justify their subordinationist Christology, it seems evident that by the fact Jesus compares himself to the Father, his divine nature is taken for granted. There have been two orthodox interpretations: (1) The Son is eternally generated while the Father is not: Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Hilary, etc. (2) As man the incarnate Son was less than the Father: Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose, Augustine. In the context of the Fourth Gospel the second explanation seems more plausible. But why should the disciples have rejoiced? Because Jesus was on the way to the Father who would glorify him (cf. 17:4-5); his departure now signifies that the work the Father has given him is completed (cf. 19:30). Now Jesus will be glorified with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was (cf. 17:5). This should be a cause of rejoicing to the disciples because when Jesus is glorified he will glorify his disciples as well (17:22).
69sn (14:29) Jesus tells the disciples that he has told them all these things before they happen, so that when they do happen the disciples may believe. This does not mean they had not believed prior to this time; over and over the author has affirmed that they have (cf. 2:11). But when they see these things happen, their level of trust in Jesus will increase and their concept of who he is will expand. The confession of Thomas in 20:28 is representative of this increased understanding of who Jesus is. Cf. John 13:19.
70tn (14:30) Grk "I will no longer speak many things with you."
71sn (14:30) The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
72tn (14:30) Grk "in me he has nothing."
73tn (14:31) Or "may learn."
74tn (14:31) Grk "But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I do." The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to conform to contemporary English style.
75sn (14:31) Some have understood Jesus' statement Get up, let us go from here to mean that at this point Jesus and the disciples got up and left the room where the meal was served and began the journey to the garden of Gethsemane. If so, the rest of the Farewell Discourse took place en route. Others have pointed to this statement as one of the "seams" in the discourse, indicating that the author used preexisting sources. Both explanations are possible, but not really necessary. Jesus could simply have stood up at this point (the disciples may or may not have stood with him) to finish the discourse before finally departing (in 18:1). In any case it may be argued that Jesus refers not to a literal departure at this point, but to preparing to meet the enemy who is on the way already in the person of Judas and the soldiers with him.
1sn (15:1) I am the true vine. There are numerous OT passages which refer to Israel as a vine: Ps 80:8-16, Isa 5:1-7, Jer 2:21, Ezek 15:1-8, 17:5-10, 19:10-14, and Hos 10:1. The vine became symbolic of Israel, and even appeared on some coins issued by the Maccabees. The OT passages which use this symbol appear to regard Israel as faithless to Yahweh (typically rendered as "LORD" in the OT) and/or the object of severe punishment. Ezek 15:1-8 in particular talks about the worthlessness of wood from a vine (in relation to disobedient Judah). A branch cut from a vine is worthless except to be burned as fuel. This fits more with the statements about the disciples (John 15:6) than with Jesus' description of himself as the vine. Ezek 17:5-10 contains vine imagery which refers to a king of the house of David, Zedekiah, who was set up as king in Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah allied himself to Egypt and broke his covenant with Nebuchadnezzar (and therefore also with God), which would ultimately result in his downfall (17:20-21). Ezek 17:22-24 then describes the planting of a cedar sprig which grows into a lofty tree, a figurative description of Messiah. But it is significant that Messiah himself is not described in Ezek 17 as a vine, but as a cedar tree. The vine imagery here applies to Zedekiah's disobedience. Jesus' description of himself as the true vine in John 15:1 ff. is to be seen against this background, but it differs significantly from the imagery surveyed above. It represents new imagery which differs significantly from OT concepts; it appears to be original with Jesus. The imagery of the vine underscores the importance of fruitfulness in the Christian life and the truth that this results not from human achievement, but from one's position in Christ. Jesus is not just giving some comforting advice, but portraying to the disciples the difficult path of faithful service. To some degree the figure is similar to the head-body metaphor used by Paul, with Christ as head and believers as members of the body. Both metaphors bring out the vital and necessary connection which exists between Christ and believers.
2tn (15:1) Or "the farmer."
3tn (15:2) Or "He cuts off."
sn (15:2) The Greek verb aijrevw (airew) can mean "lift up" as well as "take away," and it is sometimes argued that here it is a reference to the gardener "lifting up" (i.e., propping up) a weak branch so that it bears fruit again. In Johannine usage the word occurs in the sense of "lift up" in 8:59 and 5:8-12, but in the sense of "remove" it is found in 11:39, 11:48, 16:22, and 17:15. In context (theological presuppositions aside for the moment) the meaning "remove" does seem more natural and less forced (particularly in light of v. 6, where worthless branches are described as being "thrown out"--an image that seems incompatible with restoration). One option, therefore, would be to understand the branches which are taken away (v. 2) and thrown out (v. 6) as believers who forfeit their salvation because of unfruitfulness. However, many see this interpretation as encountering problems with the Johannine teaching on the security of the believer, especially John 10:28-29. This leaves two basic ways of understanding Jesus' statements about removal of branches in 15:2 and 15:6: (1) These statements may refer to an unfaithful (disobedient) Christian, who is judged at the judgment seat of Christ "through fire" (cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15). In this case the "removal" of 15:2 may refer (in an extreme case) to the physical death of a disobedient Christian. (2) These statements may refer to someone who was never a genuine believer in the first place (e.g., Judas and the Jews who withdrew after Jesus' difficult teaching in 6:66), in which case 15:6 refers to eternal judgment. In either instance it is clear that 15:6 refers to the fires of judgment (cf. OT imagery in Ps 80:16 and Ezek 15:1-8). But view (1) requires us to understand this in terms of the judgment of believers at the judgment seat of Christ. This concept does not appear in the Fourth Gospel, because from the perspective of the author, the believer does not come under judgment: note especially 3:18, 5:24, 5:29. The first reference (3:18) is especially important because it occurs in the context of 3:16-21, the section which is key to the framework of the entire Fourth Gospel and which is repeatedly alluded to throughout. A similar image to this one is used by John the Baptist in Matt 3:10, "And the ax is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Since this is addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to John for baptism, it almost certainly represents a call to initial repentance. More importantly, however, the imagery of being cast into the fire constitutes a reference to eternal judgment, a use of imagery which is much nearer to the Johannine imagery in 15:6 than the Pauline concept of the judgment seat of Christ (a judgment for believers) mentioned above. The use of the Greek verb mevnw (menw) in 15:6 also supports view (2). When used of the relationship between Jesus and the disciple and/or Jesus and the Father, it emphasizes the permanence of the relationship (John 6:56, 8:31, 8:35, 14:10). The prototypical branch who has not remained is Judas, who departed in 13:30. He did not bear fruit, and is now in the realm of darkness, a mere tool of Satan. His eternal destiny, being cast into the fire of eternal judgment, is still to come. It seems most likely, therefore, that the branches who do not bear fruit and are taken away and burned are false believers, those who profess to belong to Jesus but who in reality do not belong to him. In the Gospel of John, the primary example of this category is Judas. In 1 John 2:18-19 the "antichrists" fall into the same category; they too may be thought of as branches that did not bear fruit. They departed from the ranks of the Christians because they never did really belong, and their departure shows that they did not belong.
4tn (15:2) Or "does not yield."
5tn (15:2) Grk "And he"; the conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
6tn (15:2) Or "trims"; Grk "cleanses" (a wordplay with "clean" in v. 3). Kaqaivrei (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples--there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between ai[rei (airei) and kaqaivrei in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.
7tn (15:2) Or "that yields."
8sn (15:3) The phrase you are clean already occurs elsewhere in the Gospel of John only at the washing of the disciples' feet in 13:10, where Jesus had used it of the disciples being cleansed from sin. This further confirms the proposed understanding of John 15:2 and 15:6 since Judas was specifically excluded from this statement (but not all of you).
9tn (15:4) Or "Reside."
10tn (15:4) Grk "and I in you." The verb has been repeated for clarity and to conform to contemporary English style, which typically allows fewer ellipses (omitted or understood words) than Greek.
11sn (15:4) The branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains connected to the vine, from which its life and sustenance flows. As far as the disciples were concerned, they would produce no fruit from themselves if they did not remain in their relationship to Jesus, because the eternal life which a disciple must possess in order to bear fruit originates with Jesus; he is the source of all life and productivity for the disciple.
12tn (15:4) Or "resides."
13tn (15:4) Or "you reside."
14tn (15:5) Or "resides."
15tn (15:5) Or "yields."
16tn (15:5) Grk "in him, this one bears much fruit." The pronoun "this one" has been omitted from the translation because it is redundant according to contemporary English style.
sn (15:5) Many interpret the imagery of fruit here and in 15:2, 4 in terms of good deeds or character qualities, relating it to passages elsewhere in the NT like Matt 3:8 and 7:20, Rom 6:22, Gal 5:22, etc. This is not necessarily inaccurate, but one must remember that for John, to have life at all is to bear fruit, while one who does not bear fruit shows that he does not have the life (once again, conduct is the clue to paternity, as in John 8:41; compare also 1 John 4:20).
17tn (15:5) Or "do."
18tn (15:6) Or "reside."
19sn (15:6) Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire. The author does not tell who it is who does the gathering and throwing into the fire. Although some claim that realized eschatology is so prevalent in the Fourth Gospel that no references to final eschatology appear at all, the fate of these branches seems to point to the opposite. The imagery is almost certainly that of eschatological judgment, and recalls some of the OT vine imagery which involves divine rejection and judgment of disobedient Israel (Ezek 15:4-6, 19:12).
20tn (15:6) Grk "they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned."
21tn (15:7) Or "reside."
22tn (15:7) Or "reside."
23sn (15:7) Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13-14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus' name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples' remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus' name and therefore according to his will.
24tn (15:8) Grk "glorified."
25tn (15:8) The i{na (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ejn touvtw/ (en toutw) at the beginning of the verse. The Father is glorified when the disciples bring forth abundant fruit. Just as Jesus has done the works which he has seen his Father doing (5:19-29) so also will his disciples.
26tn (15:8) Or "yield."
27tc (15:8) Some MSS read a future indicative verb, "and become." The original reading is difficult to determine, because the external evidence is rather evenly divided. The aorist subjunctive gevnhsqe (genhsqe, "you are") is supported by most Alexandrian MSS including (apparently) Ì66, along with the Western uncial D. The future indicative genhvsesqe (genhsesqe, "you will be") is supported by Í and the majority of MSS of the Byzantine texttype. On the basis of the external evidence alone the second reading has some credibility because of the unusual alliance between Í and the Byzantine text. Some who accept the future indicative see a consecutive (or resultative) sequence between fevrhte (ferhte) in the i{na (Jina) clause and genhvsesqe, so that the disciples' bearing much fruit results in their becoming disciples. It seems more likely, however, that the second verb (regardless of whether it is read as aorist or future) is to be understood as coordinate in meaning with the previous verb fevrhte (So M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek §342). Thus the two actions are really one and the same: bearing fruit and being Jesus' disciple are not two different actions, but a single action. The first is the outward sign or proof of the second--in bearing fruit the disciples show themselves to be disciples indeed (cf. 15:5). Thus the translation followed here is, "that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples." As far as the textual reading is concerned, it appears preferable to accept the aorist subjunctive reading (gevnhsqe).
28tn (15:9) Or "reside."
29tn (15:10) Or "keep."
30tn (15:10) Or "reside."
31tn (15:10) Or "kept."
32tn (15:10) Or "reside."
33tn (15:11) Grk "These things I have spoken to you."
34sn (15:12) Now the reference to the commandments (plural) in 15:10 have been reduced to a singular commandment: the disciples are to love one another, just as Jesus has loved them. This is the `new commandment' of John 13:34, and it is repeated in 15:17. The disciples' love for one another is compared to Jesus' love for them. How has Jesus shown his love for the disciples? This was illustrated in 13:1-20 in the washing of the disciples' feet, introduced by the statement in 13:1 that Jesus loved them "to the end." In context this constitutes a reference to Jesus' self-sacrificial death on the cross on their behalf; the love they are to have for one another is so great that it must include a self-sacrificial willingness to die for one another if necessary. This is exactly what Jesus is discussing here, because he introduces the theme of his sacrificial death in the following verse. In John 10:18 and 14:31 Jesus spoke of his death on the cross as a commandment he had received from his Father, which also links the idea of commandment and love as they are linked here. One final note: it is not just the degree or intensity of the disciples' love for one another that Jesus is referring to when he introduces by comparison his own death on the cross (that they must love one another enough to die for one another) but the very means of expressing that love: it is to express itself in self-sacrifice for one another, sacrifice up to the point of death, which is what Jesus himself did on the cross (cf. 1 John 3:16).
35tn (15:13) Or "one dies willingly."
36sn (15:14) This verse really explains John 15:10 in another way. Those who keep Jesus' commandments are called his friends, those friends for whom he lays down his life (v. 13). It is possible to understand this verse as referring to a smaller group within Christianity as a whole, perhaps only the apostles who were present when Jesus spoke these words. Some have supported this by comparing it to the small group of associates and advisors to the Roman Emperor who were called "Friends of the Emperor." Others would see these words as addressed only to those Christians who as disciples were obedient to Jesus. In either case the result would be to create a sort of "inner circle" of Christians who are more privileged than mere "believers" or average Christians. In context, it seems clear that Jesus' words must be addressed to all true Christians, not just some narrower category of believers, because Jesus' sacrificial death, which is his act of love toward his friends (v. 13) applies to all Christians equally (cf. John 13:1).
37tn (15:15) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
38tn (15:15) Or "does not know."
39tn (15:15) Grk "all things."
40tn (15:15) Or "learned."
41sn (15:16) You did not choose me, but I chose you. If the disciples are now elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way round. Again this is true of all Christians, not just the twelve, and the theme that Christians are "chosen" by God appears frequently in other NT texts (e.g., Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4ff.; Col 3:12; and 1 Pet 2:4). Putting this together with the comments on 15:14 one may ask whether the author sees any special significance at all for the twelve. Jesus said in John 6:70 and 13:18 that he chose them, and 15:27 makes clear that Jesus in the immediate context is addressing those who have been with him from the beginning. In the Fourth Gospel the twelve, as the most intimate and most committed followers of Jesus, are presented as the models for all Christians, both in terms of their election and in terms of their mission.
42tn (15:16) Or "and yield."
43sn (15:16) The purpose for which the disciples were appointed ("commissioned") is to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains. The introduction of the idea of "going" at this point suggests that the fruit is something more than just character qualities in the disciples' own lives, but rather involves fruit in the lives of others, i.e., Christian converts. There is a mission involved (cf. John 4:36). The idea that their fruit is permanent, however, relates back to vv. 7-8, as does the reference to asking the Father in Jesus' name. It appears that as the imagery of the vine and the branches develops, the "fruit" which the branches produce shifts in emphasis from qualities in the disciples' own lives in John 15:2, 4, 5 to the idea of a mission which affects the lives of others in John 15:16. The point of transition would be the reference to fruit in 15:8.
44tn (15:17) Grk "These things."
45tn (15:18) Grk "know."
46tn (15:18) Grk "it hated me before you."
47tn (15:19) Grk "if you were of the world."
48tn (15:19) "love you as" is not in the original but is supplied for clarity.
49tn (15:19) Grk "because you are not of the world."
50tn (15:19) Or "world, therefore."
51sn (15:19) I chose you out of the world...the world hates you. Two themes are brought together here. In 8:23 Jesus had distinguished himself from the world in addressing his Jewish opponents: "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world." In 15:16 Jesus told the disciples "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you." Now Jesus has united these two ideas as he informs the disciples that he has chosen them out of the world. While the disciples will still be "in" the world after Jesus has departed, they will not belong to it, and Jesus prays later in John 17:15-16 to the Father, "I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world." The same theme also occurs in 1 John 4:5-6: "They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us." Thus the basic reason why the world hates the disciples (as it hated Jesus before them) is because they are not of the world. They are born from above, and are not of the world. For this reason the world hates them.
52tn (15:20) Grk "Remember the word that I said to you."
53tn (15:20) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
54sn (15:20) A slave is not greater than his master. Jesus now recalled a statement he had made to the disciples before, in John 13:16. As the master has been treated, so will the slaves be treated also. If the world had persecuted Jesus, then it would also persecute the disciples. If the world had kept Jesus' word, it would likewise keep the word of the disciples. In this statement there is the implication that the disciples would carry on the ministry of Jesus after his departure; they would in their preaching and teaching continue to spread the message which Jesus himself had taught while he was with them. And they would meet with the same response, by and large, that he encountered.
55tn (15:20) Or "if they kept."
56tn (15:20) Or "they will keep."
57tn (15:21) Or "because of."
58tn (15:21) Jesus is referring to God as "the one who sent me."
59tn (15:22) Grk "they would not have sin" (an idiom).
sn (15:22) Jesus now describes the guilt of the world. He came to these people with both words (15:22) and sign-miracles (15:24), yet they remained obstinate in their unbelief, and this sin of unbelief was without excuse. Jesus was not saying that if he had not come and spoken to these people they would be sinless; rather he was saying that if he had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of the sin of rejecting him and the Father he came to reveal. Rejecting Jesus is the one ultimate sin for which there can be no forgiveness, because the one who has committed this sin has at the same time rejected the only cure that exists. Jesus spoke similarly to the Pharisees in 9:41: "If you were blind, you would have no sin (same phrase as here), but now you say `We see' your sin remains."
60tn (15:24) Or "If I had not done."
61tn (15:24) Grk "the works."
62tn (15:24) Grk "they would not have sin" (an idiom).
63tn (15:24) The words "the deeds" are supplied to clarify from context what was seen. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
64tn (15:24) Or "But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father." It is possible to understand both the "seeing" and the "hating" to refer to both Jesus and the Father, but this has the world "seeing" the Father, which seems alien to the Johannine Jesus. (Some point out John 14:9 as an example, but this is addressed to the disciples, not to the world.) It is more likely that the "seeing" refers to the miraculous deeds mentioned in the first half of the verse. Such an understanding of the first "both--and" construction is apparently supported by BDF §444.3.
65tn (15:25) The words "this happened" are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.
66sn (15:25) A quotation from Ps 35:19 and Ps 69:4. As a technical term law (novmo", nomos) is usually restricted to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT), but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Ps 35:19 or Ps 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in John's Gospel (2:17 and 19:29, in both instances in contexts associated with Jesus' suffering and death).
67tn (15:26) Or "Helper" or "Counselor"; Grk "Paraclete," from the Greek word paravklhto" (paraklhto"). See the note on the word "Advocate" in John 14:16 for discussion of how this word is translated.
68tn (15:26) Grk "that one."
1tn (16:1) Grk "so that you will not be caused to stumble."
sn (16:1) In Johannine thought the verb skandalivzw (skandalizw) means to trip up a disciple and cause them to fall away from Jesus' company (John 6:61, 1 John 2:10). Similar usage is found in Didache 16:5, an early Christian writing from around the beginning of the 2nd century A.D. An example of a disciple who falls away is Judas Iscariot. Here and again in 16:4 Jesus gives the purpose for his telling the disciples about coming persecution: so that when it happens, the disciples will not fall away, which in this context would refer to the confusion and doubt which they would certainly experience when such persecution began. There may have been a tendency for the disciples to expect immediately after Jesus' victory over death the institution of the messianic kingdom, particularly in light of the turn of events recorded in the early chapters of Acts. Jesus here forestalls such disillusionment for the disciples by letting them know in advance that they will face persecution and even martyrdom as they seek to carry on his mission in the world after his departure. This material has parallels in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25) and the synoptic parallels.
2tn (16:2) Or "expel you from."
3sn (16:2) See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
4tn (16:2) Grk "an hour."
5sn (16:2) Jesus now refers not to the time of his return to the Father, as he has frequently done up to this point, but to the disciples' time of persecution. They will be excommunicated from Jewish synagogues. There will even be a time when those who kill Jesus' disciples will think that they are offering service to God by putting the disciples to death. Because of the reference to service offered to God, it is almost certain that Jewish opposition is intended here in both cases rather than Jewish opposition in the first instance (putting the disciples out of synagogues) and Roman opposition in the second (putting the disciples to death). Such opposition materializes later and is recorded in Acts: the stoning of Stephen in 7:58-60 and the slaying of James the brother of John by Herod Agrippa I in Acts 12:2-3 are notable examples.
6tn (16:3) Grk "And they." Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with "and," and English style, which generally does not, kaiv (kai) is not translated here.
7sn (16:3) Ignorance of Jesus and ignorance of the Father are also linked in 8:19; to know Jesus would be to know the Father also, but since the world does not know Jesus, neither does it know his Father. The world's ignorance of the Father is also mentioned in 8:55, 15:21, and 17:25.
8tn (16:4) The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, tau'ta lelavlhka uJmi'n (tauta lelalhka Jumin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.
9tn (16:4) Grk "their hour."
10tn (16:4) The words "about them" are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
11sn (16:4) This verse serves as a transition between the preceding discussion of the persecutions the disciples will face in the world after the departure of Jesus, and the following discussion concerning the departure of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit-Paraclete. Jesus had not told the disciples these things from the beginning because he was with them.
12sn (16:5) Now the theme of Jesus' impending departure is resumed (I am going to the one who sent me). It will also be mentioned in 16:10, 17, and 28. Jesus had said to his opponents in 7:33 that he was going to the one who sent him; in 13:33 he had spoken of going where the disciples could not come. At that point Peter had inquired where he was going, but it appears that Peter did not understand Jesus' reply at that time and did not persist in further questioning. In 14:5 Thomas had asked Jesus where he was going.
13sn (16:5) Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: sadness has overcome the disciples as a result of the predictions of coming persecution that Jesus has just spoken to them in 15:18-25 and 16:1-4a. Their shock at Jesus' revelation of coming persecution is so great that none of them thinks to ask him where it is that he is going.
14tn (16:6) Or "distress" or "grief."
15tn (16:7) Or "Helper" or "Counselor"; Grk "Paraclete," from the Greek word paravklhto" (paraklhto"). See the note on the word "Advocate" in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
16tn (16:8) Grk "when that one."
17tn (16:8) Or "will convict the world," or "will expose the world." The conjunction periv (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of "concerning" or "with respect to." But what about the verb ejlevgcw (elencw)? The basic meanings possible for this word are (1) "to convict or convince someone of something"; (2) "to bring to light or expose something; and (3) "to correct or punish someone." The third possibility may be ruled out in these verses on contextual grounds since punishment is not implied. The meaning is often understood to be that the Paraclete will "convince" the world of its error, so that some at least will repent. But S. Mowinckel ("Die Vorstellungen des Spätjudentums vom heiligen Geist als Fürsprecher und der johanneische Paraklet," ZNW 32 [1933]: 97-130) demonstrated that the verb ejlevgcw did not necessarily imply the conversion or reform of the guilty party. This means it is far more likely that conviction in something of a legal sense is intended here (as in a trial). The only certainty is that the accused party is indeed proven guilty (not that they will acknowledge their guilt). Further confirmation of this interpretation is seen in John 14:17 where the world cannot receive the Paraclete and in John 3:20, where the evildoer deliberately refuses to come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed for what they really are (significantly, the verb in John 3:20 is also ejlevgcw). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning "prove guilty" for the use of ejlevgcw in John 16:8 a difficulty still remains: while this meaning fits the first statement in 16:9--the world is `proven guilty' concerning its sin of refusing to believe in Jesus--it does not fit so well the second and third assertions in vv. 10-11. Thus R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:705) suggests the more general meaning `prove wrong' which would fit in all three cases. This may be so, but there may also be a developmental aspect to the meaning, which would then shift from v. 9 to v. 10 to v. 11.
18tn (16:8) Grk "and concerning."
19tn (16:8) Grk "and concerning."
20tn (16:9) Or "that." It is very difficult to determine whether o{ti (Joti; 3 times in 16:9, 10, 11) should be understood as causal or appositional/explanatory: Brown and Bultmann favor appositional or explanatory, while Barrett and Morris prefer a causal sense. A causal idea is preferable here, since it also fits the parallel statements in vv. 10-11 better than an appositional or explanatory use would. In this case Jesus is stating in each instance the reason why the world is proven guilty or wrong by the Spirit-Paraclete.
21sn (16:9) Here (v. 9) the world is proven guilty concerning sin, and the reason given is their refusal to believe in Jesus. In 3:19 the effect of Jesus coming into the world as the Light of the world was to provoke judgment, by forcing people to choose up sides for or against him, and they chose darkness rather than light. In 12:37, at the very end of Jesus' public ministry in John's Gospel, people were still refusing to believe in him.
22tn (16:10) There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of dikaiosuvnh (dikaiosunh) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain--to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word dikaiosuvnh occurs in the Gospel of John only here and in v. 8. It is often assumed that it refers to forensic justification, as it does so often in Paul's writings. Thus the answer to question (2) would be that it refers to the world. L. Morris states, "The Spirit shows men (and no-one else can do this) that their righteousness before God depends not on their own efforts but on Christ's atoning work for them" (John [NICNT], 699). Since the word occurs so infrequently in the Fourth Gospel, however, the context must be examined very carefully. The o{ti (Joti) clause which follows provides an important clue: the righteousness in view here has to do with Jesus' return to the Father and his absence from the disciples. It is true that in the Fourth Gospel part of what is involved in Jesus' return to the Father is the cross, and it is through his substitutionary death that people are justified, so that Morris' understanding of righteousness here is possible. But more basic than this is the idea that Jesus' return to the Father constitutes his own dikaiosuvnh in the sense of vindication rather than forensic justification. Jesus had repeatedly claimed oneness with the Father, and his opponents had repeatedly rejected this and labeled him a deceiver, a sinner, and a blasphemer (John 5:18, 7:12, 9:24, 10:33, etc.). But Jesus, by his glorification through his return to the Father, is vindicated in his claims in spite of his opponents. In his vindication his followers are also vindicated as well, but their vindication derives from his. Thus one would answer question (1) by saying that in context dikaiosuvnh" (dikaiosunh") refers not to forensic justification but vindication, and question (2) by referring this justification/vindication not to the world or even to Christians directly, but to Jesus himself. Finally, how does Jesus' last statement in v. 10, that the disciples will see him no more, contribute to this? It is probably best taken as a reference to the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, who cannot come until Jesus has departed (16:7). The meaning of v. 10 is thus: when the Spirit-Paraclete comes he will prove the world wrong concerning the subject of righteousness, namely, Jesus' righteousness which is demonstrated when he is glorified in his return to the Father and the disciples see him no more (but they will have instead the presence of the Spirit-Paraclete, whom the world is not able to receive).
23tn (16:10) Or "that."
24sn (16:11) The world is proven wrong concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. Jesus' righteousness before the Father, as proven by his return to the Father, his glorification, constitutes a judgment against Satan. This is parallel to the judgment of the world which Jesus provokes in 3:19-21: Jesus' presence in the world as the Light of the world provokes the judgment of those in the world, because as they respond to the light (either coming to Jesus or rejecting him) so are they judged. That judgment is in a sense already realized. So it is here, where the judgment of Satan is already realized in Jesus' glorification. This does not mean that Satan does not continue to be active in the world, and to exercise some power over it, just as in 3:19-21 the people in the world who have rejected Jesus and thus incurred judgment continue on in their opposition to Jesus for a time. In both cases the judgment is not immediately executed. But it is certain.
25tn (16:11) Or "that."
26sn (16:11) The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
27tn (16:11) Or "judged."
28sn (16:12) In what sense does Jesus have many more things to say to the disciples? Does this imply the continuation of revelation after his departure? This is probably the case, especially in light of v. 13 and following, which describe the work of the Holy Spirit in guiding the disciples into all truth. Thus Jesus was saying that he would continue to speak (to the twelve, at least) after his return to the Father. He would do this through the Holy Spirit whom he was going to send. It is possible that an audience broader than the twelve is addressed, and in the Johannine tradition there is evidence that later other Christians (or perhaps, professed Christians) claimed to be recipients of revelation through the Spirit-Paraclete (1 John 4:1-6).
29tn (16:12) Or (perhaps) "you cannot accept."
30tn (16:13) Grk "that one."
31tn (16:13) Or "will lead."
32sn (16:13) Three important points must be noted here. (1) When the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth. What Jesus had said in 8:31-32, "If you continue to follow my teaching you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free," will ultimately be realized in the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit to the disciples after Jesus' departure. (2) The things the Holy Spirit speaks to them will not be things which originate from himself (he will not speak on his own authority), but things he has heard. This could be taken to mean that no new revelation is involved, as R. E. Brown does (John [AB], 2:714-15). This is a possible but not a necessary inference. The point here concerns the source of the things the Spirit will say to the disciples and does not specifically exclude originality of content. (3) Part at least of what the Holy Spirit will reveal to the disciples will concern what is to come, not just fuller implications of previous sayings of Jesus and the like. This does seem to indicate that at least some new revelation is involved. But the Spirit is not the source or originator of these things--Jesus is the source, and he will continue to speak to his disciples through the Spirit who has come to indwell them. This does not answer the question, however, whether these words are addressed to all followers of Jesus, or only to his apostles. Different modern commentators will answer this question differently. Since in the context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus is preparing the twelve to carry on his ministry after his departure, it is probably best to take these statements as specifically related only to the twelve. Some of this the Holy Spirit does directly for all believers today; other parts of this statement are fulfilled through the apostles (e.g., in giving the Book of Revelation the Spirit speaks through the apostles to the church today of things to come). One of the implications of this is that a doctrine does not have to be traced back to an explicit teaching of Jesus to be authentic; all that is required is apostolic authority.
33tn (16:13) Grk "speak from himself."
34tn (16:13) Or will announce to you."
35tn (16:13) Grk "will tell you the things to come."
36tn (16:14) Grk "That one."
37tn (16:14) Or "will honor me."
38tn (16:14) Or "he will take."
39tn (16:14) The words "what is mine" are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
40tn (16:14) Or "will announce it to you."
41tn (16:15) Grk "I said he"; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
42tn (16:15) The words "what is mine" are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
43tn (16:15) Or "will announce it to you."
44tn (16:16) Grk "A little while, and you."
45tn (16:16) Grk "and again a little while, and you."
46sn (16:16) The phrase after a little while, you will see me is sometimes taken to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit after Jesus departs, but (as at 14:19) it is much more probable that it refers to the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. There is no indication in the context that the disciples will see Jesus only with "spiritual" sight, as would be the case if the coming of the Spirit is in view.
47tn (16:17) Grk "What is this that he is saying to us."
48tn (16:17) Grk "A little while, and you."
49tn (16:17) Grk "and again a little while, and you."
50sn (16:17) These fragmentary quotations of Jesus' statements are from 16:16 and 16:10, and indicate that the disciples heard only part of what Jesus had to say to them on this occasion.
51tn (16:18) Grk "they kept on saying."
52tn (16:18) Grk "What is this that he says."
53tn (16:18) Grk "A little while." Although the phrase toV mikrovn (to mikron) in John 16:18 could be translated simply "a little while," it was translated "in a little while" to maintain the connection to John 16:16, where it has the latter meaning in context.
54tn (16:18) Or "we do not know."
55tn (16:18) Grk "what he is speaking."
56tn (16:19) Grk "knew."
sn (16:19) Jesus could see. Supernatural knowledge of what the disciples were thinking is not necessarily in view here. Given the disciples' confused statements in the preceding verses, it was probably obvious to Jesus that they wanted to ask what he meant.
57tn (16:19) The words "about these things" are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
58tn (16:19) Kaiv (kai) has been translated as "so" here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus' observation in v. 19a.
59tn (16:19) Grk "inquiring" or "seeking."
60tn (16:19) Grk "A little while, and you."
61tn (16:19) Grk "and again a little while, and you."
62tn (16:20) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
63tn (16:20) Or "wail," "cry."
64tn (16:20) Or "lament."
65tn (16:20) Or "sorrowful."
66tn (16:20) Grk "will become."
67sn (16:21) The same word translated distress here is translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).
68tn (16:21) Grk "her hour."
69tn (16:21) Grk "that a man" (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).
70sn (16:21) Jesus now compares the situation of the disciples to a woman in childbirth. Just as the woman in the delivery of her child experiences real pain and anguish (has distress), so the disciples will also undergo real anguish at the crucifixion of Jesus. But once the child has been born, the mother's anguish is turned into joy, and she forgets the past suffering. The same will be true of the disciples, who after Jesus' resurrection and reappearance to them will forget the anguish they suffered at his death on account of their joy.
71tn (16:22) Or "distress."
72sn (16:22) An allusion to Isa 66:14 LXX, which reads: "Then you will see, and your heart will be glad, and your bones will flourish like the new grass; and the hand of the LORD will be made known to his servants, but he will be indignant toward his enemies." The change from "you will see [me]" to I will see you places more emphasis on Jesus as the one who re-initiates the relationship with the disciples after his resurrection, but v. 16 (you will see me) is more like Isa 66:14. Further support for seeing this allusion as intentional is found in Isa 66:7, which uses the same imagery of the woman giving birth found in John 16:21. In the context of Isa 66 the passages refer to the institution of the messianic kingdom, and in fact the last clause of 66:14 along with the following verses (15-17) have yet to be fulfilled. This is part of the tension of present and future eschatological fulfillment that runs throughout the NT, by virtue of the fact that there are two advents. Some prophecies are fulfilled or partially fulfilled at the first advent, while other prophecies or parts of prophecies await fulfillment at the second.
73tn (16:23) Grk "And in that day."
74tn (16:23) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
75sn (16:23) This statement is also found in John 15:16.
76tn (16:24) The word "it" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
77tn (16:25) Or "in parables." or "in metaphors." There is some difficulty in defining paroimivai" (paroimiai") precisely: a translation like "parables" does not convey accurately the meaning. BAGD 629 s.v. paroimiva suggests in general "proverb," "maxim," but for Johannine usage "dark saying," "figure of speech, in which especially lofty ideas are concealed." In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
78tn (16:25) Grk "an hour."
79tn (16:25) Or "inform you."
80tn (16:25) Or "openly."
81tn (16:26) Grk "In that day."
82tn (16:26) Grk "I do not say to you."
83tc (16:27) A number of early MSS read "from the Father."
84tn (16:28) Or "into the world; again." Here pavlin (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.
85sn (16:28) The statement I am leaving the world and going to the Father is a summary of the entire Gospel of John. It summarizes the earthly career of the Word made flesh, Jesus of Nazareth, on his mission from the Father to be the Savior of the world, beginning with his entry into the world as he came forth from God and concluding with his departure from the world as he returned to the Father.
86tn (16:29) Or "openly."
87tn (16:29) Or "not in parables." or "not in metaphors."
sn (16:29) How is the disciples' reply to Jesus now you are speaking plainly and not in obscure figures of speech to be understood? Their claim to understand seems a bit impulsive. It is difficult to believe that the disciples have really understood the full implications of Jesus' words, although it is true that he spoke to them plainly and not figuratively in 16:26-28. The disciples will not fully understand all that Jesus has said to them until after his resurrection, when the Holy Spirit will give them insight and understanding (16:13).
88tn (16:30) Grk "all things."
89tn (16:30) Grk "and have no need of anyone."
90tn (16:30) The word "anything" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
91tn (16:30) Or "By this."
92tn (16:31) Grk Jesus answered them."
93tn (16:32) Grk "an hour."
94tn (16:32) Grk "each one to his own"; the word "home is not in the Greek text but is implied. The phrase "each one to his own" may be completed in a number of different ways: "each one to his own property"; "each one to his own family"; or "each one to his own home." The last option seems to fit most easily into the context and so is used in the translation.
95sn (16:32) The proof of Jesus' negative evaluation of the disciples' faith is now given: Jesus foretells their abandonment of him at his arrest, trials, and crucifixion (I will be left alone). This parallels the synoptic accounts in Matt 26:31 and Mark 14:27 when Jesus, after the last supper and on the way to Gethsemane, foretold the desertion of the disciples as a fulfillment of Zech 13:7: "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered." Yet although the disciples would abandon Jesus, he reaffirmed that he was not alone, because the Father was still with him.
96tn (16:32) Grk "And" (but with some contrastive force).
97tn (16:32) Grk "the Father."
98tn (16:33) The one Greek term qli'yi" (qliyis) is translated by an English hendiadys (two terms that combine for one meaning) "trouble and suffering." For modern English readers "tribulation" is no longer clearly understandable.
99tn (16:33) Or "but be courageous."
100tn (16:33) Or "I am victorious over the world," or "I have overcome the world."
sn (16:33) The Farewell Discourse proper closes on the triumphant note I have conquered the world, which recalls 1:5 (in the prologue): "the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it." Jesus' words which follow in chap. 17 are addressed not to the disciples but to his Father, as he prays for the consecration of the disciples.
1tn (17:1) Grk "he raised his eyes" (an idiom).
sn (17:1) Jesus also looked upward before his prayer in John 11:41. This was probably a common posture in prayer. According to the parable in Luke 18:13 the tax collector did not feel himself worthy to do this.
2tn (17:1) Or "to the sky." The Greek word oujranov" (ouranos) may be translated "sky" or "heaven" depending on the context.
3tn (17:1) Grk "the hour."
sn (17:1) The time has come. Jesus has said before that his "hour" had come, both in 12:23 when some Greeks sought to speak with him, and in 13:1 where just before he washed the disciples' feet. It appears best to understand the "hour" as a period of time starting at the end of Jesus' public ministry and extending through the passion week, ending with Jesus' return to the Father through death, resurrection, and exaltation. The "hour" begins as soon as the first events occur which begin the process that leads to Jesus' death.
4tn (17:2) Or "all people"; Grk "all flesh."
5tn (17:2) Grk "so that to everyone whom you have given to him, he may give to them eternal life."
6tn (17:3) Using au{th dev (Jauth de) to introduce an explanation is typical Johannine style; it was used before in John 1:19, 3:19, and 15:12.
7sn (17:3) This is eternal life. The author here defines eternal life for the readers, although it is worked into the prayer in such a way that many interpreters do not regard it as another of the author's parenthetical comments. It is not just unending life in the sense of prolonged duration. Rather it is a quality of life, with its qualitativeness derived from a relationship with God. Having eternal life is here defined as being in relationship with the Father, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. Christ (Cristov", Cristos) is not characteristically attached to Jesus' name in John's Gospel; it occurs elsewhere primarily as a title and is used with Jesus' name only in 1:17. But that is connected to its use here: the statement here in 17:3 enables us to correlate the statement made in 1:18 of the prologue, that Jesus has fully revealed what God is like, with Jesus' statement in 10:10 that he has come that people might have life, and have it abundantly. These two purposes are really one, according to 17:3, because (abundant) eternal life is defined as knowing (being in relationship with) the Father and the Son. The only way to gain this eternal life, that is, to obtain this knowledge of the Father, is through the Son (cf. 14:6). Although some have pointed to the use of know (ginwvskw, ginwskw) here as evidence of Gnostic influence in the Fourth Gospel, there is a crucial difference: for John this knowledge is not intellectual, but relational. It involves being in relationship.
8tn (17:3) Or "and Jesus the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
9tn (17:4) Or "by finishing" or "by accomplishing." Jesus now states that he has glorified the Father on earth by finishing (teleiwvsa" [teleiwsas] is best understood as a circumstantial participle of means) the work which the Father had given him to do.
sn (17:4) By completing the work. The idea of Jesus being sent into the world on a mission has been mentioned before, significantly in 3:17. It was even alluded to in the immediately preceding verse here (17:3). The completion of the "work" the Father had sent him to accomplish was mentioned by Jesus in 4:34 and 5:36. What is the nature of the "work" the Father has given the Son to accomplish? It involves the Son's mission to be the Savior of the world, as 3:17 indicates. But this is accomplished specifically through Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross (a thought implied by the reference to the Father "giving" the Son in 3:16). It is not without significance that Jesus' last word from the cross is "It is completed" (19:30).
10tn (17:4) Grk "the work that you gave to me so that I may do it."
11tn (17:5) Or "in your presence"; Grk "with yourself." The use of parav (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Lovgo" [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (proV" toVn qeovn, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.
12tn (17:5) Grk "before the world was." The word "created" is not in the Greek text but is implied.
sn (17:5) It is important to note that although Jesus prayed for a return to the glory he had at the Father's side before the world was created, he was not praying for a "de-incarnation." His humanity which he took on at the incarnation (John 1:14) remains, though now glorified.
13tn (17:6) Or "made known," "disclosed."
14tn (17:6) Here "men" is retained as a translation for ajnqrwvpoi" (anqrwpoi") rather than the more generic "people" because in context it specifically refers to the eleven men Jesus had chosen as apostles (Judas had already departed, John 13:30). If one understands the referent here to be the broader group of Jesus' followers that included both men and women, a translation like "to the people" should be used here instead.
15tn (17:6) Grk "Yours they were."
16tn (17:6) Or "have kept."
17tn (17:7) Or "they have come to know," or "they have learned."
18tn (17:7) Grk "all things."
19tn (17:8) Grk And they." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
20tn (17:8) Or "received."
21tn (17:8) The word "them" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
22tn (17:8) Or "truly."
23tn (17:8) Or have come to know."
24tn (17:9) Grk "I am asking."
25tn (17:9) Grk "I am not asking."
26tn (17:9) Or "because they are yours."
27tn (17:10) Grk And all things." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
28tn (17:10) Or "Everything I have is yours."
29tn (17:10) Or "everything you have is mine."
30tn (17:10) Or "I have been honored among them."
sn (17:10) The theme of glory with which Jesus began this prayer in 17:1-5 now recurs. Jesus said that he had been glorified by his disciples, but in what sense was this true? Jesus had manifested his glory to them in all of the sign-miracles which he had performed, beginning with the miracle at the wedding feast in Cana (2:11). He could now say that he had been glorified by them in the light of what he had already said in vv. 7-8, that the disciples had come to know that he had come from the Father and been sent by the Father. He would, of course, be glorified by them further after the resurrection, as they carried on his ministry after his departure.
31tn (17:11) Grk And I." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
32tn (17:11) The context indicates that this should be translated as an adversative or contrastive conjunction.
33tn (17:11) Or "protect them"; Grk "keep them."
34tn (17:11) Or "by your name."
35tn (17:11) The second repetition of "one" is implied, and is supplied here for clarity.
36tn (17:12) Or "I protected them"; Grk "I kept them."
37tn (17:12) Grk "and guarded them."
38tn (17:12) Or "by your name."
39tn (17:12) Grk And not one." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
40tn (17:12) Grk "the son of destruction" (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).
sn (17:12) The one destined to destruction refers to Judas. Clearly in John's Gospel Judas is portrayed as a tool of Satan. He is described as "the devil" in 6:70. In 13:2 Satan put into Judas' heart the idea of betraying Jesus, and 13:27 Satan himself entered Judas. Immediately after this Judas left the company of Jesus and the other disciples and went out into the realm of darkness (13:30). Cf. 2 Thess 2:3, where this same Greek phrase ("the son of destruction"; see tn (17:12) above) is used to describe the man through whom Satan acts to rebel against God in the last days.
41sn (17:12) A possible allusion to Ps 41:9 or Prov 24:22 LXX. The exact passage is not specified here, but in John 13:18, Ps 41:9 is explicitly quoted by Jesus with reference to the traitor, suggesting that this is the passage to which Jesus refers here. The previous mention of Ps 41:9 in John 13:18 probably explains why the author felt no need for an explanatory parenthetical note here. It is also possible that the passage referred to here is Prov 24:22 LXX, where in the Greek text the phrase "son of destruction" appears.
42tn (17:13) Grk "they may have."
43tn (17:13) Or "fulfilled."
44tn (17:14) Or "your message."
45tn (17:14) Grk "because they are not of the world."
46tn (17:14) Grk "just as I am not of the world."
47tn (17:15) Or "that you protect them"; Grk "that you keep them."
48tn (17:15) The phrase "the evil one" is a reference to Satan. The genitive noun tou' ponhrou' (tou ponhrou) is ambiguous with regard to gender: it may represent the neuter toV ponhrov" (to ponhro"), "that which is evil," or the masculine oJ ponhrov" (Jo ponhro"), "the evil one," i.e., Satan. In view of the frequent use of the masculine in 1 John 2:13-14, 3:12, and 5:18-19 it seems much more probable that the masculine is to be understood here, and that Jesus is praying for his disciples to be protected from Satan.
49tn (17:16) Grk "they are not of the world." This is a repetition of the second half of v. 14. The only difference is in word order: v. 14 has oujk eijsiVn ejk tou' kovsmou (ouk eisin ek tou kosmou), while here the prepositional phrase is stated first: ejk tou' kovsmou oujk eijsivn (ek tou kosmou ouk eisin). This gives additional emphasis to the idea of the prepositional phrase, i.e., origin, source, or affiliation.
50tn (17:16) Grk "just as I am not of the world."
51tn (17:17) Or "Consecrate them" or "Sanctify them."
sn (17:17) The Greek word translated set...apart (aJgiavzw, Jagiazw) is used here in its normal sense of being dedicated, consecrated, or set apart. The sphere in which the disciples are to be set apart is in the truth. In 3:21 the idea of "practicing" (Grk "doing") the truth was introduced; in 8:32 Jesus told some of his hearers that if they continued in his word they would truly be his disciples, and would know the truth, and the truth would make them free. These disciples who are with Jesus now for the Farewell Discourse have continued in his word (except for Judas Iscariot, who has departed), and they do know the truth about who Jesus is and why he has come into the world (17:8). Thus Jesus can ask the Father to set them apart in this truth as he himself is set apart, so that they might carry on his mission in the world after his departure (note the following verse).
52sn (17:18) Jesus now compared the mission on which he was sending the disciples to his own mission into the world, on which he was sent by the Father. As the Father sent Jesus into the world (cf. 3:17), so Jesus now sends the disciples into the world to continue his mission after his departure. The nature of this prayer for the disciples as a consecratory prayer is now emerging: Jesus was setting them apart for the work he had called them to do. They were, in a sense, being commissioned.
53tn (17:19) Or "I sanctify."
sn (17:19) In what sense does Jesus refer to his own `sanctification' with the phrase I set myself apart? In 10:36 Jesus referred to himself as "the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world," which seems to look at something already accomplished. Here, however, it is something he does on behalf of the disciples (on their behalf) and this suggests a reference to his impending death on the cross. There is in fact a Johannine wordplay here based on slightly different meanings for the Greek verb translated set apart (aJgiavzw, Jagiazw). In the sense it was used in 10:36 of Jesus and in 17:17 and here to refer to the disciples, it means to set apart in the sense that prophets (cf. Jer 1:5) and priests (Exod 40:13, Lev 8:30, and 2 Chr 5:11) were consecrated (or set apart) to perform their tasks. But when Jesus speaks of setting himself apart (consecrating or dedicating himself) on behalf of the disciples here in 17:19 the meaning is closer to the consecration of a sacrificial animal (Deut 15:19). Jesus is "setting himself apart," i.e., dedicating himself, to do the will of the Father, that is, to go to the cross on the disciples' behalf (and of course on behalf of their successors as well).
54tn (17:19) Or "for their sake."
55tn (17:19) Or "they may be truly consecrated," or "they may be truly sanctified."
56tn (17:20) Or "I do not pray."
57tn (17:20) Although pisteuovntwn (pisteuontwn) is a present participle, it must in context carry futuristic force. The disciples whom Jesus is leaving behind will carry on his ministry and in doing so will see others come to trust in him. This will include not only Jewish Christians, but other Gentile Christians who are "not of this fold" (10:16), and thus Jesus' prayer for unity is especially appropriate in light of the probability that most of the readers of the Gospel are Gentiles (much as Paul stresses unity between Jewish and Gentile Christians in Eph 2:10-22).
58tn (17:20) Grk "their word."
59tn (17:21) The words "I pray" are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.
60tn (17:22) Grk And the glory." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
61tn (17:23) Or "completely unified."
62tn (17:24) Grk "the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me."
63tn (17:24) Grk "before the foundation of the world."
64tn (17:25) The word "men" is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word "men" here rather than a more general term like "people" because the use of the aorist verb e[gnwsan (egnwsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
65tn (17:26) The translation "will continue to make it known" is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).
1sn (18:1) When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke's or John's Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.
2tn (18:1) Grk "the wadi of the Kidron," or "the ravine of the Kidron" (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).
3tn (18:1) Or "a garden."
4tn (18:2) Or "often."
5sn (18:2) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
6tn (18:3) Grk "a cohort." The word spei'ran (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a cilivarco" (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that spei'ran here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.
7tn (18:3) The phrase "officers of the chief priests and Pharisees" is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as "temple police" according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.
sn (18:3) See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
8tn (18:3) The words "to the orchard" are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.
9tn (18:3) These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant "torch" but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so "lantern" is a good contemporary English equivalent.
sn (18:3) Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John's Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).
10tn (18:4) Grk "knowing all things that were coming upon him."
11tn (18:4) Grk "Whom do you seek?"
12tn (18:5) Grk "They answered."
sn (18:5) The author does not state precisely who from the group of soldiers and temple police replied to Jesus at this point. It may have been the commander of the Roman soldiers, although his presence is not explicitly mentioned until 18:12. It may also have been one of the officers of the chief priests. To the answer given, "Jesus the Nazarene," Jesus replies "I am [he]."
13sn (18:5) This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus' identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus' self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus' feet (18:6).
14tn (18:6) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
15tn (18:6) Grk "moved back" (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).
16sn (18:6) When Jesus said to those who came to arrest him "I am," they retreated and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that "it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus' unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall" (John [NICNT], 743-44). Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene; but the theological significance given to this event by the author implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus the Nazarene. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the divine Name of Exod 3:14, "I AM." Therefore this amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, "Who are you looking for?" This is a vivid reminder to the reader of the Gospel that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the one who bears the divine Name.
17tn (18:7) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18tn (18:8) Grk "Jesus answered."
19tn (18:8) Grk "if you are seeking."
20tn (18:8) The word "men" is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word "men" here rather than a more generic word like "people" because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.
21sn (18:8) A second time Jesus replied, "I told you that I am he," identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, "If you are looking for me, let these men go." Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.
22tn (18:9) The words "He said this" are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.
23sn (18:9) This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.
24tn (18:9) Grk "Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them." The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
sn (18:9) This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus' own words: "I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me." Here it is Jesus' own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus' words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38, 13:18, 15:25, 17:12, 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John's Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.
25tn (18:10) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
26sn (18:10) The account of the attack on the high priest's slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest's slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word wjtavrion (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
27sn (18:10) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
28tn (18:11) Grk "The cup that the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?" The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
sn (18:11) Jesus continues with what most would take to be a rhetorical question expecting a positive reply: "Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?" The cup is also mentioned in Gethsemane in the synoptics (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42). In connection with the synoptic accounts it is mentioned in Jesus' prayer; this occurrence certainly complements the synoptic accounts if Jesus had only shortly before finished praying about this. Only here in the Fourth Gospel is it specifically said that the cup is given to Jesus to drink by the Father, but again this is consistent with the synoptic mention of the cup in Jesus' prayer: it is the cup of suffering which Jesus is about to undergo.
29tn (18:12) Grk "a cohort" (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).
30tn (18:12) Grk "their chiliarch" (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term cilivarco" (ciliarco") literally described the "commander of a thousand," but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.
31tn (18:12) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious authorities, who were named as "chief priests and Pharisees" in John 18:3.
32tn (18:12) Or "seized."
33tn (18:12) Or "bound him."
34tn (18:13) Grk "up, and brought." Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
35sn (18:13) Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pre-trial hearing before Annas, and that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who is said to be high priest in that year. Caiaphas is also mentioned as being high priest in John 11:49. But in 18:15, 16, 19, and 22 Annas is called high priest. Annas is also referred to as high priest by Luke in Acts 4:6. Many scholars have dismissed these references as mistakes on the part of both Luke and John, but as mentioned above, John 11:49 and 18:13 indicate that John knew that Caiaphas was high priest in the year that Jesus was crucified. This has led others to suggest that Annas and Caiaphas shared the high priesthood, but there is no historical evidence to support this view. Annas had been high priest from A.D. 6 to A.D. 15 when he was deposed by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus (according to Josephus, Ant. 18.2.2 [18.34]). His five sons all eventually became high priests. The family was noted for its greed, wealth and power. There are a number of ways the references in both Luke and John to Annas being high priest may be explained. Some Jews may have refused to recognize the changes in high priests effected by the Roman authorities, since according to the Torah the high priesthood was a lifetime office (Num 25:25). Another possibility is that it was simply customary to retain the title after a person had left the office as a courtesy, much as retired ambassadors are referred to as "Mr. Ambassador" or ex-presidents as "Mr. President." Finally, the use of the title by Luke and John may simply be a reflection of the real power behind the high priesthood of the time: although Annas no longer technically held the office, he may well have managed to control those relatives of his who did hold it from behind the scenes. In fact this seems most probable and would also explain why Jesus was brought to him immediately after his arrest for a sort of "pre-trial hearing" before being sent on to the entire Sanhedrin.
36tn (18:14) Or "counseled."
37tn (18:14) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 12.
38sn (18:14) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
39tn (18:15) The words "them as they brought Jesus to Annas" are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify who Peter and the other disciple were following. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
40tn (18:15) Grk "that disciple."
sn (18:15) Many have associated this unnamed other disciple with the beloved disciple, that is, John son of Zebedee, mainly because the phrase the other disciple which occurs here is also used to describe the beloved disciple in John 20:2, 3, 4, and 8. Peter is also closely associated with the beloved disciple in 13:23-26, 20:2-10, 21:7, and 21:20-23. But other identifications have also been proposed, chiefly because v. 16 states that this disciple who was accompanied by Peter was known to the high priest. As C. K. Barrett (St. John, 525) points out, the term gnwstov" (gnwstos) is used in the LXX to refer to a close friend (Ps 54:14 LXX [55:14 ET]). This raises what for some is an insurmountable difficulty in identifying the "other disciple" as John son of Zebedee, since how could the uneducated son of an obscure Galilean fisherman be known to such a powerful and influential family in Jerusalem? E. A. Abbott (as quoted in "Notes of Recent Exposition," ExpTim 25 [1913/14]: 149-50) proposed that the "other disciple" who accompanied Peter was Judas, since he was the one disciple of whom it is said explicitly (in the synoptic accounts) that he had dealings with the high priest. E. A. Tindall ("Contributions and Comments: John xviii.15," ExpTim 28 [1916/17]: 283-84) suggested the disciple was Nicodemus, who as a member of the Sanhedrin, would have had access to the high priest's palace. Both of these suggestions, while ingenious, nevertheless lack support from the text of the Fourth Gospel itself or the synoptic accounts. W. Wuellner (The Meaning of "Fishers of Men") argues that the common attitude concerning the low social status and ignorance of the disciples from Galilee may in fact be a misconception. Zebedee is presented in Mark 1:20 as a man wealthy enough to have hired servants, and Mark 10:35-45 presents both of the sons of Zebedee as concerned about status and prestige. John's mother appears in the same light in Matt 20:20-28. Contact with the high priestly family in Jerusalem might not be so unlikely in such circumstances. Others have noted the possibility that John came from a priestly family, some of which is based upon a statement in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.31.3) quoting Polycrates that John son of Zebedee was a priest. For further information on possible priestly connections among members of John's family see L. Morris (John [NICNT], 752, n. 32). None of this is certain, but on the whole it seems most probable that the disciple who accompanied Peter and gained entry into the courtyard for him was John son of Zebedee.
41sn (18:15) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
42tn (18:16) Grk "spoke to the doorkeeper"; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun qurwrov" (qurwro") may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.
43tn (18:17) Grk "slave girl." Since the descriptive term "slave girl" was introduced in the translation in the previous verse, it would be redundant to repeat the full expression here.
44tn (18:17) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "are you?").
45tn (18:17) Grk "He said."
46tn (18:18) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
47tn (18:18) That is, the "guards of the chief priests" as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.
48tn (18:18) Grk "because it was cold, and they were warming themselves."
49sn (18:18) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
50tn (18:19) The introductory phrase "While this was happening" is not in the Greek text. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the alternation of scenes in the narrative for the modern reader.
51sn (18:19) The nature of this hearing seems to be more that of a preliminary investigation; certainly normal legal procedure was not followed, for no indication is given that any witnesses were brought forth at this point to testify against Jesus. True to what is known of Annas' character, he was more interested in Jesus' disciples than in the precise nature of Jesus' teaching, since he inquired about the followers first. He really wanted to know just how influential Jesus had become and how large a following he had gathered. This was of more concern to Annas that the truth or falsity of Jesus' teaching.
52tn (18:20) Grk "Jesus answered him."
53sn (18:20) See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
54tn (18:20) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people generally, for whom the synagogues and the temple courts in Jerusalem were important public gathering places. See also the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders in v. 12.
55tn (18:20) Grk "And I." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
56tn (18:21) Grk "Ask those who heard what I said to them." The words "to them" are not translated since they are redundant in English.
57tn (18:21) Grk "Look, these know what I said."
58tn (18:22) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
59tn (18:22) Grk "one of the high priest's servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying." For the translation of rJavpisma (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.
60tn (18:23) Grk "Jesus answered him."
61tn (18:23) Or "something incorrect."
62tn (18:23) Grk "testify."
63tn (18:23) Or "incorrect."
64tn (18:24) Or "still bound."
65sn (18:24) Where was Caiaphas the high priest located? Did he have a separate palace, or was he somewhere else with the Sanhedrin? Since Augustine (4th century) a number of scholars have proposed that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different wings of the same palace, which were bound together by a common courtyard through which Jesus would have been led as he was taken from Annas to Caiaphas. This seems a reasonable explanation, although there is no conclusive evidence.
66tn (18:25) The words "in the courtyard" are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.
67tn (18:25) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "are you?").
68tn (18:25) Grk "That one denied it and said"; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
69tn (18:26) See the note on the word "slaves" in 4:51.
70sn (18:26) This incident is recounted in v. 10.
71tn (18:26) Or "garden."
72tn (18:26) This question, prefaced with oujk (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.
73sn (18:27) No indication is given of Peter's emotional state at this third denial (as in Matt 26:74 and Mark 14:71) or that he remembered that Jesus had foretold the denials (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72 and Luke 22:61), or the bitter remorse Peter felt afterwards (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72, and Luke 22:62). Immediately after Peter's third denial a rooster crowed. It seems most likely that this refers to a real cockcrow, although a number of scholars have suggested that this is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ajlektorofwniva, alektorofonia; the term is used in Matt 26:34; Mark 13:35) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.
74tn (18:28) Grk "to the praetorium."
sn (4:27) The permanent residence of the Roman governor of Palestine was in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). The governor had a residence in Jerusalem which he normally occupied only during principal feasts or in times of political unrest. The location of this building in Jerusalem is uncertain, but is probably one of two locations: either (1) the fortress or tower of Antonia, on the east hill north of the temple area, which is the traditional location of the Roman praetorium since the 12th century, or (2) the palace of Herod on the west hill near the present Jaffa Gate. According to Philo (Embassy 38 58) Pilate had some golden shields hung there, and according to Josephus (J. W. 2.14.8 [2.301], 2.15.5 [2.328]) the later Roman governor Florus stayed there.
75sn (18:28) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
76tn (18:28) Grk "And they." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
77tn (18:28) Grk "into the praetorium."
78tn (18:29) Or "charge."
79sn (18:29) In light of the fact that Pilate had cooperated with them in Jesus' arrest by providing Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities were probably expecting Pilate to grant them permission to carry out their sentence on Jesus without resistance (the Jews were not permitted to exercise capital punishment under the Roman occupation without official Roman permission, cf. v. 31). They must have been taken somewhat by surprise by Pilate's question "What accusation do you bring against this man," because it indicated that he was going to try the prisoner himself. Thus Pilate was regarding the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin as only an inquiry and their decision as merely an accusation.
80tn (18:30) Grk "They answered and said to him."
81tn (18:30) Grk "this one."
82tn (18:30) Or "an evildoer"; Grk "one doing evil."
83tn (18:30) Or "would not have delivered him over."
84tn (18:31) Grk "Then Pilate said to them."
85tn (18:31) Or "judge him." For the translation "pass judgment on him" see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).
86sn (18:31) Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement "Pass judgment on him according to your own law!" indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus' death: the Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.
87tn (18:31) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 12.
88tn (18:31) Grk "said to him."
89tn (18:31) Grk "It is not permitted to us to kill anyone."
sn (18:31) The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen's death may be explained as a result of "mob violence" rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and "The Trial of Christ," Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament, 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John's account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.
90tn (18:32) The words "This happened" are not in the Greek text but are implied.
91tn (18:32) Or "making clear."
92sn (18:32) A reference to John 12:32.
93tn (18:33) Grk "into the praetorium."
94sn (18:33) It is difficult to discern Pilate's attitude when he asked, "Are you the king of the Jews?" Some have believed the remark to be sarcastic or incredulous as Pilate looked at this lowly and humble prisoner: "So you're the king of the Jews, are you?" Others have thought the Roman governor to have been impressed by Jesus' regal disposition and dignity, and to have sincerely asked, "Are you really the king of the Jews?" Since it will later become apparent (v. 38) that Pilate considered Jesus innocent (and therefore probably also harmless) an attitude of incredulity is perhaps most likely, but this is far from certain in the absence of clear contextual clues.
95tn (18:34) Grk "Jesus answered."
96tn (18:34) Grk "saying this from yourself."
97sn (18:35) Many have seen in Pilate's reply "I am not a Jew, am I?" the Roman contempt for the Jewish people. Some of that may indeed be present, but strictly speaking, all Pilate affirms is that he, as a Roman, has no firsthand knowledge of Jewish custom or belief. What he knows of Jesus must have come from the Jewish authorities. They are the ones (your own people and your chief priests) who have handed Jesus over to Pilate.
98tn (18:35) Or "your own nation."
99tn (18:35) Or "delivered you over."
100tn (18:36) Grk "so that I may not be."
101tn (18:36) Or "delivered over."
102tn (18:36) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 12.
103tn (18:36) Grk "now."
104tn (18:37) Grk "said to him."
105tn (18:37) Or "obeys"; Grk "hears."
106tn (18:38) Grk "Pilate said."
107sn (18:38) With his reply "What is truth?" Pilate dismissed the matter. It is not clear what Pilate's attitude was at this point, as in 18:33. He may have been sarcastic, or perhaps somewhat reflective. The author has not given enough information in the narrative to be sure. Within the narrative, Pilate's question serves to make the reader reflect on what truth is, and that answer (in the narrative) has already been given (14:6).
108tn (18:38) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 12.
109tn (18:38) Grk "said to them."
110tn (18:38) Grk "find no cause."
111tn (18:39) The word "prisoner" is not in the Greek text but is implied.
112sn (18:39) Pilate then offered to release Jesus, reminding the Jewish authorities that they had a custom that he release one prisoner for them at the Passover. There is no extra-biblical evidence alluding to the practice. It is, however, mentioned in Matthew and Mark, described either as a practice of Pilate (Mark 15:6) or of the Roman governor (Matt 27:15). These references may explain the lack of extra-biblical attestation: the custom to which Pilate refers here (18:39) is not a permanent one acknowledged by all the Roman governors, but one peculiar to Pilate as a means of appeasement, meant to better relations with his subjects. Such a limited meaning is certainly possible and consistent with the statement here.
113tn (18:40) Or "they shouted again," or "they shouted in turn." On the difficulty of translating pavlin (palin) see BAGD 607 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John's Gospel to understand the phrase to mean "they shouted back" as a reply to Pilate's question.
114tn (18:40) Grk "this one."
115sn (18:40) The name Barabbas in Aramaic means "son of abba," that is, "son of the father" and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: the crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, "son of the father," while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.
116tn (18:40) Or "robber." It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term lhsthv" (lhsth") in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word lh/sthv" was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-54]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.
117sn (18:40) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
1tn (19:1) Or "had him flogged," or (traditional), "scourged him." The verb should be read as causative. Pilate ordered Jesus to be flogged. A Roman governor would not carry out such a sentence in person. BAGD 495 s.v. mastigovw 1. states, "Of the beating (Lat. verberatio) given those condemned to death...J 19:1; cf. Mt 20:19; Mk 10:34; Lk 18:33."
sn (19:1) This severe flogging was not administered by Pilate himself but his officers, who took Jesus at Pilate's order and scourged him. The author's choice of wording here may constitute an allusion to Isa 50:6, "I gave my back to those who scourge me." Three forms of corporal punishment were employed by the Romans, in increasing degree of severity: (1) fustigatio (beating), (2) flagellatio (flogging), and (3) verberatio (severe flogging, scourging). The first could be on occasion a punishment in itself, but the more severe forms were part of the capital sentence as a prelude to crucifixion. The most severe, verberatio, is what is indicated here by the Greek verb translated flogged severely (mastigovw, mastigow). People died on occasion while being flogged this way; frequently it was severe enough to rip a person's body open or cut muscle and sinew to the bone. It was carried out with a whip that had fragments of bone or pieces of metal bound into the tips.
2tn (19:2) Grk "And the soldiers." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
3tn (19:2) Or "wove."
4sn (19:2) The crown of thorns was a crown plaited of some thorny material, intended as a mockery of Jesus' "kingship." Traditionally it has been regarded as an additional instrument of torture, but it seems more probable the purpose of the thorns was not necessarily to inflict more physical suffering but to imitate the spikes of the "radiant corona," a type of crown portrayed on ruler's heads on many coins of the period; the spikes on this type of crown represented rays of light pointing outward (the best contemporary illustration is the crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor).
5sn (19:2) The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.
6tn (19:3) Grk "And they." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
7tn (19:3) The words "again and again" are implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb h[rconto (hrconto).
8tn (19:3) Or "Long live the King of the Jews!"
sn (19:3) The greeting used by the soldiers, "Hail, King of the Jews!", is a mockery based on the standard salutation for the Roman emperor, "Ave, Caesar!" ("Hail to Caesar!").
9tn (19:3) The word "repeatedly" is implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ejdidosan (edidosan).
10tn (19:4) Grk "to them." The words "the Jewish religious leaders" are supplied from John 18:38 for clarity.
11tn (19:4) Or "find no basis for an accusation"; Grk "find no cause."
12sn (19:5) See the note on the purple robe in 19:2.
13tn (19:5) Grk "He"; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14sn (19:5) Look, here is the man! Pilate may have meant no more than something like "Here is the accused!" or in a contemptuous way, "Here is your king!" Others have taken Pilate's statement as intended to evoke pity from Jesus' accusers: "Look at this poor fellow!" (Jesus would certainly not have looked very impressive after the scourging). For the author, however, Pilate's words constituted an unconscious allusion to Zech 6:12, "Look, here is the man whose name is the Branch." In this case Pilate (unknowingly and ironically) presented Jesus to the nation under a messianic title.
15sn (19:6) Crucifixion was the cruelest form of punishment practiced by the Romans. Roman citizens could not normally undergo it. It was reserved for the worst crimes, like treason and evasion of due process in a capital case. The Roman historian Cicero called it "a cruel and disgusting penalty" (Against Verres 2.5.63-66 §§163-70); Josephus (J. W. 7.6.4 [7.203]) called it the worst of deaths.
16tn (19:6) The word "him" is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
17tn (19:6) Grk "said to them." The words "to them" are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
18sn (19:6) How are Pilate's words "You take him and crucify him" to be understood? Was he offering a serious alternative to the priests who wanted Jesus crucified? Was he offering them an exception to the statement in 18:31 that the Jewish authorities did not have the power to carry out a death penalty? Although a few scholars have suggested that the situation was at this point so far out of Pilate's control that he really was telling the high priests they could go ahead and crucify a man he had found to be innocent, this seems unlikely. It is far more likely that Pilate's statement should be understood as one of frustration and perhaps sarcasm. This seems to be supported by the context, for the Jewish authorities make no attempt at this point to seize Jesus and crucify him. Rather they continue to pester Pilate to order the crucifixion.
19tn (19:6) Or "find no basis for an accusation"; Grk "find no cause."
20tn (19:7) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as "the chief priests and their servants" in John 19:6).
21tn (19:7) Grk "answered him."
22sn (19:7) This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.
23tn (19:7) Grk "because he made himself out to be the Son of God."
24tn (19:8) Grk "heard this word."
25tn (19:8) Grk "became more afraid."
26tn (19:9) Grk "into the praetorium."
27tn (19:10) Grk "said to him." The words "to him" are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
28tn (19:10) Or "the power."
29tn (19:10) Grk "know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you." Repetition of "the authority" is unnecessarily redundant English style.
sn (19:10) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
30tn (19:11) Or "power."
31tn (19:11) Or "who delivered me over to you."
sn (19:11) The one who handed me over to you appears to be a reference to Judas at first; yet Judas did not deliver Jesus up to Pilate, but to the Jewish authorities. The singular may be a reference to Caiaphas, who as high priest was representative of all the Jewish authorities, or it may be a generic singular referring to all the Jewish authorities directly. In either case the end result is more or less the same.
32tn (19:11) Grk "has the greater sin" (an idiom).
sn (19:11) Because Pilate had no authority over Jesus except what had been given to him from God, the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate was guilty of greater sin. This does not absolve Pilate of guilt; it simply means his guilt was less than those who handed Jesus over to him, because he was not acting against Jesus out of deliberate hatred or calculated malice, like the Jewish religious authorities. These were thereby guilty of greater sin.
33tn (19:12) Grk "sought."
34tn (19:12) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as "the chief priests and their servants" in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 7.
35tn (19:12) Grk "shouted out, saying."
36tn (19:12) Grk "this one."
37sn (19:12) Is the author using the phrase Friend of Caesar in a technical sense, as a title bestowed on people for loyal service to the Emperor, or in a more general sense merely describing a person as loyal to the Emperor? L. Morris (John [NICNT], 798) thinks it is "unlikely" that the title is used in the technical sense, and J. H. Bernard (St. John [ICC], 2:621) argues that the technical sense of the phrase as an official title was not used before the time of Vespasian (A.D. 69-79). But there appears to be significant evidence for much earlier usage. Some of this is given in BAGD 395. E. Bammel ("fivlo" tou' kaivsaro" (John 19:12)," TLZ 77 [1952]: 205-10) listed significant and convincing arguments that the official title was indeed in use at the time. Granting that the title was in use during this period, what is the likelihood that it had been bestowed on Pilate? Pilate was of the equestrian order, that is, of lower nobility as opposed to senatorial rank. As such he would have been eligible to receive such an honor. It also appears that the powerful Sejanus was his patron in Rome, and Sejanus held considerable influence with Tiberius. Tacitus (Annals 6.8) quotes Marcus Terentius in his defense before the Senate as saying that close friendship with Sejanus "was in every case a powerful recommendation to the Emperor's friendship." Thus it is possible that Pilate held this honor. Therefore it appears that the Jewish authorities were putting a good deal of psychological pressure on Pilate to convict Jesus. They had, in effect, finally specified the charge against Jesus as treason: "Everyone who makes himself to be king opposes Caesar." If Pilate now failed to convict Jesus the Jewish authorities could complain to Rome that Pilate had released a traitor. This possibility carried more weight with Pilate than might at first be evident: (1) Pilate's record as governor was not entirely above reproach; (2) Tiberius, who lived away from Rome as a virtual recluse on the island of Capri, was known for his suspicious nature, especially toward rivals or those who posed a political threat; and (3) worst of all, Pilate's patron in Rome, Sejanus, had recently come under suspicion of plotting to seize the imperial succession for himself. Sejanus was deposed in October of A.D. 31. It may have been to Sejanus that Pilate owed his appointment in Judea. Pilate was now in a very delicate position. The Jewish authorities may have known something of this and deliberately used it as leverage against him. Whether or not they knew just how potent their veiled threat was, it had the desired effect. Pilate went directly to the judgment seat to pronounce his judgment.
38tn (19:12) Grk "who makes himself out to be a king."
39tn (19:13) Or "the judge's seat."
sn (19:13) The judgment seat (bh'ma, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and usually furnished with a seat. It was used by officials in addressing an assembly or making official pronouncements, often of a judicial nature.
40sn (19:13) The precise location of the place called `The Stone Pavement' is still uncertain, although a paved court on the lower level of the Fortress Antonia has been suggested. It is not certain whether it was laid prior to A.D. 135, however.
41tn (19:13) Grk "in Hebrew."
sn (19:13) The author does not say that Gabbatha is the Aramaic (or Hebrew) translation for the Greek term Liqovstrwton (Liqostrwton). He simply points out that in Aramaic (or Hebrew) the place had another name. A number of meanings have been suggested, but the most likely appears to mean "elevated place." It is possible that this was a term used by the common people for the judgment seat itself, which always stood on a raised platform.
42sn (19:13) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
43sn (19:14) The term day of preparation (paraskeuhv, paraskeuh) appears in all the gospels as a description of the day on which Jesus died. It could refer to any Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday), and this is the way the synoptic gospels use the term (Matt 27:62, Mark 15:42, and Luke 23:54). John, however, specifies in addition that this was not only the day of preparation of the Sabbath, but also the day of preparation of the Passover, so that the Sabbath on the following day was the Passover (cf. 19:31).
44tn (19:14) Grk "about the sixth hour."
sn (19:14) For John, the time was especially important. When the note concerning the hour, about noon, is connected with the day, the day of preparation for the Passover, it becomes apparent that Jesus was going to die on the cross at the very time that the Passover lambs were being slain in the temple courts. Exod 12:6 required that the Passover lamb be kept alive until the 14th Nisan, the eve of the Passover, and then slaughtered by the head of the household at twilight (Grk "between the two evenings"). By this time the slaughtering was no longer done by the heads of households, but by the priests in the temple courts. But so many lambs were needed for the tens of thousands of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast (some estimates run in excess of 100,000 pilgrims) that the slaughter could not be completed during the evening, and so the rabbis redefined "between the two evenings" as beginning at noon, when the sun began to decline toward the horizon. Thus the priests had the entire afternoon of 14th Nisan in which to complete the slaughter of the Passover lambs. According to the Fourth Gospel, this is the time Jesus was dying on the cross.
45sn (19:14) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
46tn (19:14) Grk "And he"; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
47tn (19:14) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as "the chief priests and their servants" in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 7.
48tn (19:15) Grk "Then these."
49tn (19:15) The words "with him" (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
50sn (19:15) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
51tn (19:15) Grk "Pilate said to them." The words "to them" are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.
52tn (19:16) Grk "Then he"; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
53tn (19:16) Or "delivered him over."
54tn (19:17) Or "carrying the cross by himself."
sn (19:17) As was customary practice in a Roman crucifixion, the prisoner was made to carry his own cross. In all probability this was only the crossbeam, called in Latin the patibulum, since the upright beam usually remained in the ground at the place of execution. According to Matt 27:32 and Mark 15:21, the soldiers forced Simon to take the cross; Luke 23:26 states that the cross was placed on Simon so that it might be carried behind Jesus. A reasonable explanation of all this is that Jesus started out carrying the cross until he was no longer able to do so, at which point Simon was forced to take over.
55sn (19:17) Jesus was led out to the place called "The Place of the Skull" where he was to be crucified. It is clear from v. 20 that this was outside the city. The Latin word for the Greek kranivon (kranion) is calvaria. Thus the English word "Calvary" is a transliteration of the Latin rather than a NT place name (cf. Luke 23:33 in the KJV).
56tn (19:17) Grk "in Hebrew."
57sn (19:17) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
58tn (19:18) Grk "where they." This is a continuation of the previous verse in Greek, but contemporary English style tends toward shorter sentences. A literal translation would result in a lengthy and awkward English sentence.
59sn (19:18) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
60tn (19:18) Grk "and with him two others."
61tn (19:19) Or "an inscription."
sn (19:19) Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners' point of view.
62tn (19:19) Grk "Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it on the cross." The two verbs should be read as causatives, since it is highly unlikely that the Roman governor would perform either of these actions himself. He ordered them to be done.
sn (19:19) John says simply that the notice was fastened to the cross. Luke 23:38 says the inscription was placed "over him" (Jesus), and Matt 27:37 that it was placed over Jesus' head. On the basis of Matthew's statement Jesus' cross is usually depicted as the crux immissa, the cross which has the crossbeam set below the top of the upright beam. The other commonly used type of cross was the crux commissa, which had the crossbeam atop the upright beam. But Matthew's statement is not conclusive, since with the crux commissa the body would have sagged downward enough to allow the placard to be placed above Jesus' head. The placard with Pilate's inscription is mentioned in all the gospels, but for John it was certainly ironic. Jesus really was the King of the Jews, although he was a king rejected by his own people (cf. 1:11). What Pilate's own motivation for placing the title over Jesus was is considerably more obscure. He may have meant this as a final mockery of Jesus himself, but Pilate's earlier mockery of Jesus seemed to be motivated by a desire to gain pity from the Jewish authorities in order to have him released. More likely Pilate saw this as a subtle way of getting back at the Jewish authorities who had pressured him into the execution of one he considered to be an innocent man.
63tn (19:19) Grk "Now it was written."
64tn (19:20) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders" in v. 7.
65tn (19:20) Or "this inscription."
66tn (19:20) Grk "in Hebrew."
67tn (19:21) Or "the Jewish chief priests." Nowhere else in the Fourth Gospel are the two expressions oiJ ajrcierei'" tw'n *Ioudaivwn (Joi arcierei" twn Ioudaiwn) combined. Earlier in 19:15 the chief priests were simply referred to as oiJ ajrcierei'". It seems likely that this is another example of Johannine irony, to be seen in contrast to the inscription on the cross which read oJ basileuV" tw'n *Ioudaivwn (Jo basileu" twn Ioudaiwn). For this reason the phrase has been translated "the chief priests of the Jews" (which preserves in the translation the connection with "King of the Jews") rather than "the Jewish chief priests."
68sn (19:23) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
69sn (19:23) Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.
70tn (19:23) Or "shirt" (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (citwvn, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a `tunic' was any more than they would be familiar with a `chiton.' On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: "shirt" conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and "undergarment" (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. "Tunic" was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.
71tn (19:23) Or "shirt" (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.
72sn (19:23) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
73tn (19:24) Grk "but choose by lot" (probably by using marked pebbles or broken pieces of pottery). A modern equivalent, "throw dice," was chosen here because of its association with gambling.
74tn (19:24) Grk "to see whose it will be."
75tn (19:24) The words "This took place" are not in the Greek text but are implied.
76tn (19:24) Grk "cast lots." See the note on "throw dice" earlier in the verse.
sn (19:24) A quotation from Ps 22:19.
77sn (19:25) Several women are mentioned, but it is not easy to determine how many. It is not clear whether his mother's sister and Mary the wife of Clopas are to be understood as the same individual (in which case only three women are mentioned: Jesus' mother, her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene) or as two different individuals (in which case four women are mentioned: Jesus' mother, her sister, Mary Clopas' wife, and Mary Magdalene). It is impossible to be certain, but when John's account is compared to the synoptics it is easier to reconcile the accounts if four women were present than if there were only three. It also seems that if there were four women present, this would have been seen by the author to be in juxtaposition to the four soldiers present who performed the crucifixion, and this may explain the transition from the one incident in 23-24 to the other in 25-27. Finally, if only three were present, this would mean that both Jesus' mother and her sister were named Mary, and this is highly improbable in a Jewish family of that time. If there were four women present, the name of the second, the sister of Jesus' mother, is not mentioned. It is entirely possible that the sister of Jesus' mother mentioned here is to be identified with the woman named Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40 and also with the woman identified as "the mother of the sons of Zebedee" mentioned in Matt 27:56. If so, and if John the Apostle is to be identified as the beloved disciple, then the reason for the omission of the second woman's name becomes clear; she would have been John's own mother, and he consistently omitted direct reference to himself or his brother James or any other members of his family in the Fourth Gospel.
78sn (19:26) The term Woman is Jesus' normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BAGD 168 s.v. gunhv). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus' use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new "mother-son" relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.
79tn (19:27) Grk "from that very hour."
80tn (19:28) Or "that already."
81tn (19:28) Or "finished," "accomplished"; Grk "fulfilled."
82sn (19:28) A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.
83sn (19:28) In order to fulfill (teleiwqh/' [teleiwqh], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [tetevlestai, tetelestai]) the scripture, he said, "I am thirsty." The scripture referred to is probably Ps 69:21, "They also gave me gall for my food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink." Also suggested, however, is Ps 22:15, "My tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth, and You (God) lay me in the dust of death." Ps 22:1 reads, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?," a statement Jesus makes from the cross in both Matt 27:46 and Mark 15:34. In light of the connection in the Fourth Gospel between thirst and the living water which Jesus offers, it is highly ironic that here Jesus himself, the source of that living water, expresses his thirst. And since 7:39 associates the living water with the Holy Spirit, Jesus' statement here in 19:28 amounts to an admission that at this point he has been forsaken by God (cf. Ps 22:1, Matt 27:46, and Mark 15:34).
84sn (19:29) The cheap sour wine was called in Latin posca, and referred to a cheap vinegar wine diluted heavily with water. It was the drink of slaves and soldiers, and was probably there for the soldiers who had performed the crucifixion.
85sn (19:29) Hyssop was a small aromatic bush; exact identification of the plant is uncertain. The hyssop used to lift the wet sponge may have been a form of reed (kavlamo", kalamo", "reed," is used in Matt 27:48 and Mark 15:36); the biblical name can refer to several different species of plant (at least eighteen different plants have been suggested).
86tn (19:29) Or "and brought it."
87tn (19:30) Or "It is accomplished," "It is finished," or "It is ended." See tn (19:30) on John 13:1.
88tn (19:30) Or "he bowed his head and died"; Grk "he bowed his head and gave over the spirit."
89sn (19:31) The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.
90sn (19:31) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
91tn (19:31) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders. See also the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 7.
92sn (19:31) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
93sn (19:31) To have the legs...broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.
94tn (19:31) Grk "asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down." Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.
95tn (19:32) Grk "with him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
96tn (19:32) Grk "broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him."
97sn (19:34) If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (nuvssw, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.
98sn (19:34) How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus' side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus' statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus' side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.
99tn (19:35) The word "it" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
100tn (19:35) Grk "and that one."
101sn (19:35) A parenthetical note by the author.
102sn (19:36) A quotation from Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, and Ps 34:20. A number of different OT passages lie behind this quotation: Exod 12:10 LXX, Exod 12:46, Num 9:12, or Ps 34:20. Of these, the first is the closest in form to the quotation here. The first three are all more likely candidates than the last, since the first three all deal with descriptions of the Passover lamb.
103sn (19:37) A quotation from Zech 12:10. Here a single phrase is quoted from Zech 12, but the entire context is associated with the events surrounding the crucifixion. The "Spirit of grace and of supplication" is poured out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem in the first part of v. 10. A few verses later in 13:1 Yahweh (typically rendered as "LORD" in the OT) says "In that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity." The blood which flowed from Jesus' pierced side may well be what the author saw as the connection here, since as the shedding of the blood of the sacrificial victim it represents cleansing from sin. Although the Jewish authorities and Roman soldiers certainly "looked on the one whom they have pierced" as he hung on the cross, the author may also have in mind the parousia (second coming) here. The context in Zech 12-14 is certainly the second coming, so that these who crucified Jesus will look upon him in another sense when he returns in judgment.
104tn (19:38) Grk "the Jews." Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42). See also the note on the phrase "Jewish religious leaders" in v. 7.
105sn (19:38) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
106tn (19:38) Grk "And Pilate." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
107tn (19:38) Grk "took away his body."
108tn (19:39) Grk "him"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
109sn (19:39) See John 3:1-21.
110tn (19:39) The words "with Joseph" are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.
111sn (19:39) Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.
112sn (19:39) The Roman pound (livtra, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.
113tn (19:40) On this term see BAGD 114 s.v. a[rwma. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.
114tn (19:40) The Fourth Gospel uses ojqonivoi" (oqonioi") to describe the wrappings, and this has caused a good deal of debate, since it appears to contradict the synoptic accounts which mention a sindwvn (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ojqonivoi" to refer to smaller strips of cloth, like bandages, there would be a difference, but diminutive forms have often lost their diminutive force in Koine Greek (BDF §111.3), so there may not be any difference.
115tn (19:40) Grk "cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial."
116tn (19:41) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
117sn (19:41) See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
118tn (19:41) Or "an orchard."
119tn (19:41) Or "orchard."
120tn (19:41) Grk "been placed."
121sn (19:42) The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.
122sn (19:42) The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.
1sn (20:1) The first day of the week would be early Sunday morning. The Sabbath (and in this year the Passover) would have lasted from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday would thus mark the first day of the following week.
2sn (20:1) John does not mention that Mary Magdalene was accompanied by any of the other women who had been among Jesus' followers. The synoptic accounts all mention other women who accompanied her (although Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first). Why John does not mention the other women is not clear, but Mary probably becomes the focus of the author's attention because it was she who came and found Peter and the beloved disciple and informed them of the empty tomb (20:2). Mary's use of the plural in v. 2 indicates there were others present, in indirect agreement with the synoptic accounts.
3tn (20:1) Grk "from the tomb."
4tn (20:2) Grk "So she ran and came."
5tn (20:3) Grk "went out and were coming to the tomb."
6sn (20:4) The other disciple (the `beloved disciple') ran on ahead more quickly than Peter, so he arrived at the tomb first. This verse has been a chief factor in depictions of John as a young man (especially combined with traditions that he wrote last of all the gospel authors and lived into the reign of Domitian). But the verse does not actually say anything about John's age, nor is age always directly correlated with running speed.
7tn (20:4) Grk "and came first to the tomb."
8sn (20:5) In most instances the entrance to such tombs was less than 3 ft (1 m) high, so that an adult would have to bend down and practically crawl inside.
9sn (20:5) Presumably by the time the beloved disciple reached the tomb there was enough light to penetrate the low opening and illuminate the interior of the tomb sufficiently for him to see the strips of linen cloth lying there. The author does not state exactly where the linen wrappings were lying. Sometimes the phrase has been translated "lying on the ground," but the implication is that the wrappings were lying where the body had been. The most probable configuration for a tomb of this sort would be to have a niche carved in the wall where the body would be laid lengthwise, or a low shelf like a bench running along one side of the tomb, across the back or around all three sides in a U-shape facing the entrance. Thus the graveclothes would have been lying on this shelf or in the niche where the body had been.
10tn (20:6) Grk "And he saw." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
11sn (20:7) The word translated face cloth is a Latin loanword (sudarium). It was a small towel used to wipe off perspiration (the way a handkerchief would be used today). This particular item was not mentioned in connection with Jesus' burial in John 19:40, probably because this was only a brief summary account. A face cloth was mentioned in connection with Lazarus' burial (John 11:44) and was probably customary. R. E. Brown speculates that it was wrapped under the chin and tied on top of the head to prevent the mouth of the corpse from falling open (John [AB], 2:986), but this is not certain.
12sn (20:7) Much dispute and difficulty surrounds the translation of the words not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. Basically the issue concerns the positioning of the graveclothes as seen by Peter and the other disciple when they entered the tomb. Some have sought to prove that when the disciples saw the graveclothes they were arranged just as they were when around the body, so that when the resurrection took place the resurrected body of Jesus passed through them without rearranging or disturbing them. In this case the reference to the face cloth being rolled up does not refer to its being folded, but collapsed in the shape it had when wrapped around the head. Sometimes in defense of this view the Greek preposition metav (meta, which normally means "with") is said to mean "like" so that the comparison with the other graveclothes does not involve the location of the face cloth but rather its condition (rolled up rather than flattened). In spite of the intriguing nature of such speculations, it seems more probable that the phrase describing the face cloth should be understood to mean it was separated from the other graveclothes in a different place inside the tomb. This seems consistent with the different conclusions reached by Peter and the beloved disciple (vv. 8-10). All that the condition of the graveclothes indicated was that the body of Jesus had not been stolen by thieves. Anyone who had come to remove the body (whether the authorities or anyone else) would not have bothered to unwrap it before carrying it off. And even if one could imagine that they had (perhaps in search of valuables such as rings or jewelry still worn by the corpse) they would certainly not have bothered to take time to roll up the face cloth and leave the other wrappings in an orderly fashion.
13sn (20:8) What was it that the beloved disciple believed (since v. 7 describes what he saw)? Sometimes it is suggested that what he believed was Mary Magdalene's report that the body had been stolen. But this could hardly be the case; the way the entire scene is narrated such a trivial conclusion would amount to an anticlimax. It is true that the use of the plural "they" in the following verse applied to both Peter and the beloved disciple, and this appears to be a difficulty if one understands that the beloved disciple believed at this point in Jesus' resurrection. But it is not an insuperable difficulty, since all it affirms is that at this time neither Peter nor the beloved disciple had understood the scripture concerning the resurrection. Thus it appears the author intends his reader to understand that when the beloved disciple entered the tomb after Peter and saw the state of the graveclothes, he believed in the resurrection, i.e., that Jesus had risen from the dead.
14tn (20:9) Or "yet know."
15tn (20:9) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16sn (20:9) Verse 9 is a parenthetical note by the author. The author does not explicitly mention what OT scripture is involved (neither does Paul in 1 Cor 15:4, for that matter). The resurrection of the Messiah in general terms may have been seen in Isa 53:10-12 and Ps 16:10. Specific references may have been understood in Jonah 1:17 and Hos 6:2 because of the mention of "the third day." Beyond this it is not possible to be more specific.
17tn (20:13) The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here.
18sn (20:13) Woman was a polite form of address (see BAGD 168 s.v. gunhv), similar to "Madam" or "Ma'am" used in English in different regions. This occurs again in v. 15.
19tn (20:13) Grk "She said to them."
20tn (20:14) The word "there" is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
21tn (20:15) Grk "that one" (referring to Mary Magdalene).
22tn (20:16) Grk "That one."
23tn (20:16) Grk "in Hebrew."
24sn (20:16) The Aramaic Rabboni means "my teacher" (a title of respect).
25sn (20:16) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
26tn (20:17) Grk "Jesus said to her."
27tn (20:18) The words "she told them" are repeated from the first part of the same verse to improve clarity.
28tn (20:18) Grk "the things."
29tn (20:18) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
30tn (20:18) The first part of Mary's statement, introduced by o{ti (Joti), is direct discourse (eJwvraka toVn kuvrion, Jewraka ton kurion), while the second clause switches to indirect discourse (kaiV tau'ta ei\pen aujth'/, kai tauta eipen auth). This has the effect of heightening the emphasis on the first part of the statement.
31tn (20:19) Although the words "had gathered together" are omitted in some of the earliest and best MSS, they are nevertheless implied, and have thus been included in the translation.
32tn (20:19) Grk "the doors were shut"; "locked" conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
sn (20:19) The fact that the disciples locked the doors is a perfectly understandable reaction to the events of the past few days. But what is the significance of the inclusion of this statement by the author? It is often taken to mean that Jesus, when he entered the room, passed through the closed doors. This may well be the case, but it may be assuming too much about our knowledge of the mode in which the resurrected body of Jesus exists. The text does not explicitly state how Jesus got through the closed doors. It is possible to assume that the doors opened of their own accord before him, or that he simply appeared in the middle of the room without passing through the doors at all. The point the author makes here is simply that the closed doors were no obstacle at all to the resurrected Jesus.
33tn (20:19) Grk "where they were."
34tn (20:19) Grk "the Jews." In NT usage the term *Ioudai'oi (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, "`The Jews' in the Gospel of John," BT 26 [1975]: 401-409.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish religious leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42).
35sn (20:20) When the disciples recognized Jesus (now referred to as the Lord, cf. Mary's words in v. 18) they were suddenly overcome with joy. This was a fulfillment of Jesus' words to the disciples in the Farewell Discourse (16:20-22) that they would have sorrow while the world rejoiced, but that their sorrow would be turned to lasting joy when they saw him again.
36tn (20:22) Grk "said to them."
37sn (20:22) He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." The use of the Greek verb breathed on (ejmfusavw, emfusaw) to describe the action of Jesus here recalls Gen 2:7 in the LXX, where "the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." This time, however, it is Jesus who is breathing the breath-Spirit of eternal life, life from above, into his disciples (cf. 3:3-10). Furthermore there is the imagery of Ezek 37:1-14, the prophecy concerning the resurrection of the dry bones: in 37:9 the Son of Man is told to prophesy to the "wind-breath-Spirit" to come and breathe on the corpses, so that they will live again. In 37:14 the Lord promised, "I will put my Spirit within you, and you will come to life, and I will place you in your own land." In terms of ultimate fulfillment the passage in Ezek 37 looks at the regeneration of Israel immediately prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. The author saw in what Jesus did for the disciples at this point a partial and symbolic fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy, much as Peter made use of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2:17-21. What then did Jesus do for the disciples in John 20:22? It appears that in light of the symbolism of the new creation present here, as well as the regeneration symbolism from the Ezek 37 passage, that Jesus at this point breathed into the disciples the breath of eternal life. This was in the form of the Holy Spirit, who was to indwell them. It is instructive to look again at 7:38-39, which states, "Just as the scripture says, `Out from within him will flow rivers of living water.' (Now he said this about the Spirit whom those who believed in him were going to receive; for the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.") But now in 20:22 Jesus was glorified, so the Spirit could be given. Had the disciples not believed in Jesus before? It seems clear that they had, since their belief is repeatedly affirmed, beginning with 2:11. But it also seems clear that even on the eve of the crucifixion, they did not understand the necessity of the cross (16:31-33). And even after the crucifixion, the disciples had not realized that there was going to be a resurrection (20:9). Ultimate recognition of who Jesus was appears to have come to them only after the post-resurrection appearances (note the response of Thomas, who was not present at this incident, in v. 28). Finally, what is the relation of this incident in 20:22 to the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2? It appears best to view these as two separate events which have two somewhat different purposes. This was the giving of life itself, which flowed out from within (cf. 7:38-39). The giving of power would occur later, on the day of Pentecost: power to witness and carry out the mission the disciples had been given. (It is important to remember that in the historical unfolding of God's program for the church, these events occurred in a chronological sequence which, after the church has been established, is not repeatable today.)
38tn (20:23) Grk "they are forgiven to them." The words "to them" are unnecessary in English and somewhat redundant.
39sn (20:23) The statement by Jesus about forgive or retaining anyone's sins finds its closest parallel in Matt 16:19 and 18:18. This is probably not referring to apostolic power to forgive or retain the sins of individuals (as it is sometimes understood), but to the "power" of proclaiming this forgiveness which was entrusted to the disciples. This is consistent with the idea that the disciples are to carry on the ministry of Jesus after he has departed from the world and returned to the Father, a theme which occurred in the Farewell Discourse (cf. 15:27, 16:1-4, and 17:18).
40sn (20:24) This is a parenthetical note by the author; Didymus means "the twin" in Greek.
41tn (20:25) Grk "but he said to them."
42tn (20:25) Or "marks."
43tn (20:25) The word "it" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context. The use of "it" here as direct object of the verb pisteuvsw (pisteusw) specifies exactly what Thomas was refusing to believe: that Jesus had risen from the dead, as reported by his fellow disciples. Otherwise the English reader may be left with the impression Thomas was refusing to "believe in" Jesus, or "believe Jesus to be the Christ." The dramatic tension in this narrative is heightened when Thomas, on seeing for himself the risen Christ, believes more than just the resurrection (see John 20:28).
44tn (20:26) Grk "were inside"; the word "together" is implied.
45tn (20:26) Grk "the doors were shut"; "locked" conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.
sn (20:26) See the note on the phrase locked the doors in 20:19.
46tn (20:27) Or "Extend" or "Reach out." The translation "put" or "reach out" for fevrw (ferw) here is given in BAGD 855 s.v. 4.a.g.
47tn (20:27) Grk "see." The Greek verb i[de (ide) is often used like its cognate ijdouv (idou) in Hellenistic Greek (which is "used to emphasize the ...importance of someth." [BAGD 371 s.v. ijdouv 1.b.e.]).
48tn (20:27) Or "reach out" or "put."
49tn (20:27) The word "it" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
50tn (20:27) Grk "and do not be unbelieving, but believing."
51tn (20:28) Grk "answered and said to him."
52sn (20:28) Should Thomas' exclamation be understood as two subjects with the rest of the sentence omitted ("My Lord and my God has truly risen from the dead"), as predicate nominatives ("You are my Lord and my God"), or as vocatives ("My Lord and my God!")? Probably the most likely is something between the second and third alternatives. It seems that the second is slightly more likely here, because the context appears confessional. Thomas' statement, while it may have been an exclamation, does in fact confess the faith which he had previously lacked, and Jesus responds to Thomas' statement in the following verse as if it were a confession. With the proclamation by Thomas here, it is difficult to see how any more profound analysis of Jesus' person could be given. It echoes 1:1 and 1:14 together: the Word was God, and the Word became flesh (Jesus of Nazareth). The Fourth Gospel opened with many other titles for Jesus: the Lamb of God (1:29, 36); the Son of God (1:34, 49); Rabbi (1:38); Messiah (1:41); the King of Israel (1:49); the Son of Man (1:51). Now the climax is reached with the proclamation by Thomas, "My Lord and my God," and the reader has come full circle from 1:1, where the author had introduced him to who Jesus was, to 20:28, where the last of the disciples has come to the full realization of who Jesus was. What Jesus had predicted in John 8:28 had come to pass: "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he" (Grk "I am"). By being lifted up in crucifixion (which led in turn to his death, resurrection, and exaltation with the Father) Jesus has revealed his true identity as both Lord (kuvrio" [kurios], used by the LXX to translate Yahweh) and God (qeov" [qeos], used by the LXX to translate Elohim).
53tn (20:29) Grk "are those."
54tn (20:29) Some translations treat pisteuvsante" (pisteusante") as a gnomic aorist (timeless statement) and thus equivalent to an English present tense: "and yet believe" (RSV). This may create an effective application of the passage to the modern reader, but the author is probably thinking of those people who had already believed without the benefit of seeing the risen Jesus, on the basis of reports by others or because of circumstantial evidence (see John 20:8).
55tn (20:30) Or "did."
56tn (20:30) Grk "are not written."
57sn (20:30) The author mentions many other miraculous signs performed by Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the Gospel. What are these signs the author of the Gospel has in mind? One can only speculate. The author says they were performed in the presence of the disciples, which emphasizes again their role as witnesses (cf. 15:27). The point here is that the author has been selective in his use of material. He has chosen to record those incidents from the life and ministry of Jesus which supported his purpose in writing the Gospel. Much which might be of tremendous interest, but does not directly contribute to that purpose in writing, he has omitted. The author explains his purpose in writing in the following verse.
58tn (20:31) Grk "these things."
59tn (20:31) Grk "are written."
60tc (20:31) A difficult textual variant is present at this point in the Greek text. Some MSS (Ì66vid Í* B Q pc) read the present subjunctive i{na pisteuvhte (thus NEB text, "that you may hold the faith") while others (Í2 A C D L W Y Ë1 Ë13 Byz) read the aorist subjunctive i{na pisteuvshte (cf. NEB margin, "that you may come to believe"). As reflected by the renderings of the NEB text and margin, it is often assumed that the present tense would suggest ongoing belief (i.e., the Fourth Gospel primarily addressed those who already believed, and was intended to strengthen their faith, while the aorist tense would speak of coming to faith (i.e., John's Gospel was primarily evangelistic in nature). Both textual variants enjoy significant MS support, and on both external and internal grounds it is hard to decide which is more likely the original. However, since elsewhere in the Gospel of John both aorist and present tense alike can refer to both initial faith and continuation in the faith, it is highly unlikely that the distinction here would be determinative for the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. The question of purpose cannot be resolved by choosing one textual variant over the other in 20:31, but must be decided on other factors.
61tn (20:31) Or "Jesus is the Messiah" (Both Greek "Christ" and Hebrew and Aramaic "Messiah" mean "one who has been anointed").
sn (20:31) See the note on Christ in 1:20.
62sn (20:31) John 20:31. A major question concerning this verse, the purpose statement of the Gospel of John, is whether the author is writing primarily for an audience of unbelievers, with purely evangelistic emphasis, or whether he envisions an audience of believers, whom he wants to strengthen in their faith. Several points are important in this discussion: (1) in the immediate context (20:30), the other signs spoken of by the author were performed in the presence of disciples; (2) in the case of the first of the signs, at Cana, the author makes a point of the effect the miracle had on the disciples (2:11); (3) if the primary thrust of the Gospel is toward unbelievers, it is difficult to see why so much material in chaps. 13-17 (the last meal and Farewell Discourse, concluding with Jesus' prayer for the disciples), which deals almost exclusively with the disciples, is included; (4) the disciples themselves were repeatedly said to have believed in Jesus throughout the Gospel, beginning with 2:11, yet they still needed to believe after the resurrection (if Thomas' experience in 20:27-28 is any indication); and (5) the Gospel appears to be written with the assumption that the readers are familiar with the basic story (or perhaps with one or more of the synoptic gospel accounts, although this is less clear). Thus no account of the birth of Jesus is given at all, and although he is identified as being from Nazareth, the words of the Pharisees and chief priests to Nicodemus (7:52) are almost certainly to be taken as ironic, assuming the reader knows where Jesus was really from. Likewise, when Mary is identified in 11:2 as the one who anointed Jesus' feet with oil, it is apparently assumed that the readers are familiar with the story, since the incident involved is not mentioned in the Fourth Gospel until 12:3. These observations must be set over against the clear statement of purpose in the present verse, 20:31, which seems to have significant evangelistic emphasis. In addition to this there is the repeated emphasis on witness throughout the Fourth Gospel (cf. the witness of John the Baptist in 1:7, 8, 15, 32, and 34, along with 5:33; the Samaritan woman in 4:39; Jesus' own witness, along with that of the Father who sent him, in 8:14, 18, and 18:37; the disciples themselves in 15:27; and finally the testimony of the author himself in 19:35 and 21:24). In light of all this evidence it seems best to say that the author wrote with a dual purpose: (1) to witness to unbelievers concerning Jesus, in order that they come to believe in him and have eternal life; and (2) to strengthen the faith of believers, by deepening and expanding their understanding of who Jesus is.
1tn (21:1) The time reference indicated by metaV tau'ta (meta tauta) is indefinite, in comparison with the specific "after eight days" (meq* hJmevra" ojktwv, meq' Jhmera" oktw) between the two post-resurrection appearances of Jesus in 20:26.
2sn (21:1) The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee (see 6:1).
3tn (21:1) Grk "how he revealed himself."
4tn (21:2) Grk "and Thomas." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
5sn (21:2) Didymus means "the twin" in Greek.
6tn (21:2) Grk "and Nathanael." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
7tn (21:2) Grk "and the sons." The conjunction kaiv (kai, "and") is not translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
8sn (21:2) The sons of Zebedee were James and John.
9sn (21:2) The two other disciples who are not named may have been Andrew and Philip, who are mentioned together in John 6:7-8 and 12:22.
10tn (21:3) Grk "they said to him."
11tn (21:5) The word prosfavgion (prosfagion) is unusual. According to BAGD 719 s.v. in Hellenistic Greek it described a side dish to be eaten with bread, and in some contexts was the equivalent of o[yon (oyon), "fish." Used in addressing a group of returning fishermen, however, it is quite clear that the speaker had fish in mind.
12tn (21:5) Questions prefaced with mhv (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a "tag" at the end in English (here the tag is "do you?").
13tn (21:5) Grk "They answered him."
14tn (21:6) The word "some" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
15tn (21:6) The words "the net" are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
16tn (21:7) Grk "the disciple, that one whom."
17sn (21:7) On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.
18sn (21:7) This is a parenthetical note by the author. Peter's behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word gumnov" (gumnos, usually translated "naked") does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities. It is thus commonly understood to mean "stripped for work" here, that is, with one's outer clothing removed, and Peter was wearing either a loincloth or a loose-fitting tunic (a long shirt-like garment worn under a cloak). Believing himself inadequately clad to greet the Lord, Peter threw his outer garment around himself and dived into the sea. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 580-81) offered the explanation that a greeting was a religious act and thus could not be performed unless one was clothed. This still leaves the improbable picture of a person with much experience around the water putting on his outer garment before diving in. R. E. Brown's suggestion (John [AB], 2:1072) seems much more probable here: the Greek verb used (diazwvnnumi, diazwnnumi) does not necessarily mean putting clothing on, but rather tying the clothing around oneself (the same verb is used in 13:4-5 of Jesus tying the towel around himself). The statement that Peter was "naked" could just as well mean that he was naked underneath the outer garment, and thus could not take it off before jumping into the water. But he did pause to tuck it up and tie it with the girdle before jumping in, to allow himself more freedom of movement. Thus the clause that states Peter was naked is explanatory (note the use of for), explaining why Peter girded up his outer garment rather than taking it off--he had nothing on underneath it.
19tn (21:7) Grk "threw himself."
20tn (21:8) Or "about a hundred meters"; Grk "about two hundred cubits." According to BAGD 657 s.v., a ph'cu" (phcu") was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred phcw'n (phcwn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).
21tn (21:9) The words "on the beach" are not in the Greek text but are implied.
22tn (21:9) Grk "placed," "laid."
23tn (21:10) Grk "said to them."
24tn (21:11) The words "It was" are not in the Greek text. Here a new sentence was begun in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences. For this reason the words "It was" had to be supplied.
25sn (21:11) Here the author makes two further points about the catch of fish: (1) there were one hundred fifty-three large fish in the net, and (2) even with so many, the net was not torn. Many symbolic interpretations have been proposed for both points (unity, especially, in the case of the second), but the reader is given no explicit clarification in the text itself. It seems better not to speculate here, but to see these details as indicative of an eyewitness account. Both are the sort of thing that would remain in the mind of a person who had witnessed them firsthand. For a summary of the symbolic interpretations proposed for the number of fish in the net, see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1074-75), where a number are discussed at length. Perhaps the reader is simply to understand this as the abundance which results from obedience to Jesus, much as with the amount of wine generated in the water jars in Cana at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry (2:6).
26tn (21:12) Grk "said to them." The words "to them" are omitted because it is clear in context to whom Jesus was speaking, and the words are slightly redundant in English.
27tn (21:15) To whom (or what) does "these" (touvtwn, toutwn) refer? Three possibilities are suggested: (1) touvtwn should be understood as neuter, "these things," referring to the boats, nets, and fishing gear nearby. In light of Peter's statement in 21:3, "I am going fishing," some have understood Peter to have renounced his commission in light of his denials of Jesus. Jesus, as he restores Peter and forgives him for his denials, is asking Peter if he really loves his previous vocation more than he loves Jesus. Three things may be said in evaluation of this view: (a) it is not at all necessary to understand Peter's statement in 21:3 as a renouncement of his discipleship, as this view of the meaning of touvtwn would imply; (b) it would probably be more likely that the verb would be repeated in such a construction (see 7:31 for an example where the verb is repeated); and (c) as R. E. Brown has observed (John [AB], 2:1103) by Johannine standards the choice being offered to Peter between material things and the risen Jesus would seem rather ridiculous, especially after the disciples had realized whom it was they were dealing with (the Lord, see v. 12). (2) touvtwn refers to the other disciples, meaning "Do you love me more than you love these other disciples?" The same objection mentioned as (c) under (1) would apply here: could the author, in light of the realization of who Jesus is which has come to the disciples after the resurrection, and which he has just mentioned in 21:12, seriously present Peter as being offered a choice between the other disciples and the risen Jesus? This leaves option (3), that touvtwn refers to the other disciples, meaning "Do you love me more than these other disciples do?" It seems likely that there is some irony here: Peter had boasted in 13:37, "I will lay down my life for you," and the synoptics present Peter as boasting even more explicitly of his loyalty to Jesus ("Even if they all fall away, I will not," Matt 26:33; Mark 14:29). Thus the semantic force of what Jesus asks Peter here amounts to something like "Now, after you have denied me three times, as I told you you would, can you still affirm that you love me more than these other disciples do?" The addition of the auxiliary verb "do" in the translation is used to suggest to the English reader the third interpretation, which is the preferred one.
28tn (21:15) Grk "He said to him."
29tn (21:15) Is there a significant difference in meaning between the two words for love used in the passage, ajgapavw and filevw (agapaw and filew)? Aside from Origen, who saw a distinction in the meaning of the two words, most of the Greek Fathers like Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria, saw no real difference of meaning. Neither did Augustine nor the translators of the Itala (Old Latin). This was also the view of the Reformation Greek scholars Erasmus and Grotius. The suggestion that a distinction in meaning should be seen comes primarily from a number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Trench, Westcott, and Plummer. It has been picked up by others such as Spicq, Lenski, and Hendriksen. But most modern scholars decline to see a real difference in the meaning of the two words in this context, among them Bernard, Moffatt, Bonsirven, Bultmann, Barrett, Brown, Morris, Haenchen, and Beasley-Murray. There are three significant reasons for seeing no real difference in the meaning of ajgapavw and filevw in these verses: (1) the author has a habit of introducing slight stylistic variations in repeated material without any significant difference in meaning (compare, for example, 3:3 with 3:5, and 7:34 with 13:33). An examination of the uses of ajgapavw and filevw in the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate a general interchangeability between the two. Both terms are used of God's love for man (3:16, 16:27); of the Father's love for the Son (3:35, 5:20); of Jesus' love for men (11:5, 11:3); of the love of men for men (13:34, 15:19); and of the love of men for Jesus (8:42, 16:27). (2) If (as seems probable) the original conversation took place in Aramaic (or possibly Hebrew), there would not have been any difference expressed because both Aramaic and Hebrew have only one basic word for love. In the LXX both ajgapavw and filevw are used to translate the same Hebrew word for love, although ajgapavw is more frequent. It is significant that in the Syriac version of the NT only one verb is used to translate vv. 15-17 (Syriac is very similar linguistically to Palestinian Aramaic). (3) Peter's answers to the questions asked with ajgapavw are `yes' even though he answers using the verb filevw. If he is being asked to love Jesus on a higher or more spiritual level his answers give no indication of this, and one would be forced to say (in order to maintain a consistent distinction between the two verbs) that Jesus finally concedes defeat and accepts only the lower form of love which is all that Peter is capable of offering. Thus it seems best to regard the interchange between ajgapavw and filevw in these verses as a minor stylistic variation of the author, consistent with his use of minor variations in repeated material elsewhere, and not indicative of any real difference in meaning. Thus no attempt has been made to distinguish between the two Greek words in the translation.
30tn (21:15) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
31tn (21:16) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32tn (21:16) Grk "said again." The word "again" (when used in connection with the phrase "a second time") is redundant and has not been translated.
33tn (21:16) Grk "He said to him."
34tn (21:16) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
35tn (21:17) Grk "He"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
36tn (21:17) Grk "said to him." The words "to him" are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
37tn (21:17) Or "was sad."
38tn (21:17) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
39tn (21:17) Grk "said to."
40tn (21:17) Grk "and said to him." The words "to him" are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
41tn (21:17) Grk "Jesus said to him."
42tn (21:18) Grk "Truly, truly, I say to you."
43tn (21:18) Or "you girded yourself."
44tn (21:18) Grk "others will gird you."
45tn (21:19) Grk "he"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
46tn (21:19) Grk "he"; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
47sn (21:19) This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus' own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [NICNT], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner's arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr, 88).
48tn (21:19) Grk "After he said this, he said to him"; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
49tn (21:20) The word "them" is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
50tn (21:20) The words "This was the disciple" are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.
51tn (21:20) Grk "his"; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
52tn (21:20) Grk "and said."
53sn (21:20) This is a parenthetical note by the author.
54tn (21:21) Grk "saw this one."
55tn (21:22) Grk "Jesus said to him."
56tn (21:22) Grk "to stay" or "to remain"; but since longevity is the issue in the context, "to live" conveys the idea more clearly.
57tn (21:22) The word "back" is supplied to clarify the meaning.
58tn (21:23) Grk "went out."
59tn (21:23) Grk "the brothers," but here the term refers to more than just the immediate disciples of Jesus (as it does in 20:17). Here, as R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 2:1110), it refers to Christians of the Johannine community (which would include both men and women).
60tn (21:23) Grk "to stay" or "to remain"; but since longevity is the issue in the context, "to live" conveys the idea more clearly.
61tn (21:23) The word "back" is supplied to clarify the meaning.
62tn (21:25) Grk "written"; the word "down" is supplied in keeping with contemporary English idiom.
63tn (21:25) Grk "the world itself."
64sn (21:25) The author concludes the Gospel with a note concerning his selectivity of material. He makes it plain that he has not attempted to write an exhaustive account of the words and works of Jesus, for if one attempted to do so, "the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." This is clearly hyperbole, and as such bears some similarity to the conclusion of the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:9-12). As it turns out, the statement seems more true of the Fourth Gospel itself, which is the subject of an ever-lengthening bibliography. The statement in v. 25 serves as a final reminder that knowledge of Jesus, no matter how well-attested it may be, is still partial. Everything that Jesus did during his three and one-half years of earthly ministry is not known. This supports the major theme of the Fourth Gospel: Jesus is repeatedly identified as God, and although he may be truly known on the basis of his self-disclosure, he can never be known exhaustively. There is far more to know about Jesus than could ever be written down, or even known. On this appropriate note the Gospel of John ends.