Text -- John 17:15 (NET)

17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe from the evil one.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Joh 17:15

¹ tn Or “that you protect them”; Grk “that you keep them.”

² tn The phrase “the evil one” is a reference to Satan. The genitive noun τοῦ πονηροῦ (tou ponhrou) is ambiguous with regard to gender: It may represent the neuter τὸ πονηρόν (to ponhron), “that which is evil,” or the masculine ὁ πονηρός (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. Cf. BDAG 851 s.v. πονηρός 1.b.β and 1.b.γ.