18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, 5 cutting off his right ear. 6 (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) 7
1 tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19.
2 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
3 tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.
4 tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
5 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
6 sn 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 ὠτάριον (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
7 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.