John 1:19--21:23

The Testimony of John the Baptist

1:19 Now ¹  this was ²  John’s ³  testimony ⁴  when the Jewish leaders ⁵  sent ⁶  priests and Levites from Jerusalem ⁷  to ask him, “Who are you?” ⁸  1:20 He confessed – he did not deny but confessed – “I am not the Christ!” ⁹  1:21 So they asked him, “Then who are you? ¹⁰  Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” ¹¹  “Are you the Prophet?” ¹²  He answered, “No!” 1:22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us ¹³  so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

1:23 John ¹⁴  said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight ¹⁵  the way for the Lord,’ ¹⁶  as Isaiah the prophet said.” 1:24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ¹⁷ ) ¹⁸  1:25 So they asked John, ¹⁹  “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, ²⁰  nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

1:26 John answered them, ²¹  “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize, ²²  1:27 who is coming after me. I am not worthy ²³  to untie the strap ²⁴  of his sandal!” 1:28 These things happened in Bethany ²⁵  across the Jordan River ²⁶  where John was baptizing.

1:29 On the next day John ²⁷  saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God ²⁸  who takes away the sin of the world! 1:30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, ²⁹  because he existed before me.’ 1:31 I did not recognize ³⁰  him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.” ³¹ 

1:32 Then ³²  John testified, ³³  “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove ³⁴  from heaven, ³⁵  and it remained on him. ³⁶  1:33 And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining – this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 1:34 I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.” ³⁷ 

1:35 Again the next day John ³⁸  was standing there ³⁹  with two of his disciples. 1:36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ⁴⁰  1:37 When John’s ⁴¹  two disciples heard him say this, ⁴²  they followed Jesus. ⁴³  1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” ⁴⁴  So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), ⁴⁵  “where are you staying?” 1:39 Jesus ⁴⁶  answered, ⁴⁷  “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ⁴⁸ 

Andrew’s Declaration

1:40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said ⁴⁹  and followed Jesus. ⁵⁰  1:41 He first ⁵¹  found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” ⁵²  (which is translated Christ). ⁵³  1:42 Andrew brought Simon ⁵⁴  to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. ⁵⁵  You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). ⁵⁶ 

The Calling of More Disciples

1:43 On the next day Jesus ⁵⁷  wanted to set out for Galilee. ⁵⁸  He ⁵⁹  found Philip and said ⁶⁰  to him, “Follow me.” 1:44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, ⁶¹  the town of ⁶²  Andrew and Peter.) 1:45 Philip found Nathanael ⁶³  and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also ⁶⁴  wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 1:46 Nathanael ⁶⁵  replied, ⁶⁶  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” ⁶⁷  Philip replied, ⁶⁸  “Come and see.”

1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, ⁶⁹  “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ⁷⁰  1:48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, ⁷¹  “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, ⁷²  I saw you.” 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king ⁷³  of Israel!” ⁷⁴  1:50 Jesus said to him, ⁷⁵  “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ⁷⁶  1:51 He continued, ⁷⁷  “I tell all of you the solemn truth ⁷⁸  – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” ⁷⁹ 

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ⁸⁰  in Galilee. ⁸¹  Jesus’ mother ⁸²  was there, 2:2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. ⁸³  2:3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” ⁸⁴  2:4 Jesus replied, ⁸⁵  “Woman, ⁸⁶  why are you saying this to me? ⁸⁷  My time ⁸⁸  has not yet come.” 2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” ⁸⁹ 

2:6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, ⁹⁰  each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁹¹  2:7 Jesus told the servants, ⁹²  “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. 2:8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” ⁹³  and they did. 2:9 When ⁹⁴  the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from ⁹⁵  (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he ⁹⁶  called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Everyone ⁹⁷  serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper ⁹⁸  wine when the guests ⁹⁹  are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, ¹⁰⁰  in Cana ¹⁰¹  of Galilee. In this way he revealed ¹⁰²  his glory, and his disciples believed in him. ¹⁰³ 

Cleansing the Temple

2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum ¹⁰⁴  with his mother and brothers ¹⁰⁵  and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 2:13 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹⁰⁶  was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁷ 

2:14 ¹⁰⁸ He found in the temple courts ¹⁰⁹  those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. ¹¹⁰  2:15 So he made a whip of cords ¹¹¹  and drove them all out of the temple courts, ¹¹²  with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers ¹¹³  and overturned their tables. 2:16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make ¹¹⁴  my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹¹⁵  2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal ¹¹⁶  for your house will devour me.” ¹¹⁷ 

2:18 So then the Jewish leaders ¹¹⁸  responded, ¹¹⁹  “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ¹²⁰  2:19 Jesus replied, ¹²¹  “Destroy ¹²²  this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 2:20 Then the Jewish leaders ¹²³  said to him, “This temple has been under construction ¹²⁴  for forty-six years, ¹²⁵  and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 2:21 But Jesus ¹²⁶  was speaking about the temple of his body. ¹²⁷  2:22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture ¹²⁸  and the saying ¹²⁹  that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ¹³⁰  was in Jerusalem ¹³¹  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ¹³²  2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ¹³³  2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ¹³⁴  for he knew what was in man. ¹³⁵ 

Conversation with Nicodemus

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee ¹³⁶  named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, ¹³⁷  3:2 came to Jesus ¹³⁸  at night ¹³⁹  and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs ¹⁴⁰  that you do unless God is with him.” 3:3 Jesus replied, ¹⁴¹  “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁴²  unless a person is born from above, ¹⁴³  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ¹⁴⁴  3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” ¹⁴⁵ 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁴⁶  unless a person is born of water and spirit, ¹⁴⁷  he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, ¹⁴⁸  and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all ¹⁴⁹  be born from above.’ ¹⁵⁰  3:8 The wind ¹⁵¹  blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ¹⁵² 

3:9 Nicodemus replied, ¹⁵³  “How can these things be?” ¹⁵⁴  3:10 Jesus answered, ¹⁵⁵  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹⁵⁶  3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁵⁷  we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but ¹⁵⁸  you people ¹⁵⁹  do not accept our testimony. ¹⁶⁰  3:12 If I have told you people ¹⁶¹  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹⁶²  3:13 No one ¹⁶³  has ascended ¹⁶⁴  into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man. ¹⁶⁵  3:14 Just as ¹⁶⁶  Moses lifted up the serpent ¹⁶⁷  in the wilderness, ¹⁶⁸  so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁶⁹  3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” ¹⁷⁰ 

3:16 For this is the way ¹⁷¹  God loved the world: He gave his one and only ¹⁷²  Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish ¹⁷³  but have eternal life. ¹⁷⁴  3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, ¹⁷⁵  but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. ¹⁷⁶  The one who does not believe has been condemned ¹⁷⁷  already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only ¹⁷⁸  Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ¹⁷⁹  that the light has come into the world and people ¹⁸⁰  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. ¹⁸¹ 

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, ¹⁸²  Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 3:23 John ¹⁸³  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ¹⁸⁴  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ¹⁸⁵  to him ¹⁸⁶  and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ¹⁸⁷ 

3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew ¹⁸⁸  concerning ceremonial washing. ¹⁸⁹  3:26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, ¹⁹⁰  about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

3:27 John replied, ¹⁹¹  “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ ¹⁹²  but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹⁹³  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ¹⁹⁴  3:30 He must become more important while I become less important.” ¹⁹⁵ 

3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. ¹⁹⁶  The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. ¹⁹⁷  The one who comes from heaven ¹⁹⁸  is superior to all. ¹⁹⁹  3:32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 3:33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. ²⁰⁰  3:34 For the one whom God has sent ²⁰¹  speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. ²⁰²  3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. ²⁰³  3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects ²⁰⁴  the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath ²⁰⁵  remains ²⁰⁶  on him.

Departure From Judea

4:1 Now when Jesus ²⁰⁷  knew that the Pharisees ²⁰⁸  had heard that he ²⁰⁹  was winning ²¹⁰  and baptizing more disciples than John 4:2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), ²¹¹  4:3 he left Judea and set out once more for Galilee. ²¹² 

Conversation With a Samaritan Woman

4:4 But he had ²¹³  to pass through Samaria. ²¹⁴  4:5 Now he came to a Samaritan town ²¹⁵  called Sychar, ²¹⁶  near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ²¹⁷  4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ²¹⁸  the well. It was about noon. ²¹⁹ 

4:7 A Samaritan woman ²²⁰  came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water ²²¹  to drink.” 4:8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies. ²²² ) ²²³  4:9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you – a Jew ²²⁴  – ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water ²²⁵  to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common ²²⁶  with Samaritans.) ²²⁷ 

4:10 Jesus answered ²²⁸  her, “If you had known ²²⁹  the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water ²³⁰  to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ²³¹  4:11 “Sir,” ²³²  the woman ²³³  said to him, “you have no bucket and the well ²³⁴  is deep; where then do you get this ²³⁵  living water? ²³⁶  4:12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor ²³⁷  Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” ²³⁸ 

4:13 Jesus replied, ²³⁹  “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty ²⁴⁰  again. 4:14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, ²⁴¹  but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain ²⁴²  of water springing up ²⁴³  to eternal life.” 4:15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw ²⁴⁴  water.” ²⁴⁵  4:16 He ²⁴⁶  said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” ²⁴⁷  4:17 The woman replied, ²⁴⁸  “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ²⁴⁹  ‘I have no husband,’ ²⁵⁰  4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with ²⁵¹  now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”

4:19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see ²⁵²  that you are a prophet. 4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, ²⁵³  and you people ²⁵⁴  say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²⁵⁵  4:21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, ²⁵⁶  a time ²⁵⁷  is coming when you will worship ²⁵⁸  the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 4:22 You people ²⁵⁹  worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²⁶⁰  4:23 But a time ²⁶¹  is coming – and now is here ²⁶²  – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks ²⁶³  such people to be ²⁶⁴  his worshipers. ²⁶⁵  4:24 God is spirit, ²⁶⁶  and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 4:25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ); ²⁶⁷  “whenever he ²⁶⁸  comes, he will tell ²⁶⁹  us everything.” ²⁷⁰  4:26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The Disciples Return

4:27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. ²⁷¹  They were shocked ²⁷²  because he was speaking ²⁷³  with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?” ²⁷⁴  or “Why are you speaking with her?” 4:28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ²⁷⁵  4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, ²⁷⁶  can he?” ²⁷⁷  4:30 So ²⁷⁸  they left the town and began coming ²⁷⁹  to him.

Workers for the Harvest

4:31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ²⁸⁰  “Rabbi, eat something.” ²⁸¹  4:32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 4:33 So the disciples began to say ²⁸²  to one another, “No one brought him anything ²⁸³  to eat, did they?” ²⁸⁴  4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me ²⁸⁵  and to complete ²⁸⁶  his work. ²⁸⁷  4:35 Don’t you say, ²⁸⁸  ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up ²⁸⁹  and see that the fields are already white ²⁹⁰  for harvest! 4:36 The one who reaps receives pay ²⁹¹  and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 4:37 For in this instance the saying is true, ²⁹²  ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 4:38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

The Samaritans Respond

4:39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, ²⁹³  “He told me everything I ever did.” 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking ²⁹⁴  him to stay with them. ²⁹⁵  He stayed there two days, 4:41 and because of his word many more ²⁹⁶  believed. 4:42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ²⁹⁷  really is the Savior of the world.” ²⁹⁸ 

Onward to Galilee

4:43 After the two days he departed from there to Galilee. 4:44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ²⁹⁹  4:45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem ³⁰⁰  at the feast ³⁰¹  (for they themselves had gone to the feast). ³⁰² 

Healing the Royal Official’s Son

4:46 Now he came again to Cana ³⁰³  in Galilee where he had made the water wine. ³⁰⁴  In ³⁰⁵  Capernaum ³⁰⁶  there was a certain royal official ³⁰⁷  whose son was sick. 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him ³⁰⁸  to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people ³⁰⁹  see signs and wonders you will never believe!” ³¹⁰  4:49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.” 4:50 Jesus told him, “Go home; ³¹¹  your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home. ³¹² 

4:51 While he was on his way down, ³¹³  his slaves ³¹⁴  met him and told him that his son was going to live. 4:52 So he asked them the time ³¹⁵  when his condition began to improve, ³¹⁶  and ³¹⁷  they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon ³¹⁸  the fever left him.” 4:53 Then the father realized that it was the very time ³¹⁹  Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household. 4:54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign ³²⁰  when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda

5:1 After this ³²¹  there was a Jewish feast, ³²²  and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ³²³  5:2 Now there is ³²⁴  in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate ³²⁵  a pool called Bethzatha ³²⁶  in Aramaic, ³²⁷  which has five covered walkways. ³²⁸  5:3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways. 5:4 [[EMPTY]] ³²⁹  5:5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. ³³⁰  5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized ³³¹  that the man ³³²  had been disabled a long time already, he said to him, “Do you want to become well?” 5:7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, ³³³  I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I am trying to get into the water, ³³⁴  someone else ³³⁵  goes down there ³³⁶  before me.” 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat ³³⁷  and walk.” 5:9 Immediately the man was healed, ³³⁸  and he picked up his mat ³³⁹  and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) ³⁴⁰ 

5:10 So the Jewish leaders ³⁴¹  said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” ³⁴²  5:11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat ³⁴³  and walk.’” 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat ³⁴⁴  and walk’?” ³⁴⁵  5:13 But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped out, since there was a crowd in that place.

5:14 After this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, ³⁴⁶  lest anything worse happen to you.” 5:15 The man went away and informed the Jewish leaders ³⁴⁷  that Jesus was the one who had made him well.

Responding to Jewish Leaders

5:16 Now because Jesus was doing these things ³⁴⁸  on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders ³⁴⁹  began persecuting ³⁵⁰  him. 5:17 So he ³⁵¹  told ³⁵²  them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” ³⁵³  5:18 For this reason the Jewish leaders ³⁵⁴  were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

5:19 So Jesus answered them, ³⁵⁵  “I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁵⁶  the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, ³⁵⁷  but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father ³⁵⁸  does, the Son does likewise. ³⁵⁹  5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed. 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, ³⁶⁰  so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. ³⁶¹  5:22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge ³⁶²  anyone, but has assigned ³⁶³  all judgment to the Son, 5:23 so that all people ³⁶⁴  will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁶⁵  the one who hears ³⁶⁶  my message ³⁶⁷  and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, ³⁶⁸  but has crossed over from death to life. 5:25 I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁶⁹  a time ³⁷⁰  is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 5:26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, 5:27 and he has granted the Son ³⁷¹  authority to execute judgment, ³⁷²  because he is the Son of Man.

5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time ³⁷³  is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 5:29 and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. ³⁷⁴  5:30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. ³⁷⁵  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, ³⁷⁶  because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. ³⁷⁷ 

More Testimony About Jesus

5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 5:32 There is another ³⁷⁸  who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 5:33 You have sent to John, ³⁷⁹  and he has testified to the truth. 5:34 (I do not accept ³⁸⁰  human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 5:35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, ³⁸¹  and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time ³⁸²  in his light.

5:36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds ³⁸³  that the Father has assigned me to complete – the deeds ³⁸⁴  I am now doing – testify about me that the Father has sent me. 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people ³⁸⁵  have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, ³⁸⁶  5:38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly ³⁸⁷  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ³⁸⁸  and it is these same scriptures ³⁸⁹  that testify about me, 5:40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

5:41 “I do not accept ³⁹⁰  praise ³⁹¹  from people, ³⁹²  5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God ³⁹³  within you. 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ³⁹⁴  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ³⁹⁵  him. 5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise ³⁹⁶  from one another and don’t seek the praise ³⁹⁷  that comes from the only God? ³⁹⁸ 

5:45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. ³⁹⁹  5:46 If ⁴⁰⁰  you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ⁴⁰¹  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

6:1 After this ⁴⁰²  Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). ⁴⁰³  6:2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 6:3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside ⁴⁰⁴  and sat down there with his disciples. 6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover ⁴⁰⁵  was near.) ⁴⁰⁶  6:5 Then Jesus, when he looked up ⁴⁰⁷  and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6:6 (Now Jesus ⁴⁰⁸  said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) ⁴⁰⁹  6:7 Philip replied, ⁴¹⁰  “Two hundred silver coins worth ⁴¹¹  of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 6:8 One of Jesus’ disciples, ⁴¹²  Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 6:9 “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good ⁴¹³  are these for so many people?”

6:10 Jesus said, “Have ⁴¹⁴  the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) ⁴¹⁵  So the men ⁴¹⁶  sat down, about five thousand in number. 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, ⁴¹⁷  as much as they wanted. 6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus ⁴¹⁸  said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” 6:13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves ⁴¹⁹  left over by the people who had eaten.

6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus ⁴²⁰  performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet ⁴²¹  who is to come into the world.” ⁴²²  6:15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone. ⁴²³ 

Walking on Water

6:16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ⁴²⁴  6:17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake ⁴²⁵  to Capernaum. ⁴²⁶  (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) ⁴²⁷  6:18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. 6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ⁴²⁸  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ⁴²⁹  approaching the boat, and they were frightened. 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.

6:22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake ⁴³⁰  realized that only one small boat ⁴³¹  had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded ⁴³²  it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 6:23 But some boats from Tiberias ⁴³³  came to shore ⁴³⁴  near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ⁴³⁵  6:24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats ⁴³⁶  and came to Capernaum ⁴³⁷  looking for Jesus.

Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, ⁴³⁸  they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ⁴³⁹  6:26 Jesus replied, ⁴⁴⁰  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁴¹  you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. ⁴⁴²  6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears, ⁴⁴³  but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food ⁴⁴⁴  which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.” ⁴⁴⁵ 

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ⁴⁴⁶  God requires?” ⁴⁴⁷  6:29 Jesus replied, ⁴⁴⁸  “This is the deed ⁴⁴⁹  God requires ⁴⁵⁰  – to believe in the one whom he ⁴⁵¹  sent.” 6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 6:31 Our ancestors ⁴⁵²  ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ⁴⁵³ 

6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁵⁴  it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 6:33 For the bread of God is the one who ⁴⁵⁵  comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir, ⁴⁵⁶  give us this bread all the time!”

6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. ⁴⁵⁷  6:36 But I told you ⁴⁵⁸  that you have seen me ⁴⁵⁹  and still do not believe. 6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. ⁴⁶⁰  6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ⁴⁶¹  at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up ⁴⁶²  at the last day.” ⁴⁶³ 

6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁴⁶⁴  began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 6:42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 6:43 Jesus replied, ⁴⁶⁵  “Do not complain about me to one another. ⁴⁶⁶  6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, ⁴⁶⁷  and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ ⁴⁶⁸  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father ⁴⁶⁹  comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – he ⁴⁷⁰  has seen the Father.) ⁴⁷¹  6:47 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁷²  the one who believes ⁴⁷³  has eternal life. ⁴⁷⁴  6:48 I am the bread of life. ⁴⁷⁵  6:49 Your ancestors ⁴⁷⁶  ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This ⁴⁷⁷  is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person ⁴⁷⁸  may eat from it and not die. 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread ⁴⁷⁹  that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁴⁸⁰  began to argue with one another, ⁴⁸¹  “How can this man ⁴⁸²  give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁸³  unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ⁴⁸⁴  you have no life ⁴⁸⁵  in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats ⁴⁸⁶  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁸⁷  6:55 For my flesh is true ⁴⁸⁸  food, and my blood is true ⁴⁸⁹  drink. 6:56 The one who eats ⁴⁹⁰  my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. ⁴⁹¹  6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes ⁴⁹²  me will live because of me. 6:58 This ⁴⁹³  is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ⁴⁹⁴  ate, but then later died. ⁴⁹⁵  The one who eats ⁴⁹⁶  this bread will live forever.”

Many Followers Depart

6:59 Jesus ⁴⁹⁷  said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue ⁴⁹⁸  in Capernaum. ⁴⁹⁹  6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, ⁵⁰⁰  said, “This is a difficult ⁵⁰¹  saying! ⁵⁰²  Who can understand it?” ⁵⁰³  6:61 When Jesus was aware ⁵⁰⁴  that his disciples were complaining ⁵⁰⁵  about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? ⁵⁰⁶  6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ⁵⁰⁷  6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ⁵⁰⁸  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁵⁰⁹  6:64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁵¹⁰  6:65 So Jesus added, ⁵¹¹  “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” ⁵¹² 

Peter’s Confession

6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him ⁵¹³  and did not accompany him ⁵¹⁴  any longer. 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” ⁵¹⁵  6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 6:69 We ⁵¹⁶  have come to believe and to know ⁵¹⁷  that you are the Holy One of God!” ⁵¹⁸  6:70 Jesus replied, ⁵¹⁹  “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” ⁵²⁰  6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, ⁵²¹  for Judas, ⁵²²  one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) ⁵²³ 

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this ⁵²⁴  Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. ⁵²⁵  He ⁵²⁶  stayed out of Judea ⁵²⁷  because the Jewish leaders ⁵²⁸  wanted ⁵²⁹  to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles ⁵³⁰  was near. ⁵³¹  7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ⁵³²  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ⁵³³  7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself ⁵³⁴  does anything in secret. ⁵³⁵  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) ⁵³⁶ 

7:6 So Jesus replied, ⁵³⁷  “My time ⁵³⁸  has not yet arrived, ⁵³⁹  but you are ready at any opportunity! ⁵⁴⁰  7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up ⁵⁴¹  to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast ⁵⁴²  because my time ⁵⁴³  has not yet fully arrived.” ⁵⁴⁴  7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus ⁵⁴⁵  himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders ⁵⁴⁶  were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” ⁵⁴⁷  7:12 There was ⁵⁴⁸  a lot of grumbling ⁵⁴⁹  about him among the crowds. ⁵⁵⁰  Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” ⁵⁵¹  7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. ⁵⁵² 

Teaching in the Temple

7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts ⁵⁵³  and began to teach. ⁵⁵⁴  7:15 Then the Jewish leaders ⁵⁵⁵  were astonished ⁵⁵⁶  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ⁵⁵⁷  7:16 So Jesus replied, ⁵⁵⁸  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ⁵⁵⁹  7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ⁵⁶⁰  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ⁵⁶¹  7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ⁵⁶²  desires ⁵⁶³  to receive honor ⁵⁶⁴  for himself; the one who desires ⁵⁶⁵  the honor ⁵⁶⁶  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ⁵⁶⁷  and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps ⁵⁶⁸  the law! Why do you want ⁵⁶⁹  to kill me?”

7:20 The crowd ⁵⁷⁰  answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! ⁵⁷¹  Who is trying to kill you?” ⁵⁷²  7:21 Jesus replied, ⁵⁷³  “I performed one miracle ⁵⁷⁴  and you are all amazed. ⁵⁷⁵  7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision ⁵⁷⁶  (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child ⁵⁷⁷  on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child ⁵⁷⁸  is circumcised ⁵⁷⁹  on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, ⁵⁸⁰  why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well ⁵⁸¹  on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, ⁵⁸²  but judge with proper ⁵⁸³  judgment.”

Questions About Jesus’ Identity

7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem ⁵⁸⁴  began to say, “Isn’t this the man ⁵⁸⁵  they are trying ⁵⁸⁶  to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, ⁵⁸⁷  and they are saying nothing to him. ⁵⁸⁸  Do the rulers really know that this man ⁵⁸⁹  is the Christ? ⁵⁹⁰  7:27 But we know where this man ⁵⁹¹  comes from. ⁵⁹²  Whenever the Christ ⁵⁹³  comes, no one will know where he comes from.” ⁵⁹⁴ 

7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, ⁵⁹⁵  cried out, ⁵⁹⁶  “You both know me and know where I come from! ⁵⁹⁷  And I have not come on my own initiative, ⁵⁹⁸  but the one who sent me ⁵⁹⁹  is true. You do not know him, ⁶⁰⁰  7:29 but ⁶⁰¹  I know him, because I have come from him ⁶⁰²  and he ⁶⁰³  sent me.”

7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, ⁶⁰⁴  but no one laid a hand on him, because his time ⁶⁰⁵  had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd ⁶⁰⁶  believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ ⁶⁰⁷  comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” ⁶⁰⁸ 

7:32 The Pharisees ⁶⁰⁹  heard the crowd ⁶¹⁰  murmuring these things about Jesus, ⁶¹¹  so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers ⁶¹²  to arrest him. ⁶¹³  7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, ⁶¹⁴  and then ⁶¹⁵  I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me ⁶¹⁶  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders ⁶¹⁷  said to one another, “Where is he ⁶¹⁸  going to go that we cannot find him? ⁶¹⁹  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ⁶²⁰  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ⁶²¹  7:36 What did he mean by saying, ⁶²²  ‘You will look for me ⁶²³  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, ⁶²⁴  Jesus stood up and shouted out, ⁶²⁵  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. ⁶²⁶  Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him ⁶²⁷  will flow rivers of living water.’” ⁶²⁸  7:39 (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, ⁶²⁹  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ⁶³⁰ 

Differing Opinions About Jesus

7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd ⁶³¹  began to say, “This really ⁶³²  is the Prophet!” ⁶³³  7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” ⁶³⁴  But still others said, “No, ⁶³⁵  for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? ⁶³⁶  7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant ⁶³⁷  of David ⁶³⁸  and comes from Bethlehem, ⁶³⁹  the village where David lived?” ⁶⁴⁰  7:43 So there was a division in the crowd ⁶⁴¹  because of Jesus. ⁶⁴²  7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. ⁶⁴³ 

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ⁶⁴⁴  returned ⁶⁴⁵  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ⁶⁴⁶  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ⁶⁴⁷  7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ⁶⁴⁸  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ⁶⁴⁹  7:48 None of the rulers ⁶⁵⁰  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ⁶⁵¹  7:49 But this rabble ⁶⁵²  who do not know the law are accursed!”

7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus ⁶⁵³  before and who was one of the rulers, ⁶⁵⁴  said, ⁶⁵⁵  7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn ⁶⁵⁶  a man unless it first hears from him and learns ⁶⁵⁷  what he is doing, does it?” ⁶⁵⁸  7:52 They replied, ⁶⁵⁹  “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? ⁶⁶⁰  Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet ⁶⁶¹  comes from Galilee!”

A Woman Caught in Adultery

7:53 ⁶⁶² [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ⁶⁶³  8:2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach ⁶⁶⁴  them. 8:3 The experts in the law ⁶⁶⁵  and the Pharisees ⁶⁶⁶  brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, ⁶⁶⁷  “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death ⁶⁶⁸  such women. ⁶⁶⁹  What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ⁶⁷⁰  him.) ⁶⁷¹  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ⁶⁷²  8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ⁶⁷³  and replied, ⁶⁷⁴  “Whoever among you is guiltless ⁶⁷⁵  may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then ⁶⁷⁶  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ⁶⁷⁷  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight ⁶⁷⁸  and said to her, “Woman, ⁶⁷⁹  where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] ⁶⁸⁰ 

Jesus as the Light of the World

8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, ⁶⁸¹  “I am the light of the world. ⁶⁸²  The one who follows me will never ⁶⁸³  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees ⁶⁸⁴  objected, ⁶⁸⁵  “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” ⁶⁸⁶  8:14 Jesus answered, ⁶⁸⁷  “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people ⁶⁸⁸  do not know where I came from or where I am going. ⁶⁸⁹  8:15 You people ⁶⁹⁰  judge by outward appearances; ⁶⁹¹  I do not judge anyone. ⁶⁹²  8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, ⁶⁹³  because I am not alone when I judge, ⁶⁹⁴  but I and the Father who sent me do so together. ⁶⁹⁵  8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ⁶⁹⁶  8:18 I testify about myself ⁶⁹⁷  and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

8:19 Then they began asking ⁶⁹⁸  him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” ⁶⁹⁹  8:20 (Jesus ⁷⁰⁰  spoke these words near the offering box ⁷⁰¹  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ⁷⁰²  No one seized him because his time ⁷⁰³  had not yet come.) ⁷⁰⁴ 

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

8:21 Then Jesus ⁷⁰⁵  said to them again, ⁷⁰⁶  “I am going away, and you will look for me ⁷⁰⁷  but will die in your sin. ⁷⁰⁸  Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders ⁷⁰⁹  began to say, ⁷¹⁰  “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, ⁷¹¹  “You people ⁷¹²  are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you ⁷¹³  that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, ⁷¹⁴  you will die in your sins.”

8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, ⁷¹⁵  “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge ⁷¹⁶  about you, but the Father ⁷¹⁷  who sent me is truthful, ⁷¹⁸  and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” ⁷¹⁹  8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) ⁷²⁰ 

8:28 Then Jesus said, ⁷²¹  “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, ⁷²²  and I do nothing on my own initiative, ⁷²³  but I speak just what the Father taught me. ⁷²⁴  8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, ⁷²⁵  because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ⁷²⁶  believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ⁷²⁷  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ⁷²⁸  you are really ⁷²⁹  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ⁷³⁰  8:33 “We are descendants ⁷³¹  of Abraham,” they replied, ⁷³²  “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ⁷³³  ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷³⁴  everyone who practices ⁷³⁵  sin is a slave ⁷³⁶  of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family ⁷³⁷  forever, but the son remains forever. ⁷³⁸  8:36 So if the son ⁷³⁹  sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. ⁷⁴⁰  But you want ⁷⁴¹  to kill me, because my teaching ⁷⁴²  makes no progress among you. ⁷⁴³  8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the ⁷⁴⁴  Father; ⁷⁴⁵  as for you, ⁷⁴⁶  practice the things you have heard from the ⁷⁴⁷  Father!”

8:39 They answered him, ⁷⁴⁸  “Abraham is our father!” ⁷⁴⁹  Jesus replied, ⁷⁵⁰  “If you are ⁷⁵¹  Abraham’s children, you would be doing ⁷⁵²  the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying ⁷⁵³  to kill me, a man who has told you ⁷⁵⁴  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁷⁵⁵  8:41 You people ⁷⁵⁶  are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then ⁷⁵⁷  they said to Jesus, ⁷⁵⁸  “We were not born as a result of immorality! ⁷⁵⁹  We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, ⁷⁶⁰  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ⁷⁶¹  I ⁷⁶²  have not come on my own initiative, ⁷⁶³  but he ⁷⁶⁴  sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ⁷⁶⁵  my teaching. ⁷⁶⁶  8:44 You people ⁷⁶⁷  are from ⁷⁶⁸  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁷⁶⁹  He ⁷⁷⁰  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁷⁷¹  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ⁷⁷²  he speaks according to his own nature, ⁷⁷³  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁷⁷⁴  8:45 But because I am telling you ⁷⁷⁵  the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ⁷⁷⁶  of any sin? ⁷⁷⁷  If I am telling you ⁷⁷⁸  the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to ⁷⁷⁹  God listens and responds ⁷⁸⁰  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ⁷⁸¹  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁷⁸² 

8:48 The Judeans ⁷⁸³  replied, ⁷⁸⁴  “Aren’t we correct in saying ⁷⁸⁵  that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” ⁷⁸⁶  8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, ⁷⁸⁷  but I honor my Father – and yet ⁷⁸⁸  you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get ⁷⁸⁹  praise for myself. ⁷⁹⁰  There is one who demands ⁷⁹¹  it, and he also judges. ⁷⁹²  8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷⁹³  if anyone obeys ⁷⁹⁴  my teaching, ⁷⁹⁵  he will never see death.” ⁷⁹⁶ 

8:52 Then ⁷⁹⁷  the Judeans ⁷⁹⁸  responded, ⁷⁹⁹  “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! ⁸⁰⁰  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet ⁸⁰¹  you say, ‘If anyone obeys ⁸⁰²  my teaching, ⁸⁰³  he will never experience ⁸⁰⁴  death.’ ⁸⁰⁵  8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? ⁸⁰⁶  And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, ⁸⁰⁷  “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. ⁸⁰⁸  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people ⁸⁰⁹  say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet ⁸¹⁰  you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, ⁸¹¹  I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey ⁸¹²  his teaching. ⁸¹³  8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed ⁸¹⁴  to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” ⁸¹⁵ 

8:57 Then the Judeans ⁸¹⁶  replied, ⁸¹⁷  “You are not yet fifty years old! ⁸¹⁸  Have ⁸¹⁹  you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁸²⁰  before Abraham came into existence, ⁸²¹  I am!” ⁸²²  8:59 Then they picked up ⁸²³  stones to throw at him, ⁸²⁴  but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. ⁸²⁵ 

Healing a Man Born Blind

9:1 Now as Jesus was passing by, ⁸²⁶  he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 9:2 His disciples asked him, ⁸²⁷  “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man ⁸²⁸  or his parents?” ⁸²⁹  9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man ⁸³⁰  nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that ⁸³¹  the acts ⁸³²  of God may be revealed ⁸³³  through what happens to him. ⁸³⁴  9:4 We must perform the deeds ⁸³⁵  of the one who sent me ⁸³⁶  as long as ⁸³⁷  it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁸³⁸  9:6 Having said this, ⁸³⁹  he spat on the ground and made some mud ⁸⁴⁰  with the saliva. He ⁸⁴¹  smeared the mud on the blind man’s ⁸⁴²  eyes 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” ⁸⁴³  (which is translated “sent”). ⁸⁴⁴  So the blind man ⁸⁴⁵  went away and washed, and came back seeing.

9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously ⁸⁴⁶  as a beggar began saying, ⁸⁴⁷  “Is this not the man ⁸⁴⁸  who used to sit and beg?” 9:9 Some people said, ⁸⁴⁹  “This is the man!” ⁸⁵⁰  while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” ⁸⁵¹  The man himself ⁸⁵²  kept insisting, “I am the one!” ⁸⁵³  9:10 So they asked him, ⁸⁵⁴  “How then were you made to see?” ⁸⁵⁵  9:11 He replied, ⁸⁵⁶  “The man called Jesus made mud, ⁸⁵⁷  smeared it ⁸⁵⁸  on my eyes and told me, ⁸⁵⁹  ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” ⁸⁶⁰  9:12 They said ⁸⁶¹  to him, “Where is that man?” ⁸⁶²  He replied, ⁸⁶³  “I don’t know.”

The Pharisees’ Reaction to the Healing

9:13 They brought the man who used to be blind ⁸⁶⁴  to the Pharisees. ⁸⁶⁵  9:14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud ⁸⁶⁶  and caused him to see ⁸⁶⁷  was a Sabbath.) ⁸⁶⁸  9:15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. ⁸⁶⁹  He replied, ⁸⁷⁰  “He put mud ⁸⁷¹  on my eyes and I washed, and now ⁸⁷²  I am able to see.”

9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, ⁸⁷³  “This man is not from God, because he does not observe ⁸⁷⁴  the Sabbath.” ⁸⁷⁵  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform ⁸⁷⁶  such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division ⁸⁷⁷  among them. 9:17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, ⁸⁷⁸  “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” ⁸⁷⁹  “He is a prophet,” the man replied. ⁸⁸⁰ 

9:18 Now the Jewish religious leaders ⁸⁸¹  refused to believe ⁸⁸²  that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned ⁸⁸³  the parents of the man who had become able to see. ⁸⁸⁴  9:19 They asked the parents, ⁸⁸⁵  “Is this your son, whom you say ⁸⁸⁶  was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 9:20 So his parents replied, ⁸⁸⁷  “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. ⁸⁸⁸  Ask him, he is a mature adult. ⁸⁸⁹  He will speak for himself.” 9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. ⁸⁹⁰  For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus ⁸⁹¹  to be the Christ ⁸⁹²  would be put out ⁸⁹³  of the synagogue. ⁸⁹⁴  9:23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ⁸⁹⁵  ask him.”) ⁸⁹⁶ 

9:24 Then they summoned ⁸⁹⁷  the man who used to be blind ⁸⁹⁸  a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. ⁸⁹⁹  We know that this man ⁹⁰⁰  is a sinner.” 9:25 He replied, ⁹⁰¹  “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.” 9:26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” ⁹⁰²  9:27 He answered, ⁹⁰³  “I told you already and you didn’t listen. ⁹⁰⁴  Why do you want to hear it ⁹⁰⁵  again? You people ⁹⁰⁶  don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

9:28 They ⁹⁰⁷  heaped insults ⁹⁰⁸  on him, saying, ⁹⁰⁹  “You are his disciple! ⁹¹⁰  We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man ⁹¹¹  comes from!” 9:30 The man replied, ⁹¹²  “This is a remarkable thing, ⁹¹³  that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! ⁹¹⁴  9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to ⁹¹⁵  sinners, but if anyone is devout ⁹¹⁶  and does his will, God ⁹¹⁷  listens to ⁹¹⁸  him. ⁹¹⁹  9:32 Never before ⁹²⁰  has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. ⁹²¹  9:33 If this man ⁹²²  were not from God, he could do nothing.” 9:34 They replied, ⁹²³  “You were born completely in sinfulness, ⁹²⁴  and yet you presume to teach us?” ⁹²⁵  So they threw him out.

The Man’s Response to Jesus

9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man ⁹²⁶  and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ⁹²⁷  9:36 The man ⁹²⁸  replied, ⁹²⁹  “And who is he, sir, that ⁹³⁰  I may believe in him?” 9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he ⁹³¹  is the one speaking with you.” ⁹³²  9:38 [He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. ⁹³³  9:39 Jesus ⁹³⁴  said,] ⁹³⁵  “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, ⁹³⁶  and the ones who see may become blind.”

9:40 Some of the Pharisees ⁹³⁷  who were with him heard this ⁹³⁸  and asked him, ⁹³⁹  “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁹⁴⁰  9:41 Jesus replied, ⁹⁴¹  “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, ⁹⁴²  but now because you claim that you can see, ⁹⁴³  your guilt ⁹⁴⁴  remains.” ⁹⁴⁵ 

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁹⁴⁶  the one who does not enter the sheepfold ⁹⁴⁷  by the door, ⁹⁴⁸  but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 10:2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The doorkeeper ⁹⁴⁹  opens the door ⁹⁵⁰  for him, ⁹⁵¹  and the sheep hear his voice. He ⁹⁵²  calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁹⁵³  10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep ⁹⁵⁴  out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize ⁹⁵⁵  his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, ⁹⁵⁶  but will run away from him, because they do not recognize ⁹⁵⁷  the stranger’s voice.” ⁹⁵⁸  10:6 Jesus told them this parable, ⁹⁵⁹  but they ⁹⁶⁰  did not understand ⁹⁶¹  what he was saying to them.

10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁹⁶²  I am the door for the sheep. ⁹⁶³  10:8 All who came before me were ⁹⁶⁴  thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹⁶⁵  10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, ⁹⁶⁶  and find pasture. ⁹⁶⁷  10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill ⁹⁶⁸  and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ⁹⁶⁹ 

10:11 “I am the good ⁹⁷⁰  shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life ⁹⁷¹  for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, ⁹⁷²  who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons ⁹⁷³  the sheep and runs away. ⁹⁷⁴  So the wolf attacks ⁹⁷⁵  the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, ⁹⁷⁶  he runs away. ⁹⁷⁷ 

10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I ⁹⁷⁸  know my own ⁹⁷⁹  and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life ⁹⁸⁰  for ⁹⁸¹  the sheep. 10:16 I have ⁹⁸²  other sheep that do not come from ⁹⁸³  this sheepfold. ⁹⁸⁴  I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, ⁹⁸⁵  so that ⁹⁸⁶  there will be one flock and ⁹⁸⁷  one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me ⁹⁸⁸  – because I lay down my life, ⁹⁸⁹  so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ⁹⁹⁰  of my own free will. ⁹⁹¹  I have the authority ⁹⁹²  to lay it down, and I have the authority ⁹⁹³  to take it back again. This commandment ⁹⁹⁴  I received from my Father.”

10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people ⁹⁹⁵  because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! ⁹⁹⁶  Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words ⁹⁹⁷  of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, ⁹⁹⁸  can it?” ⁹⁹⁹ 

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication ¹⁰⁰⁰  in Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁰¹  10:23 It was winter, ¹⁰⁰²  and Jesus was walking in the temple area ¹⁰⁰³  in Solomon’s Portico. ¹⁰⁰⁴  10:24 The Jewish leaders ¹⁰⁰⁵  surrounded him and asked, ¹⁰⁰⁶  “How long will you keep us in suspense? ¹⁰⁰⁷  If you are the Christ, ¹⁰⁰⁸  tell us plainly.” ¹⁰⁰⁹  10:25 Jesus replied, ¹⁰¹⁰  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ¹⁰¹¹  I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 10:26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give ¹⁰¹²  them eternal life, and they will never perish; ¹⁰¹³  no one will snatch ¹⁰¹⁴  them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, ¹⁰¹⁵  and no one can snatch ¹⁰¹⁶  them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I ¹⁰¹⁷  are one.” ¹⁰¹⁸ 

10:31 The Jewish leaders ¹⁰¹⁹  picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them, ¹⁰²⁰  “I have shown you many good deeds ¹⁰²¹  from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders ¹⁰²²  replied, ¹⁰²³  “We are not going to stone you for a good deed ¹⁰²⁴  but for blasphemy, ¹⁰²⁵  because ¹⁰²⁶  you, a man, are claiming to be God.” ¹⁰²⁷ 

10:34 Jesus answered, ¹⁰²⁸  “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ¹⁰²⁹  10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), ¹⁰³⁰  10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart ¹⁰³¹  and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform ¹⁰³²  the deeds ¹⁰³³  of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, ¹⁰³⁴  so that you may come to know ¹⁰³⁵  and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then ¹⁰³⁶  they attempted ¹⁰³⁷  again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. ¹⁰³⁸ 

10:40 Jesus ¹⁰³⁹  went back across the Jordan River ¹⁰⁴⁰  again to the place where John ¹⁰⁴¹  had been baptizing at an earlier time, ¹⁰⁴²  and he stayed there. 10:41 Many ¹⁰⁴³  came to him and began to say, “John ¹⁰⁴⁴  performed ¹⁰⁴⁵  no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man ¹⁰⁴⁶  was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus ¹⁰⁴⁷  there.

The Death of Lazarus

11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ¹⁰⁴⁸  11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil ¹⁰⁴⁹  and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) ¹⁰⁵⁰  11:3 So the sisters sent a message ¹⁰⁵¹  to Jesus, ¹⁰⁵²  “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, ¹⁰⁵³  but to God’s glory, ¹⁰⁵⁴  so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ¹⁰⁵⁵  11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) ¹⁰⁵⁶ 

11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus ¹⁰⁵⁷  was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 11:7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” ¹⁰⁵⁸  11:8 The disciples replied, ¹⁰⁵⁹  “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders ¹⁰⁶⁰  were just now trying ¹⁰⁶¹  to stone you to death! Are ¹⁰⁶²  you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, ¹⁰⁶³  “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, ¹⁰⁶⁴  because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰⁶⁵  11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, ¹⁰⁶⁶  he stumbles, ¹⁰⁶⁷  because the light is not in him.”

11:11 After he said this, he added, ¹⁰⁶⁸  “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. ¹⁰⁶⁹  But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, ¹⁰⁷⁰  “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about ¹⁰⁷¹  his death, but they ¹⁰⁷²  thought he had been talking about real sleep.) ¹⁰⁷³ 

11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad ¹⁰⁷⁴  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ¹⁰⁷⁵  But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus ¹⁰⁷⁶ ) ¹⁰⁷⁷  said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” ¹⁰⁷⁸ 

Speaking with Martha and Mary

11:17 When ¹⁰⁷⁹  Jesus arrived, ¹⁰⁸⁰  he found that Lazarus ¹⁰⁸¹  had been in the tomb four days already. ¹⁰⁸²  11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles ¹⁰⁸³  from Jerusalem, ¹⁰⁸⁴  11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region ¹⁰⁸⁵  had come to Martha and Mary to console them ¹⁰⁸⁶  over the loss of their brother.) ¹⁰⁸⁷  11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ¹⁰⁸⁸  11:21 Martha ¹⁰⁸⁹  said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant ¹⁰⁹⁰  you.” ¹⁰⁹¹ 

11:23 Jesus replied, ¹⁰⁹²  “Your brother will come back to life again.” ¹⁰⁹³  11:24 Martha said, ¹⁰⁹⁴  “I know that he will come back to life again ¹⁰⁹⁵  in the resurrection at the last day.” 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live ¹⁰⁹⁶  even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. ¹⁰⁹⁷  Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, ¹⁰⁹⁸  “Yes, Lord, I believe ¹⁰⁹⁹  that you are the Christ, ¹¹⁰⁰  the Son of God who comes into the world.” ¹¹⁰¹ 

11:28 And when she had said this, Martha ¹¹⁰²  went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, ¹¹⁰³  “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” ¹¹⁰⁴  11:29 So when Mary ¹¹⁰⁵  heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 11:30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 11:31 Then the people ¹¹⁰⁶  who were with Mary ¹¹⁰⁷  in the house consoling her saw her ¹¹⁰⁸  get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep ¹¹⁰⁹  there.

11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people ¹¹¹⁰  who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved ¹¹¹¹  in spirit and greatly distressed. ¹¹¹²  11:34 He asked, ¹¹¹³  “Where have you laid him?” ¹¹¹⁴  They replied, ¹¹¹⁵  “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. ¹¹¹⁶  11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn ¹¹¹⁷  said, “Look how much he loved him!” 11:37 But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! ¹¹¹⁸  Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus ¹¹¹⁹  from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

11:38 Jesus, intensely moved ¹¹²⁰  again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) ¹¹²¹  11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” ¹¹²²  Martha, the sister of the deceased, ¹¹²³  replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, ¹¹²⁴  because he has been buried ¹¹²⁵  four days.” ¹¹²⁶  11:40 Jesus responded, ¹¹²⁷  “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 11:41 So they took away ¹¹²⁸  the stone. Jesus looked upward ¹¹²⁹  and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. ¹¹³⁰  11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, ¹¹³¹  but I said this ¹¹³²  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When ¹¹³³  he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, ¹¹³⁴  “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, ¹¹³⁵  and a cloth wrapped around his face. ¹¹³⁶  Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him ¹¹³⁷  and let him go.”

The Response of the Jewish Leaders

11:45 Then many of the people, ¹¹³⁸  who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus ¹¹³⁹  did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees ¹¹⁴⁰  and reported to them ¹¹⁴¹  what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹¹⁴²  called the council ¹¹⁴³  together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 11:48 If we allow him to go on in this way, ¹¹⁴⁴  everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary ¹¹⁴⁵  and our nation.”

11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, ¹¹⁴⁶  “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize ¹¹⁴⁷  that it is more to your advantage to have one man ¹¹⁴⁸  die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” ¹¹⁴⁹  11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, ¹¹⁵⁰  but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, ¹¹⁵¹  11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ¹¹⁵²  only, ¹¹⁵³  but to gather together ¹¹⁵⁴  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ¹¹⁵⁵  11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.

11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went ¹¹⁵⁶  around publicly ¹¹⁵⁷  among the Judeans, ¹¹⁵⁸  but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, ¹¹⁵⁹  and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹¹⁶⁰  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ¹¹⁶¹  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ¹¹⁶²  11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, ¹¹⁶³  and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, ¹¹⁶⁴  “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹¹⁶⁵  had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus ¹¹⁶⁶  was should report it, so that they could arrest ¹¹⁶⁷  him.) ¹¹⁶⁸ 

Jesus’ Anointing

12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he ¹¹⁶⁹  had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus ¹¹⁷⁰  there. Martha ¹¹⁷¹  was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table ¹¹⁷²  with him. 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound ¹¹⁷³  of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard ¹¹⁷⁴  and anointed the feet of Jesus. She ¹¹⁷⁵  then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) ¹¹⁷⁶  12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) ¹¹⁷⁷  said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins ¹¹⁷⁸  and the money ¹¹⁷⁹  given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas ¹¹⁸⁰  said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, ¹¹⁸¹  he used to steal what was put into it.) ¹¹⁸²  12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. ¹¹⁸³  12:8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!” ¹¹⁸⁴ 

12:9 Now a large crowd of Judeans ¹¹⁸⁵  learned ¹¹⁸⁶  that Jesus ¹¹⁸⁷  was there, and so they came not only because of him ¹¹⁸⁸  but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 12:10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, ¹¹⁸⁹  12:11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem ¹¹⁹⁰  were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹¹⁹¹  12:13 So they took branches of palm trees ¹¹⁹²  and went out to meet him. They began to shout, ¹¹⁹³  “Hosanna! ¹¹⁹⁴  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹¹⁹⁵  Blessed is ¹¹⁹⁶  the king of Israel!” 12:14 Jesus found a young donkey ¹¹⁹⁷  and sat on it, just as it is written, 12:15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; ¹¹⁹⁸  look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” ¹¹⁹⁹  12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, ¹²⁰⁰  but when Jesus was glorified, ¹²⁰¹  then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened ¹²⁰²  to him.) ¹²⁰³ 

12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. ¹²⁰⁴  12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus ¹²⁰⁵  had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 12:19 Thus the Pharisees ¹²⁰⁶  said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”

Seekers

12:20 Now some Greeks ¹²⁰⁷  were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, ¹²⁰⁸  who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, ¹²⁰⁹  “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both ¹²¹⁰  went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, ¹²¹¹  “The time ¹²¹²  has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ¹²¹³  12:24 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹²¹⁴  unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. ¹²¹⁵  But if it dies, it produces ¹²¹⁶  much grain. ¹²¹⁷  12:25 The one who loves his life ¹²¹⁸  destroys ¹²¹⁹  it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards ¹²²⁰  it for eternal life. 12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow ¹²²¹  me, and where I am, my servant will be too. ¹²²²  If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

12:27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me ¹²²³  from this hour’? ¹²²⁴  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. ¹²²⁵  12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, ¹²²⁶  “I have glorified it, ¹²²⁷  and I will glorify it ¹²²⁸  again.” 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice ¹²²⁹  said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. ¹²³⁰  12:30 Jesus said, ¹²³¹  “This voice has not come for my benefit ¹²³²  but for yours. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world ¹²³³  will be driven out. ¹²³⁴  12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people ¹²³⁵  to myself.” 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) ¹²³⁶ 

12:34 Then the crowd responded, ¹²³⁷  “We have heard from the law that the Christ ¹²³⁸  will remain forever. ¹²³⁹  How ¹²⁴⁰  can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 12:35 Jesus replied, ¹²⁴¹  “The light is with you for a little while longer. ¹²⁴²  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. ¹²⁴³  The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” ¹²⁴⁴  When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

The Outcome of Jesus’ Public Ministry Foretold

12:37 Although Jesus ¹²⁴⁵  had performed ¹²⁴⁶  so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 12:38 so that the word ¹²⁴⁷  of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, ¹²⁴⁸  “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord ¹²⁴⁹  been revealed?” ¹²⁵⁰  12:39 For this reason they could not believe, ¹²⁵¹  because again Isaiah said,

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ¹²⁵² 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ¹²⁵³ 

and turn to me, ¹²⁵⁴  and I would heal them.” ¹²⁵⁵ 

12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s ¹²⁵⁶  glory, and spoke about him.

12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers ¹²⁵⁷  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ¹²⁵⁸  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ¹²⁵⁹  so that they would not be put out of ¹²⁶⁰  the synagogue. ¹²⁶¹  12:43 For they loved praise ¹²⁶²  from men more than praise ¹²⁶³  from God.

Jesus’ Final Public Words

12:44 But Jesus shouted out, ¹²⁶⁴  “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, ¹²⁶⁵  12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. ¹²⁶⁶  12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 12:47 If anyone ¹²⁶⁷  hears my words and does not obey them, ¹²⁶⁸  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ¹²⁶⁹  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹²⁷⁰  my words has a judge; ¹²⁷¹  the word ¹²⁷²  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ¹²⁷³  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ¹²⁷⁴  what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ¹²⁷⁵  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ¹²⁷⁶ 

Washing the Disciples’ Feet

13:1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time ¹²⁷⁷  had come to depart ¹²⁷⁸  from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. ¹²⁷⁹  13:2 The evening meal ¹²⁸⁰  was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart ¹²⁸¹  of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray ¹²⁸²  Jesus. ¹²⁸³  13:3 Because Jesus ¹²⁸⁴  knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, ¹²⁸⁵  and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 13:4 he got up from the meal, removed ¹²⁸⁶  his outer clothes, ¹²⁸⁷  took a towel and tied it around himself. ¹²⁸⁸  13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. ¹²⁸⁹ 

13:6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter ¹²⁹⁰  said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash ¹²⁹¹  my feet?” 13:7 Jesus replied, ¹²⁹²  “You do not understand ¹²⁹³  what I am doing now, but you will understand ¹²⁹⁴  after these things.” 13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” ¹²⁹⁵  Jesus replied, ¹²⁹⁶  “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” ¹²⁹⁷  13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash ¹²⁹⁸  not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 13:10 Jesus replied, ¹²⁹⁹  “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, ¹³⁰⁰  but is completely ¹³⁰¹  clean. ¹³⁰²  And you disciples ¹³⁰³  are clean, but not every one of you.” 13:11 (For Jesus ¹³⁰⁴  knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is ¹³⁰⁵  clean.”) ¹³⁰⁶ 

13:12 So when Jesus ¹³⁰⁷  had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table ¹³⁰⁸  again and said to them, “Do you understand ¹³⁰⁹  what I have done for you? 13:13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, ¹³¹⁰  for that is what I am. ¹³¹¹  13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 13:15 For I have given you an example ¹³¹²  – you should do just as I have done for you. 13:16 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³¹³  the slave ¹³¹⁴  is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger ¹³¹⁵  greater than the one who sent him. 13:17 If you understand ¹³¹⁶  these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

The Announcement of Jesus’ Betrayal

13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, ¹³¹⁷  ‘The one who eats my bread ¹³¹⁸  has turned against me.’ ¹³¹⁹  13:19 I am telling you this now, ¹³²⁰  before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe ¹³²¹  that I am he. ¹³²²  13:20 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³²³  whoever accepts ¹³²⁴  the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” ¹³²⁵ 

13:21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed ¹³²⁶  in spirit, and testified, ¹³²⁷  “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³²⁸  one of you will betray me.” ¹³²⁹  13:22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed ¹³³⁰  to know which of them he was talking about. 13:23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, ¹³³¹  was at the table ¹³³²  to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. ¹³³³  13:24 So Simon Peter ¹³³⁴  gestured to this disciple ¹³³⁵  to ask Jesus ¹³³⁶  who it was he was referring to. ¹³³⁷  13:25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved ¹³³⁸  leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 13:26 Jesus replied, ¹³³⁹  “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread ¹³⁴⁰  after I have dipped it in the dish.” ¹³⁴¹  Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish ¹³⁴²  and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. 13:27 And after Judas ¹³⁴³  took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. ¹³⁴⁴  Jesus said to him, ¹³⁴⁵  “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 13:28 (Now none of those present at the table ¹³⁴⁶  understood ¹³⁴⁷  why Jesus ¹³⁴⁸  said this to Judas. ¹³⁴⁹  13:29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, ¹³⁵⁰  or to give something to the poor.) ¹³⁵¹  13:30 Judas ¹³⁵²  took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.) ¹³⁵³ 

The Prediction of Peter’s Denial

13:31 When ¹³⁵⁴  Judas ¹³⁵⁵  had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 13:32 If God is glorified in him, ¹³⁵⁶  God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. ¹³⁵⁷  13:33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, ¹³⁵⁸  and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, ¹³⁵⁹  ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ ¹³⁶⁰  now I tell you the same. ¹³⁶¹ 

13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love ¹³⁶²  one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ¹³⁶³  13:35 Everyone ¹³⁶⁴  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

13:36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, ¹³⁶⁵  “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 13:37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” ¹³⁶⁶  13:38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? ¹³⁶⁷  I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³⁶⁸  the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!

Jesus’ Parting Words to His Disciples

14:1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. ¹³⁶⁹  You believe in God; ¹³⁷⁰  believe also in me. 14:2 There are many dwelling places ¹³⁷¹  in my Father’s house. ¹³⁷²  Otherwise, I would have told you, because ¹³⁷³  I am going away to make ready ¹³⁷⁴  a place for you. ¹³⁷⁵  14:3 And if I go and make ready ¹³⁷⁶  a place for you, I will come again and take you ¹³⁷⁷  to be with me, ¹³⁷⁸  so that where I am you may be too. 14:4 And you know the way where I am going.” ¹³⁷⁹ 

14:5 Thomas said, ¹³⁸⁰  “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 14:6 Jesus replied, ¹³⁸¹  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. ¹³⁸²  No one comes to the Father except through me. 14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. ¹³⁸³  And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

14:8 Philip said, ¹³⁸⁴  “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” ¹³⁸⁵  14:9 Jesus replied, ¹³⁸⁶  “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known ¹³⁸⁷  me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? ¹³⁸⁸  The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, ¹³⁸⁹  but the Father residing in me performs ¹³⁹⁰  his miraculous deeds. ¹³⁹¹  14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, ¹³⁹²  believe because of the miraculous deeds ¹³⁹³  themselves. 14:12 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³⁹⁴  the person who believes in me will perform ¹³⁹⁵  the miraculous deeds ¹³⁹⁶  that I am doing, ¹³⁹⁷  and will perform ¹³⁹⁸  greater deeds ¹³⁹⁹  than these, because I am going to the Father. 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, ¹⁴⁰⁰  so that the Father may be glorified ¹⁴⁰¹  in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.

Teaching on the Holy Spirit

14:15 “If you love me, you will obey ¹⁴⁰²  my commandments. ¹⁴⁰³  14:16 Then ¹⁴⁰⁴  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate ¹⁴⁰⁵  to be with you forever – 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, ¹⁴⁰⁶  because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides ¹⁴⁰⁷  with you and will be ¹⁴⁰⁸  in you.

14:18 “I will not abandon ¹⁴⁰⁹  you as orphans, ¹⁴¹⁰  I will come to you. ¹⁴¹¹  14:19 In a little while ¹⁴¹²  the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 14:20 You will know at that time ¹⁴¹³  that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 14:21 The person who has my commandments and obeys ¹⁴¹⁴  them is the one who loves me. ¹⁴¹⁵  The one ¹⁴¹⁶  who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal ¹⁴¹⁷  myself to him.”

14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) ¹⁴¹⁸  said, ¹⁴¹⁹  “what has happened that you are going to reveal ¹⁴²⁰  yourself to us and not to the world?” 14:23 Jesus replied, ¹⁴²¹  “If anyone loves me, he will obey ¹⁴²²  my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. ¹⁴²³  14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey ¹⁴²⁴  my words. And the word ¹⁴²⁵  you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.

14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying ¹⁴²⁶  with you. 14:26 But the Advocate, ¹⁴²⁷  the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you ¹⁴²⁸  everything, ¹⁴²⁹  and will cause you to remember everything ¹⁴³⁰  I said to you.

14:27 “Peace I leave with you; ¹⁴³¹  my peace I give to you; I do not give it ¹⁴³²  to you as the world does. ¹⁴³³  Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. ¹⁴³⁴  14:28 You heard me say to you, ¹⁴³⁵  ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad ¹⁴³⁶  that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. ¹⁴³⁷  14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. ¹⁴³⁸  14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, ¹⁴³⁹  for the ruler of this world is coming. ¹⁴⁴⁰  He has no power over me, ¹⁴⁴¹  14:31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know ¹⁴⁴²  that I love the Father. ¹⁴⁴³  Get up, let us go from here.” ¹⁴⁴⁴ 

The Vine and the Branches

15:1 “I am the true vine ¹⁴⁴⁵  and my Father is the gardener. ¹⁴⁴⁶  15:2 He takes away ¹⁴⁴⁷  every branch that does not bear ¹⁴⁴⁸  fruit in me. He ¹⁴⁴⁹  prunes ¹⁴⁵⁰  every branch that bears ¹⁴⁵¹  fruit so that it will bear more fruit. 15:3 You are clean already ¹⁴⁵²  because of the word that I have spoken to you. 15:4 Remain ¹⁴⁵³  in me, and I will remain in you. ¹⁴⁵⁴  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, ¹⁴⁵⁵  unless it remains ¹⁴⁵⁶  in ¹⁴⁵⁷  the vine, so neither can you unless you remain ¹⁴⁵⁸  in me.

15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains ¹⁴⁵⁹  in me – and I in him – bears ¹⁴⁶⁰  much fruit, ¹⁴⁶¹  because apart from me you can accomplish ¹⁴⁶²  nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain ¹⁴⁶³  in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, ¹⁴⁶⁴  and are burned up. ¹⁴⁶⁵  15:7 If you remain ¹⁴⁶⁶  in me and my words remain ¹⁴⁶⁷  in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ¹⁴⁶⁸  15:8 My Father is honored ¹⁴⁶⁹  by this, that ¹⁴⁷⁰  you bear ¹⁴⁷¹  much fruit and show that you are ¹⁴⁷²  my disciples.

15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain ¹⁴⁷³  in my love. 15:10 If you obey ¹⁴⁷⁴  my commandments, you will remain ¹⁴⁷⁵  in my love, just as I have obeyed ¹⁴⁷⁶  my Father’s commandments and remain ¹⁴⁷⁷  in his love. 15:11 I have told you these things ¹⁴⁷⁸  so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. 15:12 My commandment is this – to love one another just as I have loved you. ¹⁴⁷⁹  15:13 No one has greater love than this – that one lays down his life ¹⁴⁸⁰  for his friends. 15:14 You are my friends ¹⁴⁸¹  if you do what I command you. 15:15 I no longer call you slaves, ¹⁴⁸²  because the slave does not understand ¹⁴⁸³  what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have revealed to you everything ¹⁴⁸⁴  I heard ¹⁴⁸⁵  from my Father. 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you ¹⁴⁸⁶  and appointed you to go and bear ¹⁴⁸⁷  fruit, fruit that remains, ¹⁴⁸⁸  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. 15:17 This ¹⁴⁸⁹  I command you – to love one another.

The World’s Hatred

15:18 “If the world hates you, be aware ¹⁴⁹⁰  that it hated me first. ¹⁴⁹¹  15:19 If you belonged to the world, ¹⁴⁹²  the world would love you as its own. ¹⁴⁹³  However, because you do not belong to the world, ¹⁴⁹⁴  but I chose you out of the world, for this reason ¹⁴⁹⁵  the world hates you. ¹⁴⁹⁶  15:20 Remember what ¹⁴⁹⁷  I told you, ‘A slave ¹⁴⁹⁸  is not greater than his master.’ ¹⁴⁹⁹  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they obeyed ¹⁵⁰⁰  my word, they will obey ¹⁵⁰¹  yours too. 15:21 But they will do all these things to you on account of ¹⁵⁰²  my name, because they do not know the one who sent me. ¹⁵⁰³  15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. ¹⁵⁰⁴  But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 15:23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 15:24 If I had not performed ¹⁵⁰⁵  among them the miraculous deeds ¹⁵⁰⁶  that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. ¹⁵⁰⁷  But now they have seen the deeds ¹⁵⁰⁸  and have hated both me and my Father. ¹⁵⁰⁹  15:25 Now this happened ¹⁵¹⁰  to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ ¹⁵¹¹  15:26 When the Advocate ¹⁵¹²  comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he ¹⁵¹³  will testify about me, 15:27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

16:1 “I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away. ¹⁵¹⁴  16:2 They will put you out of ¹⁵¹⁵  the synagogue, ¹⁵¹⁶  yet a time ¹⁵¹⁷  is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God. ¹⁵¹⁸  16:3 They ¹⁵¹⁹  will do these things because they have not known the Father or me. ¹⁵²⁰  16:4 But I have told you these things ¹⁵²¹  so that when their time ¹⁵²²  comes, you will remember that I told you about them. ¹⁵²³ 

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you. ¹⁵²⁴  16:5 But now I am going to the one who sent me, ¹⁵²⁵  and not one of you is asking me, ‘Where are you going?’ ¹⁵²⁶  16:6 Instead your hearts are filled with sadness ¹⁵²⁷  because I have said these things to you. 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate ¹⁵²⁸  will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. 16:8 And when he ¹⁵²⁹  comes, he will prove the world wrong ¹⁵³⁰  concerning sin and ¹⁵³¹  righteousness and ¹⁵³²  judgment – 16:9 concerning sin, because ¹⁵³³  they do not believe in me; ¹⁵³⁴  16:10 concerning righteousness, ¹⁵³⁵  because ¹⁵³⁶  I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 16:11 and concerning judgment, ¹⁵³⁷  because ¹⁵³⁸  the ruler of this world ¹⁵³⁹  has been condemned. ¹⁵⁴⁰ 

16:12 “I have many more things to say to you, ¹⁵⁴¹  but you cannot bear ¹⁵⁴²  them now. 16:13 But when he, ¹⁵⁴³  the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide ¹⁵⁴⁴  you into all truth. ¹⁵⁴⁵  For he will not speak on his own authority, ¹⁵⁴⁶  but will speak whatever he hears, and will tell you ¹⁵⁴⁷  what is to come. ¹⁵⁴⁸  16:14 He ¹⁵⁴⁹  will glorify me, ¹⁵⁵⁰  because he will receive ¹⁵⁵¹  from me what is mine ¹⁵⁵²  and will tell it to you. ¹⁵⁵³  16:15 Everything that the Father has is mine; that is why I said the Spirit ¹⁵⁵⁴  will receive from me what is mine ¹⁵⁵⁵  and will tell it to you. ¹⁵⁵⁶  16:16 In a little while you ¹⁵⁵⁷  will see me no longer; again after a little while, you ¹⁵⁵⁸  will see me.” ¹⁵⁵⁹ 

16:17 Then some of his disciples said to one another, “What is the meaning of what he is saying, ¹⁵⁶⁰  ‘In a little while you ¹⁵⁶¹  will not see me; again after a little while, you ¹⁵⁶²  will see me,’ and, ‘because I am going to the Father’?” ¹⁵⁶³  16:18 So they kept on repeating, ¹⁵⁶⁴  “What is the meaning of what he says, ¹⁵⁶⁵  ‘In a little while’? ¹⁵⁶⁶  We do not understand ¹⁵⁶⁷  what he is talking about.” ¹⁵⁶⁸ 

16:19 Jesus could see ¹⁵⁶⁹  that they wanted to ask him about these things, ¹⁵⁷⁰  so ¹⁵⁷¹  he said to them, “Are you asking ¹⁵⁷²  each other about this – that I said, ‘In a little while you ¹⁵⁷³  will not see me; again after a little while, you ¹⁵⁷⁴  will see me’? 16:20 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁵⁷⁵  you will weep ¹⁵⁷⁶  and wail, ¹⁵⁷⁷  but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, ¹⁵⁷⁸  but your sadness will turn into ¹⁵⁷⁹  joy. 16:21 When a woman gives birth, she has distress ¹⁵⁸⁰  because her time ¹⁵⁸¹  has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a human being ¹⁵⁸²  has been born into the world. ¹⁵⁸³  16:22 So also you have sorrow ¹⁵⁸⁴  now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. ¹⁵⁸⁵  16:23 At that time ¹⁵⁸⁶  you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁵⁸⁷  whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. ¹⁵⁸⁸  16:24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive it, ¹⁵⁸⁹  so that your joy may be complete.

16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; ¹⁵⁹⁰  a time ¹⁵⁹¹  is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you ¹⁵⁹²  plainly ¹⁵⁹³  about the Father. 16:26 At that time ¹⁵⁹⁴  you will ask in my name, and I do not say ¹⁵⁹⁵  that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 16:27 For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. ¹⁵⁹⁶  16:28 I came from the Father and entered into the world, but in turn, ¹⁵⁹⁷  I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” ¹⁵⁹⁸ 

16:29 His disciples said, “Look, now you are speaking plainly ¹⁵⁹⁹  and not in obscure figures of speech! ¹⁶⁰⁰  16:30 Now we know that you know everything ¹⁶⁰¹  and do not need anyone ¹⁶⁰²  to ask you anything. ¹⁶⁰³  Because of this ¹⁶⁰⁴  we believe that you have come from God.”

16:31 Jesus replied, ¹⁶⁰⁵  “Do you now believe? 16:32 Look, a time ¹⁶⁰⁶  is coming – and has come – when you will be scattered, each one to his own home, ¹⁶⁰⁷  and I will be left alone. ¹⁶⁰⁸  Yet ¹⁶⁰⁹  I am not alone, because my Father ¹⁶¹⁰  is with me. 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, ¹⁶¹¹  but take courage ¹⁶¹²  – I have conquered the world.” ¹⁶¹³ 

Jesus Prays for the Father to Glorify Him

17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward ¹⁶¹⁴  to heaven ¹⁶¹⁵  and said, “Father, the time ¹⁶¹⁶  has come. Glorify your Son, so that your ¹⁶¹⁷  Son may glorify you – 17:2 just as you have given him authority over all humanity, ¹⁶¹⁸  so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. ¹⁶¹⁹  17:3 Now this ¹⁶²⁰  is eternal life ¹⁶²¹  – that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, ¹⁶²²  whom you sent. 17:4 I glorified you on earth by completing ¹⁶²³  the work you gave me to do. ¹⁶²⁴  17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side ¹⁶²⁵  with the glory I had with you before the world was created. ¹⁶²⁶ 

Jesus Prays for the Disciples

17:6 “I have revealed ¹⁶²⁷  your name to the men ¹⁶²⁸  you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, ¹⁶²⁹  and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed ¹⁶³⁰  your word. 17:7 Now they understand ¹⁶³¹  that everything ¹⁶³²  you have given me comes from you, 17:8 because I have given them the words you have given me. They ¹⁶³³  accepted ¹⁶³⁴  them ¹⁶³⁵  and really ¹⁶³⁶  understand ¹⁶³⁷  that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 17:9 I am praying ¹⁶³⁸  on behalf of them. I am not praying ¹⁶³⁹  on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁶⁴⁰  17:10 Everything ¹⁶⁴¹  I have belongs to you, ¹⁶⁴²  and everything you have belongs to me, ¹⁶⁴³  and I have been glorified by them. ¹⁶⁴⁴  17:11 I ¹⁶⁴⁵  am no longer in the world, but ¹⁶⁴⁶  they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them safe ¹⁶⁴⁷  in your name ¹⁶⁴⁸  that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one. ¹⁶⁴⁹  17:12 When I was with them I kept them safe ¹⁶⁵⁰  and watched over them ¹⁶⁵¹  in your name ¹⁶⁵²  that you have given me. Not one ¹⁶⁵³  of them was lost except the one destined for destruction, ¹⁶⁵⁴  so that the scripture could be fulfilled. ¹⁶⁵⁵  17:13 But now I am coming to you, and I am saying these things in the world, so they may experience ¹⁶⁵⁶  my joy completed ¹⁶⁵⁷  in themselves. 17:14 I have given them your word, ¹⁶⁵⁸  and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, ¹⁶⁵⁹  just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁶⁶⁰  17:15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but that you keep them safe ¹⁶⁶¹  from the evil one. ¹⁶⁶²  17:16 They do not belong to the world ¹⁶⁶³  just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁶⁶⁴  17:17 Set them apart ¹⁶⁶⁵  in the truth; your word is truth. 17:18 Just as you sent me into the world, so I sent them into the world. ¹⁶⁶⁶  17:19 And I set myself apart ¹⁶⁶⁷  on their behalf, ¹⁶⁶⁸  so that they too may be truly set apart. ¹⁶⁶⁹ 

Jesus Prays for Believers Everywhere

17:20 “I am not praying ¹⁶⁷⁰  only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe ¹⁶⁷¹  in me through their testimony, ¹⁶⁷²  17:21 that they will all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray ¹⁶⁷³  that they will be in us, so that the world will believe that you sent me. 17:22 The glory ¹⁶⁷⁴  you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one – 17:23 I in them and you in me – that they may be completely one, ¹⁶⁷⁵  so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, ¹⁶⁷⁶  so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world ¹⁶⁷⁷ . 17:25 Righteous Father, even if the world does not know you, I know you, and these men ¹⁶⁷⁸  know that you sent me. 17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, ¹⁶⁷⁹  so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

Betrayal and Arrest

18:1 When he had said these things, ¹⁶⁸⁰  Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. ¹⁶⁸¹  There was an orchard ¹⁶⁸²  there, and he and his disciples went into it. 18:2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times ¹⁶⁸³  with his disciples.) ¹⁶⁸⁴  18:3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers ¹⁶⁸⁵  and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. ¹⁶⁸⁶  They came to the orchard ¹⁶⁸⁷  with lanterns ¹⁶⁸⁸  and torches and weapons.

18:4 Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, ¹⁶⁸⁹  came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” ¹⁶⁹⁰  18:5 They replied, ¹⁶⁹¹  “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) ¹⁶⁹²  18:6 So when Jesus ¹⁶⁹³  said to them, “I am he,” they retreated ¹⁶⁹⁴  and fell to the ground. ¹⁶⁹⁵  18:7 Then Jesus ¹⁶⁹⁶  asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 18:8 Jesus replied, ¹⁶⁹⁷  “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for ¹⁶⁹⁸  me, let these men ¹⁶⁹⁹  go.” ¹⁷⁰⁰  18:9 He said this ¹⁷⁰¹  to fulfill the word he had spoken, ¹⁷⁰²  “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” ¹⁷⁰³ 

18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, ¹⁷⁰⁴  cutting off his right ear. ¹⁷⁰⁵  (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) ¹⁷⁰⁶  18:11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” ¹⁷⁰⁷ 

Jesus Before Annas

18:12 Then the squad of soldiers ¹⁷⁰⁸  with their commanding officer ¹⁷⁰⁹  and the officers of the Jewish leaders ¹⁷¹⁰  arrested ¹⁷¹¹  Jesus and tied him up. ¹⁷¹²  18:13 They ¹⁷¹³  brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁷¹⁴  18:14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised ¹⁷¹⁵  the Jewish leaders ¹⁷¹⁶  that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) ¹⁷¹⁷ 

Peter’s First Denial

18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. ¹⁷¹⁸  (Now the other disciple ¹⁷¹⁹  was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.) ¹⁷²⁰  18:16 But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, ¹⁷²¹  and brought Peter inside. 18:17 The girl ¹⁷²²  who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?” ¹⁷²³  He replied, ¹⁷²⁴  “I am not.” 18:18 (Now the slaves ¹⁷²⁵  and the guards ¹⁷²⁶  were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. ¹⁷²⁷  Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.) ¹⁷²⁸ 

Jesus Questioned by Annas

18:19 While this was happening, ¹⁷²⁹  the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching. ¹⁷³⁰  18:20 Jesus replied, ¹⁷³¹  “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues ¹⁷³²  and in the temple courts, ¹⁷³³  where all the Jewish people ¹⁷³⁴  assemble together. I ¹⁷³⁵  have said nothing in secret. 18:21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. ¹⁷³⁶  They ¹⁷³⁷  know what I said.” 18:22 When Jesus ¹⁷³⁸  had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, ¹⁷³⁹  “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” 18:23 Jesus replied, ¹⁷⁴⁰  “If I have said something wrong, ¹⁷⁴¹  confirm ¹⁷⁴²  what is wrong. ¹⁷⁴³  But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” 18:24 Then Annas sent him, still tied up, ¹⁷⁴⁴  to Caiaphas the high priest. ¹⁷⁴⁵ 

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

18:25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard ¹⁷⁴⁶  warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” ¹⁷⁴⁷  Peter ¹⁷⁴⁸  denied it: “I am not!” 18:26 One of the high priest’s slaves, ¹⁷⁴⁹  a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, ¹⁷⁵⁰  said, “Did I not see you in the orchard ¹⁷⁵¹  with him?” ¹⁷⁵²  18:27 Then Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed. ¹⁷⁵³ 

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

18:28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. ¹⁷⁵⁴  (Now it was very early morning.) ¹⁷⁵⁵  They ¹⁷⁵⁶  did not go into the governor’s residence ¹⁷⁵⁷  so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 18:29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation ¹⁷⁵⁸  do you bring against this man?” ¹⁷⁵⁹  18:30 They replied, ¹⁷⁶⁰  “If this man ¹⁷⁶¹  were not a criminal, ¹⁷⁶²  we would not have handed him over to you.” ¹⁷⁶³ 

18:31 Pilate told them, ¹⁷⁶⁴  “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him ¹⁷⁶⁵  according to your own law!” ¹⁷⁶⁶  The Jewish leaders ¹⁷⁶⁷  replied, ¹⁷⁶⁸  “We cannot legally put anyone to death.” ¹⁷⁶⁹  18:32 (This happened ¹⁷⁷⁰  to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated ¹⁷⁷¹  what kind of death he was going to die. ¹⁷⁷² )

Pilate Questions Jesus

18:33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, ¹⁷⁷³  summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” ¹⁷⁷⁴  18:34 Jesus replied, ¹⁷⁷⁵  “Are you saying this on your own initiative, ¹⁷⁷⁶  or have others told you about me?” 18:35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? ¹⁷⁷⁷  Your own people ¹⁷⁷⁸  and your chief priests handed you over ¹⁷⁷⁹  to me. What have you done?”

18:36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being ¹⁷⁸⁰  handed over ¹⁷⁸¹  to the Jewish authorities. ¹⁷⁸²  But as it is, ¹⁷⁸³  my kingdom is not from here.” 18:37 Then Pilate said, ¹⁷⁸⁴  “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to ¹⁷⁸⁵  my voice.” 18:38 Pilate asked, ¹⁷⁸⁶  “What is truth?” ¹⁷⁸⁷ 

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders ¹⁷⁸⁸  and announced, ¹⁷⁸⁹  “I find no basis for an accusation ¹⁷⁹⁰  against him. 18:39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner ¹⁷⁹¹  for you at the Passover. ¹⁷⁹²  So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 18:40 Then they shouted back, ¹⁷⁹³  “Not this man, ¹⁷⁹⁴  but Barabbas!” ¹⁷⁹⁵  (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. ¹⁷⁹⁶ ) ¹⁷⁹⁷ 

Pilate Tries to Release Jesus

19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely. ¹⁷⁹⁸  19:2 The soldiers ¹⁷⁹⁹  braided ¹⁸⁰⁰  a crown of thorns ¹⁸⁰¹  and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. ¹⁸⁰²  19:3 They ¹⁸⁰³  came up to him again and again ¹⁸⁰⁴  and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!” ¹⁸⁰⁵  And they struck him repeatedly ¹⁸⁰⁶  in the face.

19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, ¹⁸⁰⁷  “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation ¹⁸⁰⁸  against him.” 19:5 So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. ¹⁸⁰⁹  Pilate ¹⁸¹⁰  said to them, “Look, here is the man!” ¹⁸¹¹  19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify ¹⁸¹²  him! Crucify him!” ¹⁸¹³  Pilate said, ¹⁸¹⁴  “You take him and crucify him! ¹⁸¹⁵  Certainly ¹⁸¹⁶  I find no reason for an accusation ¹⁸¹⁷  against him!” 19:7 The Jewish leaders ¹⁸¹⁸  replied, ¹⁸¹⁹  “We have a law, ¹⁸²⁰  and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!” ¹⁸²¹ 

19:8 When Pilate heard what they said, ¹⁸²²  he was more afraid than ever, ¹⁸²³  19:9 and he went back into the governor’s residence ¹⁸²⁴  and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 19:10 So Pilate said, ¹⁸²⁵  “Do you refuse to speak to me? Don’t you know I have the authority ¹⁸²⁶  to release you, and to crucify you?” ¹⁸²⁷  19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority ¹⁸²⁸  over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you ¹⁸²⁹  is guilty of greater sin.” ¹⁸³⁰ 

19:12 From this point on, Pilate tried ¹⁸³¹  to release him. But the Jewish leaders ¹⁸³²  shouted out, ¹⁸³³  “If you release this man, ¹⁸³⁴  you are no friend of Caesar! ¹⁸³⁵  Everyone who claims to be a king ¹⁸³⁶  opposes Caesar!” 19:13 When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat ¹⁸³⁷  in the place called “The Stone Pavement” ¹⁸³⁸  (Gabbatha in ¹⁸³⁹  Aramaic). ¹⁸⁴⁰  19:14 (Now it was the day of preparation ¹⁸⁴¹  for the Passover, about noon. ¹⁸⁴² ) ¹⁸⁴³  Pilate ¹⁸⁴⁴  said to the Jewish leaders, ¹⁸⁴⁵  “Look, here is your king!”

19:15 Then they ¹⁸⁴⁶  shouted out, “Away with him! Away with him! ¹⁸⁴⁷  Crucify ¹⁸⁴⁸  him!” Pilate asked, ¹⁸⁴⁹  “Shall I crucify your king?” The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!” 19:16 Then Pilate ¹⁸⁵⁰  handed him over ¹⁸⁵¹  to them to be crucified.

The Crucifixion

So they took Jesus, 19:17 and carrying his own cross ¹⁸⁵²  he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” ¹⁸⁵³  (called in Aramaic ¹⁸⁵⁴  Golgotha). ¹⁸⁵⁵  19:18 There they ¹⁸⁵⁶  crucified ¹⁸⁵⁷  him along with two others, ¹⁸⁵⁸  one on each side, with Jesus in the middle. 19:19 Pilate also had a notice ¹⁸⁵⁹  written and fastened to the cross, ¹⁸⁶⁰  which read: ¹⁸⁶¹  “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem ¹⁸⁶²  read this notice, ¹⁸⁶³  because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, ¹⁸⁶⁴  Latin, and Greek. 19:21 Then the chief priests of the Jews ¹⁸⁶⁵  said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’” 19:22 Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified ¹⁸⁶⁶  Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, ¹⁸⁶⁷  and the tunic ¹⁸⁶⁸  remained. (Now the tunic ¹⁸⁶⁹  was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) ¹⁸⁷⁰  19:24 So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice ¹⁸⁷¹  to see who will get it.” ¹⁸⁷²  This took place ¹⁸⁷³  to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.” ¹⁸⁷⁴  So the soldiers did these things.

19:25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ¹⁸⁷⁵  19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, ¹⁸⁷⁶  look, here is your son!” 19:27 He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!” From that very time ¹⁸⁷⁷  the disciple took her into his own home.

Jesus’ Death

19:28 After this Jesus, realizing that by this time ¹⁸⁷⁸  everything was completed, ¹⁸⁷⁹  said (in order to fulfill the scripture), ¹⁸⁸⁰  “I am thirsty!” ¹⁸⁸¹  19:29 A jar full of sour wine ¹⁸⁸²  was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop ¹⁸⁸³  and lifted it ¹⁸⁸⁴  to his mouth. 19:30 When ¹⁸⁸⁵  he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!” ¹⁸⁸⁶  Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. ¹⁸⁸⁷ 

19:31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath ¹⁸⁸⁸  (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), ¹⁸⁸⁹  the Jewish leaders ¹⁸⁹⁰  asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs ¹⁸⁹¹  broken ¹⁸⁹²  and the bodies taken down. ¹⁸⁹³  19:32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the two men who had been crucified ¹⁸⁹⁴  with Jesus, ¹⁸⁹⁵  first the one and then the other. ¹⁸⁹⁶  19:33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced ¹⁸⁹⁷  his side with a spear, and blood and water ¹⁸⁹⁸  flowed out immediately. 19:35 And the person who saw it ¹⁸⁹⁹  has testified (and his testimony is true, and he ¹⁹⁰⁰  knows that he is telling the truth), ¹⁹⁰¹  so that you also may believe. 19:36 For these things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled, “Not a bone of his will be broken.” ¹⁹⁰²  19:37 And again another scripture says, “They will look on the one whom they have pierced.” ¹⁹⁰³ 

Jesus’ Burial

19:38 After this, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus (but secretly, because he feared the Jewish leaders ¹⁹⁰⁴ ), ¹⁹⁰⁵  asked Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus. Pilate ¹⁹⁰⁶  gave him permission, so he went and took the body away. ¹⁹⁰⁷  19:39 Nicodemus, the man who had previously come to Jesus ¹⁹⁰⁸  at night, ¹⁹⁰⁹  accompanied Joseph, ¹⁹¹⁰  carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes ¹⁹¹¹  weighing about seventy-five pounds. ¹⁹¹²  19:40 Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, ¹⁹¹³  in strips of linen cloth ¹⁹¹⁴  according to Jewish burial customs. ¹⁹¹⁵  19:41 Now at the place where Jesus ¹⁹¹⁶  was crucified ¹⁹¹⁷  there was a garden, ¹⁹¹⁸  and in the garden ¹⁹¹⁹  was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. ¹⁹²⁰  19:42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation ¹⁹²¹  and the tomb was nearby, ¹⁹²²  they placed Jesus’ body there.

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, ¹⁹²³  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene ¹⁹²⁴  came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. ¹⁹²⁵  20:2 So she went running ¹⁹²⁶  to Simon Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!” 20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out to go to the tomb. ¹⁹²⁷  20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter ¹⁹²⁸  and reached the tomb first. ¹⁹²⁹  20:5 He bent down ¹⁹³⁰  and saw the strips of linen cloth lying there, ¹⁹³¹  but he did not go in. 20:6 Then Simon Peter, who had been following him, arrived and went right into the tomb. He saw ¹⁹³²  the strips of linen cloth lying there, 20:7 and the face cloth, ¹⁹³³  which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. ¹⁹³⁴  20:8 Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, came in, and he saw and believed. ¹⁹³⁵  20:9 (For they did not yet understand ¹⁹³⁶  the scripture that Jesus ¹⁹³⁷  must rise from the dead.) ¹⁹³⁸ 

Jesus’ Appearance to Mary Magdalene

20:10 So the disciples went back to their homes. 20:11 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she bent down and looked into the tomb. 20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet. 20:13 They said ¹⁹³⁹  to her, “Woman, ¹⁹⁴⁰  why are you weeping?” Mary replied, ¹⁹⁴¹  “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” 20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, ¹⁹⁴²  but she did not know that it was Jesus.

20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” Because she ¹⁹⁴³  thought he was the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will take him.” 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She ¹⁹⁴⁴  turned and said to him in Aramaic, ¹⁹⁴⁵  “Rabboni” ¹⁹⁴⁶  (which means Teacher). ¹⁹⁴⁷  20:17 Jesus replied, ¹⁹⁴⁸  “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 20:18 Mary Magdalene came and informed the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them ¹⁹⁴⁹  what ¹⁹⁵⁰  Jesus ¹⁹⁵¹  had said to her. ¹⁹⁵² 

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples

20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together ¹⁹⁵³  and locked the doors ¹⁹⁵⁴  of the place ¹⁹⁵⁵  because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. ¹⁹⁵⁶  Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. ¹⁹⁵⁷  20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.” 20:22 And after he said this, he breathed on them and said, ¹⁹⁵⁸  “Receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹⁵⁹  20:23 If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; ¹⁹⁶⁰  if you retain anyone’s sins, they are retained.” ¹⁹⁶¹ 

The Response of Thomas

20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), ¹⁹⁶²  one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 20:25 The other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he replied, ¹⁹⁶³  “Unless I see the wounds ¹⁹⁶⁴  from the nails in his hands, and put my finger into the wounds from the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will never believe it!” ¹⁹⁶⁵ 

20:26 Eight days later the disciples were again together in the house, ¹⁹⁶⁶  and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, ¹⁹⁶⁷  Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20:27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put ¹⁹⁶⁸  your finger here, and examine ¹⁹⁶⁹  my hands. Extend ¹⁹⁷⁰  your hand and put it ¹⁹⁷¹  into my side. Do not continue in your unbelief, but believe.” ¹⁹⁷²  20:28 Thomas replied to him, ¹⁹⁷³  “My Lord and my God!” ¹⁹⁷⁴  20:29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are the people ¹⁹⁷⁵  who have not seen and yet have believed.” ¹⁹⁷⁶ 

20:30 Now Jesus performed ¹⁹⁷⁷  many other miraculous signs in the presence of the ¹⁹⁷⁸  disciples, which are not recorded ¹⁹⁷⁹  in this book. ¹⁹⁸⁰  20:31 But these ¹⁹⁸¹  are recorded ¹⁹⁸²  so that you may believe ¹⁹⁸³  that Jesus is the Christ, ¹⁹⁸⁴  the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. ¹⁹⁸⁵ 

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples in Galilee

21:1 After this ¹⁹⁸⁶  Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. ¹⁹⁸⁷  Now this is how he did so. ¹⁹⁸⁸  21:2 Simon Peter, Thomas ¹⁹⁸⁹  (called Didymus), ¹⁹⁹⁰  Nathanael ¹⁹⁹¹  (who was from Cana ¹⁹⁹²  in Galilee), the sons ¹⁹⁹³  of Zebedee, ¹⁹⁹⁴  and two other disciples ¹⁹⁹⁵  of his were together. 21:3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. ¹⁹⁹⁶  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

21:4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 21:5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish, ¹⁹⁹⁷  do you?” ¹⁹⁹⁸  They replied, ¹⁹⁹⁹  “No.” 21:6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” ²⁰⁰⁰  So they threw the net, ²⁰⁰¹  and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.

21:7 Then the disciple whom ²⁰⁰²  Jesus loved ²⁰⁰³  said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), ²⁰⁰⁴  and plunged ²⁰⁰⁵  into the sea. 21:8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. ²⁰⁰⁶ 

21:9 When they got out on the beach, ²⁰⁰⁷  they saw a charcoal fire ready ²⁰⁰⁸  with a fish placed on it, and bread. 21:10 Jesus said, ²⁰⁰⁹  “Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.” 21:11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was ²⁰¹⁰  full of large fish, one hundred fifty-three, ²⁰¹¹  but although there were so many, the net was not torn. 21:12 “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said. ²⁰¹²  But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 21:13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 21:14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Peter’s Restoration

21:15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, ²⁰¹³  do you love me more than these do?” ²⁰¹⁴  He replied, ²⁰¹⁵  “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” ²⁰¹⁶  Jesus ²⁰¹⁷  told him, “Feed my lambs.” 21:16 Jesus ²⁰¹⁸  said ²⁰¹⁹  a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied, ²⁰²⁰  “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus ²⁰²¹  told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 21:17 Jesus ²⁰²²  said ²⁰²³  a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed ²⁰²⁴  that Jesus ²⁰²⁵  asked ²⁰²⁶  him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said, ²⁰²⁷  “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus ²⁰²⁸  replied, ²⁰²⁹  “Feed my sheep. 21:18 I tell you the solemn truth, ²⁰³⁰  when you were young, you tied your clothes around you ²⁰³¹  and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up ²⁰³²  and bring you where you do not want to go.” 21:19 (Now Jesus ²⁰³³  said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter ²⁰³⁴  was going to glorify God.) ²⁰³⁵  After he said this, Jesus told Peter, ²⁰³⁶  “Follow me.”

Peter and the Disciple Jesus Loved

21:20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. ²⁰³⁷  (This was the disciple ²⁰³⁸  who had leaned back against Jesus’ ²⁰³⁹  chest at the meal and asked, ²⁰⁴⁰  “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”) ²⁰⁴¹  21:21 So when Peter saw him, ²⁰⁴²  he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 21:22 Jesus replied, ²⁰⁴³  “If I want him to live ²⁰⁴⁴  until I come back, ²⁰⁴⁵  what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 21:23 So the saying circulated ²⁰⁴⁶  among the brothers and sisters ²⁰⁴⁷  that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live ²⁰⁴⁸  until I come back, ²⁰⁴⁹  what concern is that of yours?”

[1:19]  ¹ tn Here καί (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.

[1:19]  ² tn Grk “is.”

[1:19]  ³ sn John’s refers to John the Baptist.

[1:19]  ⁴ tn Or “witness.”

[1:19]  ⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Iουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.)

[1:19]  ⁶ tc ‡ Several important witnesses have πρὸς αὐτόν (pro" auton, “to him”) either here (B C* 33 892^c al it) or after “Levites” (Ì^{66c vid} A Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 579 al lat), while the earliest mss as well as the majority of mss (Ì^66*,75 א C³ L W^s ˹ Ï) lack the phrase. On the one hand, πρὸς αὐτόν could be perceived as redundant since αὐτόν is used again later in the verse, thus prompting scribes to omit the phrase. On the other hand, both the variation in placement of πρὸς αὐτόν and the fact that this phrase rather than the latter αὐτόν is lacking in certain witnesses (cf. John 11:44; 14:7; 18:31), suggests that scribes felt that the sentence needed the phrase to make the sense clearer. Although a decision is difficult, the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁷ has πρὸς αὐτόν in brackets, indicating doubt as to the phrase’s authenticity.

[1:19]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:19]  ⁸ sn “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.

[1:20]  ⁹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[1:21]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “What then?” (an idiom).

[1:21]  ¹⁸ sn 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 [SBT], 70).

[1:21]  ¹⁹ sn 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.

[1:22]  ²⁵ tn The words “Tell us” are not in the Greek but are implied.

[1:23]  ³³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:23]  ³⁴ sn This call to “make straight” is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[1:23]  ³⁵ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[1:24]  ⁴¹ sn 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.

[1:24]  ⁴² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[1:25]  ⁴⁹ tn 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.”

[1:25]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[1:26]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[1:26]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “know.”

[1:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”

[1:27]  ⁶⁶ tn 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.

[1:28]  ⁷³ tc Many witnesses ([א²] C² K T Ψ^c 083 Ë^1,13 33 pm sa Or) read Βηθαβαρᾷ (Bhqabara, “Bethabara”) instead of Βηθανίᾳ (Bhqania, “Bethany”). But the reading Βηθανίᾳ is strongly supported by {Ì^66,75 A B C* L W^s Δ Θ Ψ* 565 579 700 1241 1424 pm latt bo as well as several fathers}. Since there is no known Bethany “beyond the Jordan,” it is likely that the name would have been changed to a more etymologically edifying one (Origen mistakenly thought the name Bethabara meant “house of preparation” and for this reason was appropriate in this context; see TCGNT 171 for discussion). On the other hand, both since Origen’s understanding of the Semitic etymology of Bethabara was incorrect, and because Bethany was at least a well-known location in Palestine, mentioned in the Gospels about a dozen times, one has to wonder whether scribes replaced Βηθαβαρᾷ with Βηθανίᾳ. However, if Origen’s understanding of the etymology of the name was representative, scribes may have altered the text in the direction of Bethabara. And even if most scribes were unfamiliar with what the name might signify, that a reading which did not contradict the Gospels’ statements of a Bethany near Jerusalem was already at hand may have been sufficient reason for them to adopt Bethabara. Further, in light of the very strong testimony for Βηθανίᾳ, this reading should be regarded as authentic.

[1:28]  ⁷⁴ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[1:29]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:29]  ⁸² sn 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 [StPB], 225).

[1:30]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “has a higher rank than I.”

[1:31]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “know.”

[1:31]  ⁹⁸ sn 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.

[1:32]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Here καί (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.

[1:32]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “testified, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[1:32]  ¹⁰⁷ sn 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.

[1:32]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “from the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context.

[1:32]  ¹⁰⁹ sn John says the Spirit remained on Jesus. The Greek verb μένω (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 μένω 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.”

[1:34]  ¹¹³ tc ‡ What did John the Baptist declare about Jesus on this occasion? Did he say, “This is the Son of God” (οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, |outo" estin Jo Juio" tou qeou), or “This is the Chosen One of God” (οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, 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 {Ì^66,75 A B C L Θ Ψ 0233^vid Ë^1,13 33 1241 aur c f l g bo as well as the majority of Byzantine minuscules and many others}). Most scholars take this to be sufficient evidence to regard the issue as settled without much of a need to reflect on internal evidence. On the other hand, one of the earliest mss for this verse, {Ì⁵} (3rd century), evidently read οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. (There is a gap in the ms at the point of the disputed words; it is too large for υἱός especially if written, as it surely would have been, as a nomen sacrum [uMs]. The term ἐκλεκτός 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 א*, which here also has ὁ ἐκλεκτός. In addition to their combined testimony Ì^106vid b e ff^2* sy^s,c also support this reading. ̹⁰⁶ is particularly impressive, for it is a second third-century papyrus in support of ὁ ἐκλεκτός. A third reading combines these two: “the elect Son” (electus filius in ff^2c sa and a [with slight variation]). Although the evidence for ἐκλεκτός is not as impressive as that for υἱός, 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 ἐκλεκτός to υἱός 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 υἱός to ἐκλεκτός. The term never occurs in John; even its verbal cognate (ἐκλέγω, eklegw) is never affirmed of Jesus in this Gospel. ἐκλεκτός clearly best explains the rise of υἱός. Further, the third reading (“Chosen Son of God”) is patently a conflation of the other two. It has all the earmarks of adding υἱός to ἐκλεκτός. Thus, ὁ υἱός τοῦ θεοῦ 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.”

[1:35]  ¹²¹ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[1:35]  ¹²² tn “There” is not in the Greek text but is implied by current English idiom.

[1:36]  ¹²⁹ sn 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.

[1:37]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:37]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “And the two disciples heard him speaking.”

[1:37]  ¹³⁹ sn 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.

[1:38]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “What are you seeking?”

[1:38]  ¹⁴⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[1:39]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:39]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “said to them.”

[1:39]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Grk “about the tenth hour.”

[1:40]  ¹⁶¹ tn Grk “who heard from John.”

[1:40]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:41]  ¹⁶⁹ tc Most witnesses (א* L W^s Ï) read πρῶτος (prwtos) here instead of πρῶτον (prwton). The former reading would be a predicate adjective and suggest that Andrew “was the first” person to proselytize another regarding Jesus. The reading preferred, however, is the neuter πρῶτον, used as an adverb (BDAG 893 s.v. πρῶτος 1.a.β.), and it suggests that the first thing that Andrew did was to proselytize Peter. The evidence for this reading is early and weighty: Ì^66,75 א² A B Θ Ψ 083 Ë^1,13 892 al lat.

[1:41]  ¹⁷⁰ sn 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.

[1:41]  ¹⁷¹ tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”

[1:42]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “He brought him”; both referents (Andrew, Simon) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:42]  ¹⁷⁸ tc The reading “Simon, son of John” is well attested in Ì^66,75,106 א B* L 33 pc it co. The majority of mss (A B² Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here instead, but that is perhaps an assimilation to Matt 16:17.

[1:42]  ¹⁷⁹ sn 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 (Κηφᾶς, Khfas) of Simon’s new name, Qéphâ (which is Galilean Aramaic). Neither Πέτρος (Petros) in Greek nor Qéphâ in Aramaic is a normal proper name; it is more like a nickname.

[1:43]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Jesus is best taken as the subject of εὑρίσκει (Jeuriskei), since Peter would scarcely have wanted to go to Galilee.

[1:43]  ¹⁸⁶ sn 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).

[1:43]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:43]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “and Jesus said.”

[1:44]  ¹⁹³ sn 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).

[1:44]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Probably ἀπό (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.

[1:45]  ²⁰¹ sn 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.

[1:45]  ²⁰² tn “Also” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[1:46]  ²⁰⁹ tn Grk “And Nathanael.”

[1:46]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “said to him.”

[1:46]  ²¹¹ sn Can anything good come out of Nazareth? may be a local proverb expressing jealousy among the towns.

[1:46]  ²¹² tn Grk “And Philip said to him.”

[1:47]  ²¹⁷ tn Grk “said about him.”

[1:47]  ²¹⁸ tn Or “treachery.”

[1:48]  ²²⁵ tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”

[1:48]  ²²⁶ sn 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.)

[1:49]  ²³³ tn Although βασιλεύς (basileus) lacks the article it is definite due to contextual and syntactical considerations. See ExSyn 263.

[1:49]  ²³⁴ sn Nathanael’s confession – You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel – 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.

[1:50]  ²⁴¹ tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “said to him.”

[1:50]  ²⁴² sn 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.

[1:51]  ²⁴⁹ tn Grk “and he said to him.”

[1:51]  ²⁵⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[1:51]  ²⁵¹ sn 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; 9:35). 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.

[2:1]  ²⁵⁷ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ²⁵⁸ sn 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.

[2:1]  ²⁵⁹ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[2:2]  ²⁶⁵ sn 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 celebration. 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.

[2:3]  ²⁷³ tn The word “left” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[2:4]  ²⁸¹ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ²⁸² sn 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.

[2:4]  ²⁸³ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (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).

[2:4]  ²⁸⁴ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).

[2:5]  ²⁸⁹ tn 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.

[2:6]  ²⁹⁷ tn Grk “for the purification of the Jews.”

[2:6]  ²⁹⁸ tn Grk “holding two or three metretes” (about 75 to 115 liters). Each of the pots held 2 or 3 μετρηταί (metrhtai). A μετρητῆς (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).

[2:7]  ³⁰⁵ tn Grk “them” (it is clear from the context that the servants are addressed).

[2:8]  ³¹³ tn Or “the master of ceremonies.”

[2:9]  ³²¹ tn 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, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[2:9]  ³²² tn Grk “and he did not know where it came from.”

[2:9]  ³²³ tn Grk “the head steward”; here the repetition of the phrase is somewhat redundant in English and the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.

[2:10]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).

[2:10]  ³³⁰ tn Or “poorer.”

[2:10]  ³³¹ tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:11]  ³³⁷ tn This 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 where the same construction occurs.

[2:11]  ³³⁸ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:11]  ³³⁹ tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”

[2:11]  ³⁴⁰ tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”

[2:12]  ³⁴⁵ sn 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.

[2:12]  ³⁴⁶ sn 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.

[2:13]  ³⁵³ tn 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.

[2:13]  ³⁵⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:14]  ³⁶¹ sn 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 κερματιστῆς (kermatisths) for money changer (the synoptics use κολλυβιστῆς [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 ἀναστρεφω (anastrefw), while Matthew and Mark use καταστρεφω (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 W. 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 [DSBS], 94). But this is not the impression one gets by a reading of John’s Gospel: The evangelist 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 nonhistorical 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 ca. 19 b.c. (the date varies somewhat in different sources) would be around a.d. 27. This is not conclusive proof, however.

[2:14]  ³⁶² tn Grk “in the temple.”

[2:14]  ³⁶³ tn Grk “the money changers sitting”; the words “at tables” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[2:15]  ³⁶⁹ tc Several witnesses, two of which are quite ancient (Ì^66,75 L N ˹ 33 565 892 1241 al lat), have ὡς (Jws, “like”) before φραγέλλιον (fragellion, “whip”). A decision based on external evidence would be difficult to make because the shorter reading also has excellent witnesses, as well as the majority, on its side (א A B Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï co). Internal evidence, though, leans toward the shorter reading. Scribes tended to add to the text, and the addition of ὡς here clearly softens the assertion of the evangelist: Instead of making a whip of cords, Jesus made “[something] like a whip of cords.”

[2:15]  ³⁷⁰ tn Grk “the temple.”

[2:15]  ³⁷¹ sn 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.

[2:16]  ³⁷⁷ tn Or (perhaps) “Stop making.”

[2:16]  ³⁷⁸ tn Or “a house of merchants” (an allusion to Zech 14:21).

[2:17]  ³⁸⁵ tn Or “Fervent devotion to your house.”

[2:17]  ³⁸⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.

[2:18]  ³⁹³ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.)

[2:18]  ³⁹⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[2:18]  ³⁹⁵ sn 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).

[2:19]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[2:19]  ⁴⁰² tn 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.”

[2:20]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 18.

[2:20]  ⁴¹⁰ tn A close parallel to the aorist οἰκοδομήθη (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 ναός (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 ExSyn 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.

[2:20]  ⁴¹¹ sn 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 ca. 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.

[2:21]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Grk “that one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This Greek term is frequently used as a way of referring to Jesus in the Johannine letters (cf. 1 John 2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16; 4:17).

[2:21]  ⁴¹⁸ tn The genitive “of his body” (τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, 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.

[2:22]  ⁴²⁵ sn 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.

[2:22]  ⁴²⁶ tn Or “statement”; Grk “word.”

[2:23]  ⁴³³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ⁴³⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ⁴³⁵ sn 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.

[2:24]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).

[2:25]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn 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.

[2:25]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[3:1]  ⁴⁵⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[3:1]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “a ruler of the Jews” (denoting a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[3:2]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:2]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Or “during the night.”

[3:2]  ⁴⁶⁷ sn The reference to signs (σημεῖα, 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.

[3:3]  ⁴⁷³ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[3:3]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:3]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn The word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). 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 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.

[3:3]  ⁴⁷⁶ sn 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 (βασιλεία, 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.

[3:4]  ⁴⁸¹ tn The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.

[3:5]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:5]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).

[3:6]  ⁴⁹⁷ sn 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” (σάρξ, 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.

[3:7]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn “All” has been supplied to indicate the plural pronoun in the Greek text.

[3:7]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Or “born again.” The same Greek word with the same double meaning occurs in v. 3.

[3:8]  ⁵¹³ tn The same Greek word, πνεύματος (pneumatos), may be translated “wind” or “spirit.”

[3:8]  ⁵¹⁴ sn 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 πνεύματος (pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit.

[3:9]  ⁵²¹ tn Grk “Nicodemus answered and said to him.”

[3:9]  ⁵²² sn “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.

[3:10]  ⁵²⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to him.”

[3:10]  ⁵³⁰ sn 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.

[3:11]  ⁵³⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:11]  ⁵³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.

[3:11]  ⁵³⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:11]  ⁵⁴⁰ sn 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).

[3:12]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn 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).

[3:12]  ⁵⁴⁶ sn 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.

[3:13]  ⁵⁵³ tn Grk “And no one.”

[3:13]  ⁵⁵⁴ sn The verb ascended is a perfect tense in Greek (ἀναβέβηκεν, 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 preincarnate 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.

[3:13]  ⁵⁵⁵ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (A^[*^] Θ Ψ 050 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h), have at the end of this verse “the one who is in heaven” (ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, Jo wn en tw ouranw). A few others have variations on this phrase, such as “who was in heaven” (e sy^c), or “the one who is from heaven” (0141 pc sy^s). The witnesses normally considered the best, along with several others, lack the phrase in its entirety (Ì^66,75 א B L T W^s 083 086 33 1241 pc co). On the one hand, if the reading ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is authentic it may suggest that while Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he spoke of himself as in heaven even while he was on earth. If that is the case, one could see why variations from this hard saying arose: “who was in heaven,” “the one who is from heaven,” and omission of the clause. At the same time, such a saying could be interpreted (though with difficulty) as part of the narrator’s comments rather than Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus, alleviating the problem. And if v. 13 was viewed in early times as the evangelist’s statement, “the one who is in heaven” could have crept into the text through a marginal note. Other internal evidence suggests that this saying may be authentic. The adjectival participle, ὁ ὤν, is used in the Fourth Gospel more than any other NT book (though the Apocalypse comes in a close second), and frequently with reference to Jesus (1:18; 6:46; 8:47). It may be looking back to the LXX of Exod 3:14 (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Especially since this exact construction is not necessary to communicate the location of the Son of Man, its presence in many witnesses here may suggest authenticity. Further, John uses the singular of οὐρανός (ourano", “heaven”) in all 18 instances of the word in this Gospel, and all but twice with the article (only 1:32 and 6:58 are anarthrous, and even in the latter there is significant testimony to the article). At the same time, the witnesses that lack this clause are very weighty and must not be discounted. Generally speaking, if other factors are equal, the reading of such mss should be preferred. And internally, it could be argued that ὁ ὤν is the most concise way to speak of the Son of Man in heaven at that time (without the participle the point would be more ambiguous). Further, the articular singular οὐρανός is already used twice in this verse, thus sufficiently prompting scribes to add the same in the longer reading. This combination of factors suggests that ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is not a genuine Johannism. Further intrinsic evidence against the longer reading relates to the evangelist’s purposes: If he intended v. 13 to be his own comments rather than Jesus’ statement, his switch back to Jesus’ words in v. 14 (for the lifting up of the Son of Man is still seen as in the future) seems inexplicable. The reading “who is in heaven” thus seems to be too hard. All things considered, as intriguing as the longer reading is, it seems almost surely to have been a marginal gloss added inadvertently to the text in the process of transmission. For an argument in favor of the longer reading, see David Alan Black, “The Text of John 3:13,” GTJ 6 (1985): 49-66.

[3:14]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “And just as.”

[3:14]  ⁵⁶² sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.

[3:14]  ⁵⁶³ sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.

[3:14]  ⁵⁶⁴ sn 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.

[3:15]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn This is the first use of the term ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zwhn aiwnion) in the Gospel, although ζωή (zwh) in chap. 1 is to be understood in the same way without the qualifying αἰώνιος (aiwnios).

[3:16]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Or “this is how much”; or “in this way.” The Greek adverb οὕτως (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 Οὕτως…ὥστε in John 3:16,” NovT 41 [1999]: 24-39). Though the term more frequently refers to the manner in which something is done (see BDAG 741-42 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως), the following clause involving ὥστε (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.

[3:16]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn 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 (τέκνα θεοῦ, 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).

[3:16]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn In John the word ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi) can mean either (1) to be lost (2) to perish or be destroyed, depending on the context.

[3:16]  ⁵⁸⁰ sn 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.

[3:17]  ⁵⁸⁵ sn That is, “to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment.”

[3:18]  ⁵⁹³ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn See the note on the term “one and only” in 3:16.

[3:19]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ⁶⁰² tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:21]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn 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).

[3:22]  ⁶¹⁷ tn This section is related loosely to the preceding by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.

[3:23]  ⁶²⁵ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[3:23]  ⁶²⁶ tn The precise locations of Αἰνών (Ainwn) and Σαλείμ (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 (Αἰνών = “springs” in Aramaic and Σαλείμ = 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.

[3:23]  ⁶²⁷ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

[3:23]  ⁶²⁸ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:24]  ⁶³³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[3:25]  ⁶⁴¹ tc Was this dispute between the Baptist’s disciples and an individual Judean (᾿Ιουδαίου, Ioudaiou) or representatives of the Jewish authorities (᾿Ιουδαίων, Ioudaiwn)? There is good external support for the plural ᾿Ιουδαίων (Ì⁶⁶ א* Θ Ë^1,13 565 al latt), but the external evidence for the singular ᾿Ιουδαίου is slightly stronger ({Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L Ψ 33 1241 the majority of Byzantine minuscules and others}).

[3:25]  ⁶⁴² tn Or “ceremonial cleansing,” or “purification.”

[3:26]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:27]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[3:29]  ⁶⁷³ tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).

[3:29]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”

[3:30]  ⁶⁸¹ sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of John the Baptist’s words through v. 36.

[3:31]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Or “is above all.”

[3:31]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Grk “speaks from the earth.”

[3:31]  ⁶⁹¹ sn The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word’s preexistence is indicated here.

[3:31]  ⁶⁹² tc Ì⁷⁵ א* D ˹ 565 as well as several versions and fathers lack the phrase “is superior to all” (ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν, epanw pantwn estin). This effectively joins the last sentence of v. 31 with v. 32: “The one who comes from heaven testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.” On the other side, the phrase may have been deleted because of perceived redundancy, since it duplicates what is said earlier in the verse. The witnesses that include ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν in both places are weighty and widespread (Ì^36vid,66 א² A B L W^s Θ Ψ 083 086 ˹³ 33 Ï lat sy^s,p,h bo). On balance, the longer reading should probably be considered authentic.

[3:33]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Or “is true.”

[3:34]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn That is, Christ.

[3:34]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn 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.

[3:35]  ⁷¹³ tn Grk “has given all things into his hand” (an idiom).

[3:36]  ⁷²¹ tn Or “refuses to believe,” or “disobeys.”

[3:36]  ⁷²² tn Or “anger because of evil,” or “punishment.”

[3:36]  ⁷²³ tn Or “resides.”

[4:1]  ⁷²⁹ tc Several early and important witnesses, along with the majority of later ones (Ì^66c,75 A B C L W^s Ψ 083 ˹³ 33 Ï sa), have κύριος (kurio", “Lord”) here instead of ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsou", “Jesus”). As significant as this external support is, the internal evidence seems to be on the side of ᾿Ιησοῦς. “Jesus” is mentioned two more times in the first two verses of chapter four in a way that is stylistically awkward (so much so that the translation has substituted the pronoun for the first one; see tn note below). This seems to be sufficient reason to motivate scribes to change the wording to κύριος. Further, the reading ᾿Ιησοῦς is not without decent support, though admittedly not as strong as that for κύριος (Ì^66* א D Θ 086 ˹ 565 1241 al lat bo). On the other hand, this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions elsewhere only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12; and probably 6:23, preferring ᾿Ιησοῦς most of the time. This fact could be used to argue that scribes, acquainted with John’s style, changed κύριος to ᾿Ιησοῦς. But the immediate context generally is weighed more heavily than an author’s style. It is possible that neither word was in the original text and scribes supplied what they thought most appropriate (see TCGNT 176). But without ms evidence to this effect coupled with the harder reading ᾿Ιησοῦς, this conjecture must remain doubtful. All in all, it is best to regard ᾿Ιησοῦς as the original reading here.

[4:1]  ⁷³⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[4:1]  ⁷³¹ tn 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.

[4:1]  ⁷³² tn Grk “was making.”

[4:2]  ⁷³⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:3]  ⁷⁴⁵ sn 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).

[4:4]  ⁷⁵³ sn 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 (δεῖ, 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).

[4:4]  ⁷⁵⁴ sn 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.

[4:5]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:5]  ⁷⁶² sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.

[4:5]  ⁷⁶³ sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.

[4:6]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Grk “on (ἐπί, 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.

[4:6]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Grk “the sixth hour.”

[4:7]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Grk “a woman from Samaria.” According to BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, the prepositional phrase is to be translated as a simple attributive: “γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας a Samaritan woman J 4:7.”

[4:7]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:8]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn Grk “buy food.”

[4:8]  ⁷⁸⁶ sn 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).

[4:9]  ⁷⁹³ tn Or “a Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” The same term occurs in the plural later in this verse. In one sense “Judean” would work very well in the translation here, since the contrast is between residents of the two geographical regions. However, since in the context of this chapter the discussion soon becomes a religious rather than a territorial one (cf. vv. 19-26), the translation “Jew” has been retained here and in v. 22.

[4:9]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:9]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [Jn 4:7ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.

[4:9]  ⁷⁹⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:10]  ⁸⁰¹ tn Grk “answered and said to her.”

[4:10]  ⁸⁰² tn Or “if you knew.”

[4:10]  ⁸⁰³ tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:10]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.

[4:11]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek term κύριος (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).

[4:11]  ⁸¹⁰ tc ‡ Two early and important Greek mss along with two versional witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ B sy^s ac²) lack ἡ γυνή (Jh gunh, “the woman”) here; א* has ἐκείνη (ekeinh, “that one” or possibly “she”) instead of ἡ γυνή. It is possible that no explicit subject was in the original text and scribes added either ἡ γυνή or ἐκείνη to make the meaning clear. It is also possible that the archetype of Ì⁷⁵ א B expunged the subject because it was not altogether necessary, with the scribe of א later adding the pronoun. However, ἡ γυνή is not in doubt in any other introduction to the woman’s words in this chapter (cf. vv. 9, 15, 17, 19, 25), suggesting that intentional deletion was not the motive for the shorter reading in v. 11 (or else why would they delete the words only here?). Thus, the fact that virtually all witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א² A C D L W^s Θ Ψ 050 083 086 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h sa bo) have ἡ γυνή here may suggest that it is a motivated reading, conforming this verse to the rest of the pericope. Although a decision is difficult, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. NA²⁷ has ἡ γυνή in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. For English stylistic reasons, the translation also includes “the woman” here.

[4:11]  ⁸¹¹ tn The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ (frear, “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή (phgh).

[4:11]  ⁸¹² tn The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”

[4:11]  ⁸¹³ sn 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.

[4:12]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”

[4:12]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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”).

[4:13]  ⁸²⁵ tn Grk “answered and said to her.”

[4:13]  ⁸²⁶ tn Grk “will thirst.”

[4:14]  ⁸³³ tn Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.

[4:14]  ⁸³⁴ tn Or “well.” “Fountain” is used as the translation for πηγή (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.

[4:14]  ⁸³⁵ tn The verb ἁλλομένου (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 ET); and Isa 35:6 (note context).

[4:15]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Grk “or come here to draw.”

[4:15]  ⁸⁴² tn The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.

[4:16]  ⁸⁴⁹ tc Most witnesses have “Jesus” here, either with the article (א^c C² D L W^s Ψ 086 Ï lat) or without (א* A Θ Ë^1,13 al), while several important and early witnesses lack the name (Ì^66,75 B C* 33^vid pc). It is unlikely that scribes would have deliberately expunged the name of Jesus from the text here, especially since it aids the reader with the flow of the dialogue. Further, that the name occurs both anarthrously and with the article suggests that it was a later addition. (For similar arguments, see the tc note on “woman” in 4:11).

[4:16]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).

[4:17]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[4:17]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Grk “Well have you said.”

[4:17]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn 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.

[4:18]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “the one you have.”

[4:19]  ⁸⁷³ tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.

[4:20]  ⁸⁸¹ sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.

[4:20]  ⁸⁸² tn 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.

[4:20]  ⁸⁸³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:21]  ⁸⁸⁹ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[4:21]  ⁸⁹⁰ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:21]  ⁸⁹¹ tn The verb is plural.

[4:22]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn 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.

[4:22]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.

[4:23]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:23]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.

[4:23]  ⁹⁰⁷ sn See also John 4:27.

[4:23]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”

[4:23]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunounta") as the complement.

[4:24]  ⁹¹³ tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (qeos) is the subject.

[4:25]  ⁹²¹ tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”

[4:25]  ⁹²² tn Grk “that one.”

[4:25]  ⁹²³ tn Or “he will announce to us.”

[4:25]  ⁹²⁴ tn Grk “all things.”

[4:27]  ⁹²⁹ tn 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 καί (kai) before ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) untranslated.

[4:27]  ⁹³⁰ tn BDAG 444 s.v. θαυμάζω 1.a.γ has “be surprised that” followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.

[4:27]  ⁹³¹ tn The ὅτι (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 ὅτι), it is preferable to take this ὅτι as causal.

[4:27]  ⁹³² tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.

[4:28]  ⁹³⁷ tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anhr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.

[4:29]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός (cristos) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Μεσσίας [Messias] is the lead term and is qualified by χριστός) to translate χριστός as “Messiah” here.

[4:29]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn The use of μήτι (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.

[4:30]  ⁹⁵³ tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.

[4:30]  ⁹⁵⁴ sn 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.

[4:31]  ⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”

[4:31]  ⁹⁶² tn The direct object of φάγε (fage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.

[4:33]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (hnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[4:34]  ⁹⁷⁷ sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.

[4:34]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Or “to accomplish.”

[4:34]  ⁹⁷⁹ tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.

[4:35]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.

[4:35]  ⁹⁸⁶ tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.

[4:35]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn That is, “ripe.”

[4:36]  ⁹⁹³ tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.

[4:37]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after ἀληθινός (alhqino") has not been translated.

[4:39]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn Grk “when she testified.”

[4:40]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.

[4:40]  ¹⁰¹⁸ tn Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[4:41]  ¹⁰²⁵ tn Or “and they believed much more.”

[4:42]  ¹⁰³³ tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).

[4:42]  ¹⁰³⁴ sn 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.

[4:44]  ¹⁰⁴¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:45]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.

[4:45]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ sn See John 2:23-25.

[4:45]  ¹⁰⁵¹ sn 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.

[4:46]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[4:46]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ sn See John 2:1-11.

[4:46]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Grk “And in.”

[4:46]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ sn 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.

[4:46]  ¹⁰⁶¹ tn Although βασιλικός (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.

[4:47]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (hrwta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[4:48]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn 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).

[4:48]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.

[4:50]  ¹⁰⁸¹ tn Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[4:50]  ¹⁰⁸² tn Grk “and left.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.

[4:51]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ sn 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.

[4:51]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG 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” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[4:52]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ tn Grk “the hour.”

[4:52]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν (komyoteron ecein) as “begin to improve.”

[4:52]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn The second οὖν (oun) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.

[4:52]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “at the seventh hour.”

[4:53]  ¹¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “at that hour.”

[4:54]  ¹¹¹³ tn This 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 where the same construction occurs.

[5:1]  ¹¹²¹ sn The temporal indicator After this is not specific, so it is uncertain how long after the incidents at Cana this occurred.

[5:1]  ¹¹²² tc The textual variants ἑορτή or ἡ ἑορτή (Jeorth or Jh Jeorth, “a feast” or “the feast”) may not appear significant at first, but to read ἑορτή with the article would almost certainly demand a reference to the Jewish Passover. The article is found in א C L Δ Ψ Ë¹ 33 892 1424 pm, but is lacking in {Ì^66,75 A B D T W^s Θ Ë¹³ 565 579 700 1241 pm}. Overall, the shorter reading has somewhat better support. Internally, the known proclivity of scribes to make the text more explicit argues compellingly for the shorter reading. Thus, the verse refers 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 identify the feast with certainty.

[5:1]  ¹¹²³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:2]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Regarding the use of the present tense ἐστιν (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.

[5:2]  ¹¹³⁰ tn The site of the miracle is also something of a problem: προβατικῇ (probatikh) is usually taken as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple. Some (R. E. Brown and others) would place the word κολυμβήθρα (kolumbhqra) with προβατικῇ 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 does not help since both are feminine (as is the participle ἐπιλεγομένη [epilegomenh]). Note however that Brown’s suggestion would require a feminine word to be supplied (for the participle ἐπιλεγομένη to modify). The traditional understanding of the phrase as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple appears more probably correct.

[5:2]  ¹¹³¹ tc Some mss (א [L] 33 it) read Bethzatha, while others read Bethsaida (Ì^[66],75 B T W^s [Ψ] pc vg); codex D has Belzetha. A lot of controversy has surrounded the name of the pool itself: The reading of the Byzantine (or majority) text (A C Θ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï), Bethesda, has been virtually discarded by scholars in favor of what is thought to be the more primitive Bethzatha, even though many recent translations continue to employ Bethesda, the traditional reading. 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 archaeological evidence for this problem. 3Q15 (Copper Scroll) 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 áEsdatayin, 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 two basins. Bethesda seems to be an accurate Greek rendition of the name, while J. T. Milik suggests Bethzatha is a rendition of the Aramaic intensive plural Bet áEsdata (DJDJ 3, 271). As for the text of John 5:2, the fundamental problems with the Bethesda reading are that it looks motivated (with an edifying Semitic etymology, meaning “House of Mercy” [TCGNT 178]), and is minimally attested. Apart from the Copper Scroll, the evidence for Bethesda is almost entirely shut up to the Byzantine text (C being the most notable exception, but it often has Byzantine encroachments). On the one hand, this argues the Byzantine reading here had ancient, semitic roots; on the other hand, since both readings are attested as historically accurate, a decision has to be based on the better witnesses. The fact that there are multiple readings here suggests that the original was not well understood. Which reading best explains the rise of the others? It seems that Bethzatha is the best choice.

[5:2]  ¹¹³² tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[5:2]  ¹¹³³ tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”

[5:4]  ¹¹³⁷ tc The majority of later mss (C³ Θ Ψ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï) 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.” Other mss include only v. 3b (A^c D 33 lat) or v. 4 (A L it). Few textual scholars today would accept the authenticity of any portion of vv. 3b-4, for they are not found in the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B C* T pc co), 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. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[5:5]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”

[5:6]  ¹¹⁵³ tn Or “knew.”

[5:6]  ¹¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:7]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (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.

[5:7]  ¹¹⁶² tn Grk “while I am going.”

[5:7]  ¹¹⁶³ tn Grk “another.”

[5:7]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[5:8]  ¹¹⁶⁹ tn 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.

[5:9]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “became well.”

[5:9]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.

[5:9]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”

[5:10]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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 Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9).

[5:10]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.

[5:11]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.

[5:12]  ¹²⁰¹ tc While a number of mss, especially the later ones (A^c C³ D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy), include the words τον κραβ(β)ατ(τ)ον σου (ton krab(b)at(t)on sou, “your mat”) here, the earliest and best (Ì^66,75 א B C* L) 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.

[5:12]  ¹²⁰² tn Grk “Pick up and walk”; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.

[5:14]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn 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.

[5:15]  ¹²¹⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:16]  ¹²²⁵ sn 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.

[5:16]  ¹²²⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:16]  ¹²²⁷ tn Or “harassing.”

[5:17]  ¹²³³ tc ‡ Most witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ A D L Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt co) have ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while generally better witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B W {0141} 892 1241 pbo) lack the name. Although it is possible that Alexandrian scribes deleted the name due to proclivities to prune, this is not as likely as other witnesses adding it for clarification, especially since multiple strands of the Alexandrian text are represented in the shorter reading. NA²⁷ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubts as to authenticity.

[5:17]  ¹²³⁴ tn Grk “answered.”

[5:17]  ¹²³⁵ sn “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, ca. 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.

[5:18]  ¹²⁴¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:19]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[5:19]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:19]  ¹²⁵¹ tn Grk “nothing from himself.”

[5:19]  ¹²⁵² tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:19]  ¹²⁵³ sn 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.

[5:21]  ¹²⁵⁷ tn Grk “and makes them live.”

[5:21]  ¹²⁵⁸ tn Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”

[5:22]  ¹²⁶⁵ tn Or “condemn.”

[5:22]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Or “given,” or “handed over.”

[5:23]  ¹²⁷³ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).

[5:24]  ¹²⁸¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:24]  ¹²⁸² tn Or “obeys.”

[5:24]  ¹²⁸³ tn Or “word.”

[5:24]  ¹²⁸⁴ tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”

[5:25]  ¹²⁸⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:25]  ¹²⁹⁰ tn Grk “an hour.”

[5:27]  ¹²⁹⁷ tn Grk “him.”

[5:27]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Grk “authority to judge.”

[5:28]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn Grk “an hour.”

[5:29]  ¹³¹³ tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”

[5:30]  ¹³²¹ tn Grk “nothing from myself.”

[5:30]  ¹³²² tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”

[5:30]  ¹³²³ tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”

[5:32]  ¹³²⁹ sn 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.

[5:33]  ¹³³⁷ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[5:34]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:35]  ¹³⁵³ sn 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.

[5:35]  ¹³⁵⁴ tn Grk “for an hour.”

[5:36]  ¹³⁶¹ tn Or “works.”

[5:36]  ¹³⁶² tn Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.

[5:37]  ¹³⁶⁹ tn 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.

[5:37]  ¹³⁷⁰ sn 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.

[5:39]  ¹³⁷⁷ tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

[5:39]  ¹³⁷⁸ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

[5:39]  ¹³⁷⁹ tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

[5:41]  ¹³⁸⁵ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:41]  ¹³⁸⁶ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:41]  ¹³⁸⁷ tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.

[5:42]  ¹³⁹³ tn The genitive in the phrase τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ (thn agaphn tou qeou, “the love of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“God’s love”) or an objective genitive (“love for God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, the emphasis would be on the love God gives which in turn produces love for him, but Jesus’ opponents are lacking any such love inside them.

[5:43]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn Or “you do not receive.”

[5:43]  ¹⁴⁰² tn Or “you will receive.”

[5:44]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ¹⁴¹¹ tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì^66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some important mss, has the name ({א A D L Θ Ψ 33 Ï}). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (Jo mono") used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In uncial script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.

[5:45]  ¹⁴¹⁷ sn 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 [NovTSup], 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.

[5:46]  ¹⁴²⁵ tn Grk “For if.”

[5:47]  ¹⁴³³ tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:1]  ¹⁴⁴¹ tn Again, μετὰ ταῦτα (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.

[6:1]  ¹⁴⁴² sn 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.

[6:3]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ sn 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).

[6:4]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ sn 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.

[6:4]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:5]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “when he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).

[6:6]  ¹⁴⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:6]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:7]  ¹⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “Philip answered him.”

[6:7]  ¹⁴⁸² tn 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.

[6:8]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “one of his disciples.”

[6:9]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “but what are these”; the word “good” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “Make.”

[6:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).

[6:10]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ tn 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).

[6:11]  ¹⁵¹³ tn Grk “likewise also (he distributed) from the fish.”

[6:12]  ¹⁵²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:13]  ¹⁵²⁹ sn 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.

[6:14]  ¹⁵³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:14]  ¹⁵³⁸ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[6:14]  ¹⁵³⁹ sn An allusion to Deut 18:15.

[6:15]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ sn 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).

[6:16]  ¹⁵⁵³ tn 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.

[6:17]  ¹⁵⁶¹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.

[6:17]  ¹⁵⁶² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:17]  ¹⁵⁶³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:19]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[6:22]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:22]  ¹⁵⁷⁸ tc Most witnesses have after “one” the phrase “which his disciples had entered” (ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ekeino ei" }o enebhsan Joi maqhtai autou) although there are several permutations of this clause ([א* D] Θ [˹³ 33] Ï [sa]). The witnesses that lack this expression are, however, significant and diffused (Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L N W Ψ 1 565 579 1241 al lat). The clarifying nature of the longer reading, the multiple variants from it, and the weighty testimony for the shorter reading all argue against the authenticity of the longer text in any of its variations.

[6:22]  ¹⁵⁷⁹ tn Grk “entered.”

[6:23]  ¹⁵⁸⁵ map For location see Map1 E2; Map2 C2; Map3 C3; Map4 D1; Map5 G4.

[6:23]  ¹⁵⁸⁶ tn Or “boats from Tiberias landed”; Grk “came.”

[6:23]  ¹⁵⁸⁷ tc D 091 a e sy^s,c lack the phrase “after the Lord had given thanks” (εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ κυρίου, eucaristhsanto" tou kuriou), while almost all the rest of the witnesses ({Ì⁷⁵ א A B L W Θ Ψ 0141 [˹] ˹³ 33 Ï as well as several versions and fathers}) have the words (though {l672 l950 sy^p pbo} read ᾿Ιησοῦ [Ihsou, “Jesus”] instead of κυρίου). Although the shorter reading has minimal support, it is significant that this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12; and possibly 4:1 (but see tc note on “Jesus” there). There is thus but one undisputed preresurrection text in which the narrator calls Jesus “Lord.” This fact can be utilized on behalf of either reading: The participial phrase could be seen as a scribal addition harking back to 6:11 but which does not fit Johannine style, or it could be viewed as truly authentic and in line with what John indisputably does elsewhere even if rarely. On balance, in light of the overwhelming support for these words it is probably best to retain them in the text.

[6:24]  ¹⁵⁹³ tn Or “embarked in the boats.”

[6:24]  ¹⁵⁹⁴ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:25]  ¹⁶⁰¹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:25]  ¹⁶⁰² sn 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.

[6:26]  ¹⁶⁰⁹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:26]  ¹⁶¹⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:26]  ¹⁶¹¹ tn Grk “because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled.”

[6:27]  ¹⁶¹⁷ tn Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).

[6:27]  ¹⁶¹⁸ tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.

[6:27]  ¹⁶¹⁹ tn Grk “on this one.”

[6:28]  ¹⁶²⁵ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ¹⁶²⁶ tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:29]  ¹⁶³³ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:29]  ¹⁶³⁴ tn Grk “the work.”

[6:29]  ¹⁶³⁵ tn Grk “This is the work of God.”

[6:29]  ¹⁶³⁶ tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).

[6:31]  ¹⁶⁴¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:31]  ¹⁶⁴² sn A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).

[6:32]  ¹⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:33]  ¹⁶⁵⁷ tn Or “he who.”

[6:34]  ¹⁶⁶⁵ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (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”).

[6:35]  ¹⁶⁷³ tn Grk “the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever.”

[6:36]  ¹⁶⁸¹ tn Grk “But I said to you.”

[6:36]  ¹⁶⁸² tc A few witnesses lack με (me, “me”; א A a b e q sy^s,c), while the rest of the tradition has the word (Ì^66,75vid rell). It is possible that the mss that lack the pronoun preserve the original wording here, with the rest of the witnesses adding the pronoun for clarity’s sake. This likelihood increases since the object is not required in Greek. Without it, however, ambiguity increases: The referent could be “me” or it could be “signs,” reaching back to vv. 26 and 30. However, the oblique form of ἐγώ (egw, the first person personal pronoun) occurs some two dozen times in this chapter alone, yet it vacillates between the emphatic form and the unemphatic form. Although generally the unemphatic form is used with verbs, there are several exceptions to this in John (cf. 8:12; 12:26, 45, 48; 13:20; 14:9). If the pronoun is a later addition here, one wonders why it is so consistently the unemphatic form in the mss. Further, that two unrelated Greek witnesses lack this small word could easily be due to accidental deletion. Finally, the date and diversity of the witnesses for the pronoun are so weighty that it is likely to be authentic and should thus be retained in the text.

[6:37]  ¹⁶⁸⁹ tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”

[6:39]  ¹⁶⁹⁷ tn 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 αὐτό (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.

[6:40]  ¹⁷⁰⁵ tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”

[6:40]  ¹⁷⁰⁶ sn 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).

[6:41]  ¹⁷¹³ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). Likewise, the designation “Judeans” does not fit here because the location is Galilee rather than Judea.

[6:43]  ¹⁷²¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:43]  ¹⁷²² tn 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).

[6:44]  ¹⁷²⁹ tn 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).

[6:45]  ¹⁷³⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.

[6:45]  ¹⁷³⁸ tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”

[6:46]  ¹⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[6:46]  ¹⁷⁴⁶ sn 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.

[6:47]  ¹⁷⁵³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:47]  ¹⁷⁵⁴ tc Most witnesses (A C² D Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat and other versions) have “in me” (εἰς ἐμέ, eis eme) here, while the Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac versions read “in God.” These clarifying readings are predictable variants, being motivated by the scribal tendency toward greater explicitness. That the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.

[6:47]  ¹⁷⁵⁵ tn Compare John 6:40.

[6:48]  ¹⁷⁶¹ tn That is, “the bread that produces (eternal) life.”

[6:49]  ¹⁷⁶⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:50]  ¹⁷⁷⁷ tn Or “Here.”

[6:50]  ¹⁷⁷⁸ tn Grk “someone” (τις, tis).

[6:51]  ¹⁷⁸⁵ tn Grk “And the bread.”

[6:52]  ¹⁷⁹³ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. 41.

[6:52]  ¹⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “with one another, saying.”

[6:52]  ¹⁷⁹⁵ tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”

[6:53]  ¹⁸⁰¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:53]  ¹⁸⁰² sn 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.

[6:53]  ¹⁸⁰³ tn That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).

[6:54]  ¹⁸⁰⁹ tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (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 (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

[6:54]  ¹⁸¹⁰ sn 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).

[6:55]  ¹⁸¹⁷ tn Or “real.”

[6:55]  ¹⁸¹⁸ tn Or “real.”

[6:56]  ¹⁸²⁵ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:56]  ¹⁸²⁶ sn 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.

[6:57]  ¹⁸³³ tn 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 ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:58]  ¹⁸⁴¹ tn Or “This one.”

[6:58]  ¹⁸⁴² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:58]  ¹⁸⁴³ tn 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.

[6:58]  ¹⁸⁴⁴ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:59]  ¹⁸⁴⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:59]  ¹⁸⁵⁰ sn 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 postexilic 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).

[6:59]  ¹⁸⁵¹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:60]  ¹⁸⁵⁷ tn 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.

[6:60]  ¹⁸⁵⁸ tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”

[6:60]  ¹⁸⁵⁹ tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”

[6:60]  ¹⁸⁶⁰ tn Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (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.

[6:61]  ¹⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”

[6:61]  ¹⁸⁶⁶ tn Or “were grumbling.”

[6:61]  ¹⁸⁶⁷ tn Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”)

[6:62]  ¹⁸⁷³ tn Or “he was formerly?”

[6:63]  ¹⁸⁸¹ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ¹⁸⁸² tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[6:64]  ¹⁸⁸⁹ sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[6:65]  ¹⁸⁹⁷ tn Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:65]  ¹⁸⁹⁸ tn Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”

[6:66]  ¹⁹⁰⁵ tn Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”

[6:66]  ¹⁹⁰⁶ tn Grk “were not walking with him.”

[6:67]  ¹⁹¹³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[6:69]  ¹⁹²¹ tn Grk “And we.”

[6:69]  ¹⁹²² sn See 1 John 4:16.

[6:69]  ¹⁹²³ tc The witnesses display a bewildering array of variants here. Instead of “the Holy One of God” (ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ, Jo {agio" tou qeou), Tertullian has ὁ Χριστός (Jo Cristo", “the Christ”); C³ Θ* ˹ 33 565 lat read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou, “the Christ, the Son of God”); two versional witnesses (b sy^c) have ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Son of God”); the Byzantine text as well as many others (Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï) read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou tou zwnto", “the Christ, the Son of the living God”); and Ì⁶⁶ as well as a few versions have ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Christ, the Holy One of God”). The reading ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ is, however, well supported by Ì⁷⁵ א B C* D L W as well as versional witnesses. It appears that Peter’s confession in the Synoptic Gospels (especially Matt 16:16) supplied the motivation for the variations. Although the witnesses in Matt 16:16; Mark 8:29; and Luke 9:20 vary considerably, the readings are all intra-synoptic, that is, they do not pull in “the Holy One of God” but reflect various permutations of “Christ”/“Christ of God”/“Christ, the Son of God”/“Christ, the Son of the living God.” The wording “the Holy One of God” (without “Christ”) in important witnesses here is thus unique among Peter’s confessions, and best explains the rise of the other readings.

[6:70]  ¹⁹²⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[6:70]  ¹⁹³⁰ tn 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 δαιμόνιον [daimonion] are translated “devil” [in Acts 17:18 the plural has been 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 διάβολος (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 ExSyn 249, “A curious phenomenon has occurred in the English Bible with reference to one particular monadic noun, διάβολος. The KJV translates both διάβολος and δαιμόνιον as ‘devil.’ Thus in the AV translators’ minds, ‘devil’ was not a monadic noun. Modern translations have correctly rendered δαιμόνιον as ‘demon’ and have, for the most part, recognized that διάβολος 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 JB [Jerusalem Bible]. Yet there is only one devil…The legacy of the KJV still lives on, then, even in places where it ought not.”

[6:71]  ¹⁹³⁷ sn 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.

[6:71]  ¹⁹³⁸ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:71]  ¹⁹³⁹ sn 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.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴⁵ sn 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.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴⁶ tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴⁷ tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴⁸ tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁴⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

[7:1]  ¹⁹⁵⁰ tn Grk “were seeking.”

[7:2]  ¹⁹⁵³ tn 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 σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.

[7:2]  ¹⁹⁵⁴ sn 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.

[7:3]  ¹⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  ¹⁹⁶² tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:4]  ¹⁹⁶⁹ tn Or “seeks to be well known.”

[7:4]  ¹⁹⁷⁰ sn 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.)

[7:5]  ¹⁹⁷⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:6]  ¹⁹⁸⁵ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[7:6]  ¹⁹⁸⁶ tn Or “my opportunity.”

[7:6]  ¹⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “is not yet here.”

[7:6]  ¹⁹⁸⁸ tn Grk “your time is always ready.”

[7:8]  ¹⁹⁹³ sn 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.

[7:8]  ¹⁹⁹⁴ tc Most mss (Ì^66,75 B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” (οὔπω, oupw) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive (א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10. On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk. However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8, the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10) with his disciples.

[7:8]  ¹⁹⁹⁵ tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (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.

[7:8]  ¹⁹⁹⁶ tn 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.”

[7:10]  ²⁰⁰¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:11]  ²⁰⁰⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:11]  ²⁰¹⁰ tn Grk “Where is that one?”

[7:12]  ²⁰¹⁷ tn Grk “And there was.”

[7:12]  ²⁰¹⁸ tn Or “complaining.”

[7:12]  ²⁰¹⁹ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

[7:12]  ²⁰²⁰ tn Or “the crowd.”

[7:13]  ²⁰²⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:14]  ²⁰³³ tn Grk “to the temple.”

[7:14]  ²⁰³⁴ tn 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.

[7:15]  ²⁰⁴¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15]  ²⁰⁴² tn 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.

[7:15]  ²⁰⁴³ tn 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).

[7:16]  ²⁰⁴⁹ tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ²⁰⁵⁰ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:17]  ²⁰⁵⁷ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ²⁰⁵⁸ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁶⁵ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁶⁶ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁶⁷ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁶⁸ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁶⁹ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ²⁰⁷⁰ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[7:19]  ²⁰⁷³ tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

[7:19]  ²⁰⁷⁴ tn Grk “seek.”

[7:20]  ²⁰⁸¹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).

[7:20]  ²⁰⁸² tn Grk “You have a demon!”

[7:20]  ²⁰⁸³ tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”

[7:21]  ²⁰⁸⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:21]  ²⁰⁹⁰ tn Grk “I did one deed.”

[7:21]  ²⁰⁹¹ sn 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.)

[7:22]  ²⁰⁹⁷ tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

[7:22]  ²⁰⁹⁸ tn 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.

[7:23]  ²¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.

[7:23]  ²¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

[7:23]  ²¹⁰⁷ sn 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 (ca. 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.

[7:23]  ²¹⁰⁸ tn Or “made an entire man well.”

[7:24]  ²¹¹³ tn Or “based on sight.”

[7:24]  ²¹¹⁴ tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”

[7:25]  ²¹²¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:25]  ²¹²² tn Grk “Is it not this one.”

[7:25]  ²¹²³ tn Grk “seeking.”

[7:26]  ²¹²⁹ tn Or “speaking openly.”

[7:26]  ²¹³⁰ sn 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.

[7:26]  ²¹³¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:26]  ²¹³² tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  ²¹³⁷ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:27]  ²¹³⁸ sn 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.

[7:27]  ²¹³⁹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  ²¹⁴⁰ sn 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 Talmud (b. 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 summoned 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.

[7:28]  ²¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “the temple.”

[7:28]  ²¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”

[7:28]  ²¹⁴⁷ sn 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.

[7:28]  ²¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”

[7:28]  ²¹⁴⁹ tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:28]  ²¹⁵⁰ tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”

[7:29]  ²¹⁵³ tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).

[7:29]  ²¹⁵⁴ tn The preposition παρά (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.

[7:29]  ²¹⁵⁵ tn Grk “and that one.”

[7:30]  ²¹⁶¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:30]  ²¹⁶² tn Grk “his hour.”

[7:31]  ²¹⁶⁹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).

[7:31]  ²¹⁷⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:31]  ²¹⁷¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:32]  ²¹⁷⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:32]  ²¹⁷⁸ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).

[7:32]  ²¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:32]  ²¹⁸⁰ tn 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).

[7:32]  ²¹⁸¹ tn 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.

[7:33]  ²¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”

[7:33]  ²¹⁸⁶ tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:34]  ²¹⁹³ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:35]  ²²⁰¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

[7:35]  ²²⁰² tn Grk “this one.”

[7:35]  ²²⁰³ tn Grk “will not find him.”

[7:35]  ²²⁰⁴ sn 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.

[7:35]  ²²⁰⁵ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:36]  ²²⁰⁹ tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”

[7:36]  ²²¹⁰ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:37]  ²²¹⁷ sn There is a problem with the identification of 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.

[7:37]  ²²¹⁸ tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

[7:38]  ²²²⁵ tn 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, NA²⁷, and UBS⁴. 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) ἐάν τι διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω (38) ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ. Καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of αὐτοῦ (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì⁶⁶ does place a full stop after πινέτω (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 αὐτοῦ. 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.

[7:38]  ²²²⁶ tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”

[7:38]  ²²²⁷ sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.

[7:39]  ²²³³ tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (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.

[7:39]  ²²³⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:40]  ²²⁴¹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:40]  ²²⁴² tn Or “truly.”

[7:40]  ²²⁴³ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[7:41]  ²²⁴⁹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:41]  ²²⁵⁰ tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.

[7:41]  ²²⁵¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:42]  ²²⁵⁷ tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

[7:42]  ²²⁵⁸ sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

[7:42]  ²²⁵⁹ sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

[7:42]  ²²⁶⁰ tn Grk “the village where David was.”

[7:43]  ²²⁶⁵ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:43]  ²²⁶⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ²²⁷³ sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.

[7:45]  ²²⁸¹ tn 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).

[7:45]  ²²⁸² tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ²²⁸³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ²²⁸⁴ tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[7:47]  ²²⁸⁹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ²²⁹⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:48]  ²²⁹⁷ sn 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).

[7:48]  ²²⁹⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:49]  ²³⁰⁵ tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.

[7:50]  ²³¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ²³¹⁴ tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ²³¹⁵ tn Grk “said to them.”

[7:51]  ²³²¹ tn Grk “judge.”

[7:51]  ²³²² tn Grk “knows.”

[7:51]  ²³²³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:52]  ²³²⁹ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[7:52]  ²³³⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[7:52]  ²³³¹ tc At least one early and important ms (Ì^66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.

[7:53]  ²³³⁷ tc 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” (TCGNT 187). External evidence is as follows. For the omission of 7:53-8:11: Ì^66,75 א B L N T W Δ Θ Ψ 0141 0211 33 565 1241 1424* 2768 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 Ï lat. In addition E S Λ 1424^mg al include part or all of the passage with asterisks or obeli, 225 places the pericope after John 7:36, ˹ places it after John 21:25, {115} after John 8:12, ˹³ after Luke 21:38, and the corrector of 1333 includes it after Luke 24:53. (For a more complete discussion of the locations where this “floating” text has ended up, as well as a minority opinion on the authenticity of the passage, see M. A. Robinson, “Preliminary Observations regarding the Pericope Adulterae Based upon Fresh Collations of nearly All Continuous-Text Manuscripts and All Lectionary Manuscripts containing the Passage,” Filologia Neotestamentaria 13 [2000]: 35-59, especially 41-42.) In evaluating this ms evidence, it should be remembered that in the Gospels A is considered to be of Byzantine texttype (unlike in the epistles and Revelation, where it is Alexandrian), as are E F G (mss with the same designation are of Western texttype in the 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 (as far as Greek mss are concerned). 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) There may be an allusion to Isa 9:1-2 behind this text: John 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” (῎Ορθρου, 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. Here the woman “came to the light” while her accusers shrank away into the shadows, because their deeds were evil (cf. 3:19-21). 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 9:1-2 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 9:1-2 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 (see D. B. Wallace, “Reconsidering ‘The Story of the Woman Taken in Adultery Reconsidered’,” NTS 39 [1993]: 290-96). According to R. E. Brown it is closer stylistically to Lukan material (John [AB], 1:336). Interestingly one important family of mss (˹³) 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. However, even that needs to be nuanced (see B. D. Ehrman, “Jesus and the Adulteress,” NTS 34 [1988]: 24–44).

[8:1]  ²³⁴⁵ sn 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.

[8:2]  ²³⁵³ tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.

[8:3]  ²³⁶¹ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (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.

[8:3]  ²³⁶² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:4]  ²³⁶⁹ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:5]  ²³⁷⁷ sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.

[8:5]  ²³⁷⁸ sn 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.

[8:6]  ²³⁸⁵ tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”

[8:6]  ²³⁸⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.

[8:6]  ²³⁸⁷ tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (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 264 700 al]).

[8:7]  ²³⁹³ tn Or “he straightened up.”

[8:7]  ²³⁹⁴ tn Grk “and said to them.”

[8:7]  ²³⁹⁵ tn Or “sinless.”

[8:8]  ²⁴⁰¹ tn Here καί (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.

[8:9]  ²⁴⁰⁹ tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”

[8:10]  ²⁴¹⁷ tn Or “straightened up.”

[8:10]  ²⁴¹⁸ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[8:11]  ²⁴²⁵ tc The earliest and best mss do not contain 7:53–8:11 (see note on 7:53).

[8:12]  ²⁴³³ tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”

[8:12]  ²⁴³⁴ sn 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.

[8:12]  ²⁴³⁵ tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.

[8:13]  ²⁴⁴¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:13]  ²⁴⁴² tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”

[8:13]  ²⁴⁴³ sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.

[8:14]  ²⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[8:14]  ²⁴⁵⁰ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.

[8:14]  ²⁴⁵¹ sn 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.

[8:15]  ²⁴⁵⁷ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.

[8:15]  ²⁴⁵⁸ tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.

[8:15]  ²⁴⁵⁹ sn 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.

[8:16]  ²⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “my judgment is true.”

[8:16]  ²⁴⁶⁶ tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:16]  ²⁴⁶⁷ tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:17]  ²⁴⁷³ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[8:18]  ²⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”

[8:19]  ²⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been 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.

[8:19]  ²⁴⁹⁰ sn 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).

[8:20]  ²⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:20]  ²⁴⁹⁸ tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at) the treasury.” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[8:20]  ²⁴⁹⁹ tn Grk “the temple.”

[8:20]  ²⁵⁰⁰ tn Grk “his hour.”

[8:20]  ²⁵⁰¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[8:21]  ²⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:21]  ²⁵⁰⁶ tn The expression οὖν πάλιν (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.

[8:21]  ²⁵⁰⁷ tn Grk “you will seek me.”

[8:21]  ²⁵⁰⁸ tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (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 ἁμαρτία (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.

[8:22]  ²⁵¹³ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or 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.

[8:22]  ²⁵¹⁴ tn The imperfect verb has been 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.

[8:23]  ²⁵²¹ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[8:23]  ²⁵²² tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:24]  ²⁵²⁹ tn Grk “thus I said to you.”

[8:24]  ²⁵³⁰ tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).

[8:25]  ²⁵³⁷ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:26]  ²⁵⁴⁵ tn 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.

[8:26]  ²⁵⁴⁶ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:26]  ²⁵⁴⁷ tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).

[8:26]  ²⁵⁴⁸ tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”

[8:27]  ²⁵⁵³ sn 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 postresurrection point of view. He writes with the benefit of later knowledge that those who originally heard Jesus’ words would not have had.

[8:28]  ²⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).

[8:28]  ²⁵⁶² tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.

[8:28]  ²⁵⁶³ tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”

[8:28]  ²⁵⁶⁴ tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”

[8:29]  ²⁵⁶⁹ tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”

[8:30]  ²⁵⁷⁷ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.

[8:31]  ²⁵⁸⁵ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), 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]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) 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, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ²⁵⁸⁶ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ²⁵⁸⁷ tn Or “truly.”

[8:32]  ²⁵⁹³ tn 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.

[8:33]  ²⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).

[8:33]  ²⁶⁰² tn Grk “They answered to him.”

[8:33]  ²⁶⁰³ tn Or “How is it that you say.”

[8:34]  ²⁶⁰⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:34]  ²⁶¹⁰ tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiwn) in a construction with πᾶς (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.

[8:34]  ²⁶¹¹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[8:35]  ²⁶¹⁷ tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (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”).

[8:35]  ²⁶¹⁸ sn 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).

[8:36]  ²⁶²⁵ tn 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).

[8:37]  ²⁶³³ tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).

[8:37]  ²⁶³⁴ tn Grk “you are seeking.”

[8:37]  ²⁶³⁵ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:37]  ²⁶³⁶ tn 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 BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.

[8:38]  ²⁶⁴¹ tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) follows the second mention of “father” in this verse (as it does in the majority of mss); no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading μου found in most witnesses (א D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy). No pronoun here is read by Ì^66,75 B C L 070 pc. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.

[8:38]  ²⁶⁴² tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”

[8:38]  ²⁶⁴³ tn Grk “and you.”

[8:38]  ²⁶⁴⁴ tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here (Ì^66,75 B L W 070 pc), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε (tou patro" Jumwn poieite), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν (tw patri Jumwn), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα (tw patri Jumwn tauta) all occur. If the pronoun is read, then the devil is in view and the text should be translated as “you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” If it is not read, then the same Father mentioned in the first part of the verse is in view. In this case, ποιεῖτε should be taken as an imperative: “you [must] practice the things you have heard from the Father.” The omission is decidedly the harder reading, both because the contrast between God and the devil is now delayed until v. 41, and because ποιεῖτε could be read as an indicative, especially since the two clauses are joined by καί (kai, “and”). Thus, the pronoun looks to be a motivated reading. In light of the better external and internal evidence the omission is preferred.

[8:39]  ²⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[8:39]  ²⁶⁵⁰ tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”

[8:39]  ²⁶⁵¹ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:39]  ²⁶⁵² tc Although most mss (C W Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï) have the imperfect ἦτε (hte, “you were”) here, making this sentence a proper second class condition, the harder reading, ἐστε (este, “you are”), is found in the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D L 070 pc lat).

[8:39]  ²⁶⁵³ tc Some important mss (Ì⁶⁶ B* [700]) have the present imperative ποιεῖτε (poieite) here: “If you are Abraham’s children, then do,” while many others (א² C K L N Δ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 565 579 892 pm) add the contingent particle ἄν (an) to ἐποιεῖτε (epoieite) making it a more proper second class condition by Attic standards. The simple ἐποιεῖτε without the ἄν is the hardest reading, and is found in some excellent witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* B² D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm).

[8:40]  ²⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “seeking.”

[8:40]  ²⁶⁵⁸ tn Grk “has spoken to you.”

[8:40]  ²⁶⁵⁹ tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.

[8:41]  ²⁶⁶⁵ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:41]  ²⁶⁶⁶ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sy^s,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì^66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the combined testimony of two early papyri for the conjunction is impressive, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 52). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:41]  ²⁶⁶⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:41]  ²⁶⁶⁸ sn 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.

[8:42]  ²⁶⁷³ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:42]  ²⁶⁷⁴ tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

[8:42]  ²⁶⁷⁵ tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[8:42]  ²⁶⁷⁶ tn Grk “from myself.”

[8:42]  ²⁶⁷⁷ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).

[8:43]  ²⁶⁸¹ tn 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.

[8:43]  ²⁶⁸² tn Grk “my word.”

[8:44]  ²⁶⁸⁹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹⁰ tn 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 ἐκ (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).

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹¹ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹² tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹³ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹⁴ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹⁵ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ²⁶⁹⁶ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[8:45]  ²⁶⁹⁷ tn Or “because I tell you.”

[8:46]  ²⁷⁰⁵ tn Or “can convict me.”

[8:46]  ²⁷⁰⁶ tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”

[8:46]  ²⁷⁰⁷ tn Or “if I tell you.”

[8:47]  ²⁷¹³ tn Grk “who is of.”

[8:47]  ²⁷¹⁴ tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ²⁷¹⁵ tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ²⁷¹⁶ tn Grk “you are not of God.”

[8:48]  ²⁷²¹ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.

[8:48]  ²⁷²² tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[8:48]  ²⁷²³ tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”

[8:48]  ²⁷²⁴ tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (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.

[8:49]  ²⁷²⁹ tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”

[8:49]  ²⁷³⁰ tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:50]  ²⁷³⁷ tn Grk “I am not seeking.”

[8:50]  ²⁷³⁸ tn Grk “my glory.”

[8:50]  ²⁷³⁹ tn Grk “who seeks.”

[8:50]  ²⁷⁴⁰ tn Or “will be the judge.”

[8:51]  ²⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:51]  ²⁷⁴⁶ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:51]  ²⁷⁴⁷ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:51]  ²⁷⁴⁸ tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵³ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁴ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁵ tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁶ tn Grk “you have a demon.”

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁷ tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁸ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:52]  ²⁷⁵⁹ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:52]  ²⁷⁶⁰ tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[8:52]  ²⁷⁶¹ tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:53]  ²⁷⁶¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[8:54]  ²⁷⁶⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[8:54]  ²⁷⁷⁰ tn Grk “is nothing.”

[8:54]  ²⁷⁷¹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:55]  ²⁷⁷⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

[8:55]  ²⁷⁷⁸ tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”

[8:55]  ²⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “I keep.”

[8:55]  ²⁷⁸⁰ tn Grk “his word.”

[8:56]  ²⁷⁸⁵ tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”

[8:56]  ²⁷⁸⁶ tn 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.

[8:57]  ²⁷⁹³ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.

[8:57]  ²⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:57]  ²⁷⁹⁵ tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).

[8:57]  ²⁷⁹⁶ tn Grk “And have.”

[8:58]  ²⁸⁰¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:58]  ²⁸⁰² tn Grk “before Abraham was.”

[8:58]  ²⁸⁰³ sn 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).

[8:59]  ²⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “they took up.”

[8:59]  ²⁸¹⁰ sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.

[8:59]  ²⁸¹¹ tc Most later witnesses (A Θ^c Ë^1,13 Ï) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielqwn dia mesou kai parhgen {outw"), while many others have similar permutations (so א^1,2 C L N Ψ 070 33 579 892 1241 al). The wording is similar to two other texts: Luke 4:30 (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου; in several mss αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καί [autwn eporeueto kai] is found between this phrase and παρῆγεν, strengthening the parallel with Luke 4:30) and John 9:1 (παρῆγεν; cf. παράγων [paragwn] there). The effect is to signal Jesus’ departure as a miraculous cloaking. As such, the additional statement has all the earmarks of scribal amplification. Further, the best and earliest witnesses (Ì^66,75 א* B D W Θ* lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain.

[9:1]  ²⁸¹⁷ tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances.

[9:2]  ²⁸²⁵ tn Grk “asked him, saying.”

[9:2]  ²⁸²⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:2]  ²⁸²⁷ tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”

[9:3]  ²⁸³³ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:3]  ²⁸³⁴ tn 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.”

[9:3]  ²⁸³⁵ tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”

[9:3]  ²⁸³⁶ tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”

[9:3]  ²⁸³⁷ tn Grk “in him.”

[9:4]  ²⁸⁴¹ tn Grk “We must work the works.”

[9:4]  ²⁸⁴² tn Or “of him who sent me” (God).

[9:4]  ²⁸⁴³ tn Or “while.”

[9:5]  ²⁸⁴⁹ sn 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).

[9:6]  ²⁸⁵⁷ tn Grk “said these things.”

[9:6]  ²⁸⁵⁸ tn 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.

[9:6]  ²⁸⁵⁹ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.

[9:6]  ²⁸⁶⁰ tn Grk “on his.”

[9:7]  ²⁸⁶⁵ tn 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.

[9:7]  ²⁸⁶⁶ sn 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.

[9:7]  ²⁸⁶⁷ tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:8]  ²⁸⁷³ tn Or “formerly.”

[9:8]  ²⁸⁷⁴ tn 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.

[9:8]  ²⁸⁷⁵ tn Grk “the one.”

[9:9]  ²⁸⁸¹ tn Grk “Others were saying.”

[9:9]  ²⁸⁸² tn Grk “This is the one.”

[9:9]  ²⁸⁸³ tn Grk “No, but he is like him.”

[9:9]  ²⁸⁸⁴ tn Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:9]  ²⁸⁸⁵ tn Grk “I am he.”

[9:10]  ²⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “So they were saying to him.”

[9:10]  ²⁸⁹⁰ tn Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:11]  ²⁸⁹⁷ tn Grk “That one answered.”

[9:11]  ²⁸⁹⁸ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:11]  ²⁸⁹⁹ tn Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.

[9:11]  ²⁹⁰⁰ tn Grk “said to me.”

[9:11]  ²⁹⁰¹ tn Or “and I gained my sight.”

[9:12]  ²⁹⁰⁵ tn Grk “And they said.”

[9:12]  ²⁹⁰⁶ tn Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.

[9:12]  ²⁹⁰⁷ tn Grk “He said.”

[9:13]  ²⁹¹³ tn Grk “who was formerly blind.”

[9:13]  ²⁹¹⁴ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[9:14]  ²⁹²¹ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:14]  ²⁹²² tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:14]  ²⁹²³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[9:15]  ²⁹²⁹ tn Or “how he had become able to see.”

[9:15]  ²⁹³⁰ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[9:15]  ²⁹³¹ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:15]  ²⁹³² tn 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).

[9:16]  ²⁹³⁷ tn 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”).

[9:16]  ²⁹³⁸ tn Grk “he does not keep.”

[9:16]  ²⁹³⁹ sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.

[9:16]  ²⁹⁴⁰ tn Grk “do.”

[9:16]  ²⁹⁴¹ tn Or “So there was discord.”

[9:17]  ²⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “the blind man.”

[9:17]  ²⁹⁴⁶ tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:17]  ²⁹⁴⁷ tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”

[9:18]  ²⁹⁵³ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers mainly to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. References in this context to Pharisees and to the synagogue (v. 22) suggest an emphasis on the religious nature of the debate which is brought out by the translation “the Jewish religious leaders.”

[9:18]  ²⁹⁵⁴ tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”

[9:18]  ²⁹⁵⁵ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:18]  ²⁹⁵⁶ tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”

[9:19]  ²⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:19]  ²⁹⁶² tn The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).

[9:20]  ²⁹⁶⁹ tn Grk “So his parents answered and said.”

[9:21]  ²⁹⁷⁷ tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:21]  ²⁹⁷⁸ tn Or “he is of age.”

[9:22]  ²⁹⁸⁵ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.

[9:22]  ²⁹⁸⁶ tn Grk “confessed him.”

[9:22]  ²⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[9:22]  ²⁹⁸⁸ tn Or “would be expelled from.”

[9:22]  ²⁹⁸⁹ sn 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 nonhistorical 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.

[9:23]  ²⁹⁹³ tn Or “he is of age.”

[9:23]  ²⁹⁹⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents’ response.

[9:24]  ³⁰⁰¹ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:24]  ³⁰⁰² tn Grk “who was blind.”

[9:24]  ³⁰⁰³ tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).

[9:24]  ³⁰⁰⁴ tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.

[9:25]  ³⁰⁰⁹ tn Grk “Then that one answered.”

[9:26]  ³⁰¹⁷ tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:27]  ³⁰²⁵ tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[9:27]  ³⁰²⁶ tn Grk “you did not hear.”

[9:27]  ³⁰²⁷ tn “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.

[9:27]  ³⁰²⁸ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[9:28]  ³⁰³³ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:28]  ³⁰³⁴ tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”

[9:28]  ³⁰³⁵ tn Grk “and said.”

[9:28]  ³⁰³⁶ tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”

[9:29]  ³⁰⁴¹ tn Grk “where this one.”

[9:30]  ³⁰⁴⁹ tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”

[9:30]  ³⁰⁵⁰ tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”

[9:30]  ³⁰⁵¹ tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:31]  ³⁰⁵⁷ tn Grk “God does not hear.”

[9:31]  ³⁰⁵⁸ tn Or “godly.”

[9:31]  ³⁰⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:31]  ³⁰⁶⁰ tn Or “hears.”

[9:31]  ³⁰⁶¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:32]  ³⁰⁶⁵ tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”

[9:32]  ³⁰⁶⁶ tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:33]  ³⁰⁷³ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:34]  ³⁰⁸¹ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”

[9:34]  ³⁰⁸² tn 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.

[9:34]  ³⁰⁸³ tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”

[9:35]  ³⁰⁸⁹ tn Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:35]  ³⁰⁹⁰ tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) have θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D W sy^s) have ἀνθρώπου. Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου, but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου. The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.

[9:36]  ³⁰⁹⁷ tn Grk “That one.”

[9:36]  ³⁰⁹⁸ tn Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”

[9:36]  ³⁰⁹⁹ tn 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.

[9:37]  ³¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “that one.”

[9:37]  ³¹⁰⁶ tn The καί – καί (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.

[9:38]  ³¹¹³ sn Assuming the authenticity of John 9:38-39a (see the tc 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 προσκυνέω (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.

[9:39]  ³¹²¹ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:39]  ³¹²² tc ‡ Some early and important witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* W b sa^ms 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, א 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 vv. 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 προσκυνέω (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 be the only place in John’s Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of προσκυνέω. 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.

[9:39]  ³¹²³ tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”

[9:40]  ³¹²⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[9:40]  ³¹³⁰ tn Grk “heard these things.”

[9:40]  ³¹³¹ tn Grk “and said to him.”

[9:40]  ³¹³² tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[9:41]  ³¹³⁷ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[9:41]  ³¹³⁸ tn Grk “you would not have sin.”

[9:41]  ³¹³⁹ tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”

[9:41]  ³¹⁴⁰ tn Or “your sin.”

[9:41]  ³¹⁴¹ sn 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).

[10:1]  ³¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[10:1]  ³¹⁴⁶ sn 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, αὐλή [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).

[10:1]  ³¹⁴⁷ tn Or “entrance.”

[10:3]  ³¹⁵³ tn Or “porter” (British English).

[10:3]  ³¹⁵⁴ tn 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.

[10:3]  ³¹⁵⁵ tn Grk “For this one.”

[10:3]  ³¹⁵⁶ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:3]  ³¹⁵⁷ sn 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.

[10:4]  ³¹⁶¹ tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[10:4]  ³¹⁶² tn Grk “because they know.”

[10:5]  ³¹⁶⁹ tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”

[10:5]  ³¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “know.”

[10:5]  ³¹⁷¹ tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”

[10:6]  ³¹⁷⁷ sn A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word παροιμίαν (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where παραβολή (parabolh) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.

[10:6]  ³¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “these.”

[10:6]  ³¹⁷⁹ tn Or “comprehend.”

[10:7]  ³¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[10:7]  ³¹⁸⁶ tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”

[10:8]  ³¹⁹³ tn Grk “are” (present tense).

[10:8]  ³¹⁹⁴ tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”

[10:9]  ³²⁰¹ tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (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 BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.

[10:9]  ³²⁰² sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.

[10:10]  ³²⁰⁹ tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).

[10:10]  ³²¹⁰ tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.

[10:11]  ³²¹⁷ tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).

[10:11]  ³²¹⁸ tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”

[10:12]  ³²²⁵ sn 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.

[10:12]  ³²²⁶ tn Grk “leaves.”

[10:12]  ³²²⁷ tn Or “flees.”

[10:12]  ³²²⁸ tn 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.

[10:13]  ³²³³ tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”

[10:13]  ³²³⁴ tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important mss (Ì^{44vid,45,66,75} א A*^vid B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). 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.

[10:14]  ³²⁴¹ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:14]  ³²⁴² tn 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.”

[10:15]  ³²⁴⁹ tn Or “I die willingly.”

[10:15]  ³²⁵⁰ tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”

[10:16]  ³²⁵⁷ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:16]  ³²⁵⁸ tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”

[10:16]  ³²⁵⁹ sn 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.

[10:16]  ³²⁶⁰ tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”

[10:16]  ³²⁶¹ tn Grk “voice, and.”

[10:16]  ³²⁶² tn 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.

[10:17]  ³²⁶⁵ tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”

[10:17]  ³²⁶⁶ tn Or “die willingly.”

[10:18]  ³²⁷³ tn Or “give it up.”

[10:18]  ³²⁷⁴ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

[10:18]  ³²⁷⁵ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ³²⁷⁶ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ³²⁷⁷ tn Or “order.”

[10:19]  ³²⁸¹ tn Or perhaps “the Jewish religious leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase could be taken to refer to the Jewish religious leaders, since the Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40. However, in light of the charge about demon possession, which echoes 8:48, it is more likely that Jewish people in general (perhaps in Jerusalem, if that is understood to be the setting of the incident) are in view here.

[10:20]  ³²⁸⁹ tn 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.

[10:21]  ³²⁹⁷ tn Or “the sayings.”

[10:21]  ³²⁹⁸ tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[10:21]  ³²⁹⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[10:22]  ³³⁰⁵ tn That is, Hanukkah or the ‘Festival of Lights.’ The Greek name for the feast, τὰ ἐγκαίνια (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.

[10:22]  ³³⁰⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:23]  ³³¹³ sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.

[10:23]  ³³¹⁴ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[10:23]  ³³¹⁵ tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”

[10:24]  ³³²¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. 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 people” in v. 19.

[10:24]  ³³²² tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.

[10:24]  ³³²³ tn 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 τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις (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.”

[10:24]  ³³²⁴ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[10:24]  ³³²⁵ tn Or “publicly.”

[10:25]  ³³²⁹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:25]  ³³³⁰ tn Or “the works.”

[10:28]  ³³³⁷ tn Grk “And I give.”

[10:28]  ³³³⁸ tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”

[10:28]  ³³³⁹ tn Or “no one will seize.”

[10:29]  ³³⁴⁵ tn Or “is superior to all.”

[10:29]  ³³⁴⁶ tn Or “no one can seize.”

[10:30]  ³³⁵³ tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.

[10:30]  ³³⁵⁴ tn The phrase ἕν ἐσμεν ({en esmen) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. ἕν 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).

[10:31]  ³³⁶¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24.

[10:32]  ³³⁶⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[10:32]  ³³⁷⁰ tn Or “good works.”

[10:33]  ³³⁷⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here again the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in vv. 24, 31.

[10:33]  ³³⁷⁸ tn Grk “answered him.”

[10:33]  ³³⁷⁹ tn Or “good work.”

[10:33]  ³³⁸⁰ sn 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).

[10:33]  ³³⁸¹ tn Grk “and because.”

[10:33]  ³³⁸² tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”

[10:34]  ³³⁸⁵ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:34]  ³³⁸⁶ sn 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?

[10:35]  ³³⁹³ sn 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.

[10:36]  ³⁴⁰¹ tn Or “dedicated.”

[10:37]  ³⁴⁰⁹ tn Or “do.”

[10:37]  ³⁴¹⁰ tn Or “works.”

[10:38]  ³⁴¹⁷ tn Or “works.”

[10:38]  ³⁴¹⁸ tn Or “so that you may learn.”

[10:39]  ³⁴²⁵ tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν (ezhtoun oun, “then they were seeking”; Ì⁶⁶ א A L W Ψ Ë^1,13 33 pm lat), ἐζήτουν δέ (ezhtoun de, “now they were seeking”; Ì⁴⁵ and a few versional witnesses), καὶ ἐζήτουν (kai ezhtoun, “and they were seeking”; D), and ἐζήτουν (Ì^75vid B Γ Θ 700 pm). Externally, the most viable readings are ἐζήτουν οὖν and ἐζήτουν. Transcriptionally, the οὖν could have dropped out via haplography since the verb ends in the same three letters. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the readings with δέ or καί if ἐζήτουν οὖν is original; such readings would more likely have arisen from the simple ἐζήτουν. Intrinsically, John is fond of οὖν, using it some 200 times. Further, this Gospel begins relatively few sentences without some conjunction. The minimal support for the δέ and καί readings suggests that they arose either from the lone verb reading (which would thus be prior to their respective Vorlagen but not necessarily the earliest reading) or through carelessness on the part of the scribes. Indeed, the ancestors of Ì⁴⁵ and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν.

[10:39]  ³⁴²⁶ tn Grk “they were seeking.”

[10:39]  ³⁴²⁷ tn Grk “he departed out of their hand.”

[10:40]  ³⁴³³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:40]  ³⁴³⁴ tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[10:40]  ³⁴³⁵ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:40]  ³⁴³⁶ tn Grk “formerly.”

[10:41]  ³⁴⁴¹ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:41]  ³⁴⁴² sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:41]  ³⁴⁴³ tn Grk “did.”

[10:41]  ³⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[10:42]  ³⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “in him.”

[11:1]  ³⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”

[11:2]  ³⁴⁶⁵ tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”

[11:2]  ³⁴⁶⁶ sn 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.

[11:3]  ³⁴⁷³ tn The phrase “a message” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.

[11:3]  ³⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:4]  ³⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”

[11:4]  ³⁴⁸² tn Or “to God’s praise.”

[11:4]  ³⁴⁸³ sn 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.

[11:5]  ³⁴⁸⁹ sn 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.

[11:6]  ³⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:7]  ³⁵⁰⁵ sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).

[11:8]  ³⁵¹³ tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”

[11:8]  ³⁵¹⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the previous references and the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19, and “Jewish religious leaders” in vv. 24, 31, 33.

[11:8]  ³⁵¹⁵ tn Grk “seeking.”

[11:8]  ³⁵¹⁶ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:9]  ³⁵²¹ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[11:9]  ³⁵²² tn Or “he does not trip.”

[11:9]  ³⁵²³ sn 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).

[11:10]  ³⁵²⁹ tn Grk “in the night.”

[11:10]  ³⁵³⁰ tn Or “he trips.”

[11:11]  ³⁵³⁷ tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”

[11:11]  ³⁵³⁸ tn The verb κοιμάω (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).

[11:12]  ³⁵⁴⁵ tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”

[11:13]  ³⁵⁵³ tn Or “speaking about.”

[11:13]  ³⁵⁵⁴ tn Grk “these.”

[11:13]  ³⁵⁵⁵ tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.

[11:15]  ³⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

[11:15]  ³⁵⁶² sn 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.

[11:16]  ³⁵⁶⁹ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[11:16]  ³⁵⁷⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:16]  ³⁵⁷¹ sn 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.

[11:17]  ³⁵⁷⁷ tn Grk “Then when.”

[11:17]  ³⁵⁷⁸ tn Grk “came.”

[11:17]  ³⁵⁷⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:17]  ³⁵⁸⁰ tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).

[11:18]  ³⁵⁸⁵ tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[11:18]  ³⁵⁸⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:19]  ³⁵⁹³ tn Or “many of the Judeans” (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e); Grk “many of the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities (“the chief priests and the Pharisees”) are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8.

[11:19]  ³⁵⁹⁴ tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”

[11:19]  ³⁵⁹⁵ tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[11:20]  ³⁶⁰¹ sn 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.

[11:21]  ³⁶⁰⁹ tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[11:22]  ³⁶¹⁷ tn Or “give.”

[11:22]  ³⁶¹⁸ sn 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.”

[11:23]  ³⁶²⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:23]  ³⁶²⁶ tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”

[11:24]  ³⁶³³ tn Grk “Martha said to him.”

[11:24]  ³⁶³⁴ tn Or “will rise again.”

[11:25]  ³⁶⁴¹ tn That is, will come to life.

[11:26]  ³⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “will never die forever.”

[11:27]  ³⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “She said to him.”

[11:27]  ³⁶⁵⁸ tn The perfect tense in Greek is often used to emphasize the results or present state of a past action. Such is the case here. To emphasize this nuance the perfect tense verb πεπίστευκα (pepisteuka) has been translated as a present tense. This is in keeping with the present context, where Jesus asks of her present state of belief in v. 26, and the theology of the Gospel as a whole, which emphasizes the continuing effects and present reality of faith. For discussion on this use of the perfect tense, see ExSyn 574-76 and B. M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, 291-97.

[11:27]  ³⁶⁵⁹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[11:27]  ³⁶⁶⁰ tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”

[11:28]  ³⁶⁶⁵ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:28]  ³⁶⁶⁶ tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).

[11:28]  ³⁶⁶⁷ tn Grk “is calling you.”

[11:29]  ³⁶⁷³ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ³⁶⁸¹ 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.

[11:31]  ³⁶⁸² tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ³⁶⁸³ tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.

[11:31]  ³⁶⁸⁴ tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).

[11:33]  ³⁶⁸⁹ 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, “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, and the word “people” in v. 31.

[11:33]  ³⁶⁹⁰ tn Or (perhaps) “he was deeply indignant.” The verb ἐνεβριμήσατο (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.

[11:33]  ³⁶⁹¹ tn Or “greatly troubled.” The verb ταράσσω (tarassw) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ἐνεβριμήσατο (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.

[11:34]  ³⁶⁹⁷ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:34]  ³⁶⁹⁸ tn Or “Where have you placed him?”

[11:34]  ³⁶⁹⁹ tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.

[11:35]  ³⁷⁰⁵ sn Jesus wept. The Greek word used here for Jesus’ weeping (ἐδάκρυσεν, 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.

[11:36]  ³⁷¹³ 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, as well as the notes on the word “people” in vv. 31, 33.

[11:37]  ³⁷²¹ tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[11:37]  ³⁷²² tn 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.

[11:38]  ³⁷²⁹ tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”

[11:38]  ³⁷³⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:39]  ³⁷³⁷ tn Or “Remove the stone.”

[11:39]  ³⁷³⁸ tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”

[11:39]  ³⁷³⁹ tn Grk “already he stinks.”

[11:39]  ³⁷⁴⁰ tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).

[11:39]  ³⁷⁴¹ sn 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.

[11:40]  ³⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:41]  ³⁷⁵³ tn Or “they removed.”

[11:41]  ³⁷⁵⁴ tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”

[11:41]  ³⁷⁵⁵ tn Or “that you have heard me.”

[11:42]  ³⁷⁶¹ tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

[11:42]  ³⁷⁶² tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[11:43]  ³⁷⁶⁹ tn Grk “And when.”

[11:43]  ³⁷⁷⁰ sn 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).

[11:44]  ³⁷⁷⁷ sn 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.

[11:44]  ³⁷⁷⁸ tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”

[11:44]  ³⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “Loose him.”

[11:45]  ³⁷⁸⁵ 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, as well as the notes on the word “people” in vv. 31, 33 and the phrase “people who had come to mourn” in v. 36.

[11:45]  ³⁷⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:46]  ³⁷⁹³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[11:46]  ³⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “told them.”

[11:47]  ³⁸⁰¹ tn 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.

[11:47]  ³⁸⁰² tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). The συνέδριον (sunedrion) which they gathered was probably an informal meeting rather than the official Sanhedrin. This is the only occurrence of the word συνέδριον 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.

[11:48]  ³⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”

[11:48]  ³⁸¹⁰ tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).

[11:49]  ³⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[11:50]  ³⁸²⁵ tn Or “you are not considering.”

[11:50]  ³⁸²⁶ tn Although it is possible to argue that ἄνθρωπος (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” (οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος, outo" Jo anqrwpo") has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.

[11:50]  ³⁸²⁷ sn 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.

[11:51]  ³⁸³³ tn Grk “say this from himself.”

[11:51]  ³⁸³⁴ tn The word “Jewish” is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context (so also NIV; TEV “the Jewish people”).

[11:52]  ³⁸⁴¹ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ³⁸⁴² sn 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.

[11:52]  ³⁸⁴³ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ³⁸⁴⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:54]  ³⁸⁴⁹ tn Grk “walked.”

[11:54]  ³⁸⁵⁰ tn Or “openly.”

[11:54]  ³⁸⁵¹ tn Grk “among the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Judea in general, who would be likely to report Jesus to the religious authorities. The vicinity around Jerusalem was no longer safe for Jesus and his disciples. On the translation “Judeans” cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.

[11:54]  ³⁸⁵² tn 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.

[11:55]  ³⁸⁵⁷ tn 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 (ἐκ τῆς χώρας, ek th" cwra") who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.

[11:55]  ³⁸⁵⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ³⁸⁵⁹ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[11:56]  ³⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”

[11:56]  ³⁸⁶⁶ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[11:57]  ³⁸⁷³ tn 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.

[11:57]  ³⁸⁷⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:57]  ³⁸⁷⁵ tn Or “could seize.”

[11:57]  ³⁸⁷⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:1]  ³⁸⁸¹ tn 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.

[12:2]  ³⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.

[12:2]  ³⁸⁹⁰ tn Grk “And Martha.” The connective καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation because it would produce a run-on sentence in English.

[12:2]  ³⁸⁹¹ tn Grk “reclining at the table.”

[12:3]  ³⁸⁹⁷ tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).

[12:3]  ³⁸⁹⁸ tn Μύρον (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 πιστικῆς (pistikh") is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from πίστις (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.

[12:3]  ³⁸⁹⁹ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[12:3]  ³⁹⁰⁰ sn 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).

[12:4]  ³⁹⁰⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:5]  ³⁹¹³ tn 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 into account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).

[12:5]  ³⁹¹⁴ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).

[12:6]  ³⁹²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:6]  ³⁹²² tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.

[12:6]  ³⁹²³ sn 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.

[12:7]  ³⁹²⁹ tn Grk “Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it.” The construction with ἵνα (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 ἵνα with the meaning: “Leave her alone; let her keep it.” The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the ἵνα and substitutes a perfect tense τετήρηκεν (tethrhken), while not likely to be original, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.

[12:8]  ³⁹³⁷ tc A few isolated witnesses omit v. 8 (D sy^s), part of v. 8 (Ì⁷⁵), or vv. 7-8 ({0250}). The latter two omissions are surely due to errors of sight, while the former can be attributed to D’s sometimes erratic behavior. The verse is secure in light of the overwhelming evidence on its behalf.

[12:9]  ³⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “of the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e), 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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area who by this time had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and were curious to see him.

[12:9]  ³⁹⁴⁶ tn Grk “knew.”

[12:9]  ³⁹⁴⁷ tn 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.

[12:9]  ³⁹⁴⁸ tn 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.

[12:10]  ³⁹⁵³ sn 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.

[12:11]  ³⁹⁶¹ tn 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 “Judeans” in v. 9.

[12:12]  ³⁹⁶⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁷⁷ sn 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).

[12:13]  ³⁹⁷⁸ tn 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 καί (kai, “and”) is left untranslated to improve the English style.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁷⁹ tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (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 ὡσαννά is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου (euloghmeno" Jo ercomeno" en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (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.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.

[12:13]  ³⁹⁸¹ tn 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 καί (kai).

[12:14]  ³⁹⁸⁵ sn 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.

[12:15]  ³⁹⁹³ tn 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” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.

[12:15]  ³⁹⁹⁴ sn A quotation from Zech 9:9.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰⁰¹ tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”

[12:16]  ⁴⁰⁰² sn 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.

[12:16]  ⁴⁰⁰³ tn 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 ExSyn 402-3; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).

[12:16]  ⁴⁰⁰⁴ sn 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 (postresurrection) 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).

[12:17]  ⁴⁰⁰⁹ tn The word “it” is not included in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[12:18]  ⁴⁰¹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:19]  ⁴⁰²⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:20]  ⁴⁰³³ sn These Greeks (῞Ελληνές τινες, {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 proselytes to Judaism, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, who could not have been a proselyte if he were physically a eunuch.

[12:21]  ⁴⁰⁴¹ sn 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.

[12:21]  ⁴⁰⁴² tn Grk “and were asking him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:22]  ⁴⁰⁴⁹ tn 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.

[12:23]  ⁴⁰⁵⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:23]  ⁴⁰⁵⁸ tn Grk “the hour.”

[12:23]  ⁴⁰⁵⁹ sn 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.

[12:24]  ⁴⁰⁶⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[12:24]  ⁴⁰⁶⁶ tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”

[12:24]  ⁴⁰⁶⁷ tn Or “bears.”

[12:24]  ⁴⁰⁶⁸ tn Grk “much fruit.”

[12:25]  ⁴⁰⁷³ tn Or “soul.”

[12:25]  ⁴⁰⁷⁴ tn Or “loses.” Although the traditional English translation of ἀπολλύει (apolluei) in John 12:25 is “loses,” the contrast with φυλάξει (fulaxei, “keeps” or “guards”) in the second half of the verse favors the meaning “destroy” here.

[12:25]  ⁴⁰⁷⁵ tn Or “keeps.”

[12:26]  ⁴⁰⁸¹ tn As a third person imperative in Greek, ἀκολουθείτω (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.

[12:26]  ⁴⁰⁸² tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”

[12:27]  ⁴⁰⁸⁹ tn Or “save me.”

[12:27]  ⁴⁰⁹⁰ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:27]  ⁴⁰⁹¹ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:28]  ⁴⁰⁹⁷ tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).

[12:28]  ⁴⁰⁹⁸ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:28]  ⁴⁰⁹⁹ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ⁴¹⁰⁵ tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ⁴¹⁰⁶ tn 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.

[12:30]  ⁴¹¹³ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”

[12:30]  ⁴¹¹⁴ tn Or “for my sake.”

[12:31]  ⁴¹²¹ sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.

[12:31]  ⁴¹²² tn Or “will be thrown out.” This translation regards the future passive ἐκβληθήσεται (ekblhqhsetai) as referring to an event future to the time of speaking.

[12:32]  ⁴¹²⁹ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).

[12:33]  ⁴¹³⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:34]  ⁴¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”

[12:34]  ⁴¹⁴⁶ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[12:34]  ⁴¹⁴⁷ tn 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).

[12:34]  ⁴¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:35]  ⁴¹⁵³ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[12:35]  ⁴¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”

[12:35]  ⁴¹⁵⁵ sn 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.

[12:36]  ⁴¹⁶¹ tn The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.”

[12:37]  ⁴¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:37]  ⁴¹⁷⁰ tn Or “done.”

[12:38]  ⁴¹⁷⁷ tn Or “message.”

[12:38]  ⁴¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “who said.”

[12:38]  ⁴¹⁷⁹ tn “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 ὁ βραχίων κυρίου (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).

[12:38]  ⁴¹⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[12:39]  ⁴¹⁸⁵ sn 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.

[12:40]  ⁴¹⁹³ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁴¹⁹⁴ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ⁴¹⁹⁵ tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (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.

[12:40]  ⁴¹⁹⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[12:41]  ⁴²⁰¹ tn 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).

[12:42]  ⁴²⁰⁹ sn 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.

[12:42]  ⁴²¹⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:42]  ⁴²¹¹ tn 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 ὡμολόγουν (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).”

[12:42]  ⁴²¹² tn Or “be expelled from.”

[12:42]  ⁴²¹³ sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[12:43]  ⁴²¹⁷ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ⁴²¹⁸ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:44]  ⁴²²⁵ tn Grk “shouted out and said.”

[12:44]  ⁴²²⁶ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

[12:45]  ⁴²³³ sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.

[12:47]  ⁴²⁴¹ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ⁴²⁴² tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ⁴²⁴³ sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ⁴²⁴⁹ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ⁴²⁵⁰ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ⁴²⁵¹ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ⁴²⁵⁷ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ⁴²⁵⁸ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[12:50]  ⁴²⁶⁵ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ⁴²⁶⁶ tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”

[13:1]  ⁴²⁷³ tn Grk “his hour.”

[13:1]  ⁴²⁷⁴ tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).

[13:1]  ⁴²⁷⁵ tn 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 εἰς τέλος (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, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).

[13:2]  ⁴²⁸¹ tn 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.”

[13:2]  ⁴²⁸² sn 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.

[13:2]  ⁴²⁸³ tn Or “that he should hand over.”

[13:2]  ⁴²⁸⁴ tn Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:3]  ⁴²⁸⁹ tn Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:3]  ⁴²⁹⁰ tn Grk “had given all things into his hands.”

[13:4]  ⁴²⁹⁷ tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[13:4]  ⁴²⁹⁸ tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (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 in this historical context.

[13:4]  ⁴²⁹⁹ tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 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.

[13:5]  ⁴³⁰⁵ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

[13:6]  ⁴³¹³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:6]  ⁴³¹⁴ tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”

[13:7]  ⁴³²¹ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[13:7]  ⁴³²² tn Grk “You do not know.”

[13:7]  ⁴³²³ tn Grk “you will know.”

[13:8]  ⁴³²⁹ tn 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.

[13:8]  ⁴³³⁰ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[13:8]  ⁴³³¹ tn Or “you have no part in me.”

[13:9]  ⁴³³⁷ tn 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.

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴⁶ tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴⁷ tn Or “entirely.”

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴⁸ sn 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”).

[13:10]  ⁴³⁴⁹ tn 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.

[13:11]  ⁴³⁵³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:11]  ⁴³⁵⁴ tn Grk “Not all of you are.”

[13:11]  ⁴³⁵⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[13:12]  ⁴³⁶¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:12]  ⁴³⁶² tn 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.

[13:12]  ⁴³⁶³ tn Grk “Do you know.”

[13:13]  ⁴³⁶⁹ tn Or “rightly.”

[13:13]  ⁴³⁷⁰ tn Grk “and I am these things.”

[13:15]  ⁴³⁷⁷ sn 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).

[13:16]  ⁴³⁸⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[13:16]  ⁴³⁸⁶ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[13:16]  ⁴³⁸⁷ tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).

[13:17]  ⁴³⁹³ tn Grk “If you know.”

[13:18]  ⁴⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”

[13:18]  ⁴⁴⁰² tn Or “The one who shares my food.”

[13:18]  ⁴⁴⁰³ tn 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.

[13:19]  ⁴⁴⁰⁹ tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”

[13:19]  ⁴⁴¹⁰ tn Grk “so that you may believe.”

[13:19]  ⁴⁴¹¹ tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.

[13:20]  ⁴⁴¹⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[13:20]  ⁴⁴¹⁸ tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.

[13:20]  ⁴⁴¹⁹ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

[13:21]  ⁴⁴²⁵ tn Or “greatly troubled.”

[13:21]  ⁴⁴²⁶ tn Grk “and testified and said.”

[13:21]  ⁴⁴²⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[13:21]  ⁴⁴²⁸ tn Or “will hand me over.”

[13:22]  ⁴⁴³³ tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporew).

[13:23]  ⁴⁴⁴¹ sn 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.

[13:23]  ⁴⁴⁴² tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

[13:23]  ⁴⁴⁴³ tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a position of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (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. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.

[13:24]  ⁴⁴⁴⁹ sn 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).

[13:24]  ⁴⁴⁵⁰ tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:24]  ⁴⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:24]  ⁴⁴⁵² sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).

[13:25]  ⁴⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:26]  ⁴⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[13:26]  ⁴⁴⁶⁶ sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).

[13:26]  ⁴⁴⁶⁷ tn 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.

[13:26]  ⁴⁴⁶⁸ tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.

[13:27]  ⁴⁴⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:27]  ⁴⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.

[13:27]  ⁴⁴⁷⁵ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”

[13:28]  ⁴⁴⁸¹ tn 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.

[13:28]  ⁴⁴⁸² tn Or “knew.”

[13:28]  ⁴⁴⁸³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:28]  ⁴⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:29]  ⁴⁴⁸⁹ tn 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).

[13:29]  ⁴⁴⁹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[13:30]  ⁴⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:30]  ⁴⁴⁹⁸ sn 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).

[13:31]  ⁴⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “Then when.”

[13:31]  ⁴⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:32]  ⁴⁵¹³ tc A number of early mss (Ì⁶⁶ א* B C* D L W al as well as several versional witnesses) do not have the words “If God is glorified in him,” while the majority of mss have the clause (so א² A C² Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï lat). Although the mss that omit the words are significantly better witnesses, the omission may have occurred because of an error of sight due to homoioteleuton (v. 31 ends in ἐν αὐτῷ [en autw, “in him”], as does this clause). Further, the typical step-parallelism found in John is retained if the clause is kept intact (TCGNT 205-6). At the same time, it is difficult to explain how such a wide variety of witnesses would have accidentally deleted this clause, and arguments for intentional deletion are not particularly convincing. NA²⁷ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

[13:32]  ⁴⁵¹⁴ tn Or “immediately.”

[13:33]  ⁴⁵²¹ tn Or “You will seek me.”

[13:33]  ⁴⁵²² tn Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) 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). The last option is the one adopted in the translation above.

[13:33]  ⁴⁵²³ sn See John 7:33-34.

[13:33]  ⁴⁵²⁴ tn 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.

[13:34]  ⁴⁵²⁹ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.

[13:34]  ⁴⁵³⁰ sn 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 people. 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.

[13:35]  ⁴⁵³⁷ tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (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.

[13:36]  ⁴⁵⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[13:37]  ⁴⁵⁵³ tn Or “I will die willingly for you.”

[13:38]  ⁴⁵⁶¹ tn Or “Will you die willingly for me?”

[13:38]  ⁴⁵⁶² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[14:1]  ⁴⁵⁶⁹ sn 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.

[14:1]  ⁴⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “Believe in God.” The translation of the two uses of πιστεύετε (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 πιστεύετε 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 πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation “You believe in God; believe also in me.”

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁷⁷ tn Many interpreters have associated μοναί (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 μονή (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 μονή should be related to its cognate verb μένω (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 μοναί by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁷⁸ sn Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father’s house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (μονή, 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 (μένω, menw) in the household forever, but the son remains (μένω) 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 μονή to μένω 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’ postresurrection 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 (AnBib 114).

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁷⁹ tc A number of important mss (Ì^66c א A B C* D K L W Ψ Ë¹³ 33 565 579 892 al lat) have ὅτι (Joti) here, while the majority lack it (Ì^66* C² Θ Ï). Should the ὅτι be included or omitted? The external evidence is significantly stronger for the longer reading. Most Alexandrian and Western mss favor inclusion (it is a little unusual for the Alexandrian to favor the longer reading), while most Byzantine mss favor omission (again, a little unusual). However, the reading of Ì^66*, which aligns with the Byzantine, needs to be given some value. At the same time, the scribe of this papyrus was known for freely omitting and adding words, and the fact that the ms was corrected discounts its testimony here. But because the shorter reading is out of character for the Byzantine text, the shorter reading (omitting the ὅτι) may well be authentic. Internally, the question comes down to whether the shorter reading is more difficult or not. And here, it loses the battle, for it seems to be a clarifying omission (so TCGNT 206). R. E. Brown is certainly right when he states: “all in all, the translation without ὅτι makes the best sense” (John [AB], 2:620). But this tacitly argues for the authenticity of the word. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, the ὅτι should be regarded as authentic.

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁸⁰ tn Or “to prepare.”

[14:2]  ⁴⁵⁸¹ tn Or “If not, would I 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 ὅτι? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not τόπος (topos) is to be equated with μονή (monh). In Rev 12:8 τόπος 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 the Father’s house (see the note on this phrase in v. 2).

[14:3]  ⁴⁵⁸⁵ tn Or “prepare.”

[14:3]  ⁴⁵⁸⁶ tn Or “bring you.”

[14:3]  ⁴⁵⁸⁷ tn Grk “to myself.”

[14:4]  ⁴⁵⁹³ tc Most mss (Ì^66* A C³ D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy sa) read “You know where I am going, and you know the way” (καὶ ὅπου [ἐγὼ] ὑπάγω οἴδατε καὶ τὴν ὁδόν οἴδατε, kai {opou egw Jupagw oidate kai thn Jodon oidate). The difference between this reading and the wording in NA²⁷ (supported by Ì^66c א B C* L Q W 33 579 pc) is the addition of καί before τὴν ὁδόν and οἴδατε after. 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,” although the shorter reading is a bit more awkward syntactically. In light of this, and in light of the expansion already at hand in v. 5, the longer reading appears to be a motivated reading. The shorter reading is thus preferred because of its superior external and internal evidence.

[14:5]  ⁴⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “said to him.”

[14:6]  ⁴⁶⁰⁹ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[14:6]  ⁴⁶¹⁰ tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”

[14:7]  ⁴⁶¹⁷ tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnwkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnwsesqe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnwkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnwkeite an or an hdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The mss that have the perfect ἐγνώκατε in the protasis (Ì⁶⁶ [א D* W] 579 pc it) also have, for the most part, the future indicative γνώσεσθε in the apodosis (Ì⁶⁶ א D W [579] pc sa bo), rendering Jesus’ statement as a first-class condition. The mss that have the pluperfect ἐγνώκειτε in the protasis (A B C D¹ L Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) also have, for the most part, a pluperfect in the apodosis (either ἂν ἤδειτε in B C* [L] Q Ψ 1 33 565 al, or ἐγνώκειτε ἄν in A C³ Θ Ë¹³ Ï), rendering Jesus’ statement a contrary-to-fact second-class condition. The external evidence slightly favors the first-class condition, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by Ì⁶⁶. As well, the fact that the readings with a second-class condition utilize two different verbs with ἄν in different positions suggests that these readings are secondary. However, it could be argued that the second-class conditions are harder readings in that they speak negatively of the apostles (so K. Aland in TCGNT 207); in this case, the ἐγνώκειτε…ἐγνώκειτε ἄν reading should be given preference. Although a decision is difficult, the first-class condition is to be slightly preferred. In this case Jesus promises the disciples that, assuming they have known him, they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (v. 7b) which asserts that “from the present time you know him and have seen him” (cf. John 1:18).

[14:8]  ⁴⁶²⁵ tn Grk “said to him.”

[14:8]  ⁴⁶²⁶ tn Or “and that is enough for us.”

[14:9]  ⁴⁶³³ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[14:9]  ⁴⁶³⁴ tn Or “recognized.”

[14:10]  ⁴⁶⁴¹ tn The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν, 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 (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteuei") expects the answer “yes.” Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (ὑμῖν, 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 (μένων, 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.

[14:10]  ⁴⁶⁴² tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”

[14:10]  ⁴⁶⁴³ tn Or “does.”

[14:10]  ⁴⁶⁴⁴ tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”

[14:11]  ⁴⁶⁴⁹ tn 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.

[14:11]  ⁴⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “because of the works.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁵⁸ tn Or “will do.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁵⁹ tn Grk “the works.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁶⁰ tn Or “that I do.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁶¹ tn Or “will do.”

[14:12]  ⁴⁶⁶² tn Grk “greater works.”

[14:13]  ⁴⁶⁶⁵ tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”

[14:13]  ⁴⁶⁶⁶ tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”

[14:15]  ⁴⁶⁷³ tn Or “will keep.”

[14:15]  ⁴⁶⁷⁴ sn 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.

[14:16]  ⁴⁶⁸¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.

[14:16]  ⁴⁶⁸² tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for παράκλητος 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 than 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.

[14:17]  ⁴⁶⁸⁹ tn Or “cannot receive.”

[14:17]  ⁴⁶⁹⁰ tn Or “he remains.”

[14:17]  ⁴⁶⁹¹ tc Some early and important witnesses (Ì^66* B D* W 1 565 it) have ἐστιν (estin, “he is”) instead of ἔσται (estai, “he will be”) here, while other weighty witnesses ({Ì^66c,75vid א A D¹ L Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33^vid Ï as well as several versions and fathers}), read the future tense. When one considers transcriptional evidence, ἐστιν is the more difficult reading and better explains the rise of the future tense reading, but it must be noted that both Ì⁶⁶ and D were corrected from the present tense to the future. If ἐστιν were the original reading, one would expect a few manuscripts to be corrected to read the present when they originally read the future, but that is not the case. When one considers what the author would have written, the future is on much stronger ground. The immediate context (both in 14:16 and in the chapter as a whole) points to the future, and the theology of the book regards the advent of the Spirit as a decidedly future event (see, e.g., 7:39 and 16:7). The present tense could have arisen from an error of sight on the part of some scribes or more likely from an error of thought as scribes reflected upon the present role of the Spirit. Although a decision is difficult, the future tense is most likely authentic. For further discussion on this textual problem, see James M. Hamilton, Jr., “He Is with You and He Will Be in You” (Ph.D. diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 213-20.

[14:18]  ⁴⁶⁹⁷ tn Or “leave.”

[14:18]  ⁴⁶⁹⁸ tn The entire phrase “abandon you as orphans” could be understood as an idiom meaning, “leave you helpless.”

[14:18]  ⁴⁶⁹⁹ sn 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 postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. Here the postresurrection 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.

[14:19]  ⁴⁷⁰⁵ tn Grk “Yet a little while, and.”

[14:20]  ⁴⁷¹³ tn Grk “will know in that day.”

[14:21]  ⁴⁷²¹ tn Or “keeps.”

[14:21]  ⁴⁷²² tn Grk “obeys them, that one is the one who loves me.”

[14:21]  ⁴⁷²³ tn Grk “And the one.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated to improve the English style.

[14:21]  ⁴⁷²⁴ tn Or “will disclose.”

[14:22]  ⁴⁷²⁹ tn Grk “(not Iscariot).” The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.

[14:22]  ⁴⁷³⁰ tn Grk “said to him.”

[14:22]  ⁴⁷³¹ tn Or “disclose.”

[14:23]  ⁴⁷³⁷ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[14:23]  ⁴⁷³⁸ tn Or “will keep.”

[14:23]  ⁴⁷³⁹ tn 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.

[14:24]  ⁴⁷⁴⁵ tn Or “does not keep.”

[14:24]  ⁴⁷⁴⁶ tn Or “the message.”

[14:25]  ⁴⁷⁵³ tn Or “while remaining” or “while residing.”

[14:26]  ⁴⁷⁶¹ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in v. 16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.

[14:26]  ⁴⁷⁶² tn Grk “that one will teach you.” The words “that one” have been omitted from the translation since they are redundant in English.

[14:26]  ⁴⁷⁶³ tn Grk “all things.”

[14:26]  ⁴⁷⁶⁴ tn Grk “all things.”

[14:27]  ⁴⁷⁶⁹ sn 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.

[14:27]  ⁴⁷⁷⁰ tn 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.

[14:27]  ⁴⁷⁷¹ tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”

[14:27]  ⁴⁷⁷² tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”

[14:28]  ⁴⁷⁷⁷ tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”

[14:28]  ⁴⁷⁷⁸ tn Or “you would rejoice.”

[14:28]  ⁴⁷⁷⁹ sn 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).

[14:29]  ⁴⁷⁸⁵ sn 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.

[14:30]  ⁴⁷⁹³ tn Grk “I will no longer speak many things with you.”

[14:30]  ⁴⁷⁹⁴ sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.

[14:30]  ⁴⁷⁹⁵ tn Grk “in me he has nothing.”

[14:31]  ⁴⁸⁰¹ tn Or “may learn.”

[14:31]  ⁴⁸⁰² tn 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.

[14:31]  ⁴⁸⁰³ sn 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.

[15:1]  ⁴⁸⁰⁹ sn 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.

[15:1]  ⁴⁸¹⁰ tn Or “the farmer.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁸¹⁷ tn Or “He cuts off.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁸¹⁸ tn Or “does not yield.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁸¹⁹ tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[15:2]  ⁴⁸²⁰ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (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 αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει 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.

[15:2]  ⁴⁸²¹ tn Or “that yields.”

[15:3]  ⁴⁸²⁵ sn 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).

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³³ tn Or “Reside.”

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³⁴ tn 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.

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³⁵ sn 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.

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³⁶ tn Or “resides.”

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³⁷ tn While it would be more natural to say “on the vine” (so NAB), the English preposition “in” has been retained here to emphasize the parallelism with the following clause “unless you remain in me.” To speak of remaining “in” a person is not natural English either, but is nevertheless a biblical concept (cf. “in Christ” in Eph 1:3, 4, 6, 7, 11).

[15:4]  ⁴⁸³⁸ tn Or “you reside.”

[15:5]  ⁴⁸⁴¹ tn Or “resides.”

[15:5]  ⁴⁸⁴² tn Or “yields.”

[15:5]  ⁴⁸⁴³ tn 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.

[15:5]  ⁴⁸⁴⁴ tn Or “do.”

[15:6]  ⁴⁸⁴⁹ tn Or “reside.”

[15:6]  ⁴⁸⁵⁰ sn 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).

[15:6]  ⁴⁸⁵¹ tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

[15:7]  ⁴⁸⁵⁷ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ⁴⁸⁵⁸ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ⁴⁸⁵⁹ sn 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.

[15:8]  ⁴⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “glorified.”

[15:8]  ⁴⁸⁶⁶ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ἐν τούτῳ (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.

[15:8]  ⁴⁸⁶⁷ tn Or “yield.”

[15:8]  ⁴⁸⁶⁸ tc Most mss (א A Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) read the future indicative γενήσεσθε (genhsesqe; perhaps best rendered as “[and show that] you will become”), while some early and good witnesses (Ì^66vid B D L Θ 0250 1 565 al) have the aorist subjunctive γένησθε (genhsqe; “[and show that] you are”). The original reading is difficult to determine because the external evidence is fairly evenly divided. On the basis of the external evidence alone the first reading has some credibility because of א and 33, but it is not enough to overthrow the Alexandrian and Western witnesses for the aorist. Some who accept the future indicative see a consecutive (or resultative) sequence between φέρητε (ferhte) in the ἵνα (Jina) clause and γενήσεσθε, so that the disciples’ bearing much fruit results in their becoming disciples. This alleviates the problem of reading a future indicative within a ἵνα clause (a grammatical solecism that is virtually unattested in Attic Greek), although such infrequently occurs in the NT, particularly in the Apocalypse (cf. Gal 2:4; Rev 3:9; 6:4, 11; 8:3; 9:4, 5, 20; 13:12; 14:13; 22:14; even here, however, the Byzantine mss, with א occasionally by their side, almost always change the future indicative to an aorist subjunctive). 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 φέρητε (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 somewhat preferable to accept the aorist subjunctive reading (γένησθε) on the basis of better external testimony.

[15:9]  ⁴⁸⁷³ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁸⁸¹ tn Or “keep.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁸⁸² tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁸⁸³ tn Or “kept.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁸⁸⁴ tn Or “reside.”

[15:11]  ⁴⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “These things I have spoken to you.”

[15:12]  ⁴⁸⁹⁷ sn 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).

[15:13]  ⁴⁹⁰⁵ tn Or “one dies willingly.”

[15:14]  ⁴⁹¹³ sn 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 advisers 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).

[15:15]  ⁴⁹²¹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:15]  ⁴⁹²² tn Or “does not know.”

[15:15]  ⁴⁹²³ tn Grk “all things.”

[15:15]  ⁴⁹²⁴ tn Or “learned.”

[15:16]  ⁴⁹²⁹ sn 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.

[15:16]  ⁴⁹³⁰ tn Or “and yield.”

[15:16]  ⁴⁹³¹ sn 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.

[15:17]  ⁴⁹³⁷ tn Grk “These things.”

[15:18]  ⁴⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “know.”

[15:18]  ⁴⁹⁴⁶ tn Grk “it hated me before you.”

[15:19]  ⁴⁹⁵³ tn Grk “if you were of the world.”

[15:19]  ⁴⁹⁵⁴ tn The words “you as” are not in the original but are supplied for clarity.

[15:19]  ⁴⁹⁵⁵ tn Grk “because you are not of the world.”

[15:19]  ⁴⁹⁵⁶ tn Or “world, therefore.”

[15:19]  ⁴⁹⁵⁷ sn 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.

[15:20]  ⁴⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “Remember the word that I said to you.”

[15:20]  ⁴⁹⁶² tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[15:20]  ⁴⁹⁶³ sn 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.

[15:20]  ⁴⁹⁶⁴ tn Or “if they kept.”

[15:20]  ⁴⁹⁶⁵ tn Or “they will keep.”

[15:21]  ⁴⁹⁶⁹ tn Or “because of.”

[15:21]  ⁴⁹⁷⁰ tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”

[15:22]  ⁴⁹⁷⁷ tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).

[15:24]  ⁴⁹⁸⁵ tn Or “If I had not done.”

[15:24]  ⁴⁹⁸⁶ tn Grk “the works.”

[15:24]  ⁴⁹⁸⁷ tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).

[15:24]  ⁴⁹⁸⁸ tn 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.

[15:24]  ⁴⁹⁸⁹ tn 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.

[15:25]  ⁴⁹⁹³ tn The words “this happened” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.

[15:25]  ⁴⁹⁹⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 35:19 and Ps 69:4. As a technical term law (νόμος, 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).

[15:26]  ⁵⁰⁰¹ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for discussion of how this word is translated.

[15:26]  ⁵⁰⁰² tn Grk “that one.”

[16:1]  ⁵⁰⁰⁹ tn Grk “so that you will not be caused to stumble.”

[16:2]  ⁵⁰¹⁷ tn Or “expel you from.”

[16:2]  ⁵⁰¹⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[16:2]  ⁵⁰¹⁹ tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:2]  ⁵⁰²⁰ sn 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.

[16:3]  ⁵⁰²⁵ tn 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, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:3]  ⁵⁰²⁶ sn 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.

[16:4]  ⁵⁰³³ tn The first half of v. 4 resumes the statement of 16:1, ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν (tauta lelalhka Jumin), in a somewhat more positive fashion, omitting the reference to the disciples being caused to stumble.

[16:4]  ⁵⁰³⁴ tn Grk “their hour.”

[16:4]  ⁵⁰³⁵ tn The words “about them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:4]  ⁵⁰³⁶ sn 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.

[16:5]  ⁵⁰⁴¹ sn 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.

[16:5]  ⁵⁰⁴² sn Now none of the disciples asks Jesus where he is going, and the reason is given in the following verse: They have been overcome with sadness 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.

[16:6]  ⁵⁰⁴⁹ tn Or “distress” or “grief.”

[16:7]  ⁵⁰⁵⁷ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.

[16:8]  ⁵⁰⁶⁵ tn Grk “when that one.”

[16:8]  ⁵⁰⁶⁶ tn Or “will convict the world,” or “will expose the world.” The conjunction περί (peri) is used in 16:8-11 in the sense of “concerning” or “with respect to.” But what about the verb ἐλέγχω (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 ἐλέγχω 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 ἐλέγχω). However, if one wishes to adopt the meaning “prove guilty” for the use of ἐλέγχω 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.

[16:8]  ⁵⁰⁶⁷ tn Grk “and concerning.”

[16:8]  ⁵⁰⁶⁸ tn Grk “and concerning.”

[16:9]  ⁵⁰⁷³ tn Or “that.” It is very difficult to determine whether ὅτι (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.

[16:9]  ⁵⁰⁷⁴ sn 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.

[16:10]  ⁵⁰⁸¹ tn There are two questions that need to be answered: (1) what is the meaning of δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosunh) in this context, and (2) to whom does it pertain – to the world, or to someone else? (1) The word δικαιοσύνη 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 ὅτι (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 δικαιοσύνη 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 δικαιοσύνης (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).

[16:10]  ⁵⁰⁸² tn Or “that.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁰⁸⁹ sn 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.

[16:11]  ⁵⁰⁹⁰ tn Or “that.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁰⁹¹ sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.

[16:11]  ⁵⁰⁹² tn Or “judged.”

[16:12]  ⁵⁰⁹⁷ sn 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).

[16:12]  ⁵⁰⁹⁸ tn Or (perhaps) “you cannot accept.”

[16:13]  ⁵¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “that one.”

[16:13]  ⁵¹⁰⁶ tn Or “will lead.”

[16:13]  ⁵¹⁰⁷ sn 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.

[16:13]  ⁵¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “speak from himself.”

[16:13]  ⁵¹⁰⁹ tn Or will announce to you.”

[16:13]  ⁵¹¹⁰ tn Grk “will tell you the things to come.”

[16:14]  ⁵¹¹³ tn Grk “That one.”

[16:14]  ⁵¹¹⁴ tn Or “will honor me.”

[16:14]  ⁵¹¹⁵ tn Or “he will take.”

[16:14]  ⁵¹¹⁶ tn 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.

[16:14]  ⁵¹¹⁷ tn Or “will announce it to you.”

[16:15]  ⁵¹²¹ tn Grk “I said he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ⁵¹²² tn 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.

[16:15]  ⁵¹²³ tn Or “will announce it to you.”

[16:16]  ⁵¹²⁹ tn Grk “A little while, and you.”

[16:16]  ⁵¹³⁰ tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”

[16:16]  ⁵¹³¹ sn 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 postresurrection 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.

[16:17]  ⁵¹³⁷ tn Grk “What is this that he is saying to us.”

[16:17]  ⁵¹³⁸ tn Grk “A little while, and you.”

[16:17]  ⁵¹³⁹ tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”

[16:17]  ⁵¹⁴⁰ sn 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.

[16:18]  ⁵¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “they kept on saying.”

[16:18]  ⁵¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “What is this that he says.”

[16:18]  ⁵¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “A little while.” Although the phrase τὸ μικρόν (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.

[16:18]  ⁵¹⁴⁸ tn Or “we do not know.”

[16:18]  ⁵¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “what he is speaking.”

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵³ tn Grk “knew.”

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵⁴ tn 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.

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵⁵ tn Καί (kai) has been translated as “so” here to indicate the following statement is a result of Jesus’ observation in v. 19a.

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “inquiring” or “seeking.”

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “A little while, and you.”

[16:19]  ⁵¹⁵⁸ tn Grk “and again a little while, and you.”

[16:20]  ⁵¹⁶¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[16:20]  ⁵¹⁶² tn Or “wail,” “cry.”

[16:20]  ⁵¹⁶³ tn Or “lament.”

[16:20]  ⁵¹⁶⁴ tn Or “sorrowful.”

[16:20]  ⁵¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “will become.”

[16:21]  ⁵¹⁶⁹ sn The same word translated distress here has been translated sadness in the previous verse (a wordplay that is not exactly reproducible in English).

[16:21]  ⁵¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “her hour.”

[16:21]  ⁵¹⁷¹ tn Grk “that a man” (but in a generic sense, referring to a human being).

[16:21]  ⁵¹⁷² sn 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.

[16:22]  ⁵¹⁷⁷ tn Or “distress.”

[16:22]  ⁵¹⁷⁸ sn 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 reinitiates 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.

[16:23]  ⁵¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “And in that day.”

[16:23]  ⁵¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[16:23]  ⁵¹⁸⁷ sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.

[16:24]  ⁵¹⁹³ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[16:25]  ⁵²⁰¹ tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiai") precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. 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.

[16:25]  ⁵²⁰² tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:25]  ⁵²⁰³ tn Or “inform you.”

[16:25]  ⁵²⁰⁴ tn Or “openly.”

[16:26]  ⁵²⁰⁹ tn Grk “In that day.”

[16:26]  ⁵²¹⁰ tn Grk “I do not say to you.”

[16:27]  ⁵²¹⁷ tc A number of early mss (א¹ B C* D L pc co) read πατρός (patros, “Father”) here instead of θεοῦ (qeou, “God”; found in Ì⁵ א*^,2 A C³ W Θ Ψ 33 Ë^1,13 Ï). Although externally πατρός has relatively strong support, it is evidently an assimilation to “I came from the Father” at the beginning of v. 28, or more generally to the consistent mention of God as Father throughout this chapter (πατήρ [pathr, “Father”] occurs eleven times in this chapter, while θεός [qeos, “God”] occurs only two other times [16:2, 30]).

[16:28]  ⁵²²⁵ tn Or “into the world; again.” Here πάλιν (palin) functions as a marker of contrast, with the implication of a sequence.

[16:28]  ⁵²²⁶ sn 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.

[16:29]  ⁵²³³ tn Or “openly.”

[16:29]  ⁵²³⁴ tn Or “not in parables.” or “not in metaphors.”

[16:30]  ⁵²⁴¹ tn Grk “all things.”

[16:30]  ⁵²⁴² tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”

[16:30]  ⁵²⁴³ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[16:30]  ⁵²⁴⁴ tn Or “By this.”

[16:31]  ⁵²⁴⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[16:32]  ⁵²⁵⁷ tn Grk “an hour.”

[16:32]  ⁵²⁵⁸ tn 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.

[16:32]  ⁵²⁵⁹ sn 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.

[16:32]  ⁵²⁶⁰ tn Grk “And” (but with some contrastive force).

[16:32]  ⁵²⁶¹ tn Grk “the Father.”

[16:33]  ⁵²⁶⁵ tn The one Greek term θλῖψις (qliyis) has been 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.

[16:33]  ⁵²⁶⁶ tn Or “but be courageous.”

[16:33]  ⁵²⁶⁷ tn Or “I am victorious over the world,” or “I have overcome the world.”

[17:1]  ⁵²⁷³ tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).

[17:1]  ⁵²⁷⁴ tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.

[17:1]  ⁵²⁷⁵ tn Grk “the hour.”

[17:1]  ⁵²⁷⁶ tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C³ L Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.

[17:2]  ⁵²⁸¹ tn Or “all people”; Grk “all flesh.”

[17:2]  ⁵²⁸² tn Grk “so that to everyone whom you have given to him, he may give to them eternal life.”

[17:3]  ⁵²⁸⁹ tn Using αὕτη δέ (Jauth de) to introduce an explanation is typical Johannine style; it was used before in John 1:19, 3:19, and 15:12.

[17:3]  ⁵²⁹⁰ sn 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 quality 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 (Χριστός, 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 (γινώσκω, 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.

[17:3]  ⁵²⁹¹ tn Or “and Jesus the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[17:4]  ⁵²⁹⁷ tn Or “by finishing” or “by accomplishing.” Jesus now states that he has glorified the Father on earth by finishing (τελειώσας [teleiwsas] is best understood as an adverbial participle of means) the work which the Father had given him to do.

[17:4]  ⁵²⁹⁸ tn Grk “the work that you gave to me so that I may do it.”

[17:5]  ⁵³⁰⁵ tn Or “in your presence”; Grk “with yourself.” The use of παρά (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Λόγος [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (πρὸς τὸν θεόν, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.

[17:5]  ⁵³⁰⁶ tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[17:6]  ⁵³¹³ tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”

[17:6]  ⁵³¹⁴ tn Here “men” is retained as a translation for ἀνθρώποις (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.

[17:6]  ⁵³¹⁵ tn Grk “Yours they were.”

[17:6]  ⁵³¹⁶ tn Or “have kept.”

[17:7]  ⁵³²¹ tn Or “they have come to know,” or “they have learned.”

[17:7]  ⁵³²² tn Grk “all things.”

[17:8]  ⁵³²⁹ tn Grk And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:8]  ⁵³³⁰ tn Or “received.”

[17:8]  ⁵³³¹ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[17:8]  ⁵³³² tn Or “truly.”

[17:8]  ⁵³³³ tn Or have come to know.”

[17:9]  ⁵³³⁷ tn Grk “I am asking.”

[17:9]  ⁵³³⁸ tn Grk “I am not asking.”

[17:9]  ⁵³³⁹ tn Or “because they are yours.”

[17:10]  ⁵³⁴⁵ tn Grk And all things.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:10]  ⁵³⁴⁶ tn Or “Everything I have is yours.”

[17:10]  ⁵³⁴⁷ tn Or “everything you have is mine.”

[17:10]  ⁵³⁴⁸ tn Or “I have been honored among them.”

[17:11]  ⁵³⁵³ tn Grk And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:11]  ⁵³⁵⁴ tn The context indicates that this should be translated as an adversative or contrastive conjunction.

[17:11]  ⁵³⁵⁵ tn Or “protect them”; Grk “keep them.”

[17:11]  ⁵³⁵⁶ tn Or “by your name.”

[17:11]  ⁵³⁵⁷ tn The second repetition of “one” is implied, and is supplied here for clarity.

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶¹ tn Or “I protected them”; Grk “I kept them.”

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶² tn Grk “and guarded them.”

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶³ tn Or “by your name.”

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶⁴ tn Grk And not one.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶⁵ tn Grk “the son of destruction” (a Semitic idiom for one appointed for destruction; here it is a reference to Judas).

[17:12]  ⁵³⁶⁶ sn 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.

[17:13]  ⁵³⁶⁹ tn Grk “they may have.”

[17:13]  ⁵³⁷⁰ tn Or “fulfilled.”

[17:14]  ⁵³⁷⁷ tn Or “your message.”

[17:14]  ⁵³⁷⁸ tn Grk “because they are not of the world.”

[17:14]  ⁵³⁷⁹ tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”

[17:15]  ⁵³⁸⁵ tn Or “that you protect them”; Grk “that you keep them.”

[17:15]  ⁵³⁸⁶ 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.

[17:16]  ⁵³⁹³ tn 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: Verse 14 has οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου (ouk eisin ek tou kosmou), while here the prepositional phrase is stated first: ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσίν (ek tou kosmou ouk eisin). This gives additional emphasis to the idea of the prepositional phrase, i.e., origin, source, or affiliation.

[17:16]  ⁵³⁹⁴ tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”

[17:17]  ⁵⁴⁰¹ tn Or “Consecrate them” or “Sanctify them.”

[17:18]  ⁵⁴⁰⁹ sn 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.

[17:19]  ⁵⁴¹⁷ tn Or “I sanctify.”

[17:19]  ⁵⁴¹⁸ tn Or “for their sake.”

[17:19]  ⁵⁴¹⁹ tn Or “they may be truly consecrated,” or “they may be truly sanctified.”

[17:20]  ⁵⁴²⁵ tn Or “I do not pray.”

[17:20]  ⁵⁴²⁶ tn Although πιστευόντων (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).

[17:20]  ⁵⁴²⁷ tn Grk “their word.”

[17:21]  ⁵⁴³³ tn The words “I pray” are repeated from the first part of v. 20 for clarity.

[17:22]  ⁵⁴⁴¹ tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:23]  ⁵⁴⁴⁹ tn Or “completely unified.”

[17:24]  ⁵⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”

[17:24]  ⁵⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”

[17:25]  ⁵⁴⁶⁵ tn 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 ἔγνωσαν (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).

[17:26]  ⁵⁴⁷³ tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).

[18:1]  ⁵⁴⁸¹ sn 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.

[18:1]  ⁵⁴⁸² tn 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).

[18:1]  ⁵⁴⁸³ tn Or “a garden.”

[18:2]  ⁵⁴⁸⁹ tn Or “often.”

[18:2]  ⁵⁴⁹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:3]  ⁵⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (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 χιλίαρχος (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν 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.

[18:3]  ⁵⁴⁹⁸ tn 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.

[18:3]  ⁵⁴⁹⁹ tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.

[18:3]  ⁵⁵⁰⁰ tn 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.

[18:4]  ⁵⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “knowing all things that were coming upon him.”

[18:4]  ⁵⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “Whom do you seek?”

[18:5]  ⁵⁵¹³ tn Grk “They answered.”

[18:5]  ⁵⁵¹⁴ sn 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).

[18:6]  ⁵⁵²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:6]  ⁵⁵²² tn Grk “moved back” (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).

[18:6]  ⁵⁵²³ sn 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.

[18:7]  ⁵⁵²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:8]  ⁵⁵³⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:8]  ⁵⁵³⁸ tn Grk “if you are seeking.”

[18:8]  ⁵⁵³⁹ tn 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.

[18:8]  ⁵⁵⁴⁰ sn 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.

[18:9]  ⁵⁵⁴⁵ tn 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.

[18:9]  ⁵⁵⁴⁶ sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.

[18:9]  ⁵⁵⁴⁷ tn 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.

[18:10]  ⁵⁵⁵³ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:10]  ⁵⁵⁵⁴ 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).

[18:10]  ⁵⁵⁵⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:11]  ⁵⁵⁶¹ tn 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.

[18:12]  ⁵⁵⁶⁹ tn Grk “a cohort” (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).

[18:12]  ⁵⁵⁷⁰ tn Grk “their chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militaris, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[18:12]  ⁵⁵⁷¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, who were named as “chief priests and Pharisees” in John 18:3.

[18:12]  ⁵⁵⁷² tn Or “seized.”

[18:12]  ⁵⁵⁷³ tn Or “bound him.”

[18:13]  ⁵⁵⁷⁷ tn Grk “up, and brought.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[18:13]  ⁵⁵⁷⁸ sn Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pretrial 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 25:13). 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 “pretrial hearing” before being sent on to the entire Sanhedrin.

[18:14]  ⁵⁵⁸⁵ tn Or “counseled.”

[18:14]  ⁵⁵⁸⁶ tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:14]  ⁵⁵⁸⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:15]  ⁵⁵⁹³ tn 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.

[18:15]  ⁵⁵⁹⁴ tn Grk “that disciple.”

[18:15]  ⁵⁵⁹⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:16]  ⁵⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “spoke to the doorkeeper”; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun θυρωρός (qurwro") may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.

[18:17]  ⁵⁶⁰⁹ tn 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.

[18:17]  ⁵⁶¹⁰ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[18:17]  ⁵⁶¹¹ tn Grk “He said.”

[18:18]  ⁵⁶¹⁷ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:18]  ⁵⁶¹⁸ tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.

[18:18]  ⁵⁶¹⁹ tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”

[18:18]  ⁵⁶²⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:19]  ⁵⁶²⁵ tn 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.

[18:19]  ⁵⁶²⁶ sn 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.

[18:20]  ⁵⁶³³ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[18:20]  ⁵⁶³⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[18:20]  ⁵⁶³⁵ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[18:20]  ⁵⁶³⁶ tn 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.

[18:20]  ⁵⁶³⁷ tn Grk “And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:21]  ⁵⁶⁴¹ tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.

[18:21]  ⁵⁶⁴² tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”

[18:22]  ⁵⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:22]  ⁵⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.

[18:23]  ⁵⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

[18:23]  ⁵⁶⁵⁸ tn Or “something incorrect.”

[18:23]  ⁵⁶⁵⁹ tn Grk “testify.”

[18:23]  ⁵⁶⁶⁰ tn Or “incorrect.”

[18:24]  ⁵⁶⁶⁵ tn Or “still bound.”

[18:24]  ⁵⁶⁶⁶ sn 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.

[18:25]  ⁵⁶⁷³ tn 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.

[18:25]  ⁵⁶⁷⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[18:25]  ⁵⁶⁷⁵ tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:26]  ⁵⁶⁸¹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:26]  ⁵⁶⁸² sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.

[18:26]  ⁵⁶⁸³ tn Or “garden.”

[18:26]  ⁵⁶⁸⁴ tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.

[18:27]  ⁵⁶⁸⁹ tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” 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 (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorofwnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some mss [Ì^37vid,45 ˹] in Matt 26:34) 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. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, efwnhsen alektwr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.

[18:28]  ⁵⁶⁹⁷ tn Grk “to the praetorium.”

[18:28]  ⁵⁶⁹⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:28]  ⁵⁶⁹⁹ tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ⁵⁷⁰⁰ tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[18:29]  ⁵⁷⁰⁵ tn Or “charge.”

[18:29]  ⁵⁷⁰⁶ sn 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.

[18:30]  ⁵⁷¹³ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[18:30]  ⁵⁷¹⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:30]  ⁵⁷¹⁵ tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”

[18:30]  ⁵⁷¹⁶ tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²¹ tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²² tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²³ sn 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.

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²⁵ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:31]  ⁵⁷²⁶ tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”

[18:32]  ⁵⁷²⁹ tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[18:32]  ⁵⁷³⁰ tn Or “making clear.”

[18:32]  ⁵⁷³¹ sn A reference to John 12:32.

[18:33]  ⁵⁷³⁷ tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[18:33]  ⁵⁷³⁸ sn 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.

[18:34]  ⁵⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[18:34]  ⁵⁷⁴⁶ tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”

[18:35]  ⁵⁷⁵³ sn 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.

[18:35]  ⁵⁷⁵⁴ tn Or “your own nation.”

[18:35]  ⁵⁷⁵⁵ tn Or “delivered you over.”

[18:36]  ⁵⁷⁶¹ tn Grk “so that I may not be.”

[18:36]  ⁵⁷⁶² tn Or “delivered over.”

[18:36]  ⁵⁷⁶³ tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.

[18:36]  ⁵⁷⁶⁴ tn Grk “now.”

[18:37]  ⁵⁷⁶⁹ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:37]  ⁵⁷⁷⁰ tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”

[18:38]  ⁵⁷⁷⁷ tn Grk “Pilate said.”

[18:38]  ⁵⁷⁷⁸ sn 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).

[18:38]  ⁵⁷⁷⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. The term also occurs in v. 31, where it is clear the Jewish leaders are in view, because they state that they cannot legally carry out an execution. Although it is likely (in view of the synoptic parallels) that the crowd here in 18:38 was made up not just of the Jewish leaders, but of ordinary residents of Jerusalem and pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, nevertheless in John’s Gospel Pilate is primarily in dialogue with the leadership of the nation, who are expressly mentioned in 18:35 and 19:6.

[18:38]  ⁵⁷⁸⁰ tn Grk “said to them.”

[18:38]  ⁵⁷⁸¹ tn Grk “find no cause.”

[18:39]  ⁵⁷⁸⁵ tn The word “prisoner” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:39]  ⁵⁷⁸⁶ sn 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.

[18:40]  ⁵⁷⁹³ tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 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.

[18:40]  ⁵⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:40]  ⁵⁷⁹⁵ sn 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.

[18:40]  ⁵⁷⁹⁶ tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (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 λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.

[18:40]  ⁵⁷⁹⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:1]  ⁵⁸⁰¹ tn 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. BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1. states, “If J refers to the ‘verberatio’ given those condemned to death (TMommsen, Röm. Strafrecht 1899, 938f; Jos., Bell. 2, 308; 5, 449), it is odd that Pilate subsequently claims no cause for action (vs. 6); but if the latter statement refers only to the penalty of crucifixion, μ. vs. 1 may be equivalent to παιδεύω (q.v. 2bγ) in Lk 23:16, 22 (for μ. of a non-capital offense PFlor I, 61, 61 [85ad]=Mitt-Wilck. II/2, 80 II, 61).”

[19:2]  ⁵⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “And the soldiers.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:2]  ⁵⁸¹⁰ tn Or “wove.”

[19:2]  ⁵⁸¹¹ sn 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).

[19:2]  ⁵⁸¹² sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.

[19:3]  ⁵⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:3]  ⁵⁸¹⁸ tn The words “again and again” are implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἤρχοντο (hrconto).

[19:3]  ⁵⁸¹⁹ tn Or “Long live the King of the Jews!”

[19:3]  ⁵⁸²⁰ tn The word “repeatedly” is implied by the (iterative) imperfect verb ἐδιδοσαν (edidosan).

[19:4]  ⁵⁸²⁵ tn Grk “to them.” The words “the Jewish leaders” are supplied from John 18:38 for clarity.

[19:4]  ⁵⁸²⁶ tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”

[19:5]  ⁵⁸³³ sn See the note on the purple robe in 19:2.

[19:5]  ⁵⁸³⁴ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:5]  ⁵⁸³⁵ sn 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.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴¹ sn 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 statesman and orator Cicero (106-43 b.c.) 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.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴³ tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴⁴ sn 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.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴⁵ tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.

[19:6]  ⁵⁸⁴⁶ tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”

[19:7]  ⁵⁸⁴⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6).

[19:7]  ⁵⁸⁵⁰ tn Grk “answered him.”

[19:7]  ⁵⁸⁵¹ sn This law is not the entire Pentateuch, but Lev 24:16.

[19:7]  ⁵⁸⁵² tn Grk “because he made himself out to be the Son of God.”

[19:8]  ⁵⁸⁵⁷ tn Grk “heard this word.”

[19:8]  ⁵⁸⁵⁸ tn Grk “became more afraid.”

[19:9]  ⁵⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[19:10]  ⁵⁸⁷³ tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.

[19:10]  ⁵⁸⁷⁴ tn Or “the power.”

[19:10]  ⁵⁸⁷⁵ tn 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.

[19:11]  ⁵⁸⁸¹ tn Or “power.”

[19:11]  ⁵⁸⁸² tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”

[19:11]  ⁵⁸⁸³ tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “sought.”

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁹⁰ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish 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 leaders” in v. 7.

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁹¹ tn Grk “shouted out, saying.”

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁹² tn Grk “this one.”

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁹³ sn 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 BDAG 498-99 s.v. Καῖσαρ. E. Bammel (“φίλος τοῦ καίσαρος (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.

[19:12]  ⁵⁸⁹⁴ tn Grk “who makes himself out to be a king.”

[19:13]  ⁵⁸⁹⁷ tn Or “the judge’s seat.”

[19:13]  ⁵⁸⁹⁸ sn 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.

[19:13]  ⁵⁸⁹⁹ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:13]  ⁵⁹⁰⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:14]  ⁵⁹⁰⁵ sn The term day of preparation (παρασκευή, 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).

[19:14]  ⁵⁹⁰⁶ tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”

[19:14]  ⁵⁹⁰⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:14]  ⁵⁹⁰⁸ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:14]  ⁵⁹⁰⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish 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 leaders” in v. 7.

[19:15]  ⁵⁹¹³ tn Grk “Then these.”

[19:15]  ⁵⁹¹⁴ tn The words “with him” (twice) are not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:15]  ⁵⁹¹⁵ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:15]  ⁵⁹¹⁶ tn Grk “Pilate said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because it is clear in English who Pilate is addressing.

[19:16]  ⁵⁹²¹ tn Grk “Then he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:16]  ⁵⁹²² tn Or “delivered him over.”

[19:17]  ⁵⁹²⁹ tn Or “carrying the cross by himself.”

[19:17]  ⁵⁹³⁰ sn 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 κρανίον (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).

[19:17]  ⁵⁹³¹ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:17]  ⁵⁹³² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:18]  ⁵⁹³⁷ tn 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.

[19:18]  ⁵⁹³⁸ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:18]  ⁵⁹³⁹ tn Grk “and with him two others.”

[19:19]  ⁵⁹⁴⁵ tn Or “an inscription.”

[19:19]  ⁵⁹⁴⁶ tn 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.

[19:19]  ⁵⁹⁴⁷ tn Grk “Now it was written.”

[19:20]  ⁵⁹⁵³ tn 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.

[19:20]  ⁵⁹⁵⁴ tn Or “this inscription.”

[19:20]  ⁵⁹⁵⁵ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:21]  ⁵⁹⁶¹ tn Or “the Jewish chief priests.” Nowhere else in the Fourth Gospel are the two expressions οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (Joi arcierei" twn Ioudaiwn) combined. Earlier in 19:15 the chief priests were simply referred to as οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς. It seems likely that this is another example of Johannine irony, to be seen in contrast to the inscription on the cross which read ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (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.”

[19:23]  ⁵⁹⁶⁹ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:23]  ⁵⁹⁷⁰ sn 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.

[19:23]  ⁵⁹⁷¹ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, 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.

[19:23]  ⁵⁹⁷² tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.

[19:23]  ⁵⁹⁷³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:24]  ⁵⁹⁷⁷ tn 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.

[19:24]  ⁵⁹⁷⁸ tn Grk “to see whose it will be.”

[19:24]  ⁵⁹⁷⁹ tn The words “This took place” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[19:24]  ⁵⁹⁸⁰ tn Grk “cast lots.” See the note on “throw dice” earlier in the verse.

[19:25]  ⁵⁹⁸⁵ sn 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.

[19:26]  ⁵⁹⁹³ sn 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 BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). 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.

[19:27]  ⁶⁰⁰¹ tn Grk “from that very hour.”

[19:28]  ⁶⁰⁰⁹ tn Or “that already.”

[19:28]  ⁶⁰¹⁰ tn Or “finished,” “accomplished”; Grk “fulfilled.”

[19:28]  ⁶⁰¹¹ sn A reference to Ps 69:21 or Ps 22:15.

[19:28]  ⁶⁰¹² sn In order to fulfill (τελειωθῇ [teleiwqh], a wordplay on the previous statement that everything was completed [τετέλεσται, 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).

[19:29]  ⁶⁰¹⁷ sn 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.

[19:29]  ⁶⁰¹⁸ sn 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 (κάλαμος, 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).

[19:29]  ⁶⁰¹⁹ tn Or “and brought it.”

[19:30]  ⁶⁰²⁵ tn Grk “Then when.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[19:30]  ⁶⁰²⁶ tn Or “It is accomplished,” “It is finished,” or “It is ended.” See tn on John 13:1.

[19:30]  ⁶⁰²⁷ tn Or “he bowed his head and died”; Grk “he bowed his head and gave over the spirit.”

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³³ sn 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.

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³⁶ tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³⁷ sn 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.

[19:31]  ⁶⁰³⁸ tn 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.

[19:32]  ⁶⁰⁴¹ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:32]  ⁶⁰⁴² tn Grk “with him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:32]  ⁶⁰⁴³ tn Grk “broke the legs of the first and of the other who had been crucified with him.”

[19:34]  ⁶⁰⁴⁹ sn 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 (νύσσω, 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.

[19:34]  ⁶⁰⁵⁰ sn 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.

[19:35]  ⁶⁰⁵⁷ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:35]  ⁶⁰⁵⁸ tn Grk “and that one.”

[19:35]  ⁶⁰⁵⁹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[19:36]  ⁶⁰⁶⁵ sn 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.

[19:37]  ⁶⁰⁷³ sn 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.

[19:38]  ⁶⁰⁸¹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially the Pharisees (see John 12:42). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:38]  ⁶⁰⁸² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:38]  ⁶⁰⁸³ tn Grk “And Pilate.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:38]  ⁶⁰⁸⁴ tn Grk “took away his body.”

[19:39]  ⁶⁰⁸⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁶⁰⁹⁰ sn See John 3:1-21.

[19:39]  ⁶⁰⁹¹ tn Grk “came”; the words “accompanied Joseph” are not in the Greek text but are supplied for clarity.

[19:39]  ⁶⁰⁹² sn Aloes refers to an aromatic resin from a plant similar to a lily, used for embalming a corpse.

[19:39]  ⁶⁰⁹³ sn The Roman pound (λίτρα, litra) weighed twelve ounces or 325 grams. Thus 100 Roman pounds would be about 32.5 kilograms or 75 pounds.

[19:40]  ⁶⁰⁹⁷ tn On this term see BDAG 140-41 s.v. ἄρωμα. The Jews did not practice embalming, so these materials were used to cover the stench of decay and slow decomposition.

[19:40]  ⁶⁰⁹⁸ tn The Fourth Gospel uses ὀθονίοις (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 σινδών (sindwn), a large single piece of linen cloth. If one understands ὀθονίοις 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.

[19:40]  ⁶⁰⁹⁹ tn Grk “cloth as is the custom of the Jews to prepare for burial.”

[19:41]  ⁶¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:41]  ⁶¹⁰⁶ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:41]  ⁶¹⁰⁷ tn Or “an orchard.”

[19:41]  ⁶¹⁰⁸ tn Or “orchard.”

[19:41]  ⁶¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “been placed.”

[19:42]  ⁶¹¹³ sn 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.

[19:42]  ⁶¹¹⁴ sn 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.

[20:1]  ⁶¹²¹ sn 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.

[20:1]  ⁶¹²² sn 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.

[20:1]  ⁶¹²³ tn Grk “from the tomb.”

[20:2]  ⁶¹²⁹ tn Grk “So she ran and came.”

[20:3]  ⁶¹³⁷ tn Grk “went out and were coming to the tomb.”

[20:4]  ⁶¹⁴⁵ sn 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.

[20:4]  ⁶¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “and came first to the tomb.”

[20:5]  ⁶¹⁵³ sn 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.

[20:5]  ⁶¹⁵⁴ sn 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.

[20:6]  ⁶¹⁶¹ tn Grk “And he saw.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[20:7]  ⁶¹⁶⁹ sn 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.

[20:7]  ⁶¹⁷⁰ sn 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 μετά (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.

[20:8]  ⁶¹⁷⁷ sn 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.

[20:9]  ⁶¹⁸⁵ tn Or “yet know.”

[20:9]  ⁶¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:9]  ⁶¹⁸⁷ sn 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.

[20:13]  ⁶¹⁹³ tn The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here.

[20:13]  ⁶¹⁹⁴ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions. This occurs again in v. 15.

[20:13]  ⁶¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “She said to them.”

[20:14]  ⁶²⁰¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[20:15]  ⁶²⁰⁹ tn Grk “that one” (referring to Mary Magdalene).

[20:16]  ⁶²¹⁷ tn Grk “That one.”

[20:16]  ⁶²¹⁸ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[20:16]  ⁶²¹⁹ sn The Aramaic Rabboni means “my teacher” (a title of respect).

[20:16]  ⁶²²⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[20:17]  ⁶²²⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[20:18]  ⁶²³³ tn The words “she told them” are repeated from the first part of the same verse to improve clarity.

[20:18]  ⁶²³⁴ tn Grk “the things.”

[20:18]  ⁶²³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:18]  ⁶²³⁶ tn The first part of Mary’s statement, introduced by ὅτι (Joti), is direct discourse (ἑώρακα τὸν κύριον, Jewraka ton kurion), while the second clause switches to indirect discourse (καὶ ταῦτα εἶπεν αὐτῇ, kai tauta eipen auth). This has the effect of heightening the emphasis on the first part of the statement.

[20:19]  ⁶²⁴¹ tn 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.

[20:19]  ⁶²⁴² tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.

[20:19]  ⁶²⁴³ tn Grk “where they were.”

[20:19]  ⁶²⁴⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (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]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders.

[20:20]  ⁶²⁴⁹ sn 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.

[20:22]  ⁶²⁵⁷ tn Grk “said to them.”

[20:22]  ⁶²⁵⁸ sn He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The use of the Greek verb breathed on (ἐμφυσάω, 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 postresurrection 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.)

[20:23]  ⁶²⁶⁵ tn Grk “they are forgiven to them.” The words “to them” are unnecessary in English and somewhat redundant.

[20:23]  ⁶²⁶⁶ sn 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).

[20:24]  ⁶²⁷³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author; Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[20:25]  ⁶²⁸¹ tn Grk “but he said to them.”

[20:25]  ⁶²⁸² tn Or “marks.”

[20:25]  ⁶²⁸³ tn 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 πιστεύσω (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).

[20:26]  ⁶²⁸⁹ tn Grk “were inside”; the word “together” is implied.

[20:26]  ⁶²⁹⁰ tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.

[20:27]  ⁶²⁹⁷ tn Or “Extend” or “Reach out.” The translation “put” or “reach out” for φέρω (ferw) here is given in BDAG 1052 s.v. 4.

[20:27]  ⁶²⁹⁸ tn Grk “see.” The Greek verb ἴδε (ide) is often used like its cognate ἰδού (idou) in Hellenistic Greek (which is “used to emphasize the …importance of someth.” [BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 1.b.ε]).

[20:27]  ⁶²⁹⁹ tn Or “reach out” or “put.”

[20:27]  ⁶³⁰⁰ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[20:27]  ⁶³⁰¹ tn Grk “and do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

[20:28]  ⁶³⁰⁵ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[20:28]  ⁶³⁰⁶ sn 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 (κύριος [kurios], used by the LXX to translate Yahweh) and God (θεός [qeos], used by the LXX to translate Elohim).

[20:29]  ⁶³¹³ tn Grk “are those.”

[20:29]  ⁶³¹⁴ tn Some translations treat πιστεύσαντες (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).

[20:30]  ⁶³²¹ tn Or “did.”

[20:30]  ⁶³²² tc ‡ Although most mss, including several important ones (Ì⁶⁶ א C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat), read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after τῶν μαθητῶν (twn maqhtwn, “the disciples”), the pronoun is lacking in A B K Δ 0250 al. The weight of the witnesses for the inclusion is somewhat stronger than that for the exclusion. However, the addition of “his” to “disciples” is a frequent scribal emendation and as such is a predictable variant. It is thus most likely that the shorter reading is authentic. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[20:30]  ⁶³²³ tn Grk “are not written.”

[20:30]  ⁶³²⁴ sn 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.

[20:31]  ⁶³²⁹ tn Grk “these things.”

[20:31]  ⁶³³⁰ tn Grk “are written.”

[20:31]  ⁶³³¹ tc ‡ A difficult textual variant is present at this point in the Greek text. Some mss (Ì^66vid א* B Θ 0250 pc) read the present subjunctive πιστεύητε (pisteuhte) after ἵνα (Jina; thus NEB text, “that you may hold the faith”) while others (א² A C D L W Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) read the aorist subjunctive πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) after ἵνα (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, although the present subjunctive has somewhat superior witnesses on its behalf. On internal grounds it is hard to decide which is more likely the original. Many resolve this issue on the basis of a reconstruction of the overall purpose of the Gospel, viz., whether it is addressed to unbelievers or believers. However, since elsewhere in the Gospel of John (1) the present tense can refer to both initial faith and continuation in the faith and (2) the aorist tense simply refrains from commenting on the issue, 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. Nevertheless, if a choice has to be made, the present subjunctive is the preferred reading. NA²⁷ puts the aorist’s sigma in brackets, thus representing both readings virtually equally (so TCGNT 220).

[20:31]  ⁶³³² tn Or “Jesus is the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[20:31]  ⁶³³³ sn 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.

[21:1]  ⁶³³⁷ tn The time reference indicated by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is indefinite, in comparison with the specific “after eight days” (μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ὀκτώ, meq’ Jhmera" oktw) between the two postresurrection appearances of Jesus in 20:26.

[21:1]  ⁶³³⁸ sn The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee (see 6:1).

[21:1]  ⁶³³⁹ tn Grk “how he revealed himself.”

[21:2]  ⁶³⁴⁵ tn Grk “and Thomas.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been 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.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁴⁶ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁴⁷ tn Grk “and Nathanael.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been 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.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁴⁸ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁴⁹ tn Grk “and the sons.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been 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.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁵⁰ sn The sons of Zebedee were James and John.

[21:2]  ⁶³⁵¹ sn 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.

[21:3]  ⁶³⁵³ tn Grk “they said to him.”

[21:5]  ⁶³⁶¹ tn The word προσφάγιον (prosfagion) is unusual. According to BDAG 886 s.v. in Hellenistic Greek it described a side dish to be eaten with bread, and in some contexts was the equivalent of ὄψον (oyon), “fish.” Used in addressing a group of returning fishermen, however, it is quite clear that the speaker had fish in mind.

[21:5]  ⁶³⁶² tn Questions prefaced with μή (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?”).

[21:5]  ⁶³⁶³ tn Grk “They answered him.”

[21:6]  ⁶³⁶⁹ tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:6]  ⁶³⁷⁰ tn 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.

[21:7]  ⁶³⁷⁷ tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”

[21:7]  ⁶³⁷⁸ sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.

[21:7]  ⁶³⁷⁹ tn Grk “for he was naked.” Peter’s behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word γυμνός (gumnos, usually translated “naked”) does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context. It is thus commonly understood to mean “stripped for work” here (cf. NASB, NLT), 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, cf. NAB, “for he was lightly clad”). Believing himself inadequately dressed 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 (διαζώννυμι, 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 and so could not remove it.

[21:7]  ⁶³⁸⁰ tn Grk “threw himself.”

[21:8]  ⁶³⁸⁵ tn Or “about a hundred meters”; Grk “about two hundred cubits.” According to BDAG 812 s.v., a πῆχυς (phcu") was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred πηχῶν (phcwn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).

[21:9]  ⁶³⁹³ tn The words “on the beach” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[21:9]  ⁶³⁹⁴ tn Grk “placed,” “laid.”

[21:10]  ⁶⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “said to them.”

[21:11]  ⁶⁴⁰⁹ tn 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.

[21:11]  ⁶⁴¹⁰ sn 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).

[21:12]  ⁶⁴¹⁷ tn 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.

[21:15]  ⁶⁴²⁵ tc The majority of mss (A C² Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï sy) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here and in vv. 16 and 17, but these are perhaps assimilations to Matt 16:17. The reading “Simon, son of John” is better attested, being found in א¹ (א* only has “Simon” without mention of his father) B C* D L W lat co.

[21:15]  ⁶⁴²⁶ tn To whom (or what) does “these” (τούτων, toutwn) refer? Three possibilities are suggested: (1) τούτων 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 τούτων 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) τούτων 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 τούτων 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.

[21:15]  ⁶⁴²⁷ tn Grk “He said to him.”

[21:15]  ⁶⁴²⁸ tn Is there a significant difference in meaning between the two words for love used in the passage, ἀγαπάω and φιλέω (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 ἀγαπάω and φιλέω 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 ἀγαπάω and φιλέω 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 ἀγαπάω and φιλέω are used to translate the same Hebrew word for love, although ἀγαπάω 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 ἀγαπάω are ‘yes’ even though he answers using the verb φιλέω. 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 ἀγαπάω and φιλέω 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.

[21:15]  ⁶⁴²⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ⁶⁴³³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:16]  ⁶⁴³⁴ tn Grk “said again.” The word “again” (when used in connection with the phrase “a second time”) is redundant and has not been translated.

[21:16]  ⁶⁴³⁵ tn Grk “He said to him.”

[21:16]  ⁶⁴³⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴² tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴³ tn Or “was sad.”

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴⁵ tn Grk “said to.”

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴⁶ tn Grk “and said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴⁷ tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially later ones (A Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï), read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (Jo Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while B C have ᾿Ιησοῦς without the article and א D W ˹ 33 565 al lat lack both. Because of the rapid verbal exchange in this pericope, “Jesus” is virtually required for clarity, providing a temptation to scribes to add the name. Further, the name normally occurs with the article. Although it is possible that B C accidentally omitted the article with the name, it is just as likely that they added the simple name to the text for clarity’s sake, while other witnesses added the article as well. The omission of ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς thus seems most likely to be authentic. NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.

[21:17]  ⁶⁴⁴⁸ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[21:18]  ⁶⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[21:18]  ⁶⁴⁵⁰ tn Or “you girded yourself.”

[21:18]  ⁶⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “others will gird you.”

[21:19]  ⁶⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19]  ⁶⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19]  ⁶⁴⁵⁹ sn 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 [LHD], 88).

[21:19]  ⁶⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:20]  ⁶⁴⁶⁵ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:20]  ⁶⁴⁶⁶ tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.

[21:20]  ⁶⁴⁶⁷ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:20]  ⁶⁴⁶⁸ tn Grk “and said.”

[21:20]  ⁶⁴⁶⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[21:21]  ⁶⁴⁷³ tn Grk “saw this one.”

[21:22]  ⁶⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

[21:22]  ⁶⁴⁸² tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

[21:22]  ⁶⁴⁸³ tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.

[21:23]  ⁶⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “went out.”

[21:23]  ⁶⁴⁹⁰ tn 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).

[21:23]  ⁶⁴⁹¹ tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain”; but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.

[21:23]  ⁶⁴⁹² tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.