John 10:22-23

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication ¹  in Jerusalem. ²  10:23 It was winter, ³  and Jesus was walking in the temple area ⁴  in Solomon’s Portico. ⁵ 

[10:22]  ¹ 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]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:23]  ³ sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.

[10:23]  ⁴ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[10:23]  ⁵ tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”