John 18:15-18

Context

Peter’s First Denial

18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas.¹ (Now the other disciple² was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.)³ 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,⁴ and brought Peter inside. 18:17 The girl⁵ who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”⁶ He replied,⁷ “I am not.” 18:18 (Now the slaves⁸ and the guards⁹ were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold.¹⁰ Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.)¹¹

[18:15] ¹tn 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] ²tn Grk “that disciple.”

[18:15] ³sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:16] ⁴tn 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] ⁵tn 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] ⁶tn 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] ⁷tn Grk “He said.”

[18:18] ⁸tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:18] ⁹tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.

[18:18] ¹⁰tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”

[18:18] ¹¹sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.