Discovery BoxJohn 7:46
Context7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
John 18:12
Context18:12 Then the squad of soldiers 1 with their commanding officer 2 and the officers of the Jewish leaders 3 arrested 4 Jesus and tied him up. 5
John 7:45
Context7:45 Then the officers 6 returned 7 to the chief priests and Pharisees, 8 who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 9
John 18:18
Context18:18 (Now the slaves 10 and the guards 11 were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. 12 Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.) 13
John 19:6
Context19:6 When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify 14 him! Crucify him!” 15 Pilate said, 16 “You take him and crucify him! 17 Certainly 18 I find no reason for an accusation 19 against him!”
John 18:36
Context18:36 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 20 handed over 21 to the Jewish authorities. 22 But as it is, 23 my kingdom is not from here.”
[18:12] 1 tn Grk “a cohort” (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).
[18:12] 2 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] 3 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.
[7:45] 1 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] 3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:45] 4 tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
[18:18] 1 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[18:18] 2 tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.
[18:18] 3 tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”
[18:18] 4 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[19:6] 1 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
[19:6] 2 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from context.
[19:6] 3 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
[19:6] 4 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] 5 tn On this use of γάρ (gar) used in exclamations and strong affirmations, see BDAG 190 s.v. γάρ 3.
[19:6] 6 tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”
[18:36] 1 tn Grk “so that I may not be.”
[18:36] 2 tn Or “delivered over.”
[18:36] 3 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.
