Yohanes 2:1--11:57
Konteks2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana 1 in Galilee. 2 Jesus’ mother 3 was there, 2:2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. 4 2:3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” 5 2:4 Jesus replied, 6 “Woman, 7 why are you saying this to me? 8 My time 9 has not yet come.” 2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” 10
2:6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, 11 each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 12 2:7 Jesus told the servants, 13 “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,” 14 and they did. 2:9 When 15 the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from 16 (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he 17 called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Everyone 18 serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper 19 wine when the guests 20 are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, 21 in Cana 22 of Galilee. In this way he revealed 23 his glory, and his disciples believed in him. 24
2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum 25 with his mother and brothers 26 and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 2:13 Now the Jewish feast of Passover 27 was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 28
2:14 29 He found in the temple courts 30 those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. 31 2:15 So he made a whip of cords 32 and drove them all out of the temple courts, 33 with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers 34 and overturned their tables. 2:16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make 35 my Father’s house a marketplace!” 36 2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal 37 for your house will devour me.” 38
2:18 So then the Jewish leaders 39 responded, 40 “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” 41 2:19 Jesus replied, 42 “Destroy 43 this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 2:20 Then the Jewish leaders 44 said to him, “This temple has been under construction 45 for forty-six years, 46 and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 2:21 But Jesus 47 was speaking about the temple of his body. 48 2:22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture 49 and the saying 50 that Jesus had spoken.
2:23 Now while Jesus 51 was in Jerusalem 52 at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. 53 2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. 54 2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, 55 for he knew what was in man. 56
3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee 57 named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, 58 3:2 came to Jesus 59 at night 60 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 61 that you do unless God is with him.” 3:3 Jesus replied, 62 “I tell you the solemn truth, 63 unless a person is born from above, 64 he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 65 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?” 66
3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, 67 unless a person is born of water and spirit, 68 he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, 69 and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all 70 be born from above.’ 71 3:8 The wind 72 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.” 73
3:9 Nicodemus replied, 74 “How can these things be?” 75 3:10 Jesus answered, 76 “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? 77 3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, 78 we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but 79 you people 80 do not accept our testimony. 81 3:12 If I have told you people 82 about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 83 3:13 No one 84 has ascended 85 into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man. 86 3:14 Just as 87 Moses lifted up the serpent 88 in the wilderness, 89 so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 90 3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” 91
3:16 For this is the way 92 God loved the world: He gave his one and only 93 Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish 94 but have eternal life. 95 3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, 96 but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. 97 The one who does not believe has been condemned 98 already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only 99 Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: 100 that the light has come into the world and people 101 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. 102
3:22 After this, 103 Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 3:23 John 104 was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, 105 because water was plentiful there, and people were coming 106 to him 107 and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) 108
3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew 109 concerning ceremonial washing. 110 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, 111 about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”
3:27 John replied, 112 “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,’ 113 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 114 when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. 115 3:30 He must become more important while I become less important.” 116
3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. 117 The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. 118 The one who comes from heaven 119 is superior to all. 120 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. 121 3:34 For the one whom God has sent 122 speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. 123 3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. 124 3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects 125 the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath 126 remains 127 on him.
4:1 Now when Jesus 128 knew that the Pharisees 129 had heard that he 130 was winning 131 and baptizing more disciples than John 4:2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), 132 4:3 he left Judea and set out once more for Galilee. 133
4:4 But he had 134 to pass through Samaria. 135 4:5 Now he came to a Samaritan town 136 called Sychar, 137 near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 138 4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside 139 the well. It was about noon. 140
4:7 A Samaritan woman 141 came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water 142 to drink.” 4:8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies. 143 ) 144 4:9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you – a Jew 145 – ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water 146 to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common 147 with Samaritans.) 148
4:10 Jesus answered 149 her, “If you had known 150 the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water 151 to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 152 4:11 “Sir,” 153 the woman 154 said to him, “you have no bucket and the well 155 is deep; where then do you get this 156 living water? 157 4:12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor 158 Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” 159
4:13 Jesus replied, 160 “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty 161 again. 4:14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, 162 but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain 163 of water springing up 164 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 165 water.” 166 4:16 He 167 said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” 168 4:17 The woman replied, 169 “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, 170 ‘I have no husband,’ 171 4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with 172 now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”
4:19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see 173 that you are a prophet. 4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, 174 and you people 175 say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 176 4:21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, 177 a time 178 is coming when you will worship 179 the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 4:22 You people 180 worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. 181 4:23 But a time 182 is coming – and now is here 183 – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks 184 such people to be 185 his worshipers. 186 4:24 God is spirit, 187 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); 188 “whenever he 189 comes, he will tell 190 us everything.” 191 4:26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”
4:27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. 192 They were shocked 193 because he was speaking 194 with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?” 195 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, 196 4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, 197 can he?” 198 4:30 So 199 they left the town and began coming 200 to him.
4:31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, 201 “Rabbi, eat something.” 202 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 203 to one another, “No one brought him anything 204 to eat, did they?” 205 4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me 206 and to complete 207 his work. 208 4:35 Don’t you say, 209 ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up 210 and see that the fields are already white 211 for harvest! 4:36 The one who reaps receives pay 212 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, 213 ‘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.”
4:39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, 214 “He told me everything I ever did.” 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking 215 him to stay with them. 216 He stayed there two days, 4:41 and because of his word many more 217 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 218 really is the Savior of the world.” 219
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.) 220 4:45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem 221 at the feast 222 (for they themselves had gone to the feast). 223
4:46 Now he came again to Cana 224 in Galilee where he had made the water wine. 225 In 226 Capernaum 227 there was a certain royal official 228 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 229 to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people 230 see signs and wonders you will never believe!” 231 4:49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.” 4:50 Jesus told him, “Go home; 232 your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home. 233
4:51 While he was on his way down, 234 his slaves 235 met him and told him that his son was going to live. 4:52 So he asked them the time 236 when his condition began to improve, 237 and 238 they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon 239 the fever left him.” 4:53 Then the father realized that it was the very time 240 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 241 when he returned from Judea to Galilee.
5:1 After this 242 there was a Jewish feast, 243 and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 244 5:2 Now there is 245 in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate 246 a pool called Bethzatha 247 in Aramaic, 248 which has five covered walkways. 249 5:3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways. 5:4 [[EMPTY]] 250 5:5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. 251 5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized 252 that the man 253 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, 254 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, 255 someone else 256 goes down there 257 before me.” 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat 258 and walk.” 5:9 Immediately the man was healed, 259 and he picked up his mat 260 and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) 261
5:10 So the Jewish leaders 262 said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” 263 5:11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat 264 and walk.’” 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat 265 and walk’?” 266 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, 267 lest anything worse happen to you.” 5:15 The man went away and informed the Jewish leaders 268 that Jesus was the one who had made him well.
5:16 Now because Jesus was doing these things 269 on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders 270 began persecuting 271 him. 5:17 So he 272 told 273 them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” 274 5:18 For this reason the Jewish leaders 275 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, 276 “I tell you the solemn truth, 277 the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, 278 but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father 279 does, the Son does likewise. 280 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, 281 so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. 282 5:22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge 283 anyone, but has assigned 284 all judgment to the Son, 5:23 so that all people 285 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, 286 the one who hears 287 my message 288 and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, 289 but has crossed over from death to life. 5:25 I tell you the solemn truth, 290 a time 291 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 292 authority to execute judgment, 293 because he is the Son of Man.
5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time 294 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. 295 5:30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. 296 Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, 297 because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. 298
5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 5:32 There is another 299 who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 5:33 You have sent to John, 300 and he has testified to the truth. 5:34 (I do not accept 301 human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 5:35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, 302 and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time 303 in his light.
5:36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds 304 that the Father has assigned me to complete – the deeds 305 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 306 have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, 307 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 308 because you think in them you possess eternal life, 309 and it is these same scriptures 310 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 311 praise 312 from people, 313 5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God 314 within you. 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept 315 me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept 316 him. 5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise 317 from one another and don’t seek the praise 318 that comes from the only God? 319
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. 320 5:46 If 321 you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses 322 wrote, how will you believe my words?”
6:1 After this 323 Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). 324 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 325 and sat down there with his disciples. 6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover 326 was near.) 327 6:5 Then Jesus, when he looked up 328 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 329 said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) 330 6:7 Philip replied, 331 “Two hundred silver coins worth 332 of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 6:8 One of Jesus’ disciples, 333 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 334 are these for so many people?”
6:10 Jesus said, “Have 335 the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) 336 So the men 337 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, 338 as much as they wanted. 6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus 339 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 340 left over by the people who had eaten.
6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus 341 performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet 342 who is to come into the world.” 343 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. 344
6:16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 345 6:17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake 346 to Capernaum. 347 (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) 348 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, 349 they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, 350 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 351 realized that only one small boat 352 had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded 353 it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 6:23 But some boats from Tiberias 354 came to shore 355 near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 356 6:24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats 357 and came to Capernaum 358 looking for Jesus.
6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, 359 they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” 360 6:26 Jesus replied, 361 “I tell you the solemn truth, 362 you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. 363 6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears, 364 but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food 365 which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.” 366
6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds 367 God requires?” 368 6:29 Jesus replied, 369 “This is the deed 370 God requires 371 – to believe in the one whom he 372 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 373 ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 374
6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 375 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 376 comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir, 377 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. 378 6:36 But I told you 379 that you have seen me 380 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. 381 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 382 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 383 at the last day.” 384
6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus 385 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, 386 “Do not complain about me to one another. 387 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, 388 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.’ 389 Everyone who hears and learns from the Father 390 comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – he 391 has seen the Father.) 392 6:47 I tell you the solemn truth, 393 the one who believes 394 has eternal life. 395 6:48 I am the bread of life. 396 6:49 Your ancestors 397 ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This 398 is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person 399 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 400 that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus 401 began to argue with one another, 402 “How can this man 403 give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 404 unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, 405 you have no life 406 in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats 407 my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 408 6:55 For my flesh is true 409 food, and my blood is true 410 drink. 6:56 The one who eats 411 my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. 412 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes 413 me will live because of me. 6:58 This 414 is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors 415 ate, but then later died. 416 The one who eats 417 this bread will live forever.”
6:59 Jesus 418 said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue 419 in Capernaum. 420 6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, 421 said, “This is a difficult 422 saying! 423 Who can understand it?” 424 6:61 When Jesus was aware 425 that his disciples were complaining 426 about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? 427 6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? 428 6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! 429 The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. 430 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.) 431 6:65 So Jesus added, 432 “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” 433
6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him 434 and did not accompany him 435 any longer. 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” 436 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 6:69 We 437 have come to believe and to know 438 that you are the Holy One of God!” 439 6:70 Jesus replied, 440 “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” 441 6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, 442 for Judas, 443 one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) 444
7:1 After this 445 Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. 446 He 447 stayed out of Judea 448 because the Jewish leaders 449 wanted 450 to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles 451 was near. 452 7:3 So Jesus’ brothers 453 advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. 454 7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself 455 does anything in secret. 456 If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) 457
7:6 So Jesus replied, 458 “My time 459 has not yet arrived, 460 but you are ready at any opportunity! 461 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 462 to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast 463 because my time 464 has not yet fully arrived.” 465 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 466 himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders 467 were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” 468 7:12 There was 469 a lot of grumbling 470 about him among the crowds. 471 Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” 472 7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. 473
7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts 474 and began to teach. 475 7:15 Then the Jewish leaders 476 were astonished 477 and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” 478 7:16 So Jesus replied, 479 “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. 480 7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, 481 he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. 482 7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority 483 desires 484 to receive honor 485 for himself; the one who desires 486 the honor 487 of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, 488 and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps 489 the law! Why do you want 490 to kill me?”
7:20 The crowd 491 answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! 492 Who is trying to kill you?” 493 7:21 Jesus replied, 494 “I performed one miracle 495 and you are all amazed. 496 7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision 497 (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child 498 on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child 499 is circumcised 500 on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, 501 why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well 502 on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, 503 but judge with proper 504 judgment.”
7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem 505 began to say, “Isn’t this the man 506 they are trying 507 to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, 508 and they are saying nothing to him. 509 Do the rulers really know that this man 510 is the Christ? 511 7:27 But we know where this man 512 comes from. 513 Whenever the Christ 514 comes, no one will know where he comes from.” 515
7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, 516 cried out, 517 “You both know me and know where I come from! 518 And I have not come on my own initiative, 519 but the one who sent me 520 is true. You do not know him, 521 7:29 but 522 I know him, because I have come from him 523 and he 524 sent me.”
7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, 525 but no one laid a hand on him, because his time 526 had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd 527 believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ 528 comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” 529
7:32 The Pharisees 530 heard the crowd 531 murmuring these things about Jesus, 532 so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers 533 to arrest him. 534 7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, 535 and then 536 I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me 537 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”
7:35 Then the Jewish leaders 538 said to one another, “Where is he 539 going to go that we cannot find him? 540 He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed 541 among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? 542 7:36 What did he mean by saying, 543 ‘You will look for me 544 but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”
7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, 545 Jesus stood up and shouted out, 546 “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. 547 Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him 548 will flow rivers of living water.’” 549 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, 550 because Jesus was not yet glorified.) 551
7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd 552 began to say, “This really 553 is the Prophet!” 554 7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” 555 But still others said, “No, 556 for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? 557 7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant 558 of David 559 and comes from Bethlehem, 560 the village where David lived?” 561 7:43 So there was a division in the crowd 562 because of Jesus. 563 7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. 564
7:45 Then the officers 565 returned 566 to the chief priests and Pharisees, 567 who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” 568 7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, 569 “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? 570 7:48 None of the rulers 571 or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? 572 7:49 But this rabble 573 who do not know the law are accursed!”
7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus 574 before and who was one of the rulers, 575 said, 576 7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn 577 a man unless it first hears from him and learns 578 what he is doing, does it?” 579 7:52 They replied, 580 “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? 581 Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet 582 comes from Galilee!”
7:53 583 [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 584 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 585 them. 8:3 The experts in the law 586 and the Pharisees 587 brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, 588 “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death 589 such women. 590 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 591 him.) 592 Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. 593 8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight 594 and replied, 595 “Whoever among you is guiltless 596 may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then 597 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, 598 until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight 599 and said to her, “Woman, 600 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.”]] 601
8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, 602 “I am the light of the world. 603 The one who follows me will never 604 walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees 605 objected, 606 “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” 607 8:14 Jesus answered, 608 “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 609 do not know where I came from or where I am going. 610 8:15 You people 611 judge by outward appearances; 612 I do not judge anyone. 613 8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, 614 because I am not alone when I judge, 615 but I and the Father who sent me do so together. 616 8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. 617 8:18 I testify about myself 618 and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”
8:19 Then they began asking 619 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.” 620 8:20 (Jesus 621 spoke these words near the offering box 622 while he was teaching in the temple courts. 623 No one seized him because his time 624 had not yet come.) 625
8:21 Then Jesus 626 said to them again, 627 “I am going away, and you will look for me 628 but will die in your sin. 629 Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders 630 began to say, 631 “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, 632 “You people 633 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 634 that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, 635 you will die in your sins.”
8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, 636 “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge 637 about you, but the Father 638 who sent me is truthful, 639 and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” 640 8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) 641
8:28 Then Jesus said, 642 “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, 643 and I do nothing on my own initiative, 644 but I speak just what the Father taught me. 645 8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, 646 because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people 647 believed in him.
8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans 648 who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, 649 you are really 650 my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” 651 8:33 “We are descendants 652 of Abraham,” they replied, 653 “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, 654 ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 655 everyone who practices 656 sin is a slave 657 of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family 658 forever, but the son remains forever. 659 8:36 So if the son 660 sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. 661 But you want 662 to kill me, because my teaching 663 makes no progress among you. 664 8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the 665 Father; 666 as for you, 667 practice the things you have heard from the 668 Father!”
8:39 They answered him, 669 “Abraham is our father!” 670 Jesus replied, 671 “If you are 672 Abraham’s children, you would be doing 673 the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying 674 to kill me, a man who has told you 675 the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! 676 8:41 You people 677 are doing the deeds of your father.”
Then 678 they said to Jesus, 679 “We were not born as a result of immorality! 680 We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, 681 “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. 682 I 683 have not come on my own initiative, 684 but he 685 sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept 686 my teaching. 687 8:44 You people 688 are from 689 your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. 690 He 691 was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, 692 because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, 693 he speaks according to his own nature, 694 because he is a liar and the father of lies. 695 8:45 But because I am telling you 696 the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty 697 of any sin? 698 If I am telling you 699 the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to 700 God listens and responds 701 to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, 702 because you don’t belong to God.” 703
8:48 The Judeans 704 replied, 705 “Aren’t we correct in saying 706 that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” 707 8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, 708 but I honor my Father – and yet 709 you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get 710 praise for myself. 711 There is one who demands 712 it, and he also judges. 713 8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, 714 if anyone obeys 715 my teaching, 716 he will never see death.” 717
8:52 Then 718 the Judeans 719 responded, 720 “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! 721 Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet 722 you say, ‘If anyone obeys 723 my teaching, 724 he will never experience 725 death.’ 726 8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? 727 And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, 728 “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. 729 The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people 730 say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet 731 you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, 732 I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey 733 his teaching. 734 8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed 735 to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” 736
8:57 Then the Judeans 737 replied, 738 “You are not yet fifty years old! 739 Have 740 you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, 741 before Abraham came into existence, 742 I am!” 743 8:59 Then they picked up 744 stones to throw at him, 745 but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. 746
9:1 Now as Jesus was passing by, 747 he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 9:2 His disciples asked him, 748 “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man 749 or his parents?” 750 9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man 751 nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that 752 the acts 753 of God may be revealed 754 through what happens to him. 755 9:4 We must perform the deeds 756 of the one who sent me 757 as long as 758 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.” 759 9:6 Having said this, 760 he spat on the ground and made some mud 761 with the saliva. He 762 smeared the mud on the blind man’s 763 eyes 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” 764 (which is translated “sent”). 765 So the blind man 766 went away and washed, and came back seeing.
9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously 767 as a beggar began saying, 768 “Is this not the man 769 who used to sit and beg?” 9:9 Some people said, 770 “This is the man!” 771 while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” 772 The man himself 773 kept insisting, “I am the one!” 774 9:10 So they asked him, 775 “How then were you made to see?” 776 9:11 He replied, 777 “The man called Jesus made mud, 778 smeared it 779 on my eyes and told me, 780 ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” 781 9:12 They said 782 to him, “Where is that man?” 783 He replied, 784 “I don’t know.”
9:13 They brought the man who used to be blind 785 to the Pharisees. 786 9:14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud 787 and caused him to see 788 was a Sabbath.) 789 9:15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. 790 He replied, 791 “He put mud 792 on my eyes and I washed, and now 793 I am able to see.”
9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, 794 “This man is not from God, because he does not observe 795 the Sabbath.” 796 But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform 797 such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division 798 among them. 9:17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, 799 “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” 800 “He is a prophet,” the man replied. 801
9:18 Now the Jewish religious leaders 802 refused to believe 803 that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned 804 the parents of the man who had become able to see. 805 9:19 They asked the parents, 806 “Is this your son, whom you say 807 was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 9:20 So his parents replied, 808 “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. 809 Ask him, he is a mature adult. 810 He will speak for himself.” 9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. 811 For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus 812 to be the Christ 813 would be put out 814 of the synagogue. 815 9:23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, 816 ask him.”) 817
9:24 Then they summoned 818 the man who used to be blind 819 a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. 820 We know that this man 821 is a sinner.” 9:25 He replied, 822 “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?” 823 9:27 He answered, 824 “I told you already and you didn’t listen. 825 Why do you want to hear it 826 again? You people 827 don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”
9:28 They 828 heaped insults 829 on him, saying, 830 “You are his disciple! 831 We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man 832 comes from!” 9:30 The man replied, 833 “This is a remarkable thing, 834 that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! 835 9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to 836 sinners, but if anyone is devout 837 and does his will, God 838 listens to 839 him. 840 9:32 Never before 841 has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. 842 9:33 If this man 843 were not from God, he could do nothing.” 9:34 They replied, 844 “You were born completely in sinfulness, 845 and yet you presume to teach us?” 846 So they threw him out.
9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man 847 and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 848 9:36 The man 849 replied, 850 “And who is he, sir, that 851 I may believe in him?” 9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he 852 is the one speaking with you.” 853 9:38 [He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 854 9:39 Jesus 855 said,] 856 “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, 857 and the ones who see may become blind.”
9:40 Some of the Pharisees 858 who were with him heard this 859 and asked him, 860 “We are not blind too, are we?” 861 9:41 Jesus replied, 862 “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, 863 but now because you claim that you can see, 864 your guilt 865 remains.” 866
10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, 867 the one who does not enter the sheepfold 868 by the door, 869 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 870 opens the door 871 for him, 872 and the sheep hear his voice. He 873 calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 874 10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep 875 out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize 876 his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, 877 but will run away from him, because they do not recognize 878 the stranger’s voice.” 879 10:6 Jesus told them this parable, 880 but they 881 did not understand 882 what he was saying to them.
10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, 883 I am the door for the sheep. 884 10:8 All who came before me were 885 thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 886 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, 887 and find pasture. 888 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill 889 and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 890
10:11 “I am the good 891 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life 892 for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, 893 who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons 894 the sheep and runs away. 895 So the wolf attacks 896 the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, 897 he runs away. 898
10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I 899 know my own 900 and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life 901 for 902 the sheep. 10:16 I have 903 other sheep that do not come from 904 this sheepfold. 905 I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, 906 so that 907 there will be one flock and 908 one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me 909 – because I lay down my life, 910 so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down 911 of my own free will. 912 I have the authority 913 to lay it down, and I have the authority 914 to take it back again. This commandment 915 I received from my Father.”
10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people 916 because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! 917 Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words 918 of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, 919 can it?” 920
10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication 921 in Jerusalem. 922 10:23 It was winter, 923 and Jesus was walking in the temple area 924 in Solomon’s Portico. 925 10:24 The Jewish leaders 926 surrounded him and asked, 927 “How long will you keep us in suspense? 928 If you are the Christ, 929 tell us plainly.” 930 10:25 Jesus replied, 931 “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds 932 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 933 them eternal life, and they will never perish; 934 no one will snatch 935 them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, 936 and no one can snatch 937 them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I 938 are one.” 939
10:31 The Jewish leaders 940 picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them, 941 “I have shown you many good deeds 942 from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders 943 replied, 944 “We are not going to stone you for a good deed 945 but for blasphemy, 946 because 947 you, a man, are claiming to be God.” 948
10:34 Jesus answered, 949 “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 950 10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 951 10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart 952 and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform 953 the deeds 954 of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, 955 so that you may come to know 956 and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then 957 they attempted 958 again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 959
10:40 Jesus 960 went back across the Jordan River 961 again to the place where John 962 had been baptizing at an earlier time, 963 and he stayed there. 10:41 Many 964 came to him and began to say, “John 965 performed 966 no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man 967 was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus 968 there.
11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. 969 11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 970 and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 971 11:3 So the sisters sent a message 972 to Jesus, 973 “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, 974 but to God’s glory, 975 so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 976 11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) 977
11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus 978 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.” 979 11:8 The disciples replied, 980 “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders 981 were just now trying 982 to stone you to death! Are 983 you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, 984 “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, 985 because he sees the light of this world. 986 11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, 987 he stumbles, 988 because the light is not in him.”
11:11 After he said this, he added, 989 “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. 990 But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, 991 “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about 992 his death, but they 993 thought he had been talking about real sleep.) 994
11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad 995 for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. 996 But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus 997 ) 998 said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” 999
11:17 When 1000 Jesus arrived, 1001 he found that Lazarus 1002 had been in the tomb four days already. 1003 11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles 1004 from Jerusalem, 1005 11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region 1006 had come to Martha and Mary to console them 1007 over the loss of their brother.) 1008 11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 1009 11:21 Martha 1010 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 1011 you.” 1012
11:23 Jesus replied, 1013 “Your brother will come back to life again.” 1014 11:24 Martha said, 1015 “I know that he will come back to life again 1016 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 1017 even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. 1018 Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, 1019 “Yes, Lord, I believe 1020 that you are the Christ, 1021 the Son of God who comes into the world.” 1022
11:28 And when she had said this, Martha 1023 went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, 1024 “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” 1025 11:29 So when Mary 1026 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 1027 who were with Mary 1028 in the house consoling her saw her 1029 get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep 1030 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 1031 who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved 1032 in spirit and greatly distressed. 1033 11:34 He asked, 1034 “Where have you laid him?” 1035 They replied, 1036 “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. 1037 11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn 1038 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! 1039 Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus 1040 from dying?”
11:38 Jesus, intensely moved 1041 again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) 1042 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 1043 Martha, the sister of the deceased, 1044 replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, 1045 because he has been buried 1046 four days.” 1047 11:40 Jesus responded, 1048 “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 11:41 So they took away 1049 the stone. Jesus looked upward 1050 and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 1051 11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, 1052 but I said this 1053 for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When 1054 he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, 1055 “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, 1056 and a cloth wrapped around his face. 1057 Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him 1058 and let him go.”
11:45 Then many of the people, 1059 who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus 1060 did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees 1061 and reported to them 1062 what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees 1063 called the council 1064 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, 1065 everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary 1066 and our nation.”
11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, 1067 “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize 1068 that it is more to your advantage to have one man 1069 die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 1070 11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, 1071 but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 1072 11:52 and not for the Jewish nation 1073 only, 1074 but to gather together 1075 into one the children of God who are scattered.) 1076 11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went 1077 around publicly 1078 among the Judeans, 1079 but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, 1080 and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover 1081 was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem 1082 from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 1083 11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, 1084 and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, 1085 “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees 1086 had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus 1087 was should report it, so that they could arrest 1088 him.) 1089
[2:1] 1 map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.
[2:1] 2 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] 3 tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”
[2:2] 4 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] 5 tn The word “left” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[2:3] sn They have no wine left. On the backgrounds of this miracle J. D. M. Derrett pointed out among other things the strong element of reciprocity about weddings in the Ancient Near East. It was possible in certain circumstances to take legal action against the man who failed to provide an appropriate wedding gift. The bridegroom and family here might have been involved in a financial liability for failing to provide adequately for their guests (“Water into Wine,” BZ 7 [1963]: 80-97). Was Mary asking for a miracle? There is no evidence that Jesus had worked any miracles prior to this (although this is an argument from silence). Some think Mary was only reporting the situation, or (as Calvin thought) asking Jesus to give some godly exhortations to the guests and thus relieve the bridegroom’s embarrassment. But the words, and the reply of Jesus in v. 4, seem to imply more. It is not inconceivable that Mary, who had probably been witness to the events of the preceding days, or at least was aware of them, knew that her son’s public career was beginning. She also knew the supernatural events surrounding his birth, and the prophetic words of the angel, and of Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jesus’ dedication. In short, she had good reason to believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and now his public ministry had begun. In this kind of context, her request does seem more significant.
[2:4] 6 tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”
[2:4] 7 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] 8 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] 9 tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).
[2:4] sn The Greek word translated time (ὥρα, Jwra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus’ life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension – though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus’ arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the “hour.” In John 2:4 Jesus’ remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.
[2:5] 10 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] 11 tn Grk “for the purification of the Jews.”
[2:6] 12 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).
[2:6] sn Significantly, these jars held water for Jewish ceremonial washing (purification rituals). The water of Jewish ritual purification has become the wine of the new messianic age. The wine may also be, after the fashion of Johannine double meanings, a reference to the wine of the Lord’s Supper. A number have suggested this, but there does not seem to be anything in the immediate context which compels this; it seems more related to how frequently a given interpreter sees references to the sacraments in John’s Gospel as a whole.
[2:7] 13 tn Grk “them” (it is clear from the context that the servants are addressed).
[2:8] 14 tn Or “the master of ceremonies.”
[2:9] 15 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] 16 tn Grk “and he did not know where it came from.”
[2:9] 17 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] 18 tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).
[2:10] 20 tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:11] 21 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] 22 map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.
[2:11] 23 tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”
[2:11] 24 tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”
[2:12] 25 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] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[2:12] 26 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] 27 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
[2:13] 28 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:14] 29 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
[2:14] 30 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[2:14] sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.
[2:14] 31 tn Grk “the money changers sitting”; the words “at tables” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[2:15] 32 tc Several witnesses, two of which are quite ancient (Ì66,75 L N Ë1 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] 33 tn Grk “the temple.”
[2:15] 34 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] 35 tn Or (perhaps) “Stop making.”
[2:16] 36 tn Or “a house of merchants” (an allusion to Zech 14:21).
[2:16] sn A marketplace. Zech 14:20-21, in context, is clearly a picture of the messianic kingdom. The Hebrew word translated “Canaanite” may also be translated “merchant” or “trader.” Read in this light, Zech 14:21 states that there will be no merchant in the house of the Lord in that day (the day of the Lord, at the establishment of the messianic kingdom). And what would Jesus’ words (and actions) in cleansing the temple have suggested to the observers? That Jesus was fulfilling messianic expectations would have been obvious – especially to the disciples, who had just seen the miracle at Cana with all its messianic implications.
[2:17] 37 tn Or “Fervent devotion to your house.”
[2:17] 38 sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.
[2:18] 39 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] 40 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[2:18] 41 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] 42 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[2:19] 43 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] 44 tn See the note on this phrase in v. 18.
[2:20] 45 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] 46 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
[2:21] 47 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] 48 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.
[2:21] sn Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. For the author, the temple is not just the building, it is Jesus’ resurrected body. Compare the nonlocalized worship mentioned in John 4:21-23, and also Rev 21:22 (there is to be no temple in the New Jerusalem; the Lord and the Lamb are its temple). John points to the fact that, as the place where men go in order to meet God, the temple has been supplanted and replaced by Jesus himself, in whose resurrected person people may now encounter God (see John 1:18, 14:6).
[2:22] 49 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] 50 tn Or “statement”; Grk “word.”
[2:23] 51 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[2:23] 52 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[2:23] 53 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] 54 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] 55 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] 56 tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.
[3:1] 57 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[3:1] 58 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] 59 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:2] 60 tn Or “during the night.”
[3:2] sn Possibly Nicodemus came…at night because he was afraid of public association with Jesus, or he wanted a lengthy discussion without interruptions; no explanation for the timing of the interview is given by the author. But the timing is significant for John in terms of the light-darkness motif – compare John 9:4, 11:10, 13:30 (especially), 19:39, and 21:3. Out of the darkness of his life and religiosity Nicodemus came to the Light of the world. The author probably had multiple meanings or associations in mind here, as is often the case.
[3:2] 61 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] 62 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[3:3] 63 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[3:3] 64 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] sn Or born again. The Greek word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) can mean both “again” and “from above,” giving rise to Nicodemus’ misunderstanding about a second physical birth (v. 4).
[3:3] 65 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] 66 tn The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.
[3:5] 67 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[3:5] 68 tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).
[3:5] sn Jesus’ somewhat enigmatic statement points to the necessity of being born “from above,” because water and wind/spirit/Spirit come from above. Isaiah 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are pertinent examples of water and wind as life-giving symbols of the Spirit of God in his work among people. Both occur in contexts that deal with the future restoration of Israel as a nation prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. It is therefore particularly appropriate that Jesus should introduce them in a conversation about entering the kingdom of God. Note that the Greek word πνεύματος is anarthrous (has no article) in v. 5. This does not mean that spirit in the verse should be read as a direct reference to the Holy Spirit, but that both water and wind are figures (based on passages in the OT, which Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel should have known) that represent the regenerating work of the Spirit in the lives of men and women.
[3:6] 69 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] 70 tn “All” has been supplied to indicate the plural pronoun in the Greek text.
[3:7] 71 tn Or “born again.” The same Greek word with the same double meaning occurs in v. 3.
[3:8] 72 tn The same Greek word, πνεύματος (pneumatos), may be translated “wind” or “spirit.”
[3:8] 73 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] 74 tn Grk “Nicodemus answered and said to him.”
[3:9] 75 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] 76 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to him.”
[3:10] 77 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] 78 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[3:11] 79 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.
[3:11] 80 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] 81 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] 82 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] 83 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] 84 tn Grk “And no one.”
[3:13] 85 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] 86 tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (A[*] Θ Ψ 050 Ë1,13 Ï latt syc,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 syc), or “the one who is from heaven” (0141 pc sys). The witnesses normally considered the best, along with several others, lack the phrase in its entirety (Ì66,75 א B L T Ws 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
[3:13] sn See the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.
[3:14] 87 tn Grk “And just as.”
[3:14] 88 sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.
[3:14] 89 sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.
[3:14] 90 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] 91 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).
[3:15] sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of Jesus’ words through v. 21.
[3:16] 92 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] 93 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] 94 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] 95 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] 96 sn That is, “to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment.”
[3:18] 99 tn See the note on the term “one and only” in 3:16.
[3:19] 100 tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”
[3:19] 101 tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).
[3:21] 102 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] 103 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] 104 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[3:23] 105 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] 106 tn Or “people were continually coming.”
[3:23] 107 tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[3:24] 108 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[3:25] 109 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 Ë1,13 565 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] tn Or “a certain Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” If the emphasis is simply on the individual’s origin, “Judean” would be preferable since it designates a nationality or place of origin. However, the mention of ceremonial washing in the context suggests the dispute was religious in nature, so “Jew” has been retained in the translation here.
[3:25] 110 tn Or “ceremonial cleansing,” or “purification.”
[3:25] sn What was the controversy concerning ceremonial washing? It is not clear. Some have suggested that it was over the relative merits of the baptism of Jesus and John. But what about the ceremonial nature of the washing? There are so many unanswered questions here that even R. E. Brown (who does not usually resort to dislocations in the text as a solution to difficulties) proposes that this dialogue originally took place immediately after 1:19-34 and before the wedding at Cana. (Why else the puzzled hostility of the disciples over the crowds coming to Jesus?) Also, the synoptics imply John was imprisoned before Jesus began his Galilean ministry. At any rate, there is no reason to rearrange the material here – it occurs in this place for a very good reason. As far as the author is concerned, it serves as a further continuation of the point made to Nicodemus, that is, the necessity of being born “from above” (3:3). Note that John the Baptist describes Jesus as “the one who comes from heaven” in 3:31 (ἄνωθεν [anwqen], the same word as in 3:3). There is another lexical tie to preceding material: The subject of the dispute, ceremonial washing (3:25), calls to mind the six stone jars of water changed to wine at the wedding feast in 2:6, put there for “Jewish ceremonial washing.” This section ultimately culminates and concludes ideas begun in chap. 2 and continued in chap. 3. Although the author does not supply details, one scenario would be this: The disciples of John, perplexed after this disagreement with an individual Jew (or with the Jewish authorities), came to John and asked about the fact that Jesus was baptizing and more and more were coming to him. John had been preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sin (see Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). Possibly what the Jew(s) reported to John’s disciples was that Jesus was now setting aside the Jewish purification rituals as unnecessary. To John’s disciples this might also be interpreted as: (a) a falling away from Judaism, and (b) a break with John’s own teaching. That Jesus could have said this is very evident from many incidents in his ministry in all the gospels. The thrust would be that outward cleansing (that is, observance of purification rituals) was not what made a person clean. A new heart within (that is, being born from above) is what makes a person clean. So John’s disciples came to him troubled about an apparent contradiction in doctrine though the explicit problem they mentioned is that Jesus was baptizing and multitudes were coming to him. (Whether Jesus was or was not baptizing really wasn’t the issue though, and John the Baptist knew that because he didn’t mention it in his reply. In 4:2 the author says that Jesus was not baptizing, but his disciples. That reference would seem to cover this incident as well, and so the disciples of John are just reporting what they have heard, or thought they heard.) The real point at issue is the authority of Jesus to “overturn” the system of ritual purification within Judaism. John replied to this question of the authority of Jesus in 3:27-36. In 3:27-30 he reassured his disciples, reminding them that if more people were coming to Jesus, it did not threaten him at all, because “heaven” had ordained it to be so (v. 27). (After all, some of these very disciples of John had presumably heard him tell the Jewish delegation that he was not the Messiah but was sent before him, mentioned in John 1.) Then John compared himself to the friend of the bridegroom who stands by and yet participates in the bridegroom’s joy (v. 29). John was completely content in his own position as forerunner and preparer of the way.
[3:26] 111 tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[3:27] 112 tn Grk “answered and said.”
[3:28] 113 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[3:28] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[3:29] 114 tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).
[3:29] 115 tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”
[3:30] 116 sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of John the Baptist’s words through v. 36.
[3:31] 117 tn Or “is above all.”
[3:31] 118 tn Grk “speaks from the earth.”
[3:31] 119 sn The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word’s preexistence is indicated here.
[3:31] 120 tc Ì75 א* D Ë1 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 (Ì36vid,66 א2 A B L Ws Θ Ψ 083 086 Ë13 33 Ï lat sys,p,h bo). On balance, the longer reading should probably be considered authentic.
[3:31] tn Or “is above all.”
[3:34] 122 tn That is, Christ.
[3:34] 123 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] 124 tn Grk “has given all things into his hand” (an idiom).
[3:36] 125 tn Or “refuses to believe,” or “disobeys.”
[3:36] 126 tn Or “anger because of evil,” or “punishment.”
[4:1] 128 tc Several early and important witnesses, along with the majority of later ones (Ì66c,75 A B C L Ws Ψ 083 Ë13 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 (Ì66* א D Θ 086 Ë1 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] 129 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[4:1] 130 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] 131 tn Grk “was making.”
[4:2] 132 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[4:3] 133 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] 134 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] 135 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
[4:5] 136 tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
[4:5] 137 sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.
[4:5] 138 sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.
[4:6] 139 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] 140 tn Grk “the sixth hour.”
[4:6] sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”
[4:7] 141 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] 142 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
[4:8] 144 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] 145 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] 146 tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
[4:9] 147 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] sn The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.
[4:9] 148 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[4:10] 149 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
[4:10] 150 tn Or “if you knew.”
[4:10] 151 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
[4:10] 152 tn This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.
[4:10] sn The word translated living is used in Greek of flowing water, which leads to the woman’s misunderstanding in the following verse. She thought Jesus was referring to some unknown source of drinkable water.
[4:11] 153 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] 154 tc ‡ Two early and important Greek
[4:11] 155 tn The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ (frear, “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή (phgh).
[4:11] 156 tn The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”
[4:11] 157 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] 158 tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”
[4:12] 159 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] 160 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
[4:13] 161 tn Grk “will thirst.”
[4:14] 162 tn Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.
[4:14] 163 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] 164 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] 165 tn Grk “or come here to draw.”
[4:15] 166 tn The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.
[4:16] 167 tc Most witnesses have “Jesus” here, either with the article (אc C2 D L Ws Ψ 086 Ï lat) or without (א* A Θ Ë1,13 al), while several important and early witnesses lack the name (Ì66,75 B C* 33vid 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] 168 tn Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).
[4:17] 169 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[4:17] 170 tn Grk “Well have you said.”
[4:17] 171 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] 172 tn Grk “the one you have.”
[4:19] 173 tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.
[4:20] 174 sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.
[4:20] 175 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] 176 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:21] 177 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] 179 tn The verb is plural.
[4:22] 180 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] 181 tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.
[4:23] 183 tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
[4:23] 184 sn See also John 4:27.
[4:23] 185 tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”
[4:23] 186 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.
[4:23] sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.
[4:24] 187 tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (qeos) is the subject.
[4:25] 188 tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”
[4:25] sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[4:25] 190 tn Or “he will announce to us.”
[4:25] 191 tn Grk “all things.”
[4:27] 192 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] 193 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] 194 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] 195 tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.
[4:27] sn The question “What do you want?” is John’s editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus’ statement in v. 23: It is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.
[4:28] 196 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] 197 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] 198 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] 199 tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.
[4:30] 200 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] 201 tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”
[4:31] 202 tn The direct object of φάγε (fage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.
[4:33] 203 tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.
[4:33] 204 tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (hnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.
[4:33] 205 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] 206 sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.
[4:34] 207 tn Or “to accomplish.”
[4:34] 208 tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.
[4:34] sn No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: The disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.
[4:35] 209 tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.
[4:35] 210 tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.
[4:35] 211 tn That is, “ripe.”
[4:36] 212 tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.
[4:37] 213 tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after ἀληθινός (alhqino") has not been translated.
[4:39] 214 tn Grk “when she testified.”
[4:40] 215 tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.
[4:40] 216 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] 217 tn Or “and they believed much more.”
[4:42] 218 tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).
[4:42] 219 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] 220 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[4:45] 221 sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.
[4:45] map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:45] 222 sn See John 2:23-25.
[4:45] 223 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] 224 map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.
[4:46] 225 sn See John 2:1-11.
[4:46] 227 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] map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[4:46] 228 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] 229 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] 230 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] 231 tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.
[4:50] 232 tn Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[4:50] 233 tn Grk “and left.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.
[4:51] 234 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] 235 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] 237 tn BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν (komyoteron ecein) as “begin to improve.”
[4:52] 238 tn The second οὖν (oun) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.
[4:52] 239 tn Grk “at the seventh hour.”
[4:53] 240 tn Grk “at that hour.”
[4:54] 241 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] 242 sn The temporal indicator After this is not specific, so it is uncertain how long after the incidents at Cana this occurred.
[5:1] 243 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 {Ì66,75 A B D T Ws 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] sn A Jewish feast. Jews were obligated to go up to Jerusalem for 3 major annual feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. If the first is probably ruled out because of the time of year, the last is not as likely because it forms the central setting for chap. 7 (where there are many indications in the context that Tabernacles is the feast in view.) This leaves the feast of Pentecost, which at some point prior to this time in Jewish tradition (as reflected in Jewish intertestamental literature and later post-Christian rabbinic writings) became identified with the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Such an association might explain Jesus’ reference to Moses in 5:45-46. This is uncertain, however. The only really important fact for the author is that the healing was done on a Sabbath. This is what provoked the controversy with the Jewish authorities recorded in 5:16-47.
[5:1] 244 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:2] 245 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] 246 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] 247 tc Some
[5:2] sn On the location of the pool called Bethzatha, the double-pool of St. Anne is the probable site, and has been excavated; the pools were trapezoidal in shape, 165 ft (49.5 m) wide at one end, 220 ft (66 m) wide at the other, and 315 ft (94.5 m) long, divided by a central partition. There were colonnades (rows of columns) on all 4 sides and on the partition, thus forming the five covered walkways mentioned in John 5:2. Stairways at the corners permitted descent to the pool.
[5:2] 249 tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”
[5:2] sn The pool had five porticoes. These were covered walkways formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the side facing the pool. People could stand, sit, or walk on these colonnaded porches, protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.
[5:4] 250 tc The majority of later
[5:5] 251 tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”
[5:6] 253 tn Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:7] 254 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] 255 tn Grk “while I am going.”
[5:7] 257 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
[5:8] 258 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] 259 tn Grk “became well.”
[5:9] 260 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.
[5:9] 261 tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”
[5:9] sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[5:10] 262 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] 263 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.
[5:11] 264 tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.
[5:12] 265 tc While a number of
[5:12] 266 tn Grk “Pick up and walk”; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.
[5:14] 267 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] 268 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.
[5:16] 269 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] 270 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.
[5:17] 272 tc ‡ Most witnesses (Ì66 A D L Θ Ψ Ë1,13 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] 274 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.
[5:18] 275 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.
[5:19] 276 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[5:19] 277 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[5:19] 278 tn Grk “nothing from himself.”
[5:19] 279 tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:19] 280 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] 281 tn Grk “and makes them live.”
[5:21] 282 tn Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”
[5:22] 284 tn Or “given,” or “handed over.”
[5:23] 285 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] 286 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[5:24] 289 tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”
[5:25] 290 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[5:27] 293 tn Grk “authority to judge.”
[5:29] 295 tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”
[5:30] 296 tn Grk “nothing from myself.”
[5:30] 297 tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”
[5:30] 298 tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”
[5:32] 299 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] 300 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[5:34] 301 tn Or “I do not receive.”
[5:35] 302 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] 303 tn Grk “for an hour.”
[5:36] 305 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] 306 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] 307 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
[5:39] 308 tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
[5:39] 309 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] 310 tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).
[5:41] 311 tn Or “I do not receive.”
[5:41] 312 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
[5:41] 313 tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.
[5:42] 314 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] 315 tn Or “you do not receive.”
[5:43] 316 tn Or “you will receive.”
[5:44] 317 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
[5:44] 318 tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).
[5:44] 319 tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì66,75 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
[5:45] 320 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.
[5:47] 322 tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:1] 323 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] 324 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] 325 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] 326 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
[6:4] 327 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[6:5] 328 tn Grk “when he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).
[6:6] 329 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:6] 330 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[6:7] 331 tn Grk “Philip answered him.”
[6:7] 332 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] 333 tn Grk “one of his disciples.”
[6:9] 334 tn Grk “but what are these”; the word “good” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[6:10] 336 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).
[6:10] 337 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] 338 tn Grk “likewise also (he distributed) from the fish.”
[6:12] 339 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:13] 340 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] 341 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:14] 342 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] 343 sn An allusion to Deut 18:15.
[6:15] 344 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] 345 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] 346 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.
[6:17] 347 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[6:17] 348 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[6:19] 349 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] sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.
[6:19] 350 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] 351 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.
[6:22] 352 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 [Ë13 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] tn Grk “one”; the referent (a small boat) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:23] 354 map For location see Map1 E2; Map2 C2; Map3 C3; Map4 D1; Map5 G4.
[6:23] 355 tn Or “boats from Tiberias landed”; Grk “came.”
[6:23] 356 tc D 091 a e sys,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 [Ë1] Ë13 33 Ï as well as several versions and fathers}) have the words (though {l672 l950 syp 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] 357 tn Or “embarked in the boats.”
[6:24] 358 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[6:25] 359 tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.
[6:25] 360 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] 361 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[6:26] 362 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[6:26] 363 tn Grk “because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled.”
[6:27] 364 tn Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).
[6:27] sn Do not work for the food that disappears. Note the wordplay on “work” here. This does not imply “working” for salvation, since the “work” is later explained (in John 6:29) as “to believe in the one whom he (the Father) sent.”
[6:27] 365 tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.
[6:27] 366 tn Grk “on this one.”
[6:28] 367 tn Grk “the works.”
[6:28] 368 tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”
[6:29] 369 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[6:29] 371 tn Grk “This is the work of God.”
[6:29] 372 tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).
[6:31] 373 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[6:31] 374 sn A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).
[6:32] 375 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[6:34] 377 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] 378 tn Grk “the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever.”
[6:35] sn The one who believes in me will never be thirsty. Note the parallelism between “coming to Jesus” in the first part of v. 35 and “believing in Jesus” in the second part of v. 35. For the author of the Gospel of John these terms are virtually equivalent, both referring to a positive response to Jesus (see John 3:17-21).
[6:36] 379 tn Grk “But I said to you.”
[6:36] 380 tc A few witnesses lack με (me, “me”; א A a b e q sys,c), while the rest of the tradition has the word (Ì66,75vid rell). It is possible that the
[6:37] 381 tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”
[6:39] 382 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] 383 tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”
[6:40] 384 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] 385 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] 386 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[6:43] 387 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] 388 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).
[6:44] sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40).
[6:45] 389 sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.
[6:45] 390 tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”
[6:46] 392 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] 393 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[6:47] 394 tc Most witnesses (A C2 D Ψ Ë1,13 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 (Ì66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.
[6:47] 395 tn Compare John 6:40.
[6:48] 396 tn That is, “the bread that produces (eternal) life.”
[6:49] 397 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[6:50] 399 tn Grk “someone” (τις, tis).
[6:51] 400 tn Grk “And the bread.”
[6:52] 401 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] 402 tn Grk “with one another, saying.”
[6:52] 403 tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”
[6:53] 404 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[6:53] 405 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] 406 tn That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).
[6:54] 407 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] 408 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).
[6:56] 411 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] 412 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] 413 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] 415 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[6:58] 416 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] 417 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] 418 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:59] 419 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] 420 map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.
[6:60] 421 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] 422 tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”
[6:60] 423 tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”
[6:60] 424 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] 425 tn Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”
[6:61] 426 tn Or “were grumbling.”
[6:61] 427 tn Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”)
[6:61] sn Does this cause you to be offended? It became apparent to some of Jesus’ followers at this point that there would be a cost involved in following him. They had taken offense at some of Jesus’ teaching (perhaps the graphic imagery of “eating his flesh” and “drinking his blood,” and Jesus now warned them that if they thought this was a problem, there was an even worse cause for stumbling in store: his upcoming crucifixion (John 6:61b-62). Jesus asked, in effect, “Has what I just taught caused you to stumble? What will you do, then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?” This ascent is to be accomplished through the cross; for John, Jesus’ departure from this world and his return to the Father form one continual movement from cross to resurrection to ascension.
[6:62] 428 tn Or “he was formerly?”
[6:63] 429 tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”
[6:63] 430 tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”
[6:64] 431 sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.
[6:65] 432 tn Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:65] 433 tn Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”
[6:66] 434 tn Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”
[6:66] 435 tn Grk “were not walking with him.”
[6:67] 436 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] 438 sn See 1 John 4:16.
[6:69] 439 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* Ë1 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 syc) have ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Son of God”); the Byzantine text as well as many others (Ψ 0250 Ë13 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.
[6:69] sn You have the words of eternal life…you are the Holy One of God! In contrast to the response of some of his disciples, here is the response of the twelve, whom Jesus then questioned concerning their loyalty to him. This was the big test, and the twelve, with Peter as spokesman, passed with flying colors. The confession here differs considerably from the synoptic accounts (Matt 16:16, Mark 8:29, and Luke 9:20) and concerns directly the disciples’ personal loyalty to Jesus, in contrast to those other disciples who had deserted him (John 6:66).
[6:70] 440 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[6:70] 441 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] 442 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] 443 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:71] 444 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] 445 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
[7:1] 446 tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”
[7:1] 447 tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.
[7:1] 448 tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”
[7:1] 449 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] 450 tn Grk “were seeking.”
[7:2] 451 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] 452 sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (
[7:3] 453 tn Grk “his brothers.”
[7:3] sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.
[7:3] 454 tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”
[7:3] sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.
[7:4] 455 tn Or “seeks to be well known.”
[7:4] 456 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] 457 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[7:6] 458 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”
[7:6] 459 tn Or “my opportunity.”
[7:6] 460 tn Or “is not yet here.”
[7:6] 461 tn Grk “your time is always ready.”
[7:8] 462 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] 463 tc Most
[7:8] 464 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] 465 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] 466 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:11] 467 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] 468 tn Grk “Where is that one?”
[7:12] 469 tn Grk “And there was.”
[7:12] 470 tn Or “complaining.”
[7:12] 471 tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).
[7:13] 473 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] 474 tn Grk “to the temple.”
[7:14] 475 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] 476 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] 477 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] 478 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).
[7:15] sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.
[7:16] 479 tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:16] 480 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:17] 482 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
[7:18] 483 tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”
[7:18] 485 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 487 tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”
[7:18] 488 tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”
[7:19] 489 tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”
[7:20] 491 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).
[7:20] 492 tn Grk “You have a demon!”
[7:20] 493 tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”
[7:20] sn Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.
[7:21] 494 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
[7:21] 495 tn Grk “I did one deed.”
[7:21] 496 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] 497 tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”
[7:22] 498 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] 499 tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.
[7:23] 500 tn Grk “receives circumcision.”
[7:23] 501 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.
[7:23] 502 tn Or “made an entire man well.”
[7:24] 503 tn Or “based on sight.”
[7:24] 504 tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”
[7:25] 505 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[7:25] 506 tn Grk “Is it not this one.”
[7:26] 508 tn Or “speaking openly.”
[7:26] 509 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] 511 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:26] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:27] 513 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] 514 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:27] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:27] 515 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] 516 tn Grk “the temple.”
[7:28] 517 tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”
[7:28] 518 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] 519 tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”
[7:28] 520 tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.
[7:28] 521 tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”
[7:29] 522 tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).
[7:29] 523 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] 524 tn Grk “and that one.”
[7:30] 525 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:30] sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus. This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32.
[7:31] 527 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).
[7:31] 528 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:31] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:31] 529 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] 530 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:32] 531 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).
[7:32] 532 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:32] 533 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] 534 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] 535 tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”
[7:33] 536 tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[7:35] 538 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] 540 tn Grk “will not find him.”
[7:35] 541 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] 542 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?”).
[7:35] sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.
[7:36] 543 tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”
[7:37] 545 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] 546 tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”
[7:38] 547 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
[7:38] 548 tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”
[7:38] 549 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] 550 tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT
[7:39] 551 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[7:40] 552 tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:40] 554 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] 555 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[7:41] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[7:41] 556 tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.
[7:41] 557 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] 558 tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).
[7:42] 559 sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.
[7:42] 560 sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.
[7:42] map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
[7:42] 561 tn Grk “the village where David was.”
[7:43] 562 tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).
[7:43] 563 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:44] 564 sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.
[7:45] 565 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] 567 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[7:45] 568 tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.
[7:47] 569 tn Grk “answered them.”
[7:47] 570 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] 571 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] 572 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] 573 tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.
[7:50] 574 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 575 tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:50] 576 tn Grk “said to them.”
[7:51] 579 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] 580 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[7:52] 581 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] 582 tc At least one early and important ms (Ì66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.
[7:52] tn This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gath Hepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” (b. Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of Ì66 which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).
[7:53] 583 tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best
[7:53] sn Double brackets have been placed around this passage to indicate that most likely it was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. In spite of this, the passage has an important role in the history of the transmission of the text, so it has been included in the translation.
[8:1] 584 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] 585 tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.
[8:3] 586 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] 587 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[8:4] 588 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:5] 589 sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.
[8:5] 590 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] 591 tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”
[8:6] 592 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.
[8:6] 593 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] 594 tn Or “he straightened up.”
[8:7] 595 tn Grk “and said to them.”
[8:8] 597 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] 598 tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”
[8:10] 599 tn Or “straightened up.”
[8:10] 600 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] 601 tc The earliest and best
[8:12] 602 tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”
[8:12] 603 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] 604 tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.
[8:13] 605 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[8:13] 606 tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”
[8:13] 607 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] 608 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”
[8:14] 609 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] 610 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] 611 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.
[8:15] 612 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] 613 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] 614 tn Grk “my judgment is true.”
[8:16] 615 tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
[8:16] 616 tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.
[8:17] 617 sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.
[8:18] 618 tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”
[8:19] 619 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] 620 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] 621 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:20] 622 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] sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1).
[8:20] 623 tn Grk “the temple.”
[8:20] 625 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:21] 626 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:21] 627 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] 628 tn Grk “you will seek me.”
[8:21] 629 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] 630 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] 631 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] 632 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[8:23] 633 tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[8:24] 634 tn Grk “thus I said to you.”
[8:24] 635 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’”).
[8:24] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[8:25] 636 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:26] 637 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] 638 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:26] 639 tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).
[8:26] 640 tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”
[8:27] 641 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] 642 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all
[8:28] 643 tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.
[8:28] 644 tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”
[8:28] 645 tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”
[8:29] 646 tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”
[8:30] 647 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.
[8:31] 648 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] 649 tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”
[8:32] 651 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.
[8:32] sn The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John’s Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, “it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)” (John [NICNT], 457).
[8:33] 652 tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).
[8:33] 653 tn Grk “They answered to him.”
[8:33] 654 tn Or “How is it that you say.”
[8:34] 655 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:34] 656 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] 657 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[8:35] 658 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] 659 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] 660 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] 661 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
[8:37] 662 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
[8:37] 664 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] 665 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
[8:38] 666 tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”
[8:38] 668 tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here (Ì66,75 B L W 070 pc), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë1,13 33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these
[8:39] 669 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
[8:39] 670 tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”
[8:39] 671 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:39] 672 tc Although most
[8:39] 673 tc Some important
[8:39] tn Or “you would do.”
[8:40] 675 tn Grk “has spoken to you.”
[8:40] 676 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] 677 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] 678 tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sys,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë13 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] 679 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:41] 680 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] 681 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[8:42] 682 tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”
[8:42] 683 tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
[8:42] 684 tn Grk “from myself.”
[8:42] 685 tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).
[8:43] 686 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.
[8:44] 688 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
[8:44] 689 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] 690 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
[8:44] 691 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
[8:44] 692 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
[8:44] 693 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
[8:44] 694 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
[8:44] 695 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
[8:45] 696 tn Or “because I tell you.”
[8:46] 697 tn Or “can convict me.”
[8:46] 698 tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”
[8:46] 699 tn Or “if I tell you.”
[8:47] 700 tn Grk “who is of.”
[8:47] 701 tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 702 tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).
[8:47] 703 tn Grk “you are not of God.”
[8:48] 704 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] 705 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[8:48] 706 tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”
[8:48] 707 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] 708 tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”
[8:49] 709 tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:50] 710 tn Grk “I am not seeking.”
[8:50] 712 tn Grk “who seeks.”
[8:50] 713 tn Or “will be the judge.”
[8:51] 714 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:51] 715 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:51] 717 tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:51] sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.
[8:52] 718 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 Ë1,13 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] 719 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] 720 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:52] 721 tn Grk “you have a demon.”
[8:52] 722 tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.
[8:52] 723 tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”
[8:52] 725 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] 726 tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.
[8:53] 727 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] 728 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[8:54] 729 tn Grk “is nothing.”
[8:54] 730 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] 731 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.
[8:55] 732 tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”
[8:56] 735 tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”
[8:56] 736 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] 737 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] 738 tn Grk “said to him.”
[8:57] 739 tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).
[8:58] 741 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[8:58] 742 tn Grk “before Abraham was.”
[8:58] 743 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] 744 tn Grk “they took up.”
[8:59] 745 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] 746 tc Most later witnesses (A Θc Ë1,13 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 א1,2 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
[8:59] tn Grk “from the temple.”
[9:1] 747 tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances.
[9:1] sn Since there is no break with chap. 8, Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. 9 fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). But in the author’s narrative the connection exists – the incident recorded in chap. 9 (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12, I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. 9 is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind (Exod 4:11, Ps 146:8). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18, 35:5, 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.
[9:2] 748 tn Grk “asked him, saying.”
[9:2] 750 tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”
[9:2] sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.
[9:3] 752 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] 753 tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”
[9:3] 754 tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”
[9:4] 756 tn Grk “We must work the works.”
[9:4] 757 tn Or “of him who sent me” (God).
[9:5] 759 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] 760 tn Grk “said these things.”
[9:6] 761 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] 762 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.
[9:7] 764 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] 765 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] 766 tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:8] 768 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.
[9:9] 770 tn Grk “Others were saying.”
[9:9] 771 tn Grk “This is the one.”
[9:9] 772 tn Grk “No, but he is like him.”
[9:9] 773 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:10] 775 tn Grk “So they were saying to him.”
[9:10] 776 tn Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:11] 777 tn Grk “That one answered.”
[9:11] 778 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:11] 779 tn Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.
[9:11] 780 tn Grk “said to me.”
[9:11] 781 tn Or “and I gained my sight.”
[9:12] 782 tn Grk “And they said.”
[9:12] 783 tn Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.
[9:13] 785 tn Grk “who was formerly blind.”
[9:13] 786 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[9:14] 787 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:14] 788 tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:14] 789 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[9:15] 790 tn Or “how he had become able to see.”
[9:15] sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).
[9:15] 791 tn Grk “And he said to them.”
[9:15] 792 tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).
[9:15] 793 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] 794 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] 795 tn Grk “he does not keep.”
[9:16] 796 sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.
[9:16] 798 tn Or “So there was discord.”
[9:17] 799 tn Grk “the blind man.”
[9:17] 800 tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:17] 801 tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”
[9:17] sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”
[9:18] 802 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] 803 tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”
[9:18] 804 tn Grk “they called.”
[9:18] 805 tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”
[9:19] 806 tn Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:19] 807 tn The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).
[9:20] 808 tn Grk “So his parents answered and said.”
[9:21] 809 tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:21] 810 tn Or “he is of age.”
[9:22] 811 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] 812 tn Grk “confessed him.”
[9:22] 813 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[9:22] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[9:22] 814 tn Or “would be expelled from.”
[9:22] 815 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] 816 tn Or “he is of age.”
[9:23] 817 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents’ response.
[9:24] 818 tn Grk “they called.”
[9:24] 819 tn Grk “who was blind.”
[9:24] 820 tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).
[9:24] 821 tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.
[9:25] 822 tn Grk “Then that one answered.”
[9:26] 823 tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:27] 824 tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[9:27] 825 tn Grk “you did not hear.”
[9:27] 826 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] 827 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.
[9:28] 828 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] 829 tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”
[9:28] 831 tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”
[9:29] 832 tn Grk “where this one.”
[9:30] 833 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
[9:30] 834 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
[9:30] 835 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:31] 836 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
[9:31] 838 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:32] 841 tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”
[9:32] 842 tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[9:34] 844 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”
[9:34] 845 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] 846 tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”
[9:35] 847 tn Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[9:35] 848 tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë1,13 33 Ï lat) have θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (Ì66,75 א B D W sys) 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] 850 tn Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”
[9:36] 851 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] 853 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] 854 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] 855 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] 856 tc ‡ Some early and important witnesses (Ì75 א* W b sams 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
[9:39] 857 tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”
[9:40] 858 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[9:40] 859 tn Grk “heard these things.”
[9:40] 860 tn Grk “and said to him.”
[9:40] 861 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] 862 tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”
[9:41] 863 tn Grk “you would not have sin.”
[9:41] 864 tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”
[9:41] 866 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] 867 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:1] 868 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).
[10:3] 870 tn Or “porter” (British English).
[10:3] sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.
[10:3] 871 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] 872 tn Grk “For this one.”
[10:3] 873 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] 874 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] 875 tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[10:4] 876 tn Grk “because they know.”
[10:5] 877 tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”
[10:5] 879 tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”
[10:6] 880 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] 882 tn Or “comprehend.”
[10:7] 883 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:7] 884 tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”
[10:8] 885 tn Grk “are” (present tense).
[10:8] 886 tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”
[10:9] 887 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] 888 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
[10:10] 889 tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).
[10:10] 890 tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
[10:11] 891 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] 892 tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”
[10:11] sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).
[10:12] 893 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] 896 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] 897 tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”
[10:13] 898 tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important
[10:14] 899 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] 900 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] 901 tn Or “I die willingly.”
[10:15] 902 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
[10:16] 903 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] 904 tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”
[10:16] 905 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] 906 tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”
[10:16] 907 tn Grk “voice, and.”
[10:16] 908 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] 909 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
[10:17] 910 tn Or “die willingly.”
[10:18] 911 tn Or “give it up.”
[10:18] 912 tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.
[10:18] 913 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:18] 914 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:19] 916 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] 917 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] 918 tn Or “the sayings.”
[10:21] 919 tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[10:21] 920 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] 921 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] sn The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164
[10:22] 922 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:23] 923 sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.
[10:23] 924 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[10:23] 925 tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
[10:23] sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.
[10:24] 926 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] 927 tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.
[10:24] 928 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] 929 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[10:24] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[10:25] 931 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:25] 932 tn Or “the works.”
[10:28] 933 tn Grk “And I give.”
[10:28] 934 tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”
[10:28] 935 tn Or “no one will seize.”
[10:29] 936 tn Or “is superior to all.”
[10:29] 937 tn Or “no one can seize.”
[10:30] 938 tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.
[10:30] 939 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] 940 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] 941 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[10:32] 942 tn Or “good works.”
[10:33] 943 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] 944 tn Grk “answered him.”
[10:33] 945 tn Or “good work.”
[10:33] 946 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] 947 tn Grk “and because.”
[10:33] 948 tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”
[10:34] 949 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:34] 950 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] 951 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] 952 tn Or “dedicated.”
[10:38] sn Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.
[10:38] 956 tn Or “so that you may learn.”
[10:39] 957 tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν (ezhtoun oun, “then they were seeking”; Ì66 א A L W Ψ Ë1,13 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 (Ì75vid 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] 958 tn Grk “they were seeking.”
[10:39] 959 tn Grk “he departed out of their hand.”
[10:39] sn It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to “arrest” him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches. Nor is it clear whether Jesus’ escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his “hour” comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: His enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.
[10:40] 960 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:40] 961 tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[10:40] 962 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[10:40] 963 tn Grk “formerly.”
[10:40] sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).
[10:41] 964 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] 965 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[10:41] 967 tn Grk “this one.”
[11:1] 969 tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”
[11:2] 970 tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”
[11:2] 971 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] 972 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] 973 tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:4] 974 tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”
[11:4] sn Jesus plainly stated the purpose of Lazarus’ sickness in the plan of God: The end of the matter would not be death, but the glorification of the Son. Johannine double-meanings abound here: Even though death would not be the end of the matter, Lazarus is going to die; and ultimately his death and resurrection would lead to the death and resurrection of the Son of God (11:45-53). Furthermore, the glorification of the Son is not praise that comes to him for the miracle, but his death, resurrection, and return to the Father which the miracle precipitates (note the response of the Jewish authorities in 11:47-53).
[11:4] 975 tn Or “to God’s praise.”
[11:4] 976 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] 977 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] 978 tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:7] 979 sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).
[11:8] 980 tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”
[11:8] 981 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] 983 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] 984 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[11:9] 985 tn Or “he does not trip.”
[11:9] 986 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] 987 tn Grk “in the night.”
[11:11] 989 tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”
[11:11] 990 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] 991 tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”
[11:13] 992 tn Or “speaking about.”
[11:13] 994 tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.
[11:13] sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:15] 995 tn Grk “and I rejoice.”
[11:15] 996 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] 997 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
[11:16] 998 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:16] 999 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] 1000 tn Grk “Then when.”
[11:17] 1002 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:17] 1003 tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).
[11:17] sn There is no description of the journey itself. The author simply states that when Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. He had died some time before this but probably not very long (cf. Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:6,10 who were buried immediately after they died, as was the common practice of the time). There is some later evidence (early 3rd century) of a rabbinic belief that the soul hovered near the body of the deceased for three days, hoping to be able to return to the body. But on the fourth day it saw the beginning of decomposition and finally departed (Leviticus Rabbah 18.1). If this belief is as old as the 1st century, it might suggest the significance of the four days: After this time, resurrection would be a first-order miracle, an unequivocal demonstration of the power of God. It is not certain if the tradition is this early, but it is suggestive. Certainly the author does not appear to attach any symbolic significance to the four days in the narrative.
[11:18] 1004 tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
[11:18] 1005 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:19] 1006 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] 1007 tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”
[11:19] 1008 tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[11:19] sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:20] 1009 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] 1010 tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:22] 1012 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] 1013 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:23] 1014 tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”
[11:23] sn Jesus’ remark to Martha that Lazarus would come back to life again is another example of the misunderstood statement. Martha apparently took it as a customary statement of consolation and joined Jesus in professing belief in the general resurrection of the body at the end of the age. However, as Jesus went on to point out in 11:25-26, Martha’s general understanding of the resurrection at the last day was inadequate for the present situation, for the gift of life that conquers death was a present reality to Jesus. This is consistent with the author’s perspective on eternal life in the Fourth Gospel: It is not only a future reality, but something to be experienced in the present as well. It is also consistent with the so-called “realized eschatology” of the Fourth Gospel.
[11:24] 1015 tn Grk “Martha said to him.”
[11:24] 1016 tn Or “will rise again.”
[11:25] 1017 tn That is, will come to life.
[11:26] 1018 tn Grk “will never die forever.”
[11:27] 1019 tn Grk “She said to him.”
[11:27] 1020 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] 1021 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[11:27] sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
[11:27] 1022 tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”
[11:28] 1023 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:28] 1024 tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).
[11:28] 1025 tn Grk “is calling you.”
[11:29] 1026 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 1027 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] 1028 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 1029 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] 1030 tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
[11:33] 1031 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] 1032 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] 1033 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] 1034 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] 1035 tn Or “Where have you placed him?”
[11:34] 1036 tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.
[11:35] 1037 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] 1038 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] 1039 tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[11:37] 1040 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] 1041 tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”
[11:38] 1042 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:39] 1043 tn Or “Remove the stone.”
[11:39] 1044 tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”
[11:39] 1045 tn Grk “already he stinks.”
[11:39] 1046 tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).
[11:39] 1047 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] 1048 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:41] 1049 tn Or “they removed.”
[11:41] 1050 tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”
[11:41] 1051 tn Or “that you have heard me.”
[11:42] 1052 tn Grk “that you always hear me.”
[11:42] 1053 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[11:43] 1054 tn Grk “And when.”
[11:43] 1055 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] 1056 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] 1057 tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”
[11:44] 1058 tn Grk “Loose him.”
[11:45] 1059 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] 1060 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:46] 1061 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[11:46] 1062 tn Grk “told them.”
[11:47] 1063 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] 1064 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] 1065 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
[11:48] 1066 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
[11:49] 1067 tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:50] 1068 tn Or “you are not considering.”
[11:50] 1069 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] 1070 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] 1071 tn Grk “say this from himself.”
[11:51] 1072 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] 1073 tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.
[11:52] 1074 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] 1075 tn Grk “that he might gather together.”
[11:52] 1076 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:54] 1079 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] 1080 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] 1081 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] 1082 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:55] 1083 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
[11:56] 1084 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
[11:56] 1085 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[11:57] 1086 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] 1087 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
