Yohanes 11:45--12:1
Konteks11:45 Then many of the people, 1 who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus 2 did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees 3 and reported to them 4 what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees 5 called the council 6 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, 7 everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary 8 and our nation.”
11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, 9 “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize 10 that it is more to your advantage to have one man 11 die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 12 11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, 13 but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 14 11:52 and not for the Jewish nation 15 only, 16 but to gather together 17 into one the children of God who are scattered.) 18 11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went 19 around publicly 20 among the Judeans, 21 but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, 22 and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover 23 was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem 24 from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 25 11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, 26 and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, 27 “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees 28 had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus 29 was should report it, so that they could arrest 30 him.) 31
12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he 32 had raised from the dead.
Yohanes 10:1-42
Konteks10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, 33 the one who does not enter the sheepfold 34 by the door, 35 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 36 opens the door 37 for him, 38 and the sheep hear his voice. He 39 calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 40 10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep 41 out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize 42 his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, 43 but will run away from him, because they do not recognize 44 the stranger’s voice.” 45 10:6 Jesus told them this parable, 46 but they 47 did not understand 48 what he was saying to them.
10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, 49 I am the door for the sheep. 50 10:8 All who came before me were 51 thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 52 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, 53 and find pasture. 54 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill 55 and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 56
10:11 “I am the good 57 shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life 58 for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, 59 who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons 60 the sheep and runs away. 61 So the wolf attacks 62 the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, 63 he runs away. 64
10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I 65 know my own 66 and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life 67 for 68 the sheep. 10:16 I have 69 other sheep that do not come from 70 this sheepfold. 71 I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, 72 so that 73 there will be one flock and 74 one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me 75 – because I lay down my life, 76 so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down 77 of my own free will. 78 I have the authority 79 to lay it down, and I have the authority 80 to take it back again. This commandment 81 I received from my Father.”
10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people 82 because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! 83 Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words 84 of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, 85 can it?” 86
10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication 87 in Jerusalem. 88 10:23 It was winter, 89 and Jesus was walking in the temple area 90 in Solomon’s Portico. 91 10:24 The Jewish leaders 92 surrounded him and asked, 93 “How long will you keep us in suspense? 94 If you are the Christ, 95 tell us plainly.” 96 10:25 Jesus replied, 97 “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds 98 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 99 them eternal life, and they will never perish; 100 no one will snatch 101 them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, 102 and no one can snatch 103 them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I 104 are one.” 105
10:31 The Jewish leaders 106 picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them, 107 “I have shown you many good deeds 108 from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders 109 replied, 110 “We are not going to stone you for a good deed 111 but for blasphemy, 112 because 113 you, a man, are claiming to be God.” 114
10:34 Jesus answered, 115 “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 116 10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), 117 10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart 118 and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform 119 the deeds 120 of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, 121 so that you may come to know 122 and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then 123 they attempted 124 again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. 125
10:40 Jesus 126 went back across the Jordan River 127 again to the place where John 128 had been baptizing at an earlier time, 129 and he stayed there. 10:41 Many 130 came to him and began to say, “John 131 performed 132 no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man 133 was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus 134 there.
[11:45] 1 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] 2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:46] 3 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[11:47] 5 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] 6 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] 7 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
[11:48] 8 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
[11:49] 9 tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:50] 10 tn Or “you are not considering.”
[11:50] 11 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] 12 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] 13 tn Grk “say this from himself.”
[11:51] 14 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] 15 tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.
[11:52] 16 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] 17 tn Grk “that he might gather together.”
[11:52] 18 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:54] 21 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] 22 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] 23 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] 24 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:55] 25 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
[11:56] 26 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
[11:56] 27 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[11:57] 28 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] 29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:57] 30 tn Or “could seize.”
[11:57] 31 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:1] 32 tn Grk “whom Jesus,” but a repetition of the proper name (Jesus) here would be redundant in the English clause structure, so the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.
[10:1] 33 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:1] 34 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] 36 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] 37 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] 38 tn Grk “For this one.”
[10:3] 39 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] 40 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] 41 tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[10:4] 42 tn Grk “because they know.”
[10:5] 43 tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”
[10:5] 45 tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”
[10:6] 46 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.
[10:7] 49 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[10:7] 50 tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”
[10:8] 51 tn Grk “are” (present tense).
[10:8] 52 tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”
[10:9] 53 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] 54 sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.
[10:10] 55 tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).
[10:10] 56 tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.
[10:11] 57 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] 58 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] 59 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] 62 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] 63 tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”
[10:13] 64 tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important
[10:14] 65 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] 66 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] 67 tn Or “I die willingly.”
[10:15] 68 tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”
[10:16] 69 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] 70 tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”
[10:16] 71 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] 72 tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”
[10:16] 73 tn Grk “voice, and.”
[10:16] 74 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] 75 tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”
[10:17] 76 tn Or “die willingly.”
[10:18] 77 tn Or “give it up.”
[10:18] 78 tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.
[10:18] 79 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:18] 80 tn Or “I have the right.”
[10:19] 82 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] 83 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] 84 tn Or “the sayings.”
[10:21] 85 tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[10:21] 86 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] 87 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] 88 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[10:23] 89 sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.
[10:23] 90 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[10:23] 91 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] 92 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] 93 tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.
[10:24] 94 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] 95 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] 97 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:28] 99 tn Grk “And I give.”
[10:28] 100 tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”
[10:28] 101 tn Or “no one will seize.”
[10:29] 102 tn Or “is superior to all.”
[10:29] 103 tn Or “no one can seize.”
[10:30] 104 tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.
[10:30] 105 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] 106 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] 107 tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”
[10:32] 108 tn Or “good works.”
[10:33] 109 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] 110 tn Grk “answered him.”
[10:33] 111 tn Or “good work.”
[10:33] 112 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] 113 tn Grk “and because.”
[10:33] 114 tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”
[10:34] 115 tn Grk “answered them.”
[10:34] 116 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] 117 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] 118 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] 122 tn Or “so that you may learn.”
[10:39] 123 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] 124 tn Grk “they were seeking.”
[10:39] 125 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] 126 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[10:40] 127 tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.
[10:40] 128 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
[10:40] 129 tn Grk “formerly.”
[10:40] sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).
[10:41] 130 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] 131 sn John refers to John the Baptist.
