Yohanes 1:1-2

The Prologue to the Gospel

1:1 In the beginning ¹  was the Word, and the Word was with God, ²  and the Word was fully God. ³  1:2 The Word ⁴  was with God in the beginning.

Yohanes 1:4

1:4 In him was life, ⁵  and the life was the light of mankind. ⁶ 

Yohanes 1:8-10

1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify ⁷  about the light. 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, ⁸  was coming into the world. ⁹  1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created ¹⁰  by him, but ¹¹  the world did not recognize ¹²  him.

Yohanes 1:15

1:15 John ¹³  testified ¹⁴  about him and shouted out, ¹⁵  “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am, ¹⁶  because he existed before me.’”

Yohanes 1:28

1:28 These things happened in Bethany ¹⁷  across the Jordan River ¹⁸  where John was baptizing.

Yohanes 1:30

1:30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am, ¹⁹  because he existed before me.’

Yohanes 1:39-40

1:39 Jesus ²⁰  answered, ²¹  “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ²² 

Andrew’s Declaration

1:40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said ²³  and followed Jesus. ²⁴ 

Yohanes 1:44

1:44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, ²⁵  the town of ²⁶  Andrew and Peter.)

Yohanes 2:1

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ²⁷  in Galilee. ²⁸  Jesus’ mother ²⁹  was there,

Yohanes 2:13

2:13 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ³⁰  was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ³¹ 

Yohanes 2:23

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ³²  was in Jerusalem ³³  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ³⁴ 

Yohanes 2:25--3:1

2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ³⁵  for he knew what was in man. ³⁶ 

Conversation with Nicodemus

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee ³⁷  named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, ³⁸ 

Yohanes 3:19

3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ³⁹  that the light has come into the world and people ⁴⁰  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

Yohanes 3:23-24

3:23 John ⁴¹  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ⁴²  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ⁴³  to him ⁴⁴  and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ⁴⁵ 

Yohanes 3:26

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, ⁴⁶  about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

Yohanes 4:6

4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ⁴⁷  the well. It was about noon. ⁴⁸ 

Yohanes 4:32

4:32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

Yohanes 4:46

Healing the Royal Official’s Son

4:46 Now he came again to Cana ⁴⁹  in Galilee where he had made the water wine. ⁵⁰  In ⁵¹  Capernaum ⁵²  there was a certain royal official ⁵³  whose son was sick.

Yohanes 5:1

Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda

5:1 After this ⁵⁴  there was a Jewish feast, ⁵⁵  and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ⁵⁶ 

Yohanes 5:5

5:5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. ⁵⁷ 

Yohanes 5:9

5:9 Immediately the man was healed, ⁵⁸  and he picked up his mat ⁵⁹  and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) ⁶⁰ 

Yohanes 5:32

5:32 There is another ⁶¹  who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true.

Yohanes 5:35

5:35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, ⁶²  and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time ⁶³  in his light.

Yohanes 6:4

6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover ⁶⁴  was near.) ⁶⁵ 

Yohanes 6:10

6:10 Jesus said, “Have ⁶⁶  the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) ⁶⁷  So the men ⁶⁸  sat down, about five thousand in number.

Yohanes 6:21-22

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 ⁶⁹  realized that only one small boat ⁷⁰  had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded ⁷¹  it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

Yohanes 6:27

6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears, ⁷²  but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food ⁷³  which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.” ⁷⁴ 

Yohanes 6:62

6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ⁷⁵ 

Yohanes 7:2

7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles ⁷⁶  was near. ⁷⁷ 

Yohanes 7:12

7:12 There was ⁷⁸  a lot of grumbling ⁷⁹  about him among the crowds. ⁸⁰  Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” ⁸¹ 

Yohanes 7:39

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, ⁸²  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ⁸³ 

Yohanes 7:42

7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant ⁸⁴  of David ⁸⁵  and comes from Bethlehem, ⁸⁶  the village where David lived?” ⁸⁷ 

Yohanes 8:40

8:40 But now you are trying ⁸⁸  to kill me, a man who has told you ⁸⁹  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁹⁰ 

Yohanes 8:42

8:42 Jesus replied, ⁹¹  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ⁹²  I ⁹³  have not come on my own initiative, ⁹⁴  but he ⁹⁵  sent me.

Yohanes 8:44

8:44 You people ⁹⁶  are from ⁹⁷  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁹⁸  He ⁹⁹  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ¹⁰⁰  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ¹⁰¹  he speaks according to his own nature, ¹⁰²  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ¹⁰³ 

Yohanes 9:8

9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously ¹⁰⁴  as a beggar began saying, ¹⁰⁵  “Is this not the man ¹⁰⁶  who used to sit and beg?”

Yohanes 9:14

9:14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud ¹⁰⁷  and caused him to see ¹⁰⁸  was a Sabbath.) ¹⁰⁹ 

Yohanes 9:16

9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, ¹¹⁰  “This man is not from God, because he does not observe ¹¹¹  the Sabbath.” ¹¹²  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform ¹¹³  such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division ¹¹⁴  among them.

Yohanes 9:18

9:18 Now the Jewish religious leaders ¹¹⁵  refused to believe ¹¹⁶  that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned ¹¹⁷  the parents of the man who had become able to see. ¹¹⁸ 

Yohanes 9:24

9:24 Then they summoned ¹¹⁹  the man who used to be blind ¹²⁰  a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. ¹²¹  We know that this man ¹²²  is a sinner.”

Yohanes 9:33

9:33 If this man ¹²³  were not from God, he could do nothing.”

Yohanes 10:6

10:6 Jesus told them this parable, ¹²⁴  but they ¹²⁵  did not understand ¹²⁶  what he was saying to them.

Yohanes 10:22

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication ¹²⁷  in Jerusalem. ¹²⁸ 

Yohanes 10:40-41

10:40 Jesus ¹²⁹  went back across the Jordan River ¹³⁰  again to the place where John ¹³¹  had been baptizing at an earlier time, ¹³²  and he stayed there. 10:41 Many ¹³³  came to him and began to say, “John ¹³⁴  performed ¹³⁵  no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man ¹³⁶  was true!”

Yohanes 11:1-2

The Death of Lazarus

11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ¹³⁷  11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil ¹³⁸  and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) ¹³⁹ 

Yohanes 11:6

11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus ¹⁴⁰  was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days.

Yohanes 11:18

11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles ¹⁴¹  from Jerusalem, ¹⁴² 

Yohanes 11:30

11:30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.)

Yohanes 11:32

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.”

Yohanes 11:38

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

11:38 Jesus, intensely moved ¹⁴³  again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) ¹⁴⁴ 

Yohanes 11:55

11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹⁴⁵  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ¹⁴⁶  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ¹⁴⁷ 

Yohanes 12:1-2

Jesus’ Anointing

12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he ¹⁴⁸  had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus ¹⁴⁹  there. Martha ¹⁵⁰  was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table ¹⁵¹  with him.

Yohanes 12:6

12:6 (Now Judas ¹⁵²  said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, ¹⁵³  he used to steal what was put into it.) ¹⁵⁴ 

Yohanes 12:16

12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, ¹⁵⁵  but when Jesus was glorified, ¹⁵⁶  then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened ¹⁵⁷  to him.) ¹⁵⁸ 

Yohanes 13:5

13:5 He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel he had wrapped around himself. ¹⁵⁹ 

Yohanes 13:23

13:23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, ¹⁶⁰  was at the table ¹⁶¹  to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. ¹⁶² 

Yohanes 13:30

13:30 Judas ¹⁶³  took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.) ¹⁶⁴ 

Yohanes 17:22

17:22 The glory ¹⁶⁵  you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one –

Yohanes 17:24

17:24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, ¹⁶⁶  so that they can see my glory that you gave me because you loved me before the creation of the world ¹⁶⁷ .

Yohanes 17:26--18:1

17:26 I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, ¹⁶⁸  so that the love you have loved me with may be in them, and I may be in them.”

Betrayal and Arrest

18:1 When he had said these things, ¹⁶⁹  Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. ¹⁷⁰  There was an orchard ¹⁷¹  there, and he and his disciples went into it.

Yohanes 18:10

18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, ¹⁷²  cutting off his right ear. ¹⁷³  (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) ¹⁷⁴ 

Yohanes 18:13-15

18:13 They ¹⁷⁵  brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. ¹⁷⁶  18:14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised ¹⁷⁷  the Jewish leaders ¹⁷⁸  that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) ¹⁷⁹ 

Peter’s First Denial

18:15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas. ¹⁸⁰  (Now the other disciple ¹⁸¹  was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.) ¹⁸² 

Yohanes 18:18

18:18 (Now the slaves ¹⁸³  and the guards ¹⁸⁴  were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold. ¹⁸⁵  Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.) ¹⁸⁶ 

Yohanes 18:25

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

18:25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard ¹⁸⁷  warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?” ¹⁸⁸  Peter ¹⁸⁹  denied it: “I am not!”

Yohanes 18:28

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

18:28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence. ¹⁹⁰  (Now it was very early morning.) ¹⁹¹  They ¹⁹²  did not go into the governor’s residence ¹⁹³  so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.

Yohanes 18:30

18:30 They replied, ¹⁹⁴  “If this man ¹⁹⁵  were not a criminal, ¹⁹⁶  we would not have handed him over to you.” ¹⁹⁷ 

Yohanes 18:36

18:36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being ¹⁹⁸  handed over ¹⁹⁹  to the Jewish authorities. ²⁰⁰  But as it is, ²⁰¹  my kingdom is not from here.”

Yohanes 18:40

18:40 Then they shouted back, ²⁰²  “Not this man, ²⁰³  but Barabbas!” ²⁰⁴  (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary. ²⁰⁵ ) ²⁰⁶ 

Yohanes 19:11

19:11 Jesus replied, “You would have no authority ²⁰⁷  over me at all, unless it was given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you ²⁰⁸  is guilty of greater sin.” ²⁰⁹ 

Yohanes 19:14

19:14 (Now it was the day of preparation ²¹⁰  for the Passover, about noon. ²¹¹ ) ²¹²  Pilate ²¹³  said to the Jewish leaders, ²¹⁴  “Look, here is your king!”

Yohanes 19:19-20

19:19 Pilate also had a notice ²¹⁵  written and fastened to the cross, ²¹⁶  which read: ²¹⁷  “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 19:20 Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem ²¹⁸  read this notice, ²¹⁹  because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, ²²⁰  Latin, and Greek.

Yohanes 19:23

19:23 Now when the soldiers crucified ²²¹  Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, ²²²  and the tunic ²²³  remained. (Now the tunic ²²⁴  was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.) ²²⁵ 

Yohanes 19:31

19:31 Then, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies should not stay on the crosses on the Sabbath ²²⁶  (for that Sabbath was an especially important one), ²²⁷  the Jewish leaders ²²⁸  asked Pilate to have the victims’ legs ²²⁹  broken ²³⁰  and the bodies taken down. ²³¹ 

Yohanes 19:41-42

19:41 Now at the place where Jesus ²³²  was crucified ²³³  there was a garden, ²³⁴  and in the garden ²³⁵  was a new tomb where no one had yet been buried. ²³⁶  19:42 And so, because it was the Jewish day of preparation ²³⁷  and the tomb was nearby, ²³⁸  they placed Jesus’ body there.

Yohanes 20:7

20:7 and the face cloth, ²³⁹  which had been around Jesus’ head, not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. ²⁴⁰ 

Yohanes 20:24

The Response of Thomas

20:24 Now Thomas (called Didymus), ²⁴¹  one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

Yohanes 21:7

21:7 Then the disciple whom ²⁴²  Jesus loved ²⁴³  said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it), ²⁴⁴  and plunged ²⁴⁵  into the sea.

[1:1]  ¹ sn In the beginning. The search for the basic “stuff” out of which things are made was the earliest one in Greek philosophy. It was attended by the related question of “What is the process by which the secondary things came out of the primary one (or ones)?,” or in Aristotelian terminology, “What is the ‘beginning’ (same Greek word as beginning, John 1:1) and what is the origin of the things that are made?” In the New Testament the word usually has a temporal sense, but even BDAG 138 s.v. ἀρχή 3 lists a major category of meaning as “the first cause.” For John, the words “In the beginning” are most likely a conscious allusion to the opening words of Genesis – “In the beginning.” Other concepts which occur prominently in Gen 1 are also found in John’s prologue: “life” (1:4) “light” (1:4) and “darkness” (1:5). Gen 1 describes the first (physical) creation; John 1 describes the new (spiritual) creation. But this is not to play off a false dichotomy between “physical” and “spiritual”; the first creation was both physical and spiritual. The new creation is really a re-creation, of the spiritual (first) but also the physical. (In spite of the common understanding of John’s “spiritual” emphasis, the “physical” re-creation should not be overlooked; this occurs in John 2 with the changing of water into wine, in John 11 with the resurrection of Lazarus, and the emphasis of John 20-21 on the aftermath of Jesus’ own resurrection.)

[1:1]  ² tn The preposition πρός (pros) implies not just proximity, but intimate personal relationship. M. Dods stated, “Πρός …means more than μετά or παρά, and is regularly employed in expressing the presence of one person with another” (“The Gospel of St. John,” The Expositor’s Greek Testament, 1:684). See also Mark 6:3, Matt 13:56, Mark 9:19, Gal 1:18, 2 John 12.

[1:1]  ³ tn Or “and what God was the Word was.” Colwell’s Rule is often invoked to support the translation of θεός (qeos) as definite (“God”) rather than indefinite (“a god”) here. However, Colwell’s Rule merely permits, but does not demand, that a predicate nominative ahead of an equative verb be translated as definite rather than indefinite. Furthermore, Colwell’s Rule did not deal with a third possibility, that the anarthrous predicate noun may have more of a qualitative nuance when placed ahead of the verb. A definite meaning for the term is reflected in the traditional rendering “the word was God.” From a technical standpoint, though, it is preferable to see a qualitative aspect to anarthrous θεός in John 1:1c (ExSyn 266-69). Translations like the NEB, REB, and Moffatt are helpful in capturing the sense in John 1:1c, that the Word was fully deity in essence (just as much God as God the Father). However, in contemporary English “the Word was divine” (Moffatt) does not quite catch the meaning since “divine” as a descriptive term is not used in contemporary English exclusively of God. The translation “what God was the Word was” is perhaps the most nuanced rendering, conveying that everything God was in essence, the Word was too. This points to unity of essence between the Father and the Son without equating the persons. However, in surveying a number of native speakers of English, some of whom had formal theological training and some of whom did not, the editors concluded that the fine distinctions indicated by “what God was the Word was” would not be understood by many contemporary readers. Thus the translation “the Word was fully God” was chosen because it is more likely to convey the meaning to the average English reader that the Logos (which “became flesh and took up residence among us” in John 1:14 and is thereafter identified in the Fourth Gospel as Jesus) is one in essence with God the Father. The previous phrase, “the Word was with God,” shows that the Logos is distinct in person from God the Father.

[1:1]  sn And the Word was fully God. John’s theology consistently drives toward the conclusion that Jesus, the incarnate Word, is just as much God as God the Father. This can be seen, for example, in texts like John 10:30 (“The Father and I are one”), 17:11 (“so that they may be one just as we are one”), and 8:58 (“before Abraham came into existence, I am”). The construction in John 1:1c does not equate the Word with the person of God (this is ruled out by 1:1b, “the Word was with God”); rather it affirms that the Word and God are one in essence.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the Word) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:4]  ⁵ tn John uses ζωή (zwh) 37 times: 17 times it occurs with αἰώνιος (aiwnios), and in the remaining occurrences outside the prologue it is clear from context that “eternal” life is meant. The two uses in 1:4, if they do not refer to “eternal” life, would be the only exceptions. (Also 1 John uses ζωή 13 times, always of “eternal” life.)

[1:4]  sn An allusion to Ps 36:9, which gives significant OT background: “For with you is the fountain of life; In your light we see light.” In later Judaism, Bar 4:2 expresses a similar idea. Life, especially eternal life, will become one of the major themes of John’s Gospel.

[1:4]  ⁶ tn Or “humanity”; Grk “of men” (but ἄνθρωπος [anqrwpo"] is used in a generic sense here, not restricted to males only, thus “mankind,” “humanity”).

[1:8]  ⁷ tn Or “to bear witness.”

[1:9]  ⁸ tn Grk “every man” (but in a generic sense, “every person,” or “every human being”).

[1:9]  ⁹ tn Or “He was the true light, who gives light to everyone who comes into the world.” The participle ἐρχόμενον (ercomenon) may be either (1) neuter nominative, agreeing with τὸ φῶς (to fw"), or (2) masculine accusative, agreeing with ἄνθρωπον (anqrwpon). Option (1) results in a periphrastic imperfect with ἦν (hn), ἦν τὸ φῶς… ἐρχόμενον, referring to the incarnation. Option (2) would have the participle modifying ἄνθρωπον and referring to the true light as enlightening “every man who comes into the world.” Option (2) has some rabbinic parallels: The phrase “all who come into the world” is a fairly common expression for “every man” (cf. Leviticus Rabbah 31.6). But (1) must be preferred here, because: (a) In the next verse the light is in the world; it is logical for v. 9 to speak of its entering the world; (b) in other passages Jesus is described as “coming into the world” (6:14, 9:39, 11:27, 16:28) and in 12:46 Jesus says: ἐγὼ φῶς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐλήλυθα (egw fw" ei" ton kosmon elhluqa); (c) use of a periphrastic participle with the imperfect tense is typical Johannine style: 1:28, 2:6, 3:23, 10:40, 11:1, 13:23, 18:18 and 25. In every one of these except 13:23 the finite verb is first and separated by one or more intervening words from the participle.

[1:9]  sn In v. 9 the world (κόσμος, kosmos) is mentioned for the first time. This is another important theme word for John. Generally, the world as a Johannine concept does not refer to the totality of creation (the universe), although there are exceptions at 11:9. 17:5, 24, 21:25, but to the world of human beings and human affairs. Even in 1:10 the world created through the Logos is a world capable of knowing (or reprehensibly not knowing) its Creator. Sometimes the world is further qualified as this world (ὁ κόσμος οὗτος, Jo kosmos Joutos) as in 8:23, 9:39, 11:9, 12:25, 31; 13:1, 16:11, 18:36. This is not merely equivalent to the rabbinic phrase “this present age” (ὁ αἰών οὗτος, Jo aiwn Joutos) and contrasted with “the world to come.” For John it is also contrasted to a world other than this one, already existing; this is the lower world, corresponding to which there is a world above (see especially 8:23, 18:36). Jesus appears not only as the Messiah by means of whom an eschatological future is anticipated (as in the synoptic gospels) but also as an envoy from the heavenly world to this world.

[1:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “was made”; Grk “came into existence.”

[1:10]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and,” but in context this is an adversative use of καί (kai) and is thus translated “but.”

[1:10]  ¹² tn Or “know.”

[1:15]  ¹³ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[1:15]  ¹⁴ tn Or “bore witness.”

[1:15]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and shouted out saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant is English and has not been translated.

[1:15]  ¹⁶ tn Or “has a higher rank than I.”

[1:28]  ¹⁷ tc Many witnesses ([א²] C² K T Ψ^c 083 Ë^1,13 33 pm sa Or) read Βηθαβαρᾷ (Bhqabara, “Bethabara”) instead of Βηθανίᾳ (Bhqania, “Bethany”). But the reading Βηθανίᾳ is strongly supported by {Ì^66,75 A B C* L W^s Δ Θ Ψ* 565 579 700 1241 1424 pm latt bo as well as several fathers}. Since there is no known Bethany “beyond the Jordan,” it is likely that the name would have been changed to a more etymologically edifying one (Origen mistakenly thought the name Bethabara meant “house of preparation” and for this reason was appropriate in this context; see TCGNT 171 for discussion). On the other hand, both since Origen’s understanding of the Semitic etymology of Bethabara was incorrect, and because Bethany was at least a well-known location in Palestine, mentioned in the Gospels about a dozen times, one has to wonder whether scribes replaced Βηθαβαρᾷ with Βηθανίᾳ. However, if Origen’s understanding of the etymology of the name was representative, scribes may have altered the text in the direction of Bethabara. And even if most scribes were unfamiliar with what the name might signify, that a reading which did not contradict the Gospels’ statements of a Bethany near Jerusalem was already at hand may have been sufficient reason for them to adopt Bethabara. Further, in light of the very strong testimony for Βηθανίᾳ, this reading should be regarded as authentic.

[1:28]  ¹⁸ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[1:30]  ¹⁹ tn Or “has a higher rank than I.”

[1:39]  ²⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:39]  ²¹ tn Grk “said to them.”

[1:39]  ²² tn Grk “about the tenth hour.”

[1:39]  sn About four o’clock in the afternoon. What system of time reckoning is the author using? B. F. Westcott thought John, unlike the synoptic gospels, was using Roman time, which started at midnight (St. John, 282). This would make the time 10 a.m., which would fit here. But later in the Gospel’s Passover account (John 19:42, where the sixth hour is on the “eve of the Passover”) it seems clear the author had to be using Jewish reckoning, which began at 6 a.m. This would make the time here in 1:39 to be 4 p.m. This may be significant: If the hour was late, Andrew and the unnamed disciple probably spent the night in the same house where Jesus was staying, and the events of 1:41-42 took place on the next day. The evidence for Westcott’s view, that the Gospel is using Roman time, is very slim. The Roman reckoning which started at midnight was only used by authorities as legal time (for contracts, official documents, etc.). Otherwise, the Romans too reckoned time from 6 a.m. (e.g., Roman sundials are marked VI, not XII, for noon).

[1:40]  ²³ tn Grk “who heard from John.”

[1:40]  ²⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:44]  ²⁵ sn Although the author thought of the town as in Galilee (12:21), Bethsaida technically was in Gaulanitis (Philip the Tetrarch’s territory) across from Herod’s Galilee. There may have been two places called Bethsaida, or this may merely reflect popular imprecision – locally it was considered part of Galilee, even though it was just east of the Jordan river. This territory was heavily Gentile (which may explain why Andrew and Philip both have Gentile names).

[1:44]  ²⁶ tn Probably ἀπό (apo) indicates “originally from” in the sense of birthplace rather than current residence; Mark 1:21, 29 seems to locate the home of Andrew and Peter at Capernaum. The entire remark (v. 44) amounts to a parenthetical comment by the author.

[2:1]  ²⁷ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[2:13]  ³⁰ 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 a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), this would be the Passover of the spring of a.d. 30, the first of Jesus’ public ministry. There is a clear reference to another Passover in 6:4, and another still in 11:55, 12:1, 13:1, 18:28, 39, and 19:14. The latter would be the Passover of a.d. 33. There is a possibility that 5:1 also refers to a Passover, in which case it would be the second of Jesus’ public ministry (a.d. 31), while 6:4 would refer to the third (a.d. 32) and the remaining references would refer to the final Passover at the time of the crucifixion. It is entirely possible, however, that the Passovers occurring in the Fourth Gospel are not intended to be understood as listed in chronological sequence. If the material of the Fourth Gospel originally existed in the form of homilies or sermons by the Apostle John on the life and ministry of Jesus, the present arrangement would not have to be in strict chronological order (it does not explicitly claim to be). In this case the Passover mentioned in 2:13, for example, might actually be later in Jesus’ public ministry than it might at first glance appear. This leads, however, to a discussion of an even greater problem in the passage, the relationship of the temple cleansing in John’s Gospel to the similar account in the synoptic gospels.

[2:13]  ³¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ³² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ³³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ³⁴ 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.

[2:25]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[3:1]  ³⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[3:1]  ³⁸ tn Grk “a ruler of the Jews” (denoting a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[3:19]  ³⁹ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:23]  ⁴¹ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[3:23]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

[3:23]  ⁴⁴ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:24]  ⁴⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[3:26]  ⁴⁶ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[4:6]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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.”

[4:46]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[4:46]  ⁵⁰ sn See John 2:1-11.

[4:46]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “And in.”

[4:46]  ⁵² 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]  ⁵³ 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.

[5:1]  ⁵⁴ sn The temporal indicator After this is not specific, so it is uncertain how long after the incidents at Cana this occurred.

[5:1]  ⁵⁵ 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 {Ì^66,75 A B D T W^s 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]  ⁵⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:5]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”

[5:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “became well.”

[5:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.

[5:9]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”

[5:9]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:32]  ⁶¹ 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.

[5:35]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ tn Grk “for an hour.”

[6:4]  ⁶⁴ 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 a.d. 31, then this feast would be the Passover of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion.

[6:4]  ⁶⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:10]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “Make.”

[6:10]  ⁶⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).

[6:10]  ⁶⁸ 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).

[6:22]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:22]  ⁷⁰ 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 [˹³ 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.

[6:22]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “entered.”

[6:27]  ⁷² 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]  ⁷³ tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.

[6:27]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “on this one.”

[6:62]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “he was formerly?”

[7:2]  ⁷⁶ 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]  ⁷⁷ sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (a.d. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in a.d. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus’ final departure from Galilee.

[7:12]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “And there was.”

[7:12]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “complaining.”

[7:12]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

[7:12]  ⁸¹ tn Or “the crowd.”

[7:39]  ⁸² tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

[7:39]  ⁸³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:42]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

[7:42]  ⁸⁵ sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

[7:42]  ⁸⁶ sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

[7:42]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.

[7:42]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “the village where David was.”

[8:40]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “seeking.”

[8:40]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “has spoken to you.”

[8:40]  ⁹⁰ tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.

[8:42]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:42]  ⁹² tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

[8:42]  ⁹³ tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[8:42]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “from myself.”

[8:42]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).

[8:44]  ⁹⁶ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “formerly.”

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁵ 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.

[9:8]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “the one.”

[9:14]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:14]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:14]  ¹⁰⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[9:16]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “he does not keep.”

[9:16]  ¹¹² sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.

[9:16]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “do.”

[9:16]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “So there was discord.”

[9:18]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”

[9:18]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:18]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”

[9:24]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:24]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “who was blind.”

[9:24]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).

[9:24]  ¹²² tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.

[9:33]  ¹²³ tn Grk “this one.”

[10:6]  ¹²⁴ 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]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “these.”

[10:6]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “comprehend.”

[10:22]  ¹²⁷ 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 b.c. – when Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians, rebuilt the altar, and rededicated the temple on 25 Kislev (1 Macc 4:41-61). From a historical standpoint, it was the last great deliverance the Jewish people had experienced, and it came at a time when least expected. Josephus ends his account of the institution of the festival with the following statement: “And from that time to the present we observe this festival, which we call the festival of Lights, giving this name to it, I think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it” (Ant. 12.7.6 [12.325]).

[10:22]  ¹²⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:40]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:40]  ¹³⁰ tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[10:40]  ¹³¹ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:40]  ¹³² tn Grk “formerly.”

[10:40]  sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28).

[10:41]  ¹³³ 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]  ¹³⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:41]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “did.”

[10:41]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[11:1]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”

[11:2]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”

[11:2]  ¹³⁹ 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.

[11:6]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:18]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[11:18]  ¹⁴² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:38]  ¹⁴³ tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”

[11:38]  ¹⁴⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:55]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[12:1]  ¹⁴⁸ 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.

[12:2]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.

[12:2]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Grk “And Martha.” The connective καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation because it would produce a run-on sentence in English.

[12:2]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “reclining at the table.”

[12:2]  sn 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[12:6]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:6]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.

[12:6]  ¹⁵⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. This is one of the indications in the gospels that Judas was of bad character before the betrayal of Jesus. John states that he was a thief and had responsibility for the finances of the group. More than being simply a derogatory note about Judas’ character, the inclusion of the note at this particular point in the narrative may be intended to link the frustrated greed of Judas here with his subsequent decision to betray Jesus for money. The parallel accounts in Matthew and Mark seem to indicate that after this incident Judas went away immediately and made his deal with the Jewish authorities to deliver up Jesus. Losing out on one source of sordid gain, he immediately went out and set up another.

[12:16]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”

[12:16]  ¹⁵⁶ sn When Jesus was glorified, that is, glorified through his resurrection, exaltation, and return to the Father. Jesus’ glorification is consistently portrayed this way in the Gospel of John.

[12:16]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “and that they had done these things,” though the referent is probably indefinite and not referring to the disciples; as such, the best rendering is as a passive (see ExSyn 402-3; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).

[12:16]  ¹⁵⁸ sn The comment His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened (a parenthetical note by the author) informs the reader that Jesus’ disciples did not at first associate the prophecy from Zechariah with the events as they happened. This came with the later (postresurrection) insight which the Holy Spirit would provide after Jesus’ resurrection and return to the Father. Note the similarity with John 2:22, which follows another allusion to a prophecy in Zechariah (14:21).

[13:5]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

[13:23]  ¹⁶⁰ sn Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the ‘beloved disciple,’ is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.

[13:23]  ¹⁶¹ tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

[13:23]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a position of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (en tw kolpw tou Ihsou; “leaning on Jesus’ bosom,” KJV; “lying close to the breast of Jesus,” RSV; “reclining on Jesus’ breast,” NASB; “reclining next to him,” NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple’s position seems clear. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.

[13:23]  sn Note that the same expression translated in a place of honor here (Grk “in the bosom of”) is used to indicate Jesus’ relationship with the Father in 1:18.

[13:30]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:30]  ¹⁶⁴ sn Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).

[17:22]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[17:24]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “the ones you have given me, I want these to be where I am with me.”

[17:24]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Grk “before the foundation of the world.”

[17:26]  ¹⁶⁸ tn The translation “will continue to make it known” is proposed by R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:773).

[18:1]  ¹⁶⁹ sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.

[18:1]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).

[18:1]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “a garden.”

[18:10]  ¹⁷² tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:10]  ¹⁷³ sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).

[18:10]  ¹⁷⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:13]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Grk “up, and brought.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[18:13]  ¹⁷⁶ sn Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pretrial hearing before Annas, and that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who is said to be high priest in that year. Caiaphas is also mentioned as being high priest in John 11:49. But in 18:15, 16, 19, and 22 Annas is called high priest. Annas is also referred to as high priest by Luke in Acts 4:6. Many scholars have dismissed these references as mistakes on the part of both Luke and John, but as mentioned above, John 11:49 and 18:13 indicate that John knew that Caiaphas was high priest in the year that Jesus was crucified. This has led others to suggest that Annas and Caiaphas shared the high priesthood, but there is no historical evidence to support this view. Annas had been high priest from a.d. 6 to a.d. 15 when he was deposed by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus (according to Josephus, Ant. 18.2.2 [18.34]). His five sons all eventually became high priests. The family was noted for its greed, wealth, and power. There are a number of ways the references in both Luke and John to Annas being high priest may be explained. Some Jews may have refused to recognize the changes in high priests effected by the Roman authorities, since according to the Torah the high priesthood was a lifetime office (Num 25:13). Another possibility is that it was simply customary to retain the title after a person had left the office as a courtesy, much as retired ambassadors are referred to as “Mr. Ambassador” or ex-presidents as “Mr. President.” Finally, the use of the title by Luke and John may simply be a reflection of the real power behind the high priesthood of the time: Although Annas no longer technically held the office, he may well have managed to control those relatives of his who did hold it from behind the scenes. In fact this seems most probable and would also explain why Jesus was brought to him immediately after his arrest for a sort of “pretrial hearing” before being sent on to the entire Sanhedrin.

[18:14]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Or “counseled.”

[18:14]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:14]  ¹⁷⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:15]  ¹⁸⁰ tn The words “them as they brought Jesus to Annas” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify who Peter and the other disciple were following. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[18:15]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “that disciple.”

[18:15]  sn Many have associated this unnamed other disciple with the beloved disciple, that is, John son of Zebedee, mainly because the phrase the other disciple which occurs here is also used to describe the beloved disciple in John 20:2, 3, 4, and 8. Peter is also closely associated with the beloved disciple in 13:23-26, 20:2-10, 21:7, and 21:20-23. But other identifications have also been proposed, chiefly because v. 16 states that this disciple who was accompanied by Peter was known to the high priest. As C. K. Barrett (St. John, 525) points out, the term γνωστός (gnwstos) is used in the LXX to refer to a close friend (Ps 54:14 LXX [55:14 ET]). This raises what for some is an insurmountable difficulty in identifying the “other disciple” as John son of Zebedee, since how could the uneducated son of an obscure Galilean fisherman be known to such a powerful and influential family in Jerusalem? E. A. Abbott (as quoted in “Notes of Recent Exposition,” ExpTim 25 [1913/14]: 149-50) proposed that the “other disciple” who accompanied Peter was Judas, since he was the one disciple of whom it is said explicitly (in the synoptic accounts) that he had dealings with the high priest. E. A. Tindall (“Contributions and Comments: John xviii.15,” ExpTim 28 [1916/17]: 283-84) suggested the disciple was Nicodemus, who as a member of the Sanhedrin, would have had access to the high priest’s palace. Both of these suggestions, while ingenious, nevertheless lack support from the text of the Fourth Gospel itself or the synoptic accounts. W. Wuellner (The Meaning of “Fishers of Men” [NTL]) argues that the common attitude concerning the low social status and ignorance of the disciples from Galilee may in fact be a misconception. Zebedee is presented in Mark 1:20 as a man wealthy enough to have hired servants, and Mark 10:35-45 presents both of the sons of Zebedee as concerned about status and prestige. John’s mother appears in the same light in Matt 20:20-28. Contact with the high priestly family in Jerusalem might not be so unlikely in such circumstances. Others have noted the possibility that John came from a priestly family, some of which is based upon a statement in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.31.3) quoting Polycrates that John son of Zebedee was a priest. For further information on possible priestly connections among members of John’s family see L. Morris (John [NICNT], 752, n. 32). None of this is certain, but on the whole it seems most probable that the disciple who accompanied Peter and gained entry into the courtyard for him was John son of Zebedee.

[18:15]  ¹⁸² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:18]  ¹⁸³ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:18]  ¹⁸⁴ tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.

[18:18]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”

[18:18]  ¹⁸⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:25]  ¹⁸⁷ tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.

[18:25]  ¹⁸⁸ 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?”).

[18:25]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:28]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Grk “to the praetorium.”

[18:28]  sn The permanent residence of the Roman governor of Palestine was in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). The governor had a residence in Jerusalem which he normally occupied only during principal feasts or in times of political unrest. The location of this building in Jerusalem is uncertain, but is probably one of two locations: either (1) the fortress or tower of Antonia, on the east hill north of the temple area, which is the traditional location of the Roman praetorium since the 12th century, or (2) the palace of Herod on the west hill near the present Jaffa Gate. According to Philo (Embassy 38 [299]) Pilate had some golden shields hung there, and according to Josephus (J. W. 2.14.8 [2.301], 2.15.5 [2.328]) the later Roman governor Florus stayed there.

[18:28]  ¹⁹¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:28]  ¹⁹² tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:28]  ¹⁹³ tn Grk “into the praetorium.”

[18:30]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[18:30]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:30]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”

[18:30]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”

[18:36]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “so that I may not be.”

[18:36]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Or “delivered over.”

[18:36]  ²⁰⁰ tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.

[18:36]  ²⁰¹ tn Grk “now.”

[18:40]  ²⁰² tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John’s Gospel to understand the phrase to mean “they shouted back” as a reply to Pilate’s question.

[18:40]  ²⁰³ tn Grk “this one.”

[18:40]  ²⁰⁴ sn The name Barabbas in Aramaic means “son of abba,” that is, “son of the father,” and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: The crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, “son of the father,” while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.

[18:40]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (lhsth") in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.

[18:40]  ²⁰⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:11]  ²⁰⁷ tn Or “power.”

[19:11]  ²⁰⁸ tn Or “who delivered me over to you.”

[19:11]  sn The one who handed me over to you appears to be a reference to Judas at first; yet Judas did not deliver Jesus up to Pilate, but to the Jewish authorities. The singular may be a reference to Caiaphas, who as high priest was representative of all the Jewish authorities, or it may be a generic singular referring to all the Jewish authorities directly. In either case the end result is more or less the same.

[19:11]  ²⁰⁹ tn Grk “has the greater sin” (an idiom).

[19:11]  sn Because Pilate had no authority over Jesus except what had been given to him from God, the one who handed Jesus over to Pilate was guilty of greater sin. This does not absolve Pilate of guilt; it simply means his guilt was less than those who handed Jesus over to him, because he was not acting against Jesus out of deliberate hatred or calculated malice, like the Jewish religious authorities. These were thereby guilty of greater sin.

[19:14]  ²¹⁰ sn The term day of preparation (παρασκευή, paraskeuh) appears in all the gospels as a description of the day on which Jesus died. It could refer to any Friday as the day of preparation for the Sabbath (Saturday), and this is the way the synoptic gospels use the term (Matt 27:62, Mark 15:42, and Luke 23:54). John, however, specifies in addition that this was not only the day of preparation of the Sabbath, but also the day of preparation of the Passover, so that the Sabbath on the following day was the Passover (cf. 19:31).

[19:14]  ²¹¹ tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”

[19:14]  sn For John, the time was especially important. When the note concerning the hour, about noon, is connected with the day, the day of preparation for the Passover, it becomes apparent that Jesus was going to die on the cross at the very time that the Passover lambs were being slain in the temple courts. Exod 12:6 required that the Passover lamb be kept alive until the 14th Nisan, the eve of the Passover, and then slaughtered by the head of the household at twilight (Grk “between the two evenings”). By this time the slaughtering was no longer done by the heads of households, but by the priests in the temple courts. But so many lambs were needed for the tens of thousands of pilgrims who came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast (some estimates run in excess of 100,000 pilgrims) that the slaughter could not be completed during the evening, and so the rabbis redefined “between the two evenings” as beginning at noon, when the sun began to decline toward the horizon. Thus the priests had the entire afternoon of 14th Nisan in which to complete the slaughter of the Passover lambs. According to the Fourth Gospel, this is the time Jesus was dying on the cross.

[19:14]  ²¹² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:14]  ²¹³ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Pilate) has been specified in the translation for clarity, and the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:14]  ²¹⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin, and their servants (mentioned specifically as “the chief priests and their servants” in John 19:6). See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:19]  ²¹⁵ tn Or “an inscription.”

[19:19]  sn Mention of the inscription is an important detail, because the inscription would normally give the reason for the execution. It shows that Jesus was executed for claiming to be a king. It was also probably written with irony from the executioners’ point of view.

[19:19]  ²¹⁶ tn Grk “Pilate also wrote a notice and placed it on the cross.” The two verbs should be read as causatives, since it is highly unlikely that the Roman governor would perform either of these actions himself. He ordered them to be done.

[19:19]  sn John says simply that the notice was fastened to the cross. Luke 23:38 says the inscription was placed “over him” (Jesus), and Matt 27:37 that it was placed over Jesus’ head. On the basis of Matthew’s statement Jesus’ cross is usually depicted as the crux immissa, the cross which has the crossbeam set below the top of the upright beam. The other commonly used type of cross was the crux commissa, which had the crossbeam atop the upright beam. But Matthew’s statement is not conclusive, since with the crux commissa the body would have sagged downward enough to allow the placard to be placed above Jesus’ head. The placard with Pilate’s inscription is mentioned in all the gospels, but for John it was certainly ironic. Jesus really was the King of the Jews, although he was a king rejected by his own people (cf. 1:11). Pilate’s own motivation for placing the title over Jesus is considerably more obscure. He may have meant this as a final mockery of Jesus himself, but Pilate’s earlier mockery of Jesus seemed to be motivated by a desire to gain pity from the Jewish authorities in order to have him released. More likely Pilate saw this as a subtle way of getting back at the Jewish authorities who had pressured him into the execution of one he considered to be an innocent man.

[19:19]  ²¹⁷ tn Grk “Now it was written.”

[19:20]  ²¹⁸ tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general. See also the note on the phrase Jewish religious leaders” in v. 7.

[19:20]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:20]  ²¹⁹ tn Or “this inscription.”

[19:20]  ²²⁰ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[19:23]  ²²¹ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:23]  ²²² sn Four shares, one for each soldier. The Gospel of John is the only one to specify the number of soldiers involved in the crucifixion. This was a quaternion, a squad of four soldiers. It was accepted Roman practice for the soldiers who performed a crucifixion to divide the possessions of the person executed among themselves.

[19:23]  ²²³ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[19:23]  ²²⁴ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). See the note on the same word earlier in this verse.

[19:23]  ²²⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:31]  ²²⁶ sn The Jewish authorities, because this was the day of preparation for the Sabbath and the Passover (cf. 19:14), requested Pilate to order the legs of the three who had been crucified to be broken. This would hasten their deaths, so that the bodies could be removed before the beginning of the Sabbath at 6 p.m. This was based on the law of Deut 21:22-23 and Josh 8:29 that specified the bodies of executed criminals who had been hanged on a tree should not remain there overnight. According to Josephus this law was interpreted in the 1st century to cover the bodies of those who had been crucified (J. W. 4.5.2 [4.317]). Philo of Alexandria also mentions that on occasion, especially at festivals, the bodies were taken down and given to relatives to bury (Flaccus 10 [83]). The normal Roman practice would have been to leave the bodies on the crosses, to serve as a warning to other would-be offenders.

[19:31]  ²²⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:31]  ²²⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 7.

[19:31]  ²²⁹ tn Grk “asked Pilate that the legs of them might be broken.” The referent of “them” (the three individuals who were crucified, collectively referred to as “the victims”) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[19:31]  ²³⁰ sn To have the legs…broken. Breaking the legs of a crucified person was a way of speeding up his death, since the victim could no longer use his legs to push upward in order to be able to draw a breath. This breaking of the legs was called in Latin crurifragium, and was done with a heavy mallet.

[19:31]  ²³¹ tn Grk “asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and they might be taken down.” Here because of the numerous ambiguous third person references it is necessary to clarify that it was the crucified men whose legs were to be broken and whose corpses were to be removed from the crosses.

[19:41]  ²³² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:41]  ²³³ sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.

[19:41]  ²³⁴ tn Or “an orchard.”

[19:41]  ²³⁵ tn Or “orchard.”

[19:41]  ²³⁶ tn Grk “been placed.”

[19:42]  ²³⁷ sn The day of preparation was the day before the Sabbath when everything had to be prepared for it, as no work could be done on the Sabbath.

[19:42]  ²³⁸ sn The tomb was nearby. The Passover and the Sabbath would begin at 6 p.m., so those who had come to prepare and bury the body could not afford to waste time.

[20:7]  ²³⁹ sn The word translated face cloth is a Latin loanword (sudarium). It was a small towel used to wipe off perspiration (the way a handkerchief would be used today). This particular item was not mentioned in connection with Jesus’ burial in John 19:40, probably because this was only a brief summary account. A face cloth was mentioned in connection with Lazarus’ burial (John 11:44) and was probably customary. R. E. Brown speculates that it was wrapped under the chin and tied on top of the head to prevent the mouth of the corpse from falling open (John [AB], 2:986), but this is not certain.

[20:7]  ²⁴⁰ sn Much dispute and difficulty surrounds the translation of the words not lying with the strips of linen cloth but rolled up in a place by itself. Basically the issue concerns the positioning of the graveclothes as seen by Peter and the other disciple when they entered the tomb. Some have sought to prove that when the disciples saw the graveclothes they were arranged just as they were when around the body, so that when the resurrection took place the resurrected body of Jesus passed through them without rearranging or disturbing them. In this case the reference to the face cloth being rolled up does not refer to its being folded, but collapsed in the shape it had when wrapped around the head. Sometimes in defense of this view the Greek preposition μετά (meta, which normally means “with”) is said to mean “like” so that the comparison with the other graveclothes does not involve the location of the face cloth but rather its condition (rolled up rather than flattened). In spite of the intriguing nature of such speculations, it seems more probable that the phrase describing the face cloth should be understood to mean it was separated from the other graveclothes in a different place inside the tomb. This seems consistent with the different conclusions reached by Peter and the beloved disciple (vv. 8-10). All that the condition of the graveclothes indicated was that the body of Jesus had not been stolen by thieves. Anyone who had come to remove the body (whether the authorities or anyone else) would not have bothered to unwrap it before carrying it off. And even if one could imagine that they had (perhaps in search of valuables such as rings or jewelry still worn by the corpse) they would certainly not have bothered to take time to roll up the face cloth and leave the other wrappings in an orderly fashion.

[20:24]  ²⁴¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author; Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[21:7]  ²⁴² tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”

[21:7]  ²⁴³ sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.

[21:7]  ²⁴⁴ tn Grk “for he was naked.” Peter’s behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word γυμνός (gumnos, usually translated “naked”) does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context. It is thus commonly understood to mean “stripped for work” here (cf. NASB, NLT), that is, with one’s outer clothing removed, and Peter was wearing either a loincloth or a loose-fitting tunic (a long shirt-like garment worn under a cloak, cf. NAB, “for he was lightly clad”). Believing himself inadequately dressed to greet the Lord, Peter threw his outer garment around himself and dived into the sea. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 580-81) offered the explanation that a greeting was a religious act and thus could not be performed unless one was clothed. This still leaves the improbable picture of a person with much experience around the water putting on his outer garment before diving in. R. E. Brown’s suggestion (John [AB], 2:1072) seems much more probable here: The Greek verb used (διαζώννυμι, diazwnnumi) does not necessarily mean putting clothing on, but rather tying the clothing around oneself (the same verb is used in 13:4-5 of Jesus tying the towel around himself). The statement that Peter was “naked” could just as well mean that he was naked underneath the outer garment, and thus could not take it off before jumping into the water. But he did pause to tuck it up and tie it with the girdle before jumping in, to allow himself more freedom of movement. Thus the clause that states Peter was naked is explanatory (note the use of for), explaining why Peter girded up his outer garment rather than taking it off – he had nothing on underneath it and so could not remove it.

[21:7]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[21:7]  ²⁴⁵ tn Grk “threw himself.”