Boks TemuanJohn 11:1--14:31
Konteks11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. 1 11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 2 and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 11:3 So the sisters sent a message 4 to Jesus, 5 “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, 6 but to God’s glory, 7 so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 8 11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) 9
11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus 10 was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 11:7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 11 11:8 The disciples replied, 12 “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders 13 were just now trying 14 to stone you to death! Are 15 you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, 16 “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, 17 because he sees the light of this world. 18 11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, 19 he stumbles, 20 because the light is not in him.”
11:11 After he said this, he added, 21 “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. 22 But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, 23 “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about 24 his death, but they 25 thought he had been talking about real sleep.) 26
11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad 27 for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. 28 But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus 29 ) 30 said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” 31
11:17 When 32 Jesus arrived, 33 he found that Lazarus 34 had been in the tomb four days already. 35 11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles 36 from Jerusalem, 37 11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region 38 had come to Martha and Mary to console them 39 over the loss of their brother.) 40 11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 41 11:21 Martha 42 said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant 43 you.” 44
11:23 Jesus replied, 45 “Your brother will come back to life again.” 46 11:24 Martha said, 47 “I know that he will come back to life again 48 in the resurrection at the last day.” 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live 49 even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. 50 Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, 51 “Yes, Lord, I believe 52 that you are the Christ, 53 the Son of God who comes into the world.” 54
11:28 And when she had said this, Martha 55 went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, 56 “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” 57 11:29 So when Mary 58 heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 11:30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 11:31 Then the people 59 who were with Mary 60 in the house consoling her saw her 61 get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep 62 there.
11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people 63 who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved 64 in spirit and greatly distressed. 65 11:34 He asked, 66 “Where have you laid him?” 67 They replied, 68 “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. 69 11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn 70 said, “Look how much he loved him!” 11:37 But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! 71 Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus 72 from dying?”
11:38 Jesus, intensely moved 73 again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) 74 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 75 Martha, the sister of the deceased, 76 replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, 77 because he has been buried 78 four days.” 79 11:40 Jesus responded, 80 “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 11:41 So they took away 81 the stone. Jesus looked upward 82 and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 83 11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, 84 but I said this 85 for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When 86 he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, 87 “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, 88 and a cloth wrapped around his face. 89 Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him 90 and let him go.”
11:45 Then many of the people, 91 who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus 92 did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees 93 and reported to them 94 what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees 95 called the council 96 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, 97 everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary 98 and our nation.”
11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, 99 “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize 100 that it is more to your advantage to have one man 101 die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 102 11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, 103 but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 104 11:52 and not for the Jewish nation 105 only, 106 but to gather together 107 into one the children of God who are scattered.) 108 11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went 109 around publicly 110 among the Judeans, 111 but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, 112 and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover 113 was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem 114 from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 115 11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, 116 and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, 117 “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees 118 had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus 119 was should report it, so that they could arrest 120 him.) 121
12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he 122 had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus 123 there. Martha 124 was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table 125 with him. 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound 126 of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard 127 and anointed the feet of Jesus. She 128 then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 129 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) 130 said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins 131 and the money 132 given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas 133 said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, 134 he used to steal what was put into it.) 135 12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 136 12:8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!” 137
12:9 Now a large crowd of Judeans 138 learned 139 that Jesus 140 was there, and so they came not only because of him 141 but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 12:10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, 142 12:11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem 143 were going away and believing in Jesus.
12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 144 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees 145 and went out to meet him. They began to shout, 146 “Hosanna! 147 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 148 Blessed is 149 the king of Israel!” 12:14 Jesus found a young donkey 150 and sat on it, just as it is written, 12:15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; 151 look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” 152 12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, 153 but when Jesus was glorified, 154 then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened 155 to him.) 156
12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 157 12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus 158 had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 12:19 Thus the Pharisees 159 said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”
12:20 Now some Greeks 160 were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, 161 who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, 162 “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both 163 went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, 164 “The time 165 has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 166 12:24 I tell you the solemn truth, 167 unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. 168 But if it dies, it produces 169 much grain. 170 12:25 The one who loves his life 171 destroys 172 it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards 173 it for eternal life. 12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow 174 me, and where I am, my servant will be too. 175 If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
12:27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me 176 from this hour’? 177 No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. 178 12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, 179 “I have glorified it, 180 and I will glorify it 181 again.” 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice 182 said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. 183 12:30 Jesus said, 184 “This voice has not come for my benefit 185 but for yours. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world 186 will be driven out. 187 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people 188 to myself.” 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) 189
12:34 Then the crowd responded, 190 “We have heard from the law that the Christ 191 will remain forever. 192 How 193 can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 12:35 Jesus replied, 194 “The light is with you for a little while longer. 195 Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. 196 The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” 197 When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.
12:37 Although Jesus 198 had performed 199 so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 12:38 so that the word 200 of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, 201 “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord 202 been revealed?” 203 12:39 For this reason they could not believe, 204 because again Isaiah said,
12:40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart, 205
so that they would not see with their eyes
and understand with their heart, 206
and turn to me, 207 and I would heal them.” 208
12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s 209 glory, and spoke about him.
12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers 210 many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees 211 they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, 212 so that they would not be put out of 213 the synagogue. 214 12:43 For they loved praise 215 from men more than praise 216 from God.
12:44 But Jesus shouted out, 217 “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 218 12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 219 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 12:47 If anyone 220 hears my words and does not obey them, 221 I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 222 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept 223 my words has a judge; 224 the word 225 I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, 226 but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me 227 what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. 228 Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” 229
13:1 Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time 230 had come to depart 231 from this world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. 232 13:2 The evening meal 233 was in progress, and the devil had already put into the heart 234 of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray 235 Jesus. 236 13:3 Because Jesus 237 knew that the Father had handed all things over to him, 238 and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 13:4 he got up from the meal, removed 239 his outer clothes, 240 took a towel and tied it around himself. 241 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. 242
13:6 Then he came to Simon Peter. Peter 243 said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash 244 my feet?” 13:7 Jesus replied, 245 “You do not understand 246 what I am doing now, but you will understand 247 after these things.” 13:8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet!” 248 Jesus replied, 249 “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” 250 13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash 251 not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!” 13:10 Jesus replied, 252 “The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, 253 but is completely 254 clean. 255 And you disciples 256 are clean, but not every one of you.” 13:11 (For Jesus 257 knew the one who was going to betray him. For this reason he said, “Not every one of you is 258 clean.”) 259
13:12 So when Jesus 260 had washed their feet and put his outer clothing back on, he took his place at the table 261 again and said to them, “Do you understand 262 what I have done for you? 13:13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, 263 for that is what I am. 264 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you too ought to wash one another’s feet. 13:15 For I have given you an example 265 – you should do just as I have done for you. 13:16 I tell you the solemn truth, 266 the slave 267 is not greater than his master, nor is the one who is sent as a messenger 268 greater than the one who sent him. 13:17 If you understand 269 these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
13:18 “What I am saying does not refer to all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture, 270 ‘The one who eats my bread 271 has turned against me.’ 272 13:19 I am telling you this now, 273 before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe 274 that I am he. 275 13:20 I tell you the solemn truth, 276 whoever accepts 277 the one I send accepts me, and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me.” 278
13:21 When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed 279 in spirit, and testified, 280 “I tell you the solemn truth, 281 one of you will betray me.” 282 13:22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed 283 to know which of them he was talking about. 13:23 One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, 284 was at the table 285 to the right of Jesus in a place of honor. 286 13:24 So Simon Peter 287 gestured to this disciple 288 to ask Jesus 289 who it was he was referring to. 290 13:25 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved 291 leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, “Lord, who is it?” 13:26 Jesus replied, 292 “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread 293 after I have dipped it in the dish.” 294 Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish 295 and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. 13:27 And after Judas 296 took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. 297 Jesus said to him, 298 “What you are about to do, do quickly.” 13:28 (Now none of those present at the table 299 understood 300 why Jesus 301 said this to Judas. 302 13:29 Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, 303 or to give something to the poor.) 304 13:30 Judas 305 took the piece of bread and went out immediately. (Now it was night.) 306
13:31 When 307 Judas 308 had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 13:32 If God is glorified in him, 309 God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. 310 13:33 Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, 311 and just as I said to the Jewish religious leaders, 312 ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ 313 now I tell you the same. 314
13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love 315 one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 316 13:35 Everyone 317 will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”
13:36 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, 318 “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” 13:37 Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” 319 13:38 Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? 320 I tell you the solemn truth, 321 the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!
14:1 “Do not let your hearts be distressed. 322 You believe in God; 323 believe also in me. 14:2 There are many dwelling places 324 in my Father’s house. 325 Otherwise, I would have told you, because 326 I am going away to make ready 327 a place for you. 328 14:3 And if I go and make ready 329 a place for you, I will come again and take you 330 to be with me, 331 so that where I am you may be too. 14:4 And you know the way where I am going.” 332
14:5 Thomas said, 333 “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 14:6 Jesus replied, 334 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. 335 No one comes to the Father except through me. 14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. 336 And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”
14:8 Philip said, 337 “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be content.” 338 14:9 Jesus replied, 339 “Have I been with you for so long, and you have not known 340 me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father! How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 14:10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? 341 The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, 342 but the Father residing in me performs 343 his miraculous deeds. 344 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, 345 believe because of the miraculous deeds 346 themselves. 14:12 I tell you the solemn truth, 347 the person who believes in me will perform 348 the miraculous deeds 349 that I am doing, 350 and will perform 351 greater deeds 352 than these, because I am going to the Father. 14:13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, 353 so that the Father may be glorified 354 in the Son. 14:14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
14:15 “If you love me, you will obey 355 my commandments. 356 14:16 Then 357 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate 358 to be with you forever – 14:17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, 359 because it does not see him or know him. But you know him, because he resides 360 with you and will be 361 in you.
14:18 “I will not abandon 362 you as orphans, 363 I will come to you. 364 14:19 In a little while 365 the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too. 14:20 You will know at that time 366 that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you. 14:21 The person who has my commandments and obeys 367 them is the one who loves me. 368 The one 369 who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal 370 myself to him.”
14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) 371 said, 372 “what has happened that you are going to reveal 373 yourself to us and not to the world?” 14:23 Jesus replied, 374 “If anyone loves me, he will obey 375 my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him. 376 14:24 The person who does not love me does not obey 377 my words. And the word 378 you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.
14:25 “I have spoken these things while staying 379 with you. 14:26 But the Advocate, 380 the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you 381 everything, 382 and will cause you to remember everything 383 I said to you.
14:27 “Peace I leave with you; 384 my peace I give to you; I do not give it 385 to you as the world does. 386 Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage. 387 14:28 You heard me say to you, 388 ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be glad 389 that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 390 14:29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. 391 14:30 I will not speak with you much longer, 392 for the ruler of this world is coming. 393 He has no power over me, 394 14:31 but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know 395 that I love the Father. 396 Get up, let us go from here.” 397
[11:1] 1 tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”
[11:2] 2 tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”
[11:2] 3 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It is a bit surprising that the author here identifies Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, since this event is not mentioned until later, in 12:3. Many see this “proleptic” reference as an indication that the author expected his readers to be familiar with the story already, and go on to assume that in general the author in writing the Fourth Gospel assumed his readers were familiar with the other three gospels. Whether the author assumed actual familiarity with the synoptic gospels or not, it is probable that he did assume some familiarity with Mary’s anointing activity.
[11:3] 3 tn The phrase “a message” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.
[11:3] 4 tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:4] 4 tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”
[11:4] 5 tn Or “to God’s praise.”
[11:4] 6 sn So that the Son of God may be glorified through it. These statements are highly ironic: For Lazarus, the sickness did not end in his death, because he was restored to life. But for Jesus himself, the miraculous sign he performed led to his own death, because it confirmed the authorities in their plan to kill Jesus (11:47-53). In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ death is consistently portrayed as his ‘glorification’ through which he accomplishes his return to the Father.
[11:5] 5 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It was necessary for the author to reaffirm Jesus’ love for Martha and her sister and Lazarus here because Jesus’ actions in the following verse appear to be contradictory.
[11:6] 6 tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:7] 7 sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).
[11:8] 8 tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”
[11:8] 9 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the previous references and the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19, and “Jewish religious leaders” in vv. 24, 31, 33.
[11:8] 11 tn Grk “And are.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[11:9] 9 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[11:9] 10 tn Or “he does not trip.”
[11:9] 11 sn What is the light of this world? On one level, of course, it refers to the sun, but the reader of John’s Gospel would recall 8:12 and understand Jesus’ symbolic reference to himself as the light of the world. There is only a limited time left (Are there not twelve hours in a day?) until the Light will be withdrawn (until Jesus returns to the Father) and the one who walks around in the dark will trip and fall (compare the departure of Judas by night in 13:30).
[11:10] 10 tn Grk “in the night.”
[11:11] 11 tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”
[11:11] 12 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “asleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term, especially in light of the disciples’ confusion over what Jesus actually meant (see v. 13).
[11:12] 12 tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”
[11:13] 13 tn Or “speaking about.”
[11:13] 15 tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.
[11:15] 14 tn Grk “and I rejoice.”
[11:15] 15 sn So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples’ belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples’ faith previous to this in John’s Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.
[11:16] 15 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
[11:16] 16 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:16] 17 sn One gets the impression from Thomas’ statement “Let us go too, so that we may die with him” that he was something of a pessimist resigned to his fate. And yet his dedicated loyalty to Jesus and his determination to accompany him at all costs was truly commendable. Nor is the contrast between this statement and the confession of Thomas in 20:28, which forms the climax of the entire Fourth Gospel, to be overlooked; certainly Thomas’ concept of who Jesus is has changed drastically between 11:16 and 20:28.
[11:17] 16 tn Grk “Then when.”
[11:17] 18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:17] 19 tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).
[11:18] 17 tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
[11:18] 18 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:19] 18 tn Or “many of the Judeans” (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e); Grk “many of the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area in general (those who had been friends or relatives of Lazarus or his sisters would mainly be in view) since the Jewish religious authorities (“the chief priests and the Pharisees”) are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8.
[11:19] 19 tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”
[11:19] 20 tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[11:20] 19 sn Notice the difference in the response of the two sisters: Martha went out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains sitting in the house. It is similar to the incident in Luke 10:38-42. Here again one finds Martha occupied with the responsibilities of hospitality; she is the one who greets Jesus.
[11:21] 20 tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:22] 22 sn The statement “whatever you ask from God, God will grant you” by Martha presents something of a dilemma, because she seems to be suggesting here (implicitly at least) the possibility of a resurrection for her brother. However, Martha’s statement in 11:39 makes it clear that she had no idea that a resurrection was still possible. How then are her words in 11:22 to be understood? It seems best to take them as a confession of Martha’s continuing faith in Jesus even though he was not there in time to help her brother. She means, in effect, “Even though you weren’t here in time to help, I still believe that God grants your requests.”
[11:23] 22 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:23] 23 tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”
[11:24] 23 tn Grk “Martha said to him.”
[11:24] 24 tn Or “will rise again.”
[11:25] 24 tn That is, will come to life.
[11:26] 25 tn Grk “will never die forever.”
[11:27] 26 tn Grk “She said to him.”
[11:27] 27 tn The perfect tense in Greek is often used to emphasize the results or present state of a past action. Such is the case here. To emphasize this nuance the perfect tense verb πεπίστευκα (pepisteuka) has been translated as a present tense. This is in keeping with the present context, where Jesus asks of her present state of belief in v. 26, and the theology of the Gospel as a whole, which emphasizes the continuing effects and present reality of faith. For discussion on this use of the perfect tense, see ExSyn 574-76 and B. M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, 291-97.
[11:27] 28 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[11:27] 29 tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”
[11:28] 27 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:28] 28 tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).
[11:28] 29 tn Grk “is calling you.”
[11:29] 28 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 29 tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19.
[11:31] 30 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 31 tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.
[11:31] 32 tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
[11:33] 30 tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8, “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, and the word “people” in v. 31.
[11:33] 31 tn Or (perhaps) “he was deeply indignant.” The verb ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimhsato), which is repeated in John 11:38, indicates a strong display of emotion, somewhat difficult to translate – “shuddered, moved with the deepest emotions.” In the LXX, the verb and its cognates are used to describe a display of indignation (Dan 11:30, for example – see also Mark 14:5). Jesus displayed this reaction to the afflicted in Mark 1:43, Matt 9:30. Was he angry at the afflicted? No, but he was angry because he found himself face-to-face with the manifestations of Satan’s kingdom of evil. Here, the realm of Satan was represented by death.
[11:33] 32 tn Or “greatly troubled.” The verb ταράσσω (tarassw) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimhsato). John uses it in 14:1 and 27 to describe the reaction of the disciples to the imminent death of Jesus, and in 13:21 the verb describes how Jesus reacted to the thought of being betrayed by Judas, into whose heart Satan had entered.
[11:34] 31 tn Grk “And he said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[11:34] 32 tn Or “Where have you placed him?”
[11:34] 33 tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.
[11:35] 32 sn Jesus wept. The Greek word used here for Jesus’ weeping (ἐδάκρυσεν, edakrusen) is different from the one used to describe the weeping of Mary and the Jews in v. 33 which indicated loud wailing and cries of lament. This word simply means “to shed tears” and has more the idea of quiet grief. But why did Jesus do this? Not out of grief for Lazarus, since he was about to be raised to life again. L. Morris (John [NICNT], 558) thinks it was grief over the misconception of those round about. But it seems that in the context the weeping is triggered by the thought of Lazarus in the tomb: This was not personal grief over the loss of a friend (since Lazarus was about to be restored to life) but grief over the effects of sin, death, and the realm of Satan. It was a natural complement to the previous emotional expression of anger (11:33). It is also possible that Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus because he knew there was also a tomb for himself ahead.
[11:36] 33 tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, as well as the notes on the word “people” in vv. 31, 33.
[11:37] 34 tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[11:37] 35 tn Grk “this one”; the second half of 11:37 reads Grk “Could not this one who opened the eyes of the blind have done something to keep this one from dying?” In the Greek text the repetition of “this one” in 11:37b referring to two different persons (first Jesus, second Lazarus) could confuse a modern reader. Thus the first reference, to Jesus, has been translated as “he” to refer back to the beginning of v. 37, where the reference to “the man who caused the blind man to see” is clearly a reference to Jesus. The second reference, to Lazarus, has been specified (“Lazarus”) in the translation for clarity.
[11:38] 35 tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”
[11:38] 36 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:39] 36 tn Or “Remove the stone.”
[11:39] 37 tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”
[11:39] 38 tn Grk “already he stinks.”
[11:39] 39 tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).
[11:39] 40 sn He has been buried four days. Although all the details of the miracle itself are not given, those details which are mentioned are important. The statement made by Martha is extremely significant for understanding what actually took place. There is no doubt that Lazarus had really died, because the decomposition of his body had already begun to take place, since he had been dead for four days.
[11:40] 37 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:41] 38 tn Or “they removed.”
[11:41] 39 tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”
[11:41] 40 tn Or “that you have heard me.”
[11:42] 39 tn Grk “that you always hear me.”
[11:42] 40 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[11:43] 41 sn The purpose of the loud voice was probably to ensure that all in the crowd could hear (compare the purpose of the prayer of thanksgiving in vv. 41-42).
[11:44] 41 sn Many have wondered how Lazarus got out of the tomb if his hands and feet were still tied up with strips of cloth. The author does not tell, and with a miracle of this magnitude, this is not an important fact to know. If Lazarus’ decomposing body was brought back to life by the power of God, then it could certainly have been moved out of the tomb by that same power. Others have suggested that the legs were bound separately, which would remove the difficulty, but the account gives no indication of this. What may be of more significance for the author is the comparison which this picture naturally evokes with the resurrection of Jesus, where the graveclothes stayed in the tomb neatly folded (20:6-7). Jesus, unlike Lazarus, would never need graveclothes again.
[11:44] 42 tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”
[11:44] 43 tn Grk “Loose him.”
[11:45] 42 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] 43 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:46] 43 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[11:46] 44 tn Grk “told them.”
[11:47] 44 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] 45 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] 45 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
[11:48] 46 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
[11:49] 46 tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:50] 47 tn Or “you are not considering.”
[11:50] 48 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] 49 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] 48 tn Grk “say this from himself.”
[11:51] 49 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] 49 tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.
[11:52] 50 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] 51 tn Grk “that he might gather together.”
[11:52] 52 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:54] 52 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] 53 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] 51 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] 52 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:55] 53 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
[11:56] 52 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
[11:56] 53 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[11:57] 53 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] 54 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:57] 55 tn Or “could seize.”
[11:57] 56 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:1] 54 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] 55 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.
[12:2] 56 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] 57 tn Grk “reclining at the table.”
[12:3] 56 tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).
[12:3] 57 tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The adjective πιστικῆς (pistikh") is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from πίστις (pistis) and relate to the purity of the oil of nard. More probably it is something like a brand name, “pistic nard,” the exact significance of which has not been discovered.
[12:3] 58 tn Grk “And she.” 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.
[12:3] 59 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. With a note characteristic of someone who was there and remembered, the author adds that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. In the later rabbinic literature, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states “The fragrance of good oil is diffused from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other.” If such a saying was known in the 1st century, this might be the author’s way of indicating that Mary’s act of devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare the comment in Mark 14:9).
[12:4] 57 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:5] 58 tn Grk “three hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth a standard day’s wage, so the value exceeded what a laborer could earn in a year (taking into account Sabbaths and feast days when no work was done).
[12:5] 59 tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (as the proceeds from the sale of the perfumed oil).
[12:6] 59 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:6] 60 tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.
[12:6] 61 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.
[12:7] 60 tn Grk “Leave her alone, that for the day of my burial she may keep it.” The construction with ἵνα (Jina) is somewhat ambiguous. The simplest way to read it would be, “Leave her alone, that she may keep it for the day of my burial.” This would imply that Mary was going to use the perfumed oil on that day, while vv. 3 and 5 seem to indicate clearly that she had already used it up. Some understand the statement as elliptical: “Leave her alone; (she did this) in order to keep it for the day of my burial.” Another alternative would be an imperatival use of ἵνα with the meaning: “Leave her alone; let her keep it.” The reading of the Byzantine text, which omits the ἵνα and substitutes a perfect tense τετήρηκεν (tethrhken), while not likely to be original, probably comes close to the meaning of the text, and that has been followed in this translation.
[12:8] 61 tc A few isolated witnesses omit v. 8 (D sys), part of v. 8 (Ì75), or vv. 7-8 ({0250}). The latter two omissions are surely due to errors of sight, while the former can be attributed to D’s sometimes erratic behavior. The verse is secure in light of the overwhelming evidence on its behalf.
[12:9] 62 tn Grk “of the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem and the surrounding area who by this time had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and were curious to see him.
[12:9] 64 tn Grk “he”; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the referent (Jesus) has been specified here.
[12:9] 65 tn Grk “Jesus”; normal English clause structure specifies the referent first and substitutes the pronoun in subsequent references to the same individual, so the pronoun (“him”) has been substituted here.
[12:10] 63 sn According to John 11:53 the Jewish leadership had already planned to kill Jesus. This plot against Lazarus apparently never got beyond the planning stage, however, since no further mention is made of it by the author.
[12:11] 64 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem who had heard about the resurrection of Lazarus and as a result were embracing Jesus as Messiah. See also the note on the phrase “Judeans” in v. 9.
[12:12] 65 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:13] 66 sn The Mosaic law stated (Lev 23:40) that branches of palm trees were to be used to celebrate the feast of Tabernacles. Later on they came to be used to celebrate other feasts as well (1 Macc. 13:51, 2 Macc. 10:7).
[12:13] 67 tn Grk “And they were shouting.” An ingressive force for the imperfect tense (“they began to shout” or “they started shouting”) is natural in this sequence of events. The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) is left untranslated to improve the English style.
[12:13] 68 tn The expression ῾Ωσαννά (Jwsanna, literally in Hebrew, “O Lord, save”) in the quotation from Ps 118:25-26 was probably by this time a familiar liturgical expression of praise, on the order of “Hail to the king,” although both the underlying Aramaic and Hebrew expressions meant “O Lord, save us.” As in Mark 11:9 the introductory ὡσαννά is followed by the words of Ps 118:25, εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου (euloghmeno" Jo ercomeno" en onomati kuriou), although in the Fourth Gospel the author adds for good measure καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (kai Jo basileu" tou Israhl). In words familiar to every Jew, the author is indicating that at this point every messianic expectation is now at the point of realization. It is clear from the words of the psalm shouted by the crowd that Jesus is being proclaimed as messianic king. See E. Lohse, TDNT 9:682-84.
[12:13] 69 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
[12:13] 70 tn Grk “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” The words “Blessed is” are not repeated in the Greek text, but are repeated in the translation to avoid the awkwardness in English of the ascensive καί (kai).
[12:14] 67 sn The author does not repeat the detailed accounts of the finding of the donkey recorded in the synoptic gospels. He does, however, see the event as a fulfillment of scripture, which he indicates by quoting Zech 9:9.
[12:15] 68 tn Grk “Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.
[12:15] 69 sn A quotation from Zech 9:9.
[12:16] 69 tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”
[12:16] 70 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] 71 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] 72 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).
[12:17] 70 tn The word “it” is not included in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[12:18] 71 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:19] 72 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[12:20] 73 sn These Greeks (῞Ελληνές τινες, {ellhne" tine") who had come up to worship at the feast were probably “God-fearers” rather than proselytes in the strict sense. Had they been true proselytes, they would probably not have been referred to as Greeks any longer. Many came to worship at the major Jewish festivals without being proselytes to Judaism, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, who could not have been a proselyte if he were physically a eunuch.
[12:21] 74 sn These Greeks approached Philip, although it is not clear why they did so. Perhaps they identified with his Greek name (although a number of Jews from border areas had Hellenistic names at this period). By see it is clear they meant “speak with,” since anyone could “see” Jesus moving through the crowd. The author does not mention what they wanted to speak with Jesus about.
[12:21] 75 tn Grk “and were asking him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:22] 75 tn Grk “Andrew and Philip”; because a repetition of the proper names would be redundant in contemporary English style, the phrase “they both” has been substituted in the translation.
[12:23] 76 tn Grk “Jesus answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:23] 78 sn Jesus’ reply, the time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified, is a bit puzzling. As far as the author’s account is concerned, Jesus totally ignores these Greeks and makes no further reference to them whatsoever. It appears that his words are addressed to Andrew and Philip, but in fact they must have had a wider audience, including possibly the Greeks who had wished to see him in the first place. The words the time has come recall all the previous references to “the hour” throughout the Fourth Gospel (see the note on time in 2:4). There is no doubt, in light of the following verse, that Jesus refers to his death here. On his pathway to glorification lies the cross, and it is just ahead.
[12:24] 77 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[12:24] 78 tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”
[12:24] 80 tn Grk “much fruit.”
[12:25] 79 tn Or “loses.” Although the traditional English translation of ἀπολλύει (apolluei) in John 12:25 is “loses,” the contrast with φυλάξει (fulaxei, “keeps” or “guards”) in the second half of the verse favors the meaning “destroy” here.
[12:26] 79 tn As a third person imperative in Greek, ἀκολουθείτω (akolouqeitw) is usually translated “let him follow me.” This could be understood by the modern English reader as merely permissive, however (“he may follow me if he wishes”). In this context there is no permissive sense, but rather a command, so the translation “he must follow me” is preferred.
[12:26] 80 tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”
[12:27] 81 tn Or “this occasion.”
[12:27] 82 tn Or “this occasion.”
[12:28] 81 tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).
[12:28] 82 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 83 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:29] 82 tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:29] 83 tn Grk “Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” The direct discourse in the second half of v. 29 was converted to indirect discourse in the translation to maintain the parallelism with the first half of the verse, which is better in keeping with English style.
[12:30] 83 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”
[12:30] 84 tn Or “for my sake.”
[12:31] 84 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[12:31] 85 tn Or “will be thrown out.” This translation regards the future passive ἐκβληθήσεται (ekblhqhsetai) as referring to an event future to the time of speaking.
[12:32] 85 tn Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).
[12:33] 86 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:34] 87 tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”
[12:34] 88 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
[12:34] 89 tn Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Ps 89:36-37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but “law” could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus’ use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David’s “seed” remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the “anointed” (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5, 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).
[12:34] 90 tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[12:35] 88 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”
[12:35] 89 tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”
[12:35] 90 sn The warning Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you operates on at least two different levels: (1) To the Jewish people in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke, the warning was a reminder that there was only a little time left for them to accept him as their Messiah. (2) To those later individuals to whom the Fourth Gospel was written, and to every person since, the words of Jesus are also a warning: There is a finite, limited time in which each individual has opportunity to respond to the Light of the world (i.e., Jesus); after that comes darkness. One’s response to the Light decisively determines one’s judgment for eternity.
[12:36] 89 tn The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.”
[12:37] 90 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:38] 93 tn “The arm of the Lord” is an idiom for “God’s great power” (as exemplified through Jesus’ miraculous signs). This response of unbelief is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Isaiah (Isa 53:1). The phrase ὁ βραχίων κυρίου (Jo braciwn kuriou) is a figurative reference to God’s activity and power which has been revealed in the sign-miracles which Jesus has performed (compare the previous verse).
[12:38] 94 sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.
[12:39] 92 sn The author explicitly states here that Jesus’ Jewish opponents could not believe, and quotes Isa 6:10 to show that God had in fact blinded their eyes and hardened their heart. This OT passage was used elsewhere in the NT to explain Jewish unbelief: Paul’s final words in Acts (28:26-27) are a quotation of this same passage, which he uses to explain why the Jewish people have not accepted the gospel he has preached. A similar passage (Isa 29:10) is quoted in a similar context in Rom 11:8.
[12:40] 93 tn Or “closed their mind.”
[12:40] 94 tn Or “their mind.”
[12:40] 95 tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[12:40] 96 sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.
[12:41] 94 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The referent supplied here is “Christ” rather than “Jesus” because it involves what Isaiah saw. It is clear that the author presents Isaiah as having seen the preincarnate glory of Christ, which was the very revelation of the Father (see John 1:18; John 14:9).
[12:42] 95 sn The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.
[12:42] 96 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[12:42] 97 tn The words “Jesus to be the Christ” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb ὡμολόγουν (Jwmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous “it,” or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause “believed in him” so that the rulers would not confess “their faith” or “their belief.” However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been “Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah).”
[12:42] 98 tn Or “be expelled from.”
[12:42] 99 sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[12:43] 96 tn Grk “the glory.”
[12:43] 97 tn Grk “the glory.”
[12:44] 97 tn Grk “shouted out and said.”
[12:44] 98 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[12:45] 98 sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.
[12:47] 99 tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[12:47] 100 tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”
[12:48] 100 tn Or “does not receive.”
[12:48] 101 tn Grk “has one who judges him.”
[12:49] 101 tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”
[12:49] 102 tn Grk “has given me commandment.”
[12:50] 102 tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”
[12:50] 103 tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”
[13:1] 104 tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).
[13:1] 105 tn Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).
[13:2] 104 tn Or “Supper.” To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between “dinner” and “supper” as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to “the evening meal.”
[13:2] 105 sn At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil’s own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas’ heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one’s own body is indicated. Judas’ name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.
[13:2] 106 tn Or “that he should hand over.”
[13:2] 107 tn Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:3] 105 tn Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:3] 106 tn Grk “had given all things into his hands.”
[13:4] 106 tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[13:4] 107 tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.
[13:4] 108 tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.
[13:5] 107 tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”
[13:6] 108 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:6] 109 tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”
[13:7] 109 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[13:7] 110 tn Grk “You do not know.”
[13:7] 111 tn Grk “you will know.”
[13:8] 110 tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.
[13:8] 111 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[13:8] 112 tn Or “you have no part in me.”
[13:9] 111 tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.
[13:10] 112 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[13:10] 113 tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”
[13:10] 115 sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).
[13:10] 116 tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.
[13:11] 113 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:11] 114 tn Grk “Not all of you are.”
[13:11] 115 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[13:12] 114 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:12] 115 tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:12] 116 tn Grk “Do you know.”
[13:13] 116 tn Grk “and I am these things.”
[13:15] 116 sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).
[13:16] 117 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:16] 118 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[13:16] 119 tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).
[13:17] 118 tn Grk “If you know.”
[13:18] 119 tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”
[13:18] 120 tn Or “The one who shares my food.”
[13:18] 121 tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.
[13:19] 120 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
[13:19] 121 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
[13:19] 122 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
[13:20] 121 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:20] 122 tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.
[13:20] 123 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[13:21] 122 tn Or “greatly troubled.”
[13:21] 123 tn Grk “and testified and said.”
[13:21] 124 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[13:21] 125 tn Or “will hand me over.”
[13:22] 123 tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporew).
[13:23] 124 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] 125 tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:23] 126 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.
[13:24] 125 sn It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus’ other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus’ right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus’ left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).
[13:24] 126 tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:24] 127 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:24] 128 sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).
[13:25] 126 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:26] 127 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[13:26] 128 sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).
[13:26] 129 tn Grk “after I have dipped it.” The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
[13:26] 130 tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.
[13:27] 128 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:27] 129 tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.
[13:27] 130 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”
[13:28] 129 tn Grk “reclining at the table.” The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.
[13:28] 131 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:28] 132 tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:29] 130 tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).
[13:29] 131 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[13:30] 131 tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:30] 132 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).
[13:31] 132 tn Grk “Then when.”
[13:31] 133 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[13:32] 133 tc A number of early
[13:32] 134 tn Or “immediately.”
[13:33] 134 tn Or “You will seek me.”
[13:33] 135 tn Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the residents of Jerusalem in general, or to the Jewish religious leaders in particular, who had sent servants to attempt to arrest Jesus on that occasion (John 7:33-35). The last option is the one adopted in the translation above.
[13:33] 136 sn See John 7:33-34.
[13:33] 137 tn The words “the same” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[13:34] 135 tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.
[13:34] 136 sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.
[13:35] 136 tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.
[13:36] 137 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
[13:37] 138 tn Or “I will die willingly for you.”
[13:38] 139 tn Or “Will you die willingly for me?”
[13:38] 140 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[14:1] 140 sn The same verb is used to describe Jesus’ own state in John 11:33, 12:27, and 13:21. Jesus is looking ahead to the events of the evening and the next day, his arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death, which will cause his disciples extreme emotional distress.
[14:1] 141 tn Or “Believe in God.” The translation of the two uses of πιστεύετε (pisteuete) is difficult. Both may be either indicative or imperative, and as L. Morris points out (John [NICNT], 637), this results in a bewildering variety of possibilities. To complicate matters further, the first may be understood as a question: “Do you believe in God? Believe also in me.” Morris argues against the KJV translation which renders the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative on the grounds that for the writer of the Fourth Gospel, faith in Jesus is inseparable from faith in God. But this is precisely the point that Jesus is addressing in context. He is about to undergo rejection by his own people as their Messiah. The disciples’ faith in him as Messiah and Lord would be cast into extreme doubt by these events, which the author makes clear were not at this time foreseen by the disciples. After the resurrection it is this identification between Jesus and the Father which needs to be reaffirmed (cf. John 20:24-29). Thus it seems best to take the first πιστεύετε as indicative and the second as imperative, producing the translation “You believe in God; believe also in me.”
[14:2] 141 tn Many interpreters have associated μοναί (monai) with an Aramaic word that can refer to a stopping place or resting place for a traveler on a journey. This is similar to one of the meanings the word can have in secular Greek (Pausanius 10.31.7). Origen understood the use here to refer to stations on the road to God. This may well have been the understanding of the Latin translators who translated μονή (monh) by mansio, a stopping place. The English translation “mansions” can be traced back to Tyndale, but in Middle English the word simply meant “a dwelling place” (not necessarily large or imposing) with no connotation of being temporary. The interpretation put forward by Origen would have been well suited to Gnosticism, where the soul in its ascent passes through stages during which it is gradually purified of all that is material and therefore evil. It is much more likely that the word μονή should be related to its cognate verb μένω (menw), which is frequently used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the Father and/or Jesus and the believer. Thus the idea of a permanent dwelling place, rather than a temporary stopping place, would be in view. Luther’s translation of μοναί by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.
[14:2] 142 sn Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father’s house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (μονή, monh) as the permanent residences of believers there. This seems consistent with the vocabulary and the context, where in v. 3 Jesus speaks of coming again to take the disciples to himself. However, the phrase in my Father’s house was used previously in the Fourth Gospel in 2:16 to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The author in 2:19-22 then reinterpreted the temple as Jesus’ body, which was to be destroyed in death and then rebuilt in resurrection after three days. Even more suggestive is the statement by Jesus in 8:35, “Now the slave does not remain (μένω, menw) in the household forever, but the son remains (μένω) forever.” If in the imagery of the Fourth Gospel the phrase in my Father’s house is ultimately a reference to Jesus’ body, the relationship of μονή to μένω suggests the permanent relationship of the believer to Jesus and the Father as an adopted son who remains in the household forever. In this case the “dwelling place” is “in” Jesus himself, where he is, whether in heaven or on earth. The statement in v. 3, “I will come again and receive you to myself,” then refers not just to the parousia, but also to Jesus’ postresurrection return to the disciples in his glorified state, when by virtue of his death on their behalf they may enter into union with him and with the Father as adopted sons. Needless to say, this bears numerous similarities to Pauline theology, especially the concepts of adoption as sons and being “in Christ” which are prominent in passages like Eph 1. It is also important to note, however, the emphasis in the Fourth Gospel itself on the present reality of eternal life (John 5:24, 7:38-39, etc.) and the possibility of worshiping the Father “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24) in the present age. There is a sense in which it is possible to say that the future reality is present now. See further J. McCaffrey, The House With Many Rooms (AnBib 114).
[14:2] 143 tc A number of important
[14:2] 144 tn Or “to prepare.”
[14:2] 145 tn Or “If not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” What is the meaning of the last clause with or without the ὅτι? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not τόπος (topos) is to be equated with μονή (monh). In Rev 12:8 τόπος is used to refer to a place in heaven, which would suggest that the two are essentially equal here. Jesus is going ahead of believers to prepare a place for them, a permanent dwelling place in the Father’s house (see the note on this phrase in v. 2).
[14:3] 144 tn Grk “to myself.”
[14:4] 143 tc Most
[14:5] 144 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:6] 145 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:6] 146 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”
[14:7] 146 tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnwkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnwsesqe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnwkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnwkeite an or an hdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The
[14:8] 147 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:8] 148 tn Or “and that is enough for us.”
[14:9] 148 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
[14:9] 149 tn Or “recognized.”
[14:10] 149 tn The mutual interrelationship of the Father and the Son (ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν, egw en tw patri kai Jo pathr en emoi estin) is something that Jesus expected even his opponents to recognize (cf. John 10:38). The question Jesus asks of Philip (οὐ πιστεύεις, ou pisteuei") expects the answer “yes.” Note that the following statement is addressed to all the disciples, however, because the plural pronoun (ὑμῖν, Jumin) is used. Jesus says that his teaching (the words he spoke to them all) did not originate from himself, but the Father, who permanently remains (μένων, menwn) in relationship with Jesus, performs his works. One would have expected “speaks his words” here rather than “performs his works”; many of the church fathers (e.g., Augustine and Chrysostom) identified the two by saying that Jesus’ words were works. But there is an implicit contrast in the next verse between words and works, and v. 12 seems to demand that the works are real works, not just words. It is probably best to see the two terms as related but not identical; there is a progression in the idea here. Both Jesus’ words (recall the Samaritans’ response in John 4:42) and Jesus’ works are revelatory of who he is, but as the next verse indicates, works have greater confirmatory power than words.
[14:10] 150 tn Grk “I do not speak from myself.”
[14:10] 152 tn Or “his mighty acts”; Grk “his works.”
[14:11] 150 tn The phrase “but if you do not believe me” contains an ellipsis; the Greek text reads Grk “but if not.” The ellipsis has been filled out (“but if [you do] not [believe me]…”) for the benefit of the modern English reader.
[14:11] 151 tn Grk “because of the works.”
[14:12] 151 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[14:12] 153 tn Grk “the works.”
[14:12] 154 tn Or “that I do.”
[14:12] 156 tn Grk “greater works.”
[14:13] 152 tn Grk “And whatever you ask in my name, I will do it.”
[14:13] 153 tn Or “may be praised” or “may be honored.”
[14:15] 153 tn Or “will keep.”
[14:15] 154 sn Jesus’ statement If you love me, you will obey my commandments provides the transition between the promises of answered prayer which Jesus makes to his disciples in vv. 13-14 and the promise of the Holy Spirit which is introduced in v. 16. Obedience is the proof of genuine love.
[14:16] 154 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.
[14:16] 155 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for παράκλητος is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word. “Comforter,” used by some of the older English versions, appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral. “Counselor” is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor.” “Helper” or “Assistant” could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. “Advocate,” the word chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones than the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11 a forensic context is certainly present. Because an “advocate” is someone who “advocates” or supports a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was selected in spite of the drawbacks.
[14:17] 155 tn Or “cannot receive.”
[14:17] 156 tn Or “he remains.”
[14:17] 157 tc Some early and important witnesses (Ì66* B D* W 1 565 it) have ἐστιν (estin, “he is”) instead of ἔσται (estai, “he will be”) here, while other weighty witnesses ({Ì66c,75vid א A D1 L Θ Ψ Ë13 33vid Ï as well as several versions and fathers}), read the future tense. When one considers transcriptional evidence, ἐστιν is the more difficult reading and better explains the rise of the future tense reading, but it must be noted that both Ì66 and D were corrected from the present tense to the future. If ἐστιν were the original reading, one would expect a few manuscripts to be corrected to read the present when they originally read the future, but that is not the case. When one considers what the author would have written, the future is on much stronger ground. The immediate context (both in 14:16 and in the chapter as a whole) points to the future, and the theology of the book regards the advent of the Spirit as a decidedly future event (see, e.g., 7:39 and 16:7). The present tense could have arisen from an error of sight on the part of some scribes or more likely from an error of thought as scribes reflected upon the present role of the Spirit. Although a decision is difficult, the future tense is most likely authentic. For further discussion on this textual problem, see James M. Hamilton, Jr., “He Is with You and He Will Be in You” (Ph.D. diss., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2003), 213-20.
[14:18] 157 tn The entire phrase “abandon you as orphans” could be understood as an idiom meaning, “leave you helpless.”
[14:18] 158 sn I will come to you. Jesus had spoken in 14:3 of going away and coming again to his disciples. There the reference was both to the parousia (the second coming of Christ) and to the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to the disciples. Here the postresurrection appearances are primarily in view, since Jesus speaks of the disciples “seeing” him after the world can “see” him no longer in the following verse. But many commentators have taken v. 18 as a reference to the coming of the Spirit, since this has been the topic of the preceding verses. Still, vv. 19-20 appear to contain references to Jesus’ appearances to the disciples after his resurrection. It may well be that another Johannine double meaning is found here, so that Jesus ‘returns’ to his disciples in one sense in his appearances to them after his resurrection, but in another sense he ‘returns’ in the person of the Holy Spirit to indwell them.
[14:19] 157 tn Grk “Yet a little while, and.”
[14:20] 158 tn Grk “will know in that day.”
[14:21] 160 tn Grk “obeys them, that one is the one who loves me.”
[14:21] 161 tn Grk “And the one.” Here the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated to improve the English style.
[14:21] 162 tn Or “will disclose.”
[14:22] 160 tn Grk “(not Iscariot).” The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.
[14:22] 161 tn Grk “said to him.”
[14:23] 161 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
[14:23] 162 tn Or “will keep.”
[14:23] 163 tn Grk “we will come to him and will make our dwelling place with him.” The context here is individual rather than corporate indwelling, so the masculine singular pronoun has been retained throughout v. 23. It is important to note, however, that the pronoun is used generically here and refers equally to men, women, and children.
[14:24] 162 tn Or “does not keep.”
[14:24] 163 tn Or “the message.”
[14:25] 163 tn Or “while remaining” or “while residing.”
[14:26] 164 tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in v. 16 for a discussion of how this word is translated.
[14:26] 165 tn Grk “that one will teach you.” The words “that one” have been omitted from the translation since they are redundant in English.
[14:26] 166 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:26] 167 tn Grk “all things.”
[14:27] 165 sn Peace I leave with you. In spite of appearances, this verse does not introduce a new subject (peace). Jesus will use the phrase as a greeting to his disciples after his resurrection (20:19, 21, 26). It is here a reflection of the Hebrew shalom as a farewell. But Jesus says he leaves peace with his disciples. This should probably be understood ultimately in terms of the indwelling of the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, who has been the topic of the preceding verses. It is his presence, after Jesus has left the disciples and finally returned to the Father, which will remain with them and comfort them.
[14:27] 166 tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[14:27] 167 tn Grk “not as the world gives do I give to you.”
[14:27] 168 tn Or “distressed or fearful and cowardly.”
[14:28] 166 tn Or “You have heard that I said to you.”
[14:28] 167 tn Or “you would rejoice.”
[14:28] 168 sn Jesus’ statement the Father is greater than I am has caused much christological and trinitarian debate. Although the Arians appealed to this text to justify their subordinationist Christology, it seems evident that by the fact Jesus compares himself to the Father, his divine nature is taken for granted. There have been two orthodox interpretations: (1) The Son is eternally generated while the Father is not: Origen, Tertullian, Athanasius, Hilary, etc. (2) As man the incarnate Son was less than the Father: Cyril of Alexandria, Ambrose, Augustine. In the context of the Fourth Gospel the second explanation seems more plausible. But why should the disciples have rejoiced? Because Jesus was on the way to the Father who would glorify him (cf. 17:4-5); his departure now signifies that the work the Father has given him is completed (cf. 19:30). Now Jesus will be glorified with that glory that he had with the Father before the world was (cf. 17:5). This should be a cause of rejoicing to the disciples because when Jesus is glorified he will glorify his disciples as well (17:22).
[14:29] 167 sn Jesus tells the disciples that he has told them all these things before they happen, so that when they do happen the disciples may believe. This does not mean they had not believed prior to this time; over and over the author has affirmed that they have (cf. 2:11). But when they see these things happen, their level of trust in Jesus will increase and their concept of who he is will expand. The confession of Thomas in 20:28 is representative of this increased understanding of who Jesus is. Cf. John 13:19.
[14:30] 168 tn Grk “I will no longer speak many things with you.”
[14:30] 169 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[14:30] 170 tn Grk “in me he has nothing.”
[14:31] 169 tn Or “may learn.”
[14:31] 170 tn Grk “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I do.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to conform to contemporary English style.
[14:31] 171 sn Some have understood Jesus’ statement Get up, let us go from here to mean that at this point Jesus and the disciples got up and left the room where the meal was served and began the journey to the garden of Gethsemane. If so, the rest of the Farewell Discourse took place en route. Others have pointed to this statement as one of the “seams” in the discourse, indicating that the author used preexisting sources. Both explanations are possible, but not really necessary. Jesus could simply have stood up at this point (the disciples may or may not have stood with him) to finish the discourse before finally departing (in 18:1). In any case it may be argued that Jesus refers not to a literal departure at this point, but to preparing to meet the enemy who is on the way already in the person of Judas and the soldiers with him.
