Matius 26:47-56
Konteks26:47 While he was still speaking, Judas, 1 one of the twelve, arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and elders of the people. 26:48 (Now the betrayer 2 had given them a sign, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. 3 Arrest him!”) 4 26:49 Immediately 5 he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi,” and kissed him. 6 26:50 Jesus 7 said to him, “Friend, do what you are here to do.” Then they came and took hold 8 of Jesus and arrested him. 26:51 But 9 one of those with Jesus grabbed 10 his sword, drew it out, and struck the high priest’s slave, 11 cutting off his ear. 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! 12 For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword. 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions 13 of angels right now? 26:54 How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” 26:55 At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? 14 Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet 15 you did not arrest me. 26:56 But this has happened so that 16 the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
Lukas 22:47-53
Konteks22:47 While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd appeared, 17 and the man named Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He walked up 18 to Jesus to kiss him. 19 22:48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” 20 22:49 When 21 those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should 22 we use our swords?” 23 22:50 Then 24 one of them 25 struck the high priest’s slave, 26 cutting off his right ear. 22:51 But Jesus said, 27 “Enough of this!” And he touched the man’s 28 ear and healed 29 him. 22:52 Then 30 Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, 31 and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw? 32 22:53 Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, 33 you did not arrest me. 34 But this is your hour, 35 and that of the power 36 of darkness!”
Yohanes 18:1-11
Konteks18:1 When he had said these things, 37 Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley. 38 There was an orchard 39 there, and he and his disciples went into it. 18:2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times 40 with his disciples.) 41 18:3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers 42 and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. 43 They came to the orchard 44 with lanterns 45 and torches and weapons.
18:4 Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him, 46 came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?” 47 18:5 They replied, 48 “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.) 49 18:6 So when Jesus 50 said to them, “I am he,” they retreated 51 and fell to the ground. 52 18:7 Then Jesus 53 asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 18:8 Jesus replied, 54 “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for 55 me, let these men 56 go.” 57 18:9 He said this 58 to fulfill the word he had spoken, 59 “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” 60
18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, 61 cutting off his right ear. 62 (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) 63 18:11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?” 64
[26:47] 1 tn Grk “behold, Judas.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[26:48] 2 tn Grk “the one who betrays him.”
[26:48] 3 tn Grk “The one I kiss is he.”
[26:48] 4 sn This remark is parenthetical within the narrative and has thus been placed in parentheses.
[26:49] 5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
[26:49] 6 sn Judas’ act of betrayal when he kissed Jesus is especially sinister when it is realized that it was common in the culture of the times for a disciple to kiss his master when greeting him.
[26:50] 7 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[26:50] 8 tn Grk “and put their hands on Jesus.”
[26:51] 9 tn Grk “And behold one.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
[26:51] 10 tn Grk “extending his hand, drew out his sword, and struck.” Because rapid motion is implied in the circumstances, the translation “grabbed” was used.
[26:51] 11 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
[26:52] 12 tn The translation “put your sword back in its place” for this phrase is given in L&N 85.52.
[26:53] 13 sn A legion was a Roman army unit of about 6,000 soldiers, so twelve legions would be 72,000.
[26:55] 14 tn Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:30).
[26:55] 15 tn Grk “and” (καί, kai), a conjunction that is elastic enough to be used to indicate a contrast, as here.
[26:56] 16 tn Grk “But so that”; the verb “has happened” is implied.
[22:47] 17 tn Grk “While he was still speaking, behold, a crowd, and the one called Judas…was leading them.” The abrupt appearance of the crowd on the scene is indicated in the translation by “suddenly” and “appeared.”
[22:47] 18 tn Grk “drew near.”
[22:47] 19 tc Many
[22:48] 20 sn Jesus’ comment about betraying the Son of Man with a kiss shows the hypocrisy and blindness of an attempt to cover up sin. On “misused kisses” in the Bible, see Gen 27:26-27; 2 Sam 15:5; Prov 7:13; 27:6; and 2 Sam 20:9.
[22:49] 21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[22:49] 22 tn The direct question using “if” in Greek is not unusual (BDF §440.3).
[22:49] 23 sn “Should we use our swords?” The disciples’ effort to defend Jesus recalls Luke 22:35-38. One individual did not wait for the answer.
[22:50] 24 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[22:50] 25 sn One of them. The unnamed disciple is Peter according to John 18:10 (cf. also Matt 26:51; Mark 14:47).
[22:50] 26 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.
[22:51] 27 tn Grk “But answering, Jesus said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified in the translation.
[22:51] 28 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the slave of the high priest mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:51] 29 sn When Jesus healed the man’s ear he showed grace even to those who hated him, following his own teaching (Luke 6:27-36).
[22:52] 30 tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[22:52] 31 tn This title, literally “official of the temple” (στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ, strathgo" tou Jierou), referred to the commander of the Jewish soldiers who guarded and maintained order in the Jerusalem temple. Here, since the term is plural, it has been translated “officers of the temple guard” rather than “commanders of the temple guard,” since the idea of a number of commanders might be confusing to the modern English reader.
[22:52] 32 tn Or “a revolutionary.” This term can refer to one who stirs up rebellion: BDAG 594 s.v. λῃστής 2 has “revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla” citing evidence from Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]). However, this usage generally postdates Jesus’ time. It does refer to a figure of violence. Luke uses the same term for the highwaymen who attack the traveler in the parable of the good Samaritan (10:30).
[22:53] 33 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[22:53] 34 tn Grk “lay hands on me.”
[22:53] 36 tn Or “authority,” “domain.”
[18:1] 37 sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.
[18:1] 38 tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).
[18:2] 41 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:3] 42 tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.
[18:3] 43 tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.
[18:3] sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[18:3] 44 tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.
[18:3] 45 tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.
[18:3] sn Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John’s Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).
[18:4] 46 tn Grk “knowing all things that were coming upon him.”
[18:4] 47 tn Grk “Whom do you seek?”
[18:5] 48 tn Grk “They answered.”
[18:5] sn The author does not state precisely who from the group of soldiers and temple police replied to Jesus at this point. It may have been the commander of the Roman soldiers, although his presence is not explicitly mentioned until 18:12. It may also have been one of the officers of the chief priests. To the answer given, “Jesus the Nazarene,” Jesus replies “I am [he].”
[18:5] 49 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).
[18:6] 50 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:6] 51 tn Grk “moved back” (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).
[18:6] 52 sn When Jesus said to those who came to arrest him “I am,” they retreated and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that “it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus’ unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall” (John [NICNT], 743-44). Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene; but the theological significance given to this event by the author implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus the Nazarene. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the divine Name of Exod 3:14, “I AM.” Therefore this amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, “Who are you looking for?” This is a vivid reminder to the reader of the Gospel that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the one who bears the divine Name.
[18:7] 53 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:8] 54 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[18:8] 55 tn Grk “if you are seeking.”
[18:8] 56 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.
[18:8] 57 sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.
[18:9] 58 tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.
[18:9] 59 sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.
[18:9] 60 tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
[18:9] sn This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus’ own words: “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” Here it is Jesus’ own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus’ words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38, 13:18, 15:25, 17:12, 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John’s Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.
[18:10] 61 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
[18:10] 62 sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
[18:10] 63 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[18:11] 64 tn Grk “The cup that the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.
[18:11] sn Jesus continues with what most would take to be a rhetorical question expecting a positive reply: “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” The cup is also mentioned in Gethsemane in the synoptics (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42). In connection with the synoptic accounts it is mentioned in Jesus’ prayer; this occurrence certainly complements the synoptic accounts if Jesus had only shortly before finished praying about this. Only here in the Fourth Gospel is it specifically said that the cup is given to Jesus to drink by the Father, but again this is consistent with the synoptic mention of the cup in Jesus’ prayer: It is the cup of suffering which Jesus is about to undergo.
