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John 18

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John 18
BookGospel of John
CategoryGospel
Christian Bible partNew Testament
Order in the Christian part4

John 18is the eighteenth chapter of theGospel of Johnin theNew Testamentof theChristian Bible.This chapter records the events on the day of theCrucifixion of Jesus,starting with thearrest of Jesusthe evening before (inJudaiccalculation, this would be considered part of thesame day).[1]The threedenials of Peter(John 18:15–18;25–26) are interwoven into the narrative concerning thetrials of Jesus.

The book containing this chapter isanonymous;however, early Christian tradition generally considers thatJohn the Evangelistcomposed theGospel of John.[2]

Text

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The original text was written inKoine Greek.This chapter is divided into 40verses.

Textual witnesses

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Some earlymanuscriptscontaining the text of this chapter are:

Places

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The events recorded in this chapter took place inJerusalem.

Jesus' betrayal and arrest in Gethsemane (18:1-11)

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The opening of chapter 18 is directly connected with the final words ofchapter 14:

Arise, let us go from here(John 14:31).

The intervening chapters record Jesus'Farewell Discourse.Alfred Plummer, in theCambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges(1902), suggests that Jesus and His disciples have "rise[n] from table and prepare[d] to depart at John 14:31, but that the contents of chapters 15-17 are spoken before they leave the room".[3]The editors of theNew American Bible Revised Editionnote that this gospel does not mention Jesus'Agony in the Gardenor thekiss of Judas.[4]

Verse 1

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When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with Hisdisciplesover the Brook (or winter stream)Kidron,where there was agarden,which He and His disciples entered.[5]

Sometranslationsinstead open with "When He had finished praying" or similar words.[6]

Matthew 26:36andMark 14:32refer to "a place calledGethsemane",but the place is unnamed here,[4]simply referred to as a garden. InLuke 22:39,the place is the mount of Olives.

Verse 2

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AndJudas,who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.[7]

Judas is now called "Judas the betrayer" or "Judas, who is betraying" (Greek:ιουδας ο παραδιδους,ioudas ho paradidous) (John 18:2and again in verse 5).[8]He comes to this familiar place with troops, a captain and officers and servants of thechief priestsand thePharisees,carrying torches and lanterns and weapons (verse 6, cf. verse 12). H. W. Watkins surmises that Gethsemane might have been belonged to "a friend or disciple" of Jesus.[9]Where many modern translations say that Jesus "met" there with his disciples, or "gathered" there in theRevised Geneva Translation,[10]older versions such as theKing Jamesstates that they "resorted" there.[11]

TheNew American Standard Biblenotes that the troops were theRomancohort(Greek:σπεῖρα,speirainJohn 18:3is the technical word for the Roman cohort)[9]whereasRichard Francis Weymouthidentified them as a detachment of the Temple police.[12]This was the garrison band fromFort Antonia,at the north-east corner of theTemple.Peteralso came with a weapon (verses 10–11):

Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name wasMalchus.[13]

Verse 4

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Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”[14]

Plummer notes from this verse that the evangelist's narrative confirms:

  • the voluntariness of Christ'ssufferings,and
  • the fulfilment of a divine plan in Christ's sufferings

and that the aim of the narrative is to endorse Jesus' earlier words,

I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.[15]

and the evangelist's earlier commentary

Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.[16][17]

Verse 5

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"Jesus of Nazareth", they answered.
"I am he", he said.
Judas, the traitor, was standing there with them.[18]

A more literal translation of the guards' answer is "Jesus the Nazarene", which Plummer calls "a rather morecontemptuousexpression than 'Jesus of Nazareth' ".[17]Jesus' response is Ἐγώ εἰμι (ego eimi,I am): the word 'he' is not expressed in the Greek text. This is a familiar expression throughout John's Gospel, seen inJohn 4:26,6:20,8:24,8:28,8:58,and13:13.Plummer comments that "Judas, if not the chief priests, must have noticed the significant words".[17]Verses 6 and 8 repeat the words Ἐγώ εἰμι (in English, "I am he" ).

Verse 9

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That the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none".[19]

According to theNew American Bible Revised Edition,the citation may refer toJohn 6:39,10:28or17:12.[20]

  • John 6:39:This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.[21]
  • John 10:28:And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.[22]
  • John 17:12:While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.[23]

Henry Alford,[24]Plummer,[17]and Watkins[9]concur in associating this verse with John 17:12. Arnold uses this fulfillment to argue (as "an unquestionable proof" ) that John 17 is a historical account of the words of Jesus and not merely "a description of the mind of our Lord at the time".[24]

Verse 11

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So Jesus said to Peter, "Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?"[25]

Heinrich Meyerargues that "the sword" is the original wording, and that "your sword", which is widely used wording in modern English translations,[26]is an import, "against decisive witnesses", fromMatthew 26:52.[27]

In the High Priest's courtyard (18:12-27)

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Jesus and "another disciple", or "the other disciple",[28]who was known to thehigh priest,are taken to the High Priest's courtyard, where initially Jesus meets withAnnas.The other disciple then brings in Peter.[29]Unusually,John Wycliffe's bible translatesGreek:τω αρχιερει,tō archiereias "thebishop".[30]

Verse 19

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The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.[31]

Annasis here referred to as "the high priest", althoughCaiaphaswas the high priest that year (John 18:13). Meyer notes that Jesus ignores the first part of the question and answers only the second part, "and that by putting it aside as something entirely aimless, appealing to the publicity of His life".[27]

In Pilate's court (18:28-38)

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John 18:37–38on theversoside of JohnRylands Library Papyrus P52(~AD 125).
Main article:Pilate's court

Verse 28

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Then they [the Jewish leaders] led Jesus from Caiaphas to thePraetorium,and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should bedefiled,but that they might eat thePassover.[32]

The Jewish leaders: words supplied by theNew International Versionto clarify "they".[33]The reference is to theSanhedrists,according toScottish Free ChurchministerWilliam Nicoll.[34]The text here confirms that in John'stimeline,the trial of Jesus took placebeforethe Passover and therefore likewise the events of chapters 13-17 preceded the Passover: cf.John 13:1:before the Feast of the Passover...

Verse 31

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Then Pilate said to them, "You take Him and judge Him according to your law."
Therefore the Jews said to him, "It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,"[35]

John's gospel is alone in offering this reason for his accusers bring Jesus before Pilate.[36]

Verse 37

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Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"
Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king.
For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world,
that I should bear witness to the truth.
Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”[37]

Cross reference:Matthew 27:11;Mark 15:2;Luke 23:3

What is truth? (18:39-40)

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Verse 38

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Main article:John 18:38
Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"
And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews,
and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all".[38]

See also

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References

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  1. ^Halley, Henry H.Halley's Bible Handbook:an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962.
  2. ^Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.
  3. ^Plummer, A. (1902),Cambridge Bible for Schools and Collegeson John 14, accessed 5 July 2016
  4. ^abConfraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc.,Footnote aatJohn 18:1in the New American Bible Revised Edition, accessed 9 February 2024
  5. ^John 18:1NKJV
  6. ^For examples,New International Version,International Children's Bible andWeymouth New Testament
  7. ^John 18:2:NKJV
  8. ^Vincent's Word Studieson John 18, accessed 12 July 2016
  9. ^abcWatkins, H. W. (1905),Ellicott's Commentary for English Readerson John 18, accessed 16 July 2016
  10. ^John 18:2RGT
  11. ^John 18:2KJV
  12. ^Weymouth New Testament,John 18:3
  13. ^John 18:10NKJV
  14. ^John 18:4NKJV
  15. ^John 10:17–18NKJV
  16. ^John 13:1NKJV
  17. ^abcdPlummer, A. (1902),Cambridge Bible for Schools and Collegeson John 18, accessed 8 June 2019
  18. ^John 18:5:Good News Translation(words and layout)
  19. ^John 18:9:NKJV
  20. ^Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Footnote e atJohn 18:9in the New American Bible Revised Edition
  21. ^John 6:39:NKJV
  22. ^John 10:28:NKJV
  23. ^John 17:12:NKJV
  24. ^abAlford, H.,Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Alfordon John 18, accessed 3 September 2022
  25. ^John 18:11:New American Standard Bible
  26. ^See John 18:11 in theRevised Standard Version,New King James Version, and New International Version
  27. ^abMeyer, H. A. W. (1880),Meyer's NT Commentaryon John 18, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 3 December 2020
  28. ^Verse 15: theNKJVnotes "the other" as an alternative; this is preferred byDarby
  29. ^John 18:13–16NKJV
  30. ^Noble, T. P. (2001),Wycliffe's Bible:John 18, several verses
  31. ^John 18:19NKJV
  32. ^John 18:28NKJV
  33. ^John 18:28:NIV
  34. ^Nicoll, W. R. (1897 ff),The Expositor's Greek Testamenton John 18, accessed 13 June 2019
  35. ^John 18:31NKJV
  36. ^Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc.,Footnote nat John 18:31 in NABRE, accessed 9 February 2024
  37. ^John 18:37NKJV
  38. ^John 18:38NKJV
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Preceded by
John 17 		Chapters of the Bible
Gospel of John 		Succeeded by
John 19
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_18&oldid=1248884456"