Yohanes 1:35--12:50

1:35 Again the next day John ¹  was standing there ²  with two of his disciples. 1:36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ³  1:37 When John’s ⁴  two disciples heard him say this, ⁵  they followed Jesus. ⁶  1:38 Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?” ⁷  So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher), ⁸  “where are you staying?” 1:39 Jesus ⁹  answered, ¹⁰  “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon. ¹¹ 

Andrew’s Declaration

1:40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said ¹²  and followed Jesus. ¹³  1:41 He first ¹⁴  found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” ¹⁵  (which is translated Christ). ¹⁶  1:42 Andrew brought Simon ¹⁷  to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John. ¹⁸  You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter). ¹⁹ 

The Calling of More Disciples

1:43 On the next day Jesus ²⁰  wanted to set out for Galilee. ²¹  He ²²  found Philip and said ²³  to him, “Follow me.” 1:44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, ²⁴  the town of ²⁵  Andrew and Peter.) 1:45 Philip found Nathanael ²⁶  and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also ²⁷  wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 1:46 Nathanael ²⁸  replied, ²⁹  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” ³⁰  Philip replied, ³¹  “Come and see.”

1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, ³²  “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ³³  1:48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, ³⁴  “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, ³⁵  I saw you.” 1:49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king ³⁶  of Israel!” ³⁷  1:50 Jesus said to him, ³⁸  “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” ³⁹  1:51 He continued, ⁴⁰  “I tell all of you the solemn truth ⁴¹  – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” ⁴² 

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ⁴³  in Galilee. ⁴⁴  Jesus’ mother ⁴⁵  was there, 2:2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. ⁴⁶  2:3 When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” ⁴⁷  2:4 Jesus replied, ⁴⁸  “Woman, ⁴⁹  why are you saying this to me? ⁵⁰  My time ⁵¹  has not yet come.” 2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” ⁵² 

2:6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, ⁵³  each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁵⁴  2:7 Jesus told the servants, ⁵⁵  “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. 2:8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” ⁵⁶  and they did. 2:9 When ⁵⁷  the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from ⁵⁸  (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he ⁵⁹  called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Everyone ⁶⁰  serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper ⁶¹  wine when the guests ⁶²  are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, ⁶³  in Cana ⁶⁴  of Galilee. In this way he revealed ⁶⁵  his glory, and his disciples believed in him. ⁶⁶ 

Cleansing the Temple

2:12 After this he went down to Capernaum ⁶⁷  with his mother and brothers ⁶⁸  and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days. 2:13 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ⁶⁹  was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ⁷⁰ 

2:14 ⁷¹ He found in the temple courts ⁷²  those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. ⁷³  2:15 So he made a whip of cords ⁷⁴  and drove them all out of the temple courts, ⁷⁵  with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers ⁷⁶  and overturned their tables. 2:16 To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make ⁷⁷  my Father’s house a marketplace!” ⁷⁸  2:17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal ⁷⁹  for your house will devour me.” ⁸⁰ 

2:18 So then the Jewish leaders ⁸¹  responded, ⁸²  “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?” ⁸³  2:19 Jesus replied, ⁸⁴  “Destroy ⁸⁵  this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” 2:20 Then the Jewish leaders ⁸⁶  said to him, “This temple has been under construction ⁸⁷  for forty-six years, ⁸⁸  and are you going to raise it up in three days?” 2:21 But Jesus ⁸⁹  was speaking about the temple of his body. ⁹⁰  2:22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture ⁹¹  and the saying ⁹²  that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ⁹³  was in Jerusalem ⁹⁴  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ⁹⁵  2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ⁹⁶  2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ⁹⁷  for he knew what was in man. ⁹⁸ 

Conversation with Nicodemus

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee ⁹⁹  named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, ¹⁰⁰  3:2 came to Jesus ¹⁰¹  at night ¹⁰²  and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs ¹⁰³  that you do unless God is with him.” 3:3 Jesus replied, ¹⁰⁴  “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁰⁵  unless a person is born from above, ¹⁰⁶  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ¹⁰⁷  3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” ¹⁰⁸ 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁰⁹  unless a person is born of water and spirit, ¹¹⁰  he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 3:6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, ¹¹¹  and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all ¹¹²  be born from above.’ ¹¹³  3:8 The wind ¹¹⁴  blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ¹¹⁵ 

3:9 Nicodemus replied, ¹¹⁶  “How can these things be?” ¹¹⁷  3:10 Jesus answered, ¹¹⁸  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹¹⁹  3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹²⁰  we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but ¹²¹  you people ¹²²  do not accept our testimony. ¹²³  3:12 If I have told you people ¹²⁴  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹²⁵  3:13 No one ¹²⁶  has ascended ¹²⁷  into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man. ¹²⁸  3:14 Just as ¹²⁹  Moses lifted up the serpent ¹³⁰  in the wilderness, ¹³¹  so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹³²  3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” ¹³³ 

3:16 For this is the way ¹³⁴  God loved the world: He gave his one and only ¹³⁵  Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish ¹³⁶  but have eternal life. ¹³⁷  3:17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, ¹³⁸  but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. ¹³⁹  The one who does not believe has been condemned ¹⁴⁰  already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only ¹⁴¹  Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ¹⁴²  that the light has come into the world and people ¹⁴³  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. ¹⁴⁴ 

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, ¹⁴⁵  Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. 3:23 John ¹⁴⁶  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ¹⁴⁷  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ¹⁴⁸  to him ¹⁴⁹  and being baptized. 3:24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) ¹⁵⁰ 

3:25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew ¹⁵¹  concerning ceremonial washing. ¹⁵²  3:26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, ¹⁵³  about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”

3:27 John replied, ¹⁵⁴  “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ ¹⁵⁵  but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’ 3:29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly ¹⁵⁶  when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. ¹⁵⁷  3:30 He must become more important while I become less important.” ¹⁵⁸ 

3:31 The one who comes from above is superior to all. ¹⁵⁹  The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. ¹⁶⁰  The one who comes from heaven ¹⁶¹  is superior to all. ¹⁶²  3:32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 3:33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. ¹⁶³  3:34 For the one whom God has sent ¹⁶⁴  speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. ¹⁶⁵  3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. ¹⁶⁶  3:36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects ¹⁶⁷  the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath ¹⁶⁸  remains ¹⁶⁹  on him.

Departure From Judea

4:1 Now when Jesus ¹⁷⁰  knew that the Pharisees ¹⁷¹  had heard that he ¹⁷²  was winning ¹⁷³  and baptizing more disciples than John 4:2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), ¹⁷⁴  4:3 he left Judea and set out once more for Galilee. ¹⁷⁵ 

Conversation With a Samaritan Woman

4:4 But he had ¹⁷⁶  to pass through Samaria. ¹⁷⁷  4:5 Now he came to a Samaritan town ¹⁷⁸  called Sychar, ¹⁷⁹  near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ¹⁸⁰  4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ¹⁸¹  the well. It was about noon. ¹⁸² 

4:7 A Samaritan woman ¹⁸³  came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water ¹⁸⁴  to drink.” 4:8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies. ¹⁸⁵ ) ¹⁸⁶  4:9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you – a Jew ¹⁸⁷  – ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water ¹⁸⁸  to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common ¹⁸⁹  with Samaritans.) ¹⁹⁰ 

4:10 Jesus answered ¹⁹¹  her, “If you had known ¹⁹²  the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water ¹⁹³  to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” ¹⁹⁴  4:11 “Sir,” ¹⁹⁵  the woman ¹⁹⁶  said to him, “you have no bucket and the well ¹⁹⁷  is deep; where then do you get this ¹⁹⁸  living water? ¹⁹⁹  4:12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor ²⁰⁰  Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.” ²⁰¹ 

4:13 Jesus replied, ²⁰²  “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty ²⁰³  again. 4:14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, ²⁰⁴  but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain ²⁰⁵  of water springing up ²⁰⁶  to eternal life.” 4:15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw ²⁰⁷  water.” ²⁰⁸  4:16 He ²⁰⁹  said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.” ²¹⁰  4:17 The woman replied, ²¹¹  “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ²¹²  ‘I have no husband,’ ²¹³  4:18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with ²¹⁴  now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”

4:19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see ²¹⁵  that you are a prophet. 4:20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, ²¹⁶  and you people ²¹⁷  say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” ²¹⁸  4:21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman, ²¹⁹  a time ²²⁰  is coming when you will worship ²²¹  the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 4:22 You people ²²²  worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews. ²²³  4:23 But a time ²²⁴  is coming – and now is here ²²⁵  – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks ²²⁶  such people to be ²²⁷  his worshipers. ²²⁸  4:24 God is spirit, ²²⁹  and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 4:25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ); ²³⁰  “whenever he ²³¹  comes, he will tell ²³²  us everything.” ²³³  4:26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The Disciples Return

4:27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back. ²³⁴  They were shocked ²³⁵  because he was speaking ²³⁶  with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?” ²³⁷  or “Why are you speaking with her?” 4:28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ²³⁸  4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, ²³⁹  can he?” ²⁴⁰  4:30 So ²⁴¹  they left the town and began coming ²⁴²  to him.

Workers for the Harvest

4:31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ²⁴³  “Rabbi, eat something.” ²⁴⁴  4:32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 4:33 So the disciples began to say ²⁴⁵  to one another, “No one brought him anything ²⁴⁶  to eat, did they?” ²⁴⁷  4:34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me ²⁴⁸  and to complete ²⁴⁹  his work. ²⁵⁰  4:35 Don’t you say, ²⁵¹  ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up ²⁵²  and see that the fields are already white ²⁵³  for harvest! 4:36 The one who reaps receives pay ²⁵⁴  and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 4:37 For in this instance the saying is true, ²⁵⁵  ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 4:38 I sent you to reap what you did not work for; others have labored and you have entered into their labor.”

The Samaritans Respond

4:39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified, ²⁵⁶  “He told me everything I ever did.” 4:40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking ²⁵⁷  him to stay with them. ²⁵⁸  He stayed there two days, 4:41 and because of his word many more ²⁵⁹  believed. 4:42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ²⁶⁰  really is the Savior of the world.” ²⁶¹ 

Onward to Galilee

4:43 After the two days he departed from there to Galilee. 4:44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ²⁶²  4:45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem ²⁶³  at the feast ²⁶⁴  (for they themselves had gone to the feast). ²⁶⁵ 

Healing the Royal Official’s Son

4:46 Now he came again to Cana ²⁶⁶  in Galilee where he had made the water wine. ²⁶⁷  In ²⁶⁸  Capernaum ²⁶⁹  there was a certain royal official ²⁷⁰  whose son was sick. 4:47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him ²⁷¹  to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 4:48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people ²⁷²  see signs and wonders you will never believe!” ²⁷³  4:49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.” 4:50 Jesus told him, “Go home; ²⁷⁴  your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home. ²⁷⁵ 

4:51 While he was on his way down, ²⁷⁶  his slaves ²⁷⁷  met him and told him that his son was going to live. 4:52 So he asked them the time ²⁷⁸  when his condition began to improve, ²⁷⁹  and ²⁸⁰  they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon ²⁸¹  the fever left him.” 4:53 Then the father realized that it was the very time ²⁸²  Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household. 4:54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign ²⁸³  when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda

5:1 After this ²⁸⁴  there was a Jewish feast, ²⁸⁵  and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ²⁸⁶  5:2 Now there is ²⁸⁷  in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate ²⁸⁸  a pool called Bethzatha ²⁸⁹  in Aramaic, ²⁹⁰  which has five covered walkways. ²⁹¹  5:3 A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying in these walkways. 5:4 [[EMPTY]] ²⁹²  5:5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. ²⁹³  5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized ²⁹⁴  that the man ²⁹⁵  had been disabled a long time already, he said to him, “Do you want to become well?” 5:7 The sick man answered him, “Sir, ²⁹⁶  I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up. While I am trying to get into the water, ²⁹⁷  someone else ²⁹⁸  goes down there ²⁹⁹  before me.” 5:8 Jesus said to him, “Stand up! Pick up your mat ³⁰⁰  and walk.” 5:9 Immediately the man was healed, ³⁰¹  and he picked up his mat ³⁰²  and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) ³⁰³ 

5:10 So the Jewish leaders ³⁰⁴  said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and you are not permitted to carry your mat.” ³⁰⁵  5:11 But he answered them, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat ³⁰⁶  and walk.’” 5:12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your mat ³⁰⁷  and walk’?” ³⁰⁸  5:13 But the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped out, since there was a crowd in that place.

5:14 After this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, ³⁰⁹  lest anything worse happen to you.” 5:15 The man went away and informed the Jewish leaders ³¹⁰  that Jesus was the one who had made him well.

Responding to Jewish Leaders

5:16 Now because Jesus was doing these things ³¹¹  on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders ³¹²  began persecuting ³¹³  him. 5:17 So he ³¹⁴  told ³¹⁵  them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” ³¹⁶  5:18 For this reason the Jewish leaders ³¹⁷  were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God.

5:19 So Jesus answered them, ³¹⁸  “I tell you the solemn truth, ³¹⁹  the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, ³²⁰  but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father ³²¹  does, the Son does likewise. ³²²  5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed. 5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, ³²³  so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. ³²⁴  5:22 Furthermore, the Father does not judge ³²⁵  anyone, but has assigned ³²⁶  all judgment to the Son, 5:23 so that all people ³²⁷  will honor the Son just as they honor the Father. The one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, ³²⁸  the one who hears ³²⁹  my message ³³⁰  and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, ³³¹  but has crossed over from death to life. 5:25 I tell you the solemn truth, ³³²  a time ³³³  is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 5:26 For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, 5:27 and he has granted the Son ³³⁴  authority to execute judgment, ³³⁵  because he is the Son of Man.

5:28 “Do not be amazed at this, because a time ³³⁶  is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 5:29 and will come out – the ones who have done what is good to the resurrection resulting in life, and the ones who have done what is evil to the resurrection resulting in condemnation. ³³⁷  5:30 I can do nothing on my own initiative. ³³⁸  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, ³³⁹  because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me. ³⁴⁰ 

More Testimony About Jesus

5:31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 5:32 There is another ³⁴¹  who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true. 5:33 You have sent to John, ³⁴²  and he has testified to the truth. 5:34 (I do not accept ³⁴³  human testimony, but I say this so that you may be saved.) 5:35 He was a lamp that was burning and shining, ³⁴⁴  and you wanted to rejoice greatly for a short time ³⁴⁵  in his light.

5:36 “But I have a testimony greater than that from John. For the deeds ³⁴⁶  that the Father has assigned me to complete – the deeds ³⁴⁷  I am now doing – testify about me that the Father has sent me. 5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people ³⁴⁸  have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, ³⁴⁹  5:38 nor do you have his word residing in you, because you do not believe the one whom he sent. 5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly ³⁵⁰  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ³⁵¹  and it is these same scriptures ³⁵²  that testify about me, 5:40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

5:41 “I do not accept ³⁵³  praise ³⁵⁴  from people, ³⁵⁵  5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God ³⁵⁶  within you. 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ³⁵⁷  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ³⁵⁸  him. 5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise ³⁵⁹  from one another and don’t seek the praise ³⁶⁰  that comes from the only God? ³⁶¹ 

5:45 “Do not suppose that I will accuse you before the Father. The one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have placed your hope. ³⁶²  5:46 If ³⁶³  you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ³⁶⁴  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

6:1 After this ³⁶⁵  Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (also called the Sea of Tiberias). ³⁶⁶  6:2 A large crowd was following him because they were observing the miraculous signs he was performing on the sick. 6:3 So Jesus went on up the mountainside ³⁶⁷  and sat down there with his disciples. 6:4 (Now the Jewish feast of the Passover ³⁶⁸  was near.) ³⁶⁹  6:5 Then Jesus, when he looked up ³⁷⁰  and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread so that these people may eat?” 6:6 (Now Jesus ³⁷¹  said this to test him, for he knew what he was going to do.) ³⁷²  6:7 Philip replied, ³⁷³  “Two hundred silver coins worth ³⁷⁴  of bread would not be enough for them, for each one to get a little.” 6:8 One of Jesus’ disciples, ³⁷⁵  Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, 6:9 “Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good ³⁷⁶  are these for so many people?”

6:10 Jesus said, “Have ³⁷⁷  the people sit down.” (Now there was a lot of grass in that place.) ³⁷⁸  So the men ³⁷⁹  sat down, about five thousand in number. 6:11 Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed the bread to those who were seated. He then did the same with the fish, ³⁸⁰  as much as they wanted. 6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus ³⁸¹  said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.” 6:13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves ³⁸²  left over by the people who had eaten.

6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus ³⁸³  performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet ³⁸⁴  who is to come into the world.” ³⁸⁵  6:15 Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone. ³⁸⁶ 

Walking on Water

6:16 Now when evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, ³⁸⁷  6:17 got into a boat, and started to cross the lake ³⁸⁸  to Capernaum. ³⁸⁹  (It had already become dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.) ³⁹⁰  6:18 By now a strong wind was blowing and the sea was getting rough. 6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ³⁹¹  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ³⁹²  approaching the boat, and they were frightened. 6:20 But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” 6:21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat came to the land where they had been heading.

6:22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake ³⁹³  realized that only one small boat ³⁹⁴  had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded ³⁹⁵  it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 6:23 But some boats from Tiberias ³⁹⁶  came to shore ³⁹⁷  near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ³⁹⁸  6:24 So when the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats ³⁹⁹  and came to Capernaum ⁴⁰⁰  looking for Jesus.

Jesus’ Discourse About the Bread of Life

6:25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, ⁴⁰¹  they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” ⁴⁰²  6:26 Jesus replied, ⁴⁰³  “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁰⁴  you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. ⁴⁰⁵  6:27 Do not work for the food that disappears, ⁴⁰⁶  but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food ⁴⁰⁷  which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.” ⁴⁰⁸ 

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ⁴⁰⁹  God requires?” ⁴¹⁰  6:29 Jesus replied, ⁴¹¹  “This is the deed ⁴¹²  God requires ⁴¹³  – to believe in the one whom he ⁴¹⁴  sent.” 6:30 So they said to him, “Then what miraculous sign will you perform, so that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 6:31 Our ancestors ⁴¹⁵  ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ⁴¹⁶ 

6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴¹⁷  it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven. 6:33 For the bread of God is the one who ⁴¹⁸  comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 6:34 So they said to him, “Sir, ⁴¹⁹  give us this bread all the time!”

6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never go hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty. ⁴²⁰  6:36 But I told you ⁴²¹  that you have seen me ⁴²²  and still do not believe. 6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. ⁴²³  6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. 6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ⁴²⁴  at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up ⁴²⁵  at the last day.” ⁴²⁶ 

6:41 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁴²⁷  began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” 6:42 and they said, “Isn’t this Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 6:43 Jesus replied, ⁴²⁸  “Do not complain about me to one another. ⁴²⁹  6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, ⁴³⁰  and I will raise him up at the last day. 6:45 It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ ⁴³¹  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father ⁴³²  comes to me. 6:46 (Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God – he ⁴³³  has seen the Father.) ⁴³⁴  6:47 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴³⁵  the one who believes ⁴³⁶  has eternal life. ⁴³⁷  6:48 I am the bread of life. ⁴³⁸  6:49 Your ancestors ⁴³⁹  ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 6:50 This ⁴⁴⁰  is the bread that has come down from heaven, so that a person ⁴⁴¹  may eat from it and not die. 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats from this bread he will live forever. The bread ⁴⁴²  that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ⁴⁴³  began to argue with one another, ⁴⁴⁴  “How can this man ⁴⁴⁵  give us his flesh to eat?” 6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁴⁴⁶  unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ⁴⁴⁷  you have no life ⁴⁴⁸  in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats ⁴⁴⁹  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁴⁵⁰  6:55 For my flesh is true ⁴⁵¹  food, and my blood is true ⁴⁵²  drink. 6:56 The one who eats ⁴⁵³  my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. ⁴⁵⁴  6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes ⁴⁵⁵  me will live because of me. 6:58 This ⁴⁵⁶  is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ⁴⁵⁷  ate, but then later died. ⁴⁵⁸  The one who eats ⁴⁵⁹  this bread will live forever.”

Many Followers Depart

6:59 Jesus ⁴⁶⁰  said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue ⁴⁶¹  in Capernaum. ⁴⁶²  6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, ⁴⁶³  said, “This is a difficult ⁴⁶⁴  saying! ⁴⁶⁵  Who can understand it?” ⁴⁶⁶  6:61 When Jesus was aware ⁴⁶⁷  that his disciples were complaining ⁴⁶⁸  about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? ⁴⁶⁹  6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ⁴⁷⁰  6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ⁴⁷¹  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ⁴⁷²  6:64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ⁴⁷³  6:65 So Jesus added, ⁴⁷⁴  “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” ⁴⁷⁵ 

Peter’s Confession

6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him ⁴⁷⁶  and did not accompany him ⁴⁷⁷  any longer. 6:67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?” ⁴⁷⁸  6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. 6:69 We ⁴⁷⁹  have come to believe and to know ⁴⁸⁰  that you are the Holy One of God!” ⁴⁸¹  6:70 Jesus replied, ⁴⁸²  “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” ⁴⁸³  6:71 (Now he said this about Judas son of Simon Iscariot, ⁴⁸⁴  for Judas, ⁴⁸⁵  one of the twelve, was going to betray him.) ⁴⁸⁶ 

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this ⁴⁸⁷  Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. ⁴⁸⁸  He ⁴⁸⁹  stayed out of Judea ⁴⁹⁰  because the Jewish leaders ⁴⁹¹  wanted ⁴⁹²  to kill him. 7:2 Now the Jewish feast of Tabernacles ⁴⁹³  was near. ⁴⁹⁴  7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ⁴⁹⁵  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ⁴⁹⁶  7:4 For no one who seeks to make a reputation for himself ⁴⁹⁷  does anything in secret. ⁴⁹⁸  If you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 7:5 (For not even his own brothers believed in him.) ⁴⁹⁹ 

7:6 So Jesus replied, ⁵⁰⁰  “My time ⁵⁰¹  has not yet arrived, ⁵⁰²  but you are ready at any opportunity! ⁵⁰³  7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me, because I am testifying about it that its deeds are evil. 7:8 You go up ⁵⁰⁴  to the feast yourselves. I am not going up to this feast ⁵⁰⁵  because my time ⁵⁰⁶  has not yet fully arrived.” ⁵⁰⁷  7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

7:10 But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus ⁵⁰⁸  himself also went up, not openly but in secret. 7:11 So the Jewish leaders ⁵⁰⁹  were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” ⁵¹⁰  7:12 There was ⁵¹¹  a lot of grumbling ⁵¹²  about him among the crowds. ⁵¹³  Some were saying, “He is a good man,” but others, “He deceives the common people.” ⁵¹⁴  7:13 However, no one spoke openly about him for fear of the Jewish leaders. ⁵¹⁵ 

Teaching in the Temple

7:14 When the feast was half over, Jesus went up to the temple courts ⁵¹⁶  and began to teach. ⁵¹⁷  7:15 Then the Jewish leaders ⁵¹⁸  were astonished ⁵¹⁹  and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?” ⁵²⁰  7:16 So Jesus replied, ⁵²¹  “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me. ⁵²²  7:17 If anyone wants to do God’s will, ⁵²³  he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority. ⁵²⁴  7:18 The person who speaks on his own authority ⁵²⁵  desires ⁵²⁶  to receive honor ⁵²⁷  for himself; the one who desires ⁵²⁸  the honor ⁵²⁹  of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, ⁵³⁰  and there is no unrighteousness in him. 7:19 Hasn’t Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps ⁵³¹  the law! Why do you want ⁵³²  to kill me?”

7:20 The crowd ⁵³³  answered, “You’re possessed by a demon! ⁵³⁴  Who is trying to kill you?” ⁵³⁵  7:21 Jesus replied, ⁵³⁶  “I performed one miracle ⁵³⁷  and you are all amazed. ⁵³⁸  7:22 However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision ⁵³⁹  (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child ⁵⁴⁰  on the Sabbath. 7:23 But if a male child ⁵⁴¹  is circumcised ⁵⁴²  on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, ⁵⁴³  why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well ⁵⁴⁴  on the Sabbath? 7:24 Do not judge according to external appearance, ⁵⁴⁵  but judge with proper ⁵⁴⁶  judgment.”

Questions About Jesus’ Identity

7:25 Then some of the residents of Jerusalem ⁵⁴⁷  began to say, “Isn’t this the man ⁵⁴⁸  they are trying ⁵⁴⁹  to kill? 7:26 Yet here he is, speaking publicly, ⁵⁵⁰  and they are saying nothing to him. ⁵⁵¹  Do the rulers really know that this man ⁵⁵²  is the Christ? ⁵⁵³  7:27 But we know where this man ⁵⁵⁴  comes from. ⁵⁵⁵  Whenever the Christ ⁵⁵⁶  comes, no one will know where he comes from.” ⁵⁵⁷ 

7:28 Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, ⁵⁵⁸  cried out, ⁵⁵⁹  “You both know me and know where I come from! ⁵⁶⁰  And I have not come on my own initiative, ⁵⁶¹  but the one who sent me ⁵⁶²  is true. You do not know him, ⁵⁶³  7:29 but ⁵⁶⁴  I know him, because I have come from him ⁵⁶⁵  and he ⁵⁶⁶  sent me.”

7:30 So then they tried to seize Jesus, ⁵⁶⁷  but no one laid a hand on him, because his time ⁵⁶⁸  had not yet come. 7:31 Yet many of the crowd ⁵⁶⁹  believed in him and said, “Whenever the Christ ⁵⁷⁰  comes, he won’t perform more miraculous signs than this man did, will he?” ⁵⁷¹ 

7:32 The Pharisees ⁵⁷²  heard the crowd ⁵⁷³  murmuring these things about Jesus, ⁵⁷⁴  so the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers ⁵⁷⁵  to arrest him. ⁵⁷⁶  7:33 Then Jesus said, “I will be with you for only a little while longer, ⁵⁷⁷  and then ⁵⁷⁸  I am going to the one who sent me. 7:34 You will look for me ⁵⁷⁹  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

7:35 Then the Jewish leaders ⁵⁸⁰  said to one another, “Where is he ⁵⁸¹  going to go that we cannot find him? ⁵⁸²  He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed ⁵⁸³  among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? ⁵⁸⁴  7:36 What did he mean by saying, ⁵⁸⁵  ‘You will look for me ⁵⁸⁶  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, ⁵⁸⁷  Jesus stood up and shouted out, ⁵⁸⁸  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and 7:38 let the one who believes in me drink. ⁵⁸⁹  Just as the scripture says, ‘From within him ⁵⁹⁰  will flow rivers of living water.’” ⁵⁹¹  7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, ⁵⁹²  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ⁵⁹³ 

Differing Opinions About Jesus

7:40 When they heard these words, some of the crowd ⁵⁹⁴  began to say, “This really ⁵⁹⁵  is the Prophet!” ⁵⁹⁶  7:41 Others said, “This is the Christ!” ⁵⁹⁷  But still others said, “No, ⁵⁹⁸  for the Christ doesn’t come from Galilee, does he? ⁵⁹⁹  7:42 Don’t the scriptures say that the Christ is a descendant ⁶⁰⁰  of David ⁶⁰¹  and comes from Bethlehem, ⁶⁰²  the village where David lived?” ⁶⁰³  7:43 So there was a division in the crowd ⁶⁰⁴  because of Jesus. ⁶⁰⁵  7:44 Some of them were wanting to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him. ⁶⁰⁶ 

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ⁶⁰⁷  returned ⁶⁰⁸  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ⁶⁰⁹  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ⁶¹⁰  7:46 The officers replied, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 7:47 Then the Pharisees answered, ⁶¹¹  “You haven’t been deceived too, have you? ⁶¹²  7:48 None of the rulers ⁶¹³  or the Pharisees have believed in him, have they? ⁶¹⁴  7:49 But this rabble ⁶¹⁵  who do not know the law are accursed!”

7:50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus ⁶¹⁶  before and who was one of the rulers, ⁶¹⁷  said, ⁶¹⁸  7:51 “Our law doesn’t condemn ⁶¹⁹  a man unless it first hears from him and learns ⁶²⁰  what he is doing, does it?” ⁶²¹  7:52 They replied, ⁶²²  “You aren’t from Galilee too, are you? ⁶²³  Investigate carefully and you will see that no prophet ⁶²⁴  comes from Galilee!”

A Woman Caught in Adultery

7:53 ⁶²⁵ [[And each one departed to his own house. 8:1 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ⁶²⁶  8:2 Early in the morning he came to the temple courts again. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach ⁶²⁷  them. 8:3 The experts in the law ⁶²⁸  and the Pharisees ⁶²⁹  brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them 8:4 and said to Jesus, ⁶³⁰  “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery. 8:5 In the law Moses commanded us to stone to death ⁶³¹  such women. ⁶³²  What then do you say?” 8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ⁶³³  him.) ⁶³⁴  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ⁶³⁵  8:7 When they persisted in asking him, he stood up straight ⁶³⁶  and replied, ⁶³⁷  “Whoever among you is guiltless ⁶³⁸  may be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8:8 Then ⁶³⁹  he bent over again and wrote on the ground.

8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ⁶⁴⁰  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 8:10 Jesus stood up straight ⁶⁴¹  and said to her, “Woman, ⁶⁴²  where are they? Did no one condemn you?” 8:11 She replied, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either. Go, and from now on do not sin any more.”]] ⁶⁴³ 

Jesus as the Light of the World

8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, ⁶⁴⁴  “I am the light of the world. ⁶⁴⁵  The one who follows me will never ⁶⁴⁶  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” 8:13 So the Pharisees ⁶⁴⁷  objected, ⁶⁴⁸  “You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true!” ⁶⁴⁹  8:14 Jesus answered, ⁶⁵⁰  “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, because I know where I came from and where I am going. But you people ⁶⁵¹  do not know where I came from or where I am going. ⁶⁵²  8:15 You people ⁶⁵³  judge by outward appearances; ⁶⁵⁴  I do not judge anyone. ⁶⁵⁵  8:16 But if I judge, my evaluation is accurate, ⁶⁵⁶  because I am not alone when I judge, ⁶⁵⁷  but I and the Father who sent me do so together. ⁶⁵⁸  8:17 It is written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. ⁶⁵⁹  8:18 I testify about myself ⁶⁶⁰  and the Father who sent me testifies about me.”

8:19 Then they began asking ⁶⁶¹  him, “Who is your father?” Jesus answered, “You do not know either me or my Father. If you knew me you would know my Father too.” ⁶⁶²  8:20 (Jesus ⁶⁶³  spoke these words near the offering box ⁶⁶⁴  while he was teaching in the temple courts. ⁶⁶⁵  No one seized him because his time ⁶⁶⁶  had not yet come.) ⁶⁶⁷ 

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

8:21 Then Jesus ⁶⁶⁸  said to them again, ⁶⁶⁹  “I am going away, and you will look for me ⁶⁷⁰  but will die in your sin. ⁶⁷¹  Where I am going you cannot come.” 8:22 So the Jewish leaders ⁶⁷²  began to say, ⁶⁷³  “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” 8:23 Jesus replied, ⁶⁷⁴  “You people ⁶⁷⁵  are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you ⁶⁷⁶  that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, ⁶⁷⁷  you will die in your sins.”

8:25 So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, ⁶⁷⁸  “What I have told you from the beginning. 8:26 I have many things to say and to judge ⁶⁷⁹  about you, but the Father ⁶⁸⁰  who sent me is truthful, ⁶⁸¹  and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.” ⁶⁸²  8:27 (They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father.) ⁶⁸³ 

8:28 Then Jesus said, ⁶⁸⁴  “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, ⁶⁸⁵  and I do nothing on my own initiative, ⁶⁸⁶  but I speak just what the Father taught me. ⁶⁸⁷  8:29 And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, ⁶⁸⁸  because I always do those things that please him.” 8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ⁶⁸⁹  believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ⁶⁹⁰  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ⁶⁹¹  you are really ⁶⁹²  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ⁶⁹³  8:33 “We are descendants ⁶⁹⁴  of Abraham,” they replied, ⁶⁹⁵  “and have never been anyone’s slaves! How can you say, ⁶⁹⁶  ‘You will become free’?” 8:34 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁶⁹⁷  everyone who practices ⁶⁹⁸  sin is a slave ⁶⁹⁹  of sin. 8:35 The slave does not remain in the family ⁷⁰⁰  forever, but the son remains forever. ⁷⁰¹  8:36 So if the son ⁷⁰²  sets you free, you will be really free. 8:37 I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. ⁷⁰³  But you want ⁷⁰⁴  to kill me, because my teaching ⁷⁰⁵  makes no progress among you. ⁷⁰⁶  8:38 I am telling you the things I have seen while with the ⁷⁰⁷  Father; ⁷⁰⁸  as for you, ⁷⁰⁹  practice the things you have heard from the ⁷¹⁰  Father!”

8:39 They answered him, ⁷¹¹  “Abraham is our father!” ⁷¹²  Jesus replied, ⁷¹³  “If you are ⁷¹⁴  Abraham’s children, you would be doing ⁷¹⁵  the deeds of Abraham. 8:40 But now you are trying ⁷¹⁶  to kill me, a man who has told you ⁷¹⁷  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁷¹⁸  8:41 You people ⁷¹⁹  are doing the deeds of your father.”

Then ⁷²⁰  they said to Jesus, ⁷²¹  “We were not born as a result of immorality! ⁷²²  We have only one Father, God himself.” 8:42 Jesus replied, ⁷²³  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ⁷²⁴  I ⁷²⁵  have not come on my own initiative, ⁷²⁶  but he ⁷²⁷  sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ⁷²⁸  my teaching. ⁷²⁹  8:44 You people ⁷³⁰  are from ⁷³¹  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁷³²  He ⁷³³  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁷³⁴  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ⁷³⁵  he speaks according to his own nature, ⁷³⁶  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁷³⁷  8:45 But because I am telling you ⁷³⁸  the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ⁷³⁹  of any sin? ⁷⁴⁰  If I am telling you ⁷⁴¹  the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to ⁷⁴²  God listens and responds ⁷⁴³  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ⁷⁴⁴  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁷⁴⁵ 

8:48 The Judeans ⁷⁴⁶  replied, ⁷⁴⁷  “Aren’t we correct in saying ⁷⁴⁸  that you are a Samaritan and are possessed by a demon?” ⁷⁴⁹  8:49 Jesus answered, “I am not possessed by a demon, ⁷⁵⁰  but I honor my Father – and yet ⁷⁵¹  you dishonor me. 8:50 I am not trying to get ⁷⁵²  praise for myself. ⁷⁵³  There is one who demands ⁷⁵⁴  it, and he also judges. ⁷⁵⁵  8:51 I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷⁵⁶  if anyone obeys ⁷⁵⁷  my teaching, ⁷⁵⁸  he will never see death.” ⁷⁵⁹ 

8:52 Then ⁷⁶⁰  the Judeans ⁷⁶¹  responded, ⁷⁶²  “Now we know you’re possessed by a demon! ⁷⁶³  Both Abraham and the prophets died, and yet ⁷⁶⁴  you say, ‘If anyone obeys ⁷⁶⁵  my teaching, ⁷⁶⁶  he will never experience ⁷⁶⁷  death.’ ⁷⁶⁸  8:53 You aren’t greater than our father Abraham who died, are you? ⁷⁶⁹  And the prophets died too! Who do you claim to be?” 8:54 Jesus replied, ⁷⁷⁰  “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. ⁷⁷¹  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people ⁷⁷²  say, ‘He is our God.’ 8:55 Yet ⁷⁷³  you do not know him, but I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, ⁷⁷⁴  I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and I obey ⁷⁷⁵  his teaching. ⁷⁷⁶  8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed ⁷⁷⁷  to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” ⁷⁷⁸ 

8:57 Then the Judeans ⁷⁷⁹  replied, ⁷⁸⁰  “You are not yet fifty years old! ⁷⁸¹  Have ⁷⁸²  you seen Abraham?” 8:58 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁷⁸³  before Abraham came into existence, ⁷⁸⁴  I am!” ⁷⁸⁵  8:59 Then they picked up ⁷⁸⁶  stones to throw at him, ⁷⁸⁷  but Jesus hid himself and went out from the temple area. ⁷⁸⁸ 

Healing a Man Born Blind

9:1 Now as Jesus was passing by, ⁷⁸⁹  he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 9:2 His disciples asked him, ⁷⁹⁰  “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man ⁷⁹¹  or his parents?” ⁷⁹²  9:3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man ⁷⁹³  nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that ⁷⁹⁴  the acts ⁷⁹⁵  of God may be revealed ⁷⁹⁶  through what happens to him. ⁷⁹⁷  9:4 We must perform the deeds ⁷⁹⁸  of the one who sent me ⁷⁹⁹  as long as ⁸⁰⁰  it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. 9:5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁸⁰¹  9:6 Having said this, ⁸⁰²  he spat on the ground and made some mud ⁸⁰³  with the saliva. He ⁸⁰⁴  smeared the mud on the blind man’s ⁸⁰⁵  eyes 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” ⁸⁰⁶  (which is translated “sent”). ⁸⁰⁷  So the blind man ⁸⁰⁸  went away and washed, and came back seeing.

9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously ⁸⁰⁹  as a beggar began saying, ⁸¹⁰  “Is this not the man ⁸¹¹  who used to sit and beg?” 9:9 Some people said, ⁸¹²  “This is the man!” ⁸¹³  while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” ⁸¹⁴  The man himself ⁸¹⁵  kept insisting, “I am the one!” ⁸¹⁶  9:10 So they asked him, ⁸¹⁷  “How then were you made to see?” ⁸¹⁸  9:11 He replied, ⁸¹⁹  “The man called Jesus made mud, ⁸²⁰  smeared it ⁸²¹  on my eyes and told me, ⁸²²  ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” ⁸²³  9:12 They said ⁸²⁴  to him, “Where is that man?” ⁸²⁵  He replied, ⁸²⁶  “I don’t know.”

The Pharisees’ Reaction to the Healing

9:13 They brought the man who used to be blind ⁸²⁷  to the Pharisees. ⁸²⁸  9:14 (Now the day on which Jesus made the mud ⁸²⁹  and caused him to see ⁸³⁰  was a Sabbath.) ⁸³¹  9:15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. ⁸³²  He replied, ⁸³³  “He put mud ⁸³⁴  on my eyes and I washed, and now ⁸³⁵  I am able to see.”

9:16 Then some of the Pharisees began to say, ⁸³⁶  “This man is not from God, because he does not observe ⁸³⁷  the Sabbath.” ⁸³⁸  But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform ⁸³⁹  such miraculous signs?” Thus there was a division ⁸⁴⁰  among them. 9:17 So again they asked the man who used to be blind, ⁸⁴¹  “What do you say about him, since he caused you to see?” ⁸⁴²  “He is a prophet,” the man replied. ⁸⁴³ 

9:18 Now the Jewish religious leaders ⁸⁴⁴  refused to believe ⁸⁴⁵  that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned ⁸⁴⁶  the parents of the man who had become able to see. ⁸⁴⁷  9:19 They asked the parents, ⁸⁴⁸  “Is this your son, whom you say ⁸⁴⁹  was born blind? Then how does he now see?” 9:20 So his parents replied, ⁸⁵⁰  “We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. 9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. ⁸⁵¹  Ask him, he is a mature adult. ⁸⁵²  He will speak for himself.” 9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. ⁸⁵³  For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus ⁸⁵⁴  to be the Christ ⁸⁵⁵  would be put out ⁸⁵⁶  of the synagogue. ⁸⁵⁷  9:23 For this reason his parents said, “He is a mature adult, ⁸⁵⁸  ask him.”) ⁸⁵⁹ 

9:24 Then they summoned ⁸⁶⁰  the man who used to be blind ⁸⁶¹  a second time and said to him, “Promise before God to tell the truth. ⁸⁶²  We know that this man ⁸⁶³  is a sinner.” 9:25 He replied, ⁸⁶⁴  “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.” 9:26 Then they said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he cause you to see?” ⁸⁶⁵  9:27 He answered, ⁸⁶⁶  “I told you already and you didn’t listen. ⁸⁶⁷  Why do you want to hear it ⁸⁶⁸  again? You people ⁸⁶⁹  don’t want to become his disciples too, do you?”

9:28 They ⁸⁷⁰  heaped insults ⁸⁷¹  on him, saying, ⁸⁷²  “You are his disciple! ⁸⁷³  We are disciples of Moses! 9:29 We know that God has spoken to Moses! We do not know where this man ⁸⁷⁴  comes from!” 9:30 The man replied, ⁸⁷⁵  “This is a remarkable thing, ⁸⁷⁶  that you don’t know where he comes from, and yet he caused me to see! ⁸⁷⁷  9:31 We know that God doesn’t listen to ⁸⁷⁸  sinners, but if anyone is devout ⁸⁷⁹  and does his will, God ⁸⁸⁰  listens to ⁸⁸¹  him. ⁸⁸²  9:32 Never before ⁸⁸³  has anyone heard of someone causing a man born blind to see. ⁸⁸⁴  9:33 If this man ⁸⁸⁵  were not from God, he could do nothing.” 9:34 They replied, ⁸⁸⁶  “You were born completely in sinfulness, ⁸⁸⁷  and yet you presume to teach us?” ⁸⁸⁸  So they threw him out.

The Man’s Response to Jesus

9:35 Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, so he found the man ⁸⁸⁹  and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ⁸⁹⁰  9:36 The man ⁸⁹¹  replied, ⁸⁹²  “And who is he, sir, that ⁸⁹³  I may believe in him?” 9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he ⁸⁹⁴  is the one speaking with you.” ⁸⁹⁵  9:38 [He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. ⁸⁹⁶  9:39 Jesus ⁸⁹⁷  said,] ⁸⁹⁸  “For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may gain their sight, ⁸⁹⁹  and the ones who see may become blind.”

9:40 Some of the Pharisees ⁹⁰⁰  who were with him heard this ⁹⁰¹  and asked him, ⁹⁰²  “We are not blind too, are we?” ⁹⁰³  9:41 Jesus replied, ⁹⁰⁴  “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin, ⁹⁰⁵  but now because you claim that you can see, ⁹⁰⁶  your guilt ⁹⁰⁷  remains.” ⁹⁰⁸ 

Jesus as the Good Shepherd

10:1 “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁹⁰⁹  the one who does not enter the sheepfold ⁹¹⁰  by the door, ⁹¹¹  but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 10:2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 10:3 The doorkeeper ⁹¹²  opens the door ⁹¹³  for him, ⁹¹⁴  and the sheep hear his voice. He ⁹¹⁵  calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁹¹⁶  10:4 When he has brought all his own sheep ⁹¹⁷  out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize ⁹¹⁸  his voice. 10:5 They will never follow a stranger, ⁹¹⁹  but will run away from him, because they do not recognize ⁹²⁰  the stranger’s voice.” ⁹²¹  10:6 Jesus told them this parable, ⁹²²  but they ⁹²³  did not understand ⁹²⁴  what he was saying to them.

10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁹²⁵  I am the door for the sheep. ⁹²⁶  10:8 All who came before me were ⁹²⁷  thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹²⁸  10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, ⁹²⁹  and find pasture. ⁹³⁰  10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill ⁹³¹  and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. ⁹³² 

10:11 “I am the good ⁹³³  shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life ⁹³⁴  for the sheep. 10:12 The hired hand, ⁹³⁵  who is not a shepherd and does not own sheep, sees the wolf coming and abandons ⁹³⁶  the sheep and runs away. ⁹³⁷  So the wolf attacks ⁹³⁸  the sheep and scatters them. 10:13 Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, ⁹³⁹  he runs away. ⁹⁴⁰ 

10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I ⁹⁴¹  know my own ⁹⁴²  and my own know me – 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life ⁹⁴³  for ⁹⁴⁴  the sheep. 10:16 I have ⁹⁴⁵  other sheep that do not come from ⁹⁴⁶  this sheepfold. ⁹⁴⁷  I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, ⁹⁴⁸  so that ⁹⁴⁹  there will be one flock and ⁹⁵⁰  one shepherd. 10:17 This is why the Father loves me ⁹⁵¹  – because I lay down my life, ⁹⁵²  so that I may take it back again. 10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down ⁹⁵³  of my own free will. ⁹⁵⁴  I have the authority ⁹⁵⁵  to lay it down, and I have the authority ⁹⁵⁶  to take it back again. This commandment ⁹⁵⁷  I received from my Father.”

10:19 Another sharp division took place among the Jewish people ⁹⁵⁸  because of these words. 10:20 Many of them were saying, “He is possessed by a demon and has lost his mind! ⁹⁵⁹  Why do you listen to him?” 10:21 Others said, “These are not the words ⁹⁶⁰  of someone possessed by a demon. A demon cannot cause the blind to see, ⁹⁶¹  can it?” ⁹⁶² 

Jesus at the Feast of Dedication

10:22 Then came the feast of the Dedication ⁹⁶³  in Jerusalem. ⁹⁶⁴  10:23 It was winter, ⁹⁶⁵  and Jesus was walking in the temple area ⁹⁶⁶  in Solomon’s Portico. ⁹⁶⁷  10:24 The Jewish leaders ⁹⁶⁸  surrounded him and asked, ⁹⁶⁹  “How long will you keep us in suspense? ⁹⁷⁰  If you are the Christ, ⁹⁷¹  tell us plainly.” ⁹⁷²  10:25 Jesus replied, ⁹⁷³  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ⁹⁷⁴  I do in my Father’s name testify about me. 10:26 But you refuse to believe because you are not my sheep. 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give ⁹⁷⁵  them eternal life, and they will never perish; ⁹⁷⁶  no one will snatch ⁹⁷⁷  them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, ⁹⁷⁸  and no one can snatch ⁹⁷⁹  them from my Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I ⁹⁸⁰  are one.” ⁹⁸¹ 

10:31 The Jewish leaders ⁹⁸²  picked up rocks again to stone him to death. 10:32 Jesus said to them, ⁹⁸³  “I have shown you many good deeds ⁹⁸⁴  from the Father. For which one of them are you going to stone me?” 10:33 The Jewish leaders ⁹⁸⁵  replied, ⁹⁸⁶  “We are not going to stone you for a good deed ⁹⁸⁷  but for blasphemy, ⁹⁸⁸  because ⁹⁸⁹  you, a man, are claiming to be God.” ⁹⁹⁰ 

10:34 Jesus answered, ⁹⁹¹  “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? ⁹⁹²  10:35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken), ⁹⁹³  10:36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart ⁹⁹⁴  and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 10:37 If I do not perform ⁹⁹⁵  the deeds ⁹⁹⁶  of my Father, do not believe me. 10:38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, ⁹⁹⁷  so that you may come to know ⁹⁹⁸  and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.” 10:39 Then ⁹⁹⁹  they attempted ¹⁰⁰⁰  again to seize him, but he escaped their clutches. ¹⁰⁰¹ 

10:40 Jesus ¹⁰⁰²  went back across the Jordan River ¹⁰⁰³  again to the place where John ¹⁰⁰⁴  had been baptizing at an earlier time, ¹⁰⁰⁵  and he stayed there. 10:41 Many ¹⁰⁰⁶  came to him and began to say, “John ¹⁰⁰⁷  performed ¹⁰⁰⁸  no miraculous sign, but everything John said about this man ¹⁰⁰⁹  was true!” 10:42 And many believed in Jesus ¹⁰¹⁰  there.

The Death of Lazarus

11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. ¹⁰¹¹  11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil ¹⁰¹²  and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) ¹⁰¹³  11:3 So the sisters sent a message ¹⁰¹⁴  to Jesus, ¹⁰¹⁵  “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, ¹⁰¹⁶  but to God’s glory, ¹⁰¹⁷  so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” ¹⁰¹⁸  11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) ¹⁰¹⁹ 

11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus ¹⁰²⁰  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.” ¹⁰²¹  11:8 The disciples replied, ¹⁰²²  “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders ¹⁰²³  were just now trying ¹⁰²⁴  to stone you to death! Are ¹⁰²⁵  you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, ¹⁰²⁶  “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, ¹⁰²⁷  because he sees the light of this world. ¹⁰²⁸  11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, ¹⁰²⁹  he stumbles, ¹⁰³⁰  because the light is not in him.”

11:11 After he said this, he added, ¹⁰³¹  “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. ¹⁰³²  But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, ¹⁰³³  “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about ¹⁰³⁴  his death, but they ¹⁰³⁵  thought he had been talking about real sleep.) ¹⁰³⁶ 

11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad ¹⁰³⁷  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ¹⁰³⁸  But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus ¹⁰³⁹ ) ¹⁰⁴⁰  said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” ¹⁰⁴¹ 

Speaking with Martha and Mary

11:17 When ¹⁰⁴²  Jesus arrived, ¹⁰⁴³  he found that Lazarus ¹⁰⁴⁴  had been in the tomb four days already. ¹⁰⁴⁵  11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles ¹⁰⁴⁶  from Jerusalem, ¹⁰⁴⁷  11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region ¹⁰⁴⁸  had come to Martha and Mary to console them ¹⁰⁴⁹  over the loss of their brother.) ¹⁰⁵⁰  11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. ¹⁰⁵¹  11:21 Martha ¹⁰⁵²  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 ¹⁰⁵³  you.” ¹⁰⁵⁴ 

11:23 Jesus replied, ¹⁰⁵⁵  “Your brother will come back to life again.” ¹⁰⁵⁶  11:24 Martha said, ¹⁰⁵⁷  “I know that he will come back to life again ¹⁰⁵⁸  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 ¹⁰⁵⁹  even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. ¹⁰⁶⁰  Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, ¹⁰⁶¹  “Yes, Lord, I believe ¹⁰⁶²  that you are the Christ, ¹⁰⁶³  the Son of God who comes into the world.” ¹⁰⁶⁴ 

11:28 And when she had said this, Martha ¹⁰⁶⁵  went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, ¹⁰⁶⁶  “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” ¹⁰⁶⁷  11:29 So when Mary ¹⁰⁶⁸  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 ¹⁰⁶⁹  who were with Mary ¹⁰⁷⁰  in the house consoling her saw her ¹⁰⁷¹  get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep ¹⁰⁷²  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 ¹⁰⁷³  who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved ¹⁰⁷⁴  in spirit and greatly distressed. ¹⁰⁷⁵  11:34 He asked, ¹⁰⁷⁶  “Where have you laid him?” ¹⁰⁷⁷  They replied, ¹⁰⁷⁸  “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. ¹⁰⁷⁹  11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn ¹⁰⁸⁰  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! ¹⁰⁸¹  Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus ¹⁰⁸²  from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

11:38 Jesus, intensely moved ¹⁰⁸³  again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) ¹⁰⁸⁴  11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” ¹⁰⁸⁵  Martha, the sister of the deceased, ¹⁰⁸⁶  replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, ¹⁰⁸⁷  because he has been buried ¹⁰⁸⁸  four days.” ¹⁰⁸⁹  11:40 Jesus responded, ¹⁰⁹⁰  “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 11:41 So they took away ¹⁰⁹¹  the stone. Jesus looked upward ¹⁰⁹²  and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. ¹⁰⁹³  11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, ¹⁰⁹⁴  but I said this ¹⁰⁹⁵  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When ¹⁰⁹⁶  he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, ¹⁰⁹⁷  “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, ¹⁰⁹⁸  and a cloth wrapped around his face. ¹⁰⁹⁹  Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him ¹¹⁰⁰  and let him go.”

The Response of the Jewish Leaders

11:45 Then many of the people, ¹¹⁰¹  who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus ¹¹⁰²  did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees ¹¹⁰³  and reported to them ¹¹⁰⁴  what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹¹⁰⁵  called the council ¹¹⁰⁶  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, ¹¹⁰⁷  everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary ¹¹⁰⁸  and our nation.”

11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, ¹¹⁰⁹  “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize ¹¹¹⁰  that it is more to your advantage to have one man ¹¹¹¹  die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” ¹¹¹²  11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, ¹¹¹³  but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, ¹¹¹⁴  11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ¹¹¹⁵  only, ¹¹¹⁶  but to gather together ¹¹¹⁷  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ¹¹¹⁸  11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.

11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went ¹¹¹⁹  around publicly ¹¹²⁰  among the Judeans, ¹¹²¹  but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, ¹¹²²  and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover ¹¹²³  was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem ¹¹²⁴  from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. ¹¹²⁵  11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, ¹¹²⁶  and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, ¹¹²⁷  “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees ¹¹²⁸  had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus ¹¹²⁹  was should report it, so that they could arrest ¹¹³⁰  him.) ¹¹³¹ 

Jesus’ Anointing

12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he ¹¹³²  had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus ¹¹³³  there. Martha ¹¹³⁴  was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table ¹¹³⁵  with him. 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound ¹¹³⁶  of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard ¹¹³⁷  and anointed the feet of Jesus. She ¹¹³⁸  then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) ¹¹³⁹  12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) ¹¹⁴⁰  said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins ¹¹⁴¹  and the money ¹¹⁴²  given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas ¹¹⁴³  said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, ¹¹⁴⁴  he used to steal what was put into it.) ¹¹⁴⁵  12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. ¹¹⁴⁶  12:8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!” ¹¹⁴⁷ 

12:9 Now a large crowd of Judeans ¹¹⁴⁸  learned ¹¹⁴⁹  that Jesus ¹¹⁵⁰  was there, and so they came not only because of him ¹¹⁵¹  but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 12:10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, ¹¹⁵²  12:11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem ¹¹⁵³  were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹¹⁵⁴  12:13 So they took branches of palm trees ¹¹⁵⁵  and went out to meet him. They began to shout, ¹¹⁵⁶  “Hosanna! ¹¹⁵⁷  Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! ¹¹⁵⁸  Blessed is ¹¹⁵⁹  the king of Israel!” 12:14 Jesus found a young donkey ¹¹⁶⁰  and sat on it, just as it is written, 12:15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; ¹¹⁶¹  look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” ¹¹⁶²  12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, ¹¹⁶³  but when Jesus was glorified, ¹¹⁶⁴  then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened ¹¹⁶⁵  to him.) ¹¹⁶⁶ 

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. ¹¹⁶⁷  12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus ¹¹⁶⁸  had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 12:19 Thus the Pharisees ¹¹⁶⁹  said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”

Seekers

12:20 Now some Greeks ¹¹⁷⁰  were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, ¹¹⁷¹  who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, ¹¹⁷²  “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both ¹¹⁷³  went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, ¹¹⁷⁴  “The time ¹¹⁷⁵  has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. ¹¹⁷⁶  12:24 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹¹⁷⁷  unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. ¹¹⁷⁸  But if it dies, it produces ¹¹⁷⁹  much grain. ¹¹⁸⁰  12:25 The one who loves his life ¹¹⁸¹  destroys ¹¹⁸²  it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards ¹¹⁸³  it for eternal life. 12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow ¹¹⁸⁴  me, and where I am, my servant will be too. ¹¹⁸⁵  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 ¹¹⁸⁶  from this hour’? ¹¹⁸⁷  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. ¹¹⁸⁸  12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, ¹¹⁸⁹  “I have glorified it, ¹¹⁹⁰  and I will glorify it ¹¹⁹¹  again.” 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice ¹¹⁹²  said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. ¹¹⁹³  12:30 Jesus said, ¹¹⁹⁴  “This voice has not come for my benefit ¹¹⁹⁵  but for yours. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world ¹¹⁹⁶  will be driven out. ¹¹⁹⁷  12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people ¹¹⁹⁸  to myself.” 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) ¹¹⁹⁹ 

12:34 Then the crowd responded, ¹²⁰⁰  “We have heard from the law that the Christ ¹²⁰¹  will remain forever. ¹²⁰²  How ¹²⁰³  can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 12:35 Jesus replied, ¹²⁰⁴  “The light is with you for a little while longer. ¹²⁰⁵  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. ¹²⁰⁶  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.” ¹²⁰⁷  When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.

The Outcome of Jesus’ Public Ministry Foretold

12:37 Although Jesus ¹²⁰⁸  had performed ¹²⁰⁹  so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 12:38 so that the word ¹²¹⁰  of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, ¹²¹¹  “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord ¹²¹²  been revealed?” ¹²¹³  12:39 For this reason they could not believe, ¹²¹⁴  because again Isaiah said,

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ¹²¹⁵ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ¹²¹⁶ 

and turn to me, ¹²¹⁷  and I would heal them.” ¹²¹⁸ 

12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s ¹²¹⁹  glory, and spoke about him.

12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers ¹²²⁰  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ¹²²¹  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ¹²²²  so that they would not be put out of ¹²²³  the synagogue. ¹²²⁴  12:43 For they loved praise ¹²²⁵  from men more than praise ¹²²⁶  from God.

Jesus’ Final Public Words

12:44 But Jesus shouted out, ¹²²⁷  “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, ¹²²⁸  12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. ¹²²⁹  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 ¹²³⁰  hears my words and does not obey them, ¹²³¹  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ¹²³²  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹²³³  my words has a judge; ¹²³⁴  the word ¹²³⁵  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ¹²³⁶  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ¹²³⁷  what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ¹²³⁸  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ¹²³⁹ 

[1:35]  ¹ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[1:35]  ² tn “There” is not in the Greek text but is implied by current English idiom.

[1:36]  ³ sn This section (1:35-51) is joined to the preceding by the literary expedient of repeating the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus being the Lamb of God (1:36, cf. 1:29). This repeated testimony (1:36) no longer has revelatory value in itself, since it has been given before; its purpose, instead, is to institute a chain reaction which will bring John the Baptist’s disciples to Jesus and make them Jesus’ own disciples.

[1:37]  ⁴ tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:37]  ⁵ tn Grk “And the two disciples heard him speaking.”

[1:37]  ⁶ sn The expression followed Jesus pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

[1:38]  ⁷ tn Grk “What are you seeking?”

[1:38]  ⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[1:39]  ⁹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:39]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “said to them.”

[1:39]  ¹¹ tn Grk “about the tenth hour.”

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

[1:40]  ¹² tn Grk “who heard from John.”

[1:40]  ¹³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:41]  ¹⁴ tc Most witnesses (א* L W^s Ï) read πρῶτος (prwtos) here instead of πρῶτον (prwton). The former reading would be a predicate adjective and suggest that Andrew “was the first” person to proselytize another regarding Jesus. The reading preferred, however, is the neuter πρῶτον, used as an adverb (BDAG 893 s.v. πρῶτος 1.a.β.), and it suggests that the first thing that Andrew did was to proselytize Peter. The evidence for this reading is early and weighty: Ì^66,75 א² A B Θ Ψ 083 Ë^1,13 892 al lat.

[1:41]  ¹⁵ sn Naturally part of Andrew’s concept of the Messiah would have been learned from John the Baptist (v. 40). However, there were a number of different messianic expectations in 1st century Palestine (see the note on “Who are you?” in v. 19), and it would be wrong to assume that what Andrew meant here is the same thing the author means in the purpose statement at the end of the Fourth Gospel, 20:31. The issue here is not whether the disciples’ initial faith in Jesus as Messiah was genuine or not, but whether their concept of who Jesus was grew and developed progressively as they spent time following him, until finally after his resurrection it is affirmed in the climactic statement of John’s Gospel, the affirmation of Thomas in 20:28.

[1:41]  ¹⁶ tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”

[1:41]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[1:42]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “He brought him”; both referents (Andrew, Simon) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:42]  ¹⁸ tc The reading “Simon, son of John” is well attested in Ì^66,75,106 א B* L 33 pc it co. The majority of mss (A B² Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here instead, but that is perhaps an assimilation to Matt 16:17.

[1:42]  ¹⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The change of name from Simon to Cephas is indicative of the future role he will play. Only John among the gospel writers gives the Greek transliteration (Κηφᾶς, Khfas) of Simon’s new name, Qéphâ (which is Galilean Aramaic). Neither Πέτρος (Petros) in Greek nor Qéphâ in Aramaic is a normal proper name; it is more like a nickname.

[1:43]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Jesus is best taken as the subject of εὑρίσκει (Jeuriskei), since Peter would scarcely have wanted to go to Galilee.

[1:43]  ²¹ sn No explanation is given for why Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee, but probably he wanted to go to the wedding at Cana (about a two day trip).

[1:43]  ²² tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:43]  ²³ tn Grk “and Jesus said.”

[1:44]  ²⁴ sn Although the author thought of the town as in Galilee (12:21), Bethsaida technically was in Gaulanitis (Philip the Tetrarch’s territory) across from Herod’s Galilee. There may have been two places called Bethsaida, or this may merely reflect popular imprecision – locally it was considered part of Galilee, even though it was just east of the Jordan river. This territory was heavily Gentile (which may explain why Andrew and Philip both have Gentile names).

[1:44]  ²⁵ tn Probably ἀπό (apo) indicates “originally from” in the sense of birthplace rather than current residence; Mark 1:21, 29 seems to locate the home of Andrew and Peter at Capernaum. The entire remark (v. 44) amounts to a parenthetical comment by the author.

[1:45]  ²⁶ sn Nathanael is traditionally identified with Bartholomew (although John never describes him as such). He appears here after Philip, while in all lists of the twelve except in Acts 1:13, Bartholomew follows Philip. Also, the Aramaic Bar-tolmai means “son of Tolmai,” the surname; the man almost certainly had another name.

[1:45]  ²⁷ tn “Also” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[1:46]  ²⁸ tn Grk “And Nathanael.”

[1:46]  ²⁹ tn Grk “said to him.”

[1:46]  ³⁰ sn Can anything good come out of Nazareth? may be a local proverb expressing jealousy among the towns.

[1:46]  map For location see Map1 D3; Map2 C2; Map3 D5; Map4 C1; Map5 G3.

[1:46]  ³¹ tn Grk “And Philip said to him.”

[1:47]  ³² tn Grk “said about him.”

[1:47]  ³³ tn Or “treachery.”

[1:47]  sn An allusion to Ps 32:2.

[1:48]  ³⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”

[1:48]  ³⁵ sn Many have speculated about what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Meditating on the Messiah who was to come? A good possibility, since the fig tree was used as shade for teaching or studying by the later rabbis (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5:11). Also, the fig tree was symbolic for messianic peace and plenty (Mic 4:4, Zech 3:10.)

[1:49]  ³⁶ tn Although βασιλεύς (basileus) lacks the article it is definite due to contextual and syntactical considerations. See ExSyn 263.

[1:49]  ³⁷ sn Nathanael’s confession – You are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel – is best understood as a confession of Jesus’ messiahship. It has strong allusions to Ps 2:6-7, a well-known messianic psalm. What Nathanael’s exact understanding was at this point is hard to determine, but “son of God” was a designation for the Davidic king in the OT, and Nathanael parallels it with King of Israel here.

[1:50]  ³⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “said to him.”

[1:50]  ³⁹ sn What are the greater things Jesus had in mind? In the narrative this forms an excellent foreshadowing of the miraculous signs which began at Cana of Galilee.

[1:51]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and he said to him.”

[1:51]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[1:51]  ⁴² sn The title Son of Man appears 13 times in John’s Gospel. It is associated especially with the themes of crucifixion (3:14; 8:28), revelation (6:27; 6:53), and eschatological authority (5:27; 9:35). The title as used in John’s Gospel has for its background the son of man figure who appears in Dan 7:13-14 and is granted universal regal authority. Thus for the author, the emphasis in this title is not on Jesus’ humanity, but on his heavenly origin and divine authority.

[2:1]  ⁴³ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ⁴⁴ sn Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.

[2:1]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[2:2]  ⁴⁶ sn There is no clue to the identity of the bride and groom, but in all probability either relatives or friends of Jesus’ family were involved, since Jesus’ mother and both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the celebration. The attitude of Mary in approaching Jesus and asking him to do something when the wine ran out also suggests that familial obligations were involved.

[2:3]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “left” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[2:3]  sn They have no wine left. On the backgrounds of this miracle J. D. M. Derrett pointed out among other things the strong element of reciprocity about weddings in the Ancient Near East. It was possible in certain circumstances to take legal action against the man who failed to provide an appropriate wedding gift. The bridegroom and family here might have been involved in a financial liability for failing to provide adequately for their guests (“Water into Wine,” BZ 7 [1963]: 80-97). Was Mary asking for a miracle? There is no evidence that Jesus had worked any miracles prior to this (although this is an argument from silence). Some think Mary was only reporting the situation, or (as Calvin thought) asking Jesus to give some godly exhortations to the guests and thus relieve the bridegroom’s embarrassment. But the words, and the reply of Jesus in v. 4, seem to imply more. It is not inconceivable that Mary, who had probably been witness to the events of the preceding days, or at least was aware of them, knew that her son’s public career was beginning. She also knew the supernatural events surrounding his birth, and the prophetic words of the angel, and of Simeon and Anna in the temple at Jesus’ dedication. In short, she had good reason to believe Jesus to be the Messiah, and now his public ministry had begun. In this kind of context, her request does seem more significant.

[2:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ⁴⁹ sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the “Son of Man.” This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is “given” to Mary as her “new” son.

[2:4]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

[2:4]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).

[2:4]  sn The Greek word translated time (ὥρα, Jwra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus’ life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension – though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus’ arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the “hour.” In John 2:4 Jesus’ remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.

[2:5]  ⁵² 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.

[2:6]  ⁵³ tn Grk “for the purification of the Jews.”

[2:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “holding two or three metretes” (about 75 to 115 liters). Each of the pots held 2 or 3 μετρηταί (metrhtai). A μετρητῆς (metrhths) was about 9 gallons (40 liters); thus each jar held 18-27 gallons (80-120 liters) and the total volume of liquid involved was 108-162 gallons (480-720 liters).

[2:6]  sn Significantly, these jars held water for Jewish ceremonial washing (purification rituals). The water of Jewish ritual purification has become the wine of the new messianic age. The wine may also be, after the fashion of Johannine double meanings, a reference to the wine of the Lord’s Supper. A number have suggested this, but there does not seem to be anything in the immediate context which compels this; it seems more related to how frequently a given interpreter sees references to the sacraments in John’s Gospel as a whole.

[2:7]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “them” (it is clear from the context that the servants are addressed).

[2:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “the master of ceremonies.”

[2:9]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[2:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “and he did not know where it came from.”

[2:9]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “the head steward”; here the repetition of the phrase is somewhat redundant in English and the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.

[2:10]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).

[2:10]  ⁶¹ tn Or “poorer.”

[2:10]  ⁶² tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:11]  ⁶³ tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54 where the same construction occurs.

[2:11]  ⁶⁴ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:11]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”

[2:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”

[2:12]  ⁶⁷ sn Verse 12 is merely a transitional note in the narrative (although Capernaum does not lie on the direct route to Jerusalem from Cana). Nothing is mentioned in John’s Gospel at this point about anything Jesus said or did there (although later his teaching is mentioned, see 6:59). From the synoptics it is clear that Capernaum was a center of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and might even be called “his own town” (Matt 9:1). The royal official whose son Jesus healed (John 4:46-54) was from Capernaum. He may have heard Jesus speak there, or picked up the story about the miracle at Cana from one of Jesus’ disciples.

[2:12]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[2:12]  ⁶⁸ sn With respect to Jesus’ brothers, the so-called Helvidian view is to be preferred (named after Helvidius, a 4th-century theologian). This view holds that the most natural way to understand the phrase is as a reference to children of Joseph and Mary after the birth of Jesus. Other views are that of Epiphanius (they were children of Joseph by a former marriage) or Jerome (they were cousins). The tradition of Mary’s perpetual virginity appeared in the 2nd century and is difficult to explain (as J. H. Bernard, St. John [ICC], 1:85, points out) if some of her other children were prominent members of the early church (e.g., James of Jerusalem). But this is outweighed by the natural sense of the words.

[2:13]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is first of at least three (and possibly four) Passovers mentioned in John’s Gospel. If it is assumed that the Passovers appear in the Gospel in their chronological order (and following a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), this would be the Passover of the spring of a.d. 30, the first of Jesus’ public ministry. There is a clear reference to another Passover in 6:4, and another still in 11:55, 12:1, 13:1, 18:28, 39, and 19:14. The latter would be the Passover of a.d. 33. There is a possibility that 5:1 also refers to a Passover, in which case it would be the second of Jesus’ public ministry (a.d. 31), while 6:4 would refer to the third (a.d. 32) and the remaining references would refer to the final Passover at the time of the crucifixion. It is entirely possible, however, that the Passovers occurring in the Fourth Gospel are not intended to be understood as listed in chronological sequence. If the material of the Fourth Gospel originally existed in the form of homilies or sermons by the Apostle John on the life and ministry of Jesus, the present arrangement would not have to be in strict chronological order (it does not explicitly claim to be). In this case the Passover mentioned in 2:13, for example, might actually be later in Jesus’ public ministry than it might at first glance appear. This leads, however, to a discussion of an even greater problem in the passage, the relationship of the temple cleansing in John’s Gospel to the similar account in the synoptic gospels.

[2:13]  ⁷⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:14]  ⁷¹ sn John 2:14-22. Does John’s account of the temple cleansing describe the same event as the synoptic gospels describe, or a separate event? The other accounts of the cleansing of the temple are Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; and Luke 19:45-46. None are as long as the Johannine account. The fullest of the synoptic accounts is Mark’s. John’s account differs from Mark’s in the mention of sheep and oxen, the mention of the whip of cords, the Greek word κερματιστῆς (kermatisths) for money changer (the synoptics use κολλυβιστῆς [kollubisths], which John mentions in 2:15), the scattering of the coins (2:15), and the command by Jesus, “Take these things away from here!” The word for overturned in John is ἀναστρεφω (anastrefw), while Matthew and Mark use καταστρεφω (katastrefw; Luke does not mention the moneychangers at all). The synoptics all mention that Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 followed by Jer 7:11. John mentions no citation of scripture at all, but says that later the disciples remembered Ps 69:9. John does not mention, as does Mark, Jesus’ prohibition on carrying things through the temple (i.e., using it for a shortcut). But the most important difference is one of time: In John the cleansing appears as the first great public act of Jesus’ ministry, while in the synoptics it is virtually the last. The most common solution of the problem, which has been endlessly discussed among NT scholars, is to say there was only one cleansing, and that it took place, as the synoptics record it, at the end of Jesus’ ministry. In the synoptics it appears to be the event that finalized the opposition of the high priest, and precipitated the arrest of Jesus. According to this view, John’s placing of the event at the opening of Jesus’ ministry is due to his general approach; it was fitting ‘theologically’ for Jesus to open his ministry this way, so this is the way John records it. Some have overstated the case for one cleansing and John’s placing of it at the opening of Jesus’ public ministry, however. For example W. Barclay stated: “John, as someone has said, is more interested in the truth than in the facts. He was not interested to tell men when Jesus cleansed the Temple; he was supremely interested in telling men that Jesus did cleanse the Temple” (John [DSBS], 94). But this is not the impression one gets by a reading of John’s Gospel: The evangelist seems to go out of his way to give details and facts, including notes of time and place. To argue as Barclay does that John is interested in truth apart from the facts is to set up a false dichotomy. Why should one have to assume, in any case, that there could have been only one cleansing of the temple? This account in John is found in a large section of nonsynoptic material. Apart from the work of John the Baptist – and even this is markedly different from the references in the synoptics – nothing else in the first five chapters of John’s Gospel is found in any of the synoptics. It is certainly not impossible that John took one isolated episode from the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry and inserted it into his own narrative in a place which seemed appropriate according to his purposes. But in view of the differences between John and the synoptics, in both wording and content, as well as setting and time, it is at least possible that the event in question actually occurred twice (unless one begins with the presupposition that the Fourth Gospel is nonhistorical anyway). In support of two separate cleansings of the temple, it has been suggested that Jesus’ actions on this occasion were not permanent in their result, and after (probably) 3 years the status quo in the temple courts had returned to normal. And at this time early in Jesus’ ministry, he was virtually unknown. Such an action as he took on this occasion would have created a stir, and evoked the response John records in 2:18-22, but that is probably about all, especially if Jesus’ actions met with approval among part of the populace. But later in Jesus’ ministry, when he was well-known, and vigorously opposed by the high-priestly party in Jerusalem, his actions might have brought forth another, harsher response. It thus appears possible to argue for two separate cleansings of the temple as well as a single one relocated by John to suit his own purposes. Which then is more probable? On the whole, more has been made of the differences between John’s account and the synoptic accounts than perhaps should have been. After all, the synoptic accounts also differ considerably from one another, yet few scholars would be willing to posit four cleansings of the temple as an explanation for this. While it is certainly possible that the author did not intend by his positioning of the temple cleansing to correct the synoptics’ timing of the event, but to highlight its significance for the course of Jesus’ ministry, it still appears somewhat more probable that John has placed the event he records in the approximate period of Jesus’ public ministry in which it did occur, that is, within the first year or so of Jesus’ public ministry. The statement of the Jewish authorities recorded by the author (this temple has been under construction for forty-six years) would tend to support an earlier rather than a later date for the temple cleansing described by John, since 46 years from the beginning of construction on Herod’s temple in ca. 19 b.c. (the date varies somewhat in different sources) would be around a.d. 27. This is not conclusive proof, however.

[2:14]  ⁷² tn Grk “in the temple.”

[2:14]  sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.

[2:14]  ⁷³ tn Grk “the money changers sitting”; the words “at tables” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[2:15]  ⁷⁴ tc Several witnesses, two of which are quite ancient (Ì^66,75 L N ˹ 33 565 892 1241 al lat), have ὡς (Jws, “like”) before φραγέλλιον (fragellion, “whip”). A decision based on external evidence would be difficult to make because the shorter reading also has excellent witnesses, as well as the majority, on its side (א A B Θ Ψ Ë¹³ Ï co). Internal evidence, though, leans toward the shorter reading. Scribes tended to add to the text, and the addition of ὡς here clearly softens the assertion of the evangelist: Instead of making a whip of cords, Jesus made “[something] like a whip of cords.”

[2:15]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “the temple.”

[2:15]  ⁷⁶ sn Because of the imperial Roman portraits they carried, Roman denarii and Attic drachmas were not permitted to be used in paying the half-shekel temple-tax (the Jews considered the portraits idolatrous). The money changers exchanged these coins for legal Tyrian coinage at a small profit.

[2:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Or (perhaps) “Stop making.”

[2:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “a house of merchants” (an allusion to Zech 14:21).

[2:16]  sn A marketplace. Zech 14:20-21, in context, is clearly a picture of the messianic kingdom. The Hebrew word translated “Canaanite” may also be translated “merchant” or “trader.” Read in this light, Zech 14:21 states that there will be no merchant in the house of the Lord in that day (the day of the Lord, at the establishment of the messianic kingdom). And what would Jesus’ words (and actions) in cleansing the temple have suggested to the observers? That Jesus was fulfilling messianic expectations would have been obvious – especially to the disciples, who had just seen the miracle at Cana with all its messianic implications.

[2:17]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “Fervent devotion to your house.”

[2:17]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 69:9.

[2:18]  ⁸¹ 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. Here the author refers to the authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.)

[2:18]  ⁸² tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[2:18]  ⁸³ sn The request “What sign can you show us” by Jesus’ adversaries was a request for a defense of his actions – a mark of divine authentication. Whether this was a request for a miracle is not entirely clear. Jesus never obliged such a request. Yet, ironically, the only sign the Jewish leadership will get is that predicted by Jesus in 2:19 – his crucifixion and resurrection. Cf. the “sign of Jonah” in the synoptics (Matt 12:39, 40; Luke 11:29-32).

[2:19]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[2:19]  ⁸⁵ tn The imperative here is really more than a simple conditional imperative (= “if you destroy”); its semantic force here is more like the ironical imperative found in the prophets (Amos 4:4, Isa 8:9) = “Go ahead and do this and see what happens.”

[2:20]  ⁸⁶ tn See the note on this phrase in v. 18.

[2:20]  ⁸⁷ tn A close parallel to the aorist οἰκοδομήθη (oikodomhqh) can be found in Ezra 5:16 (LXX), where it is clear from the following verb that the construction had not yet been completed. Thus the phrase has been translated “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years.” Some, however, see the term ναός (naos) here as referring only to the sanctuary and the aorist verb as consummative, so that the meaning would be “this temple was built forty-six years ago” (so ExSyn 560-61). Ultimately in context the logic of the authorities’ reply appears to fit more naturally if it compares length of time for original construction with length of time to reconstruct it.

[2:20]  ⁸⁸ sn According to Josephus (Ant. 15.11.1 [15.380]), work on this temple was begun in the 18th year of Herod the Great’s reign, which would have been ca. 19 b.c. (The reference in the Ant. is probably more accurate than the date given in J. W. 1.21.1 [1.401]). Forty-six years later would be around the Passover of a.d. 27/28.

[2:21]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “that one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. This Greek term is frequently used as a way of referring to Jesus in the Johannine letters (cf. 1 John 2:6; 3:3, 5, 7, 16; 4:17).

[2:21]  ⁹⁰ tn The genitive “of his body” (τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, tou swmato" autou) is a genitive of apposition, clarifying which temple Jesus was referring to. Thus, Jesus not only was referring to his physical resurrection, but also to his participation in the resurrection process. The New Testament thus records the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as all performing the miracle of Christ's resurrection.

[2:21]  sn Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body. For the author, the temple is not just the building, it is Jesus’ resurrected body. Compare the nonlocalized worship mentioned in John 4:21-23, and also Rev 21:22 (there is to be no temple in the New Jerusalem; the Lord and the Lamb are its temple). John points to the fact that, as the place where men go in order to meet God, the temple has been supplanted and replaced by Jesus himself, in whose resurrected person people may now encounter God (see John 1:18, 14:6).

[2:22]  ⁹¹ sn They believed the scripture is probably an anaphoric reference to Ps 69:9 (69:10 LXX), quoted in John 2:17 above. Presumably the disciples did not remember Ps 69:9 on the spot, but it was a later insight.

[2:22]  ⁹² tn Or “statement”; Grk “word.”

[2:23]  ⁹³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ⁹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ⁹⁵ sn Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of “Messiah” was the same as Jesus’ own, or the author’s.

[2:24]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).

[2:25]  ⁹⁷ tn The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with “a man of the Pharisees” in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.

[2:25]  ⁹⁸ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[3:1]  ⁹⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[3:1]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “a ruler of the Jews” (denoting a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[3:2]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:2]  ¹⁰² tn Or “during the night.”

[3:2]  sn Possibly Nicodemus came…at night because he was afraid of public association with Jesus, or he wanted a lengthy discussion without interruptions; no explanation for the timing of the interview is given by the author. But the timing is significant for John in terms of the light-darkness motif – compare John 9:4, 11:10, 13:30 (especially), 19:39, and 21:3. Out of the darkness of his life and religiosity Nicodemus came to the Light of the world. The author probably had multiple meanings or associations in mind here, as is often the case.

[3:2]  ¹⁰³ sn The reference to signs (σημεῖα, shmeia) forms a link with John 2:23-25. Those people in Jerusalem believed in Jesus because of the signs he had performed. Nicodemus had apparently seen them too. But for Nicodemus all the signs meant is that Jesus was a great teacher sent from God. His approach to Jesus was well-intentioned but theologically inadequate; he had failed to grasp the messianic implications of the miraculous signs.

[3:3]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[3:3]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:3]  ¹⁰⁶ tn The word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in 3:3, 7; 3:31; 19:11 and 23. In the latter 3 cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (3:3, 7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.

[3:3]  sn Or born again. The Greek word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) can mean both “again” and “from above,” giving rise to Nicodemus’ misunderstanding about a second physical birth (v. 4).

[3:3]  ¹⁰⁷ sn What does Jesus’ statement about not being able to see the kingdom of God mean within the framework of John’s Gospel? John uses the word kingdom (βασιλεία, basileia) only 5 times (3:3, 5; 18:36 [3x]). Only here is it qualified with the phrase of God. The fact that John does not stress the concept of the kingdom of God does not mean it is absent from his theology, however. Remember the messianic implications found in John 2, both the wedding and miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple. For Nicodemus, the term must surely have brought to mind the messianic kingdom which Messiah was supposed to bring. But Nicodemus had missed precisely this point about who Jesus was. It was the Messiah himself with whom Nicodemus was speaking. Whatever Nicodemus understood, it is clear that the point is this: He misunderstood Jesus’ words. He over-literalized them, and thought Jesus was talking about repeated physical birth, when he was in fact referring to new spiritual birth.

[3:4]  ¹⁰⁸ tn The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.

[3:5]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:5]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).

[3:5]  sn Jesus’ somewhat enigmatic statement points to the necessity of being born “from above,” because water and wind/spirit/Spirit come from above. Isaiah 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are pertinent examples of water and wind as life-giving symbols of the Spirit of God in his work among people. Both occur in contexts that deal with the future restoration of Israel as a nation prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom. It is therefore particularly appropriate that Jesus should introduce them in a conversation about entering the kingdom of God. Note that the Greek word πνεύματος is anarthrous (has no article) in v. 5. This does not mean that spirit in the verse should be read as a direct reference to the Holy Spirit, but that both water and wind are figures (based on passages in the OT, which Nicodemus, the teacher of Israel should have known) that represent the regenerating work of the Spirit in the lives of men and women.

[3:6]  ¹¹¹ sn What is born of the flesh is flesh, i.e., what is born of physical heritage is physical. (It is interesting to compare this terminology with that of the dialogue in John 4, especially 4:23, 24.) For John the “flesh” (σάρξ, sarx) emphasizes merely the weakness and mortality of the creature – a neutral term, not necessarily sinful as in Paul. This is confirmed by the reference in John 1:14 to the Logos becoming “flesh.” The author avoids associating sinfulness with the incarnate Christ.

[3:7]  ¹¹² tn “All” has been supplied to indicate the plural pronoun in the Greek text.

[3:7]  ¹¹³ tn Or “born again.” The same Greek word with the same double meaning occurs in v. 3.

[3:8]  ¹¹⁴ tn The same Greek word, πνεύματος (pneumatos), may be translated “wind” or “spirit.”

[3:8]  ¹¹⁵ sn Again, the physical illustrates the spiritual, although the force is heightened by the word-play here on wind-spirit (see the note on wind at the beginning of this verse). By the end of the verse, however, the final usage of πνεύματος (pneumatos) refers to the Holy Spirit.

[3:9]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “Nicodemus answered and said to him.”

[3:9]  ¹¹⁷ sn “How can these things be?” is Nicodemus’ answer. It is clear that at this time he has still not grasped what Jesus is saying. Note also that this is the last appearance of Nicodemus in the dialogue. Having served the purpose of the author, at this point he disappears from the scene. As a character in the narrative, he has served to illustrate the prevailing Jewish misunderstanding of Jesus’ teaching about the necessity of a new, spiritual birth from above. Whatever parting words Nicodemus might have had with Jesus, the author does not record them.

[3:10]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to him.”

[3:10]  ¹¹⁹ sn Jesus’ question “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?” implies that Nicodemus had enough information at his disposal from the OT scriptures to have understood Jesus’ statements about the necessity of being born from above by the regenerating work of the Spirit. Isa 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are passages Nicodemus might have known which would have given him insight into Jesus’ words. Another significant passage which contains many of these concepts is Prov 30:4-5.

[3:11]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:11]  ¹²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.

[3:11]  ¹²² tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:11]  ¹²³ sn Note the remarkable similarity of Jesus’ testimony to the later testimony of the Apostle John himself in 1 John 1:2: “And we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us.” This is only one example of how thoroughly the author’s own thoughts were saturated with the words of Jesus (and also how difficult it is to distinguish the words of Jesus from the words of the author in the Fourth Gospel).

[3:12]  ¹²⁴ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:12]  ¹²⁵ sn Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others – this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things – which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.

[3:13]  ¹²⁶ tn Grk “And no one.”

[3:13]  ¹²⁷ sn The verb ascended is a perfect tense in Greek (ἀναβέβηκεν, anabebhken) which seems to look at a past, completed event. (This is not as much of a problem for those who take Jesus’ words to end at v. 12, and these words to be a comment by the author, looking back on Jesus’ ascension.) As a saying of Jesus, these words are a bit harder to explain. Note, however, the lexical similarities with 1:51: “ascending,” “descending,” and “son of man.” Here, though, the ascent and descent is accomplished by the Son himself, not the angels as in 1:51. There is no need to limit this saying to Jesus’ ascent following the resurrection, however; the point of the Jacob story (Gen 28), which seems to be the background for 1:51, is the freedom of communication and relationship between God and men (a major theme of John’s Gospel). This communication comes through the angels in Gen 28 (and John 1:51); but here (most appropriately) it comes directly through the Son of Man. Although Jesus could be referring to a prior ascent, after an appearance as the preincarnate Son of Man, more likely he is simply pointing out that no one from earth has ever gone up to heaven and come down again. The Son, who has come down from heaven, is the only one who has been ‘up’ there. In both Jewish intertestamental literature and later rabbinic accounts, Moses is portrayed as ascending to heaven to receive the Torah and descending to distribute it to men (e.g., Targum Ps 68:19.) In contrast to these Jewish legends, the Son is the only one who has ever made the ascent and descent.

[3:13]  ¹²⁸ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (A^[*^] Θ Ψ 050 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h), have at the end of this verse “the one who is in heaven” (ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, Jo wn en tw ouranw). A few others have variations on this phrase, such as “who was in heaven” (e sy^c), or “the one who is from heaven” (0141 pc sy^s). The witnesses normally considered the best, along with several others, lack the phrase in its entirety (Ì^66,75 א B L T W^s 083 086 33 1241 pc co). On the one hand, if the reading ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is authentic it may suggest that while Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he spoke of himself as in heaven even while he was on earth. If that is the case, one could see why variations from this hard saying arose: “who was in heaven,” “the one who is from heaven,” and omission of the clause. At the same time, such a saying could be interpreted (though with difficulty) as part of the narrator’s comments rather than Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus, alleviating the problem. And if v. 13 was viewed in early times as the evangelist’s statement, “the one who is in heaven” could have crept into the text through a marginal note. Other internal evidence suggests that this saying may be authentic. The adjectival participle, ὁ ὤν, is used in the Fourth Gospel more than any other NT book (though the Apocalypse comes in a close second), and frequently with reference to Jesus (1:18; 6:46; 8:47). It may be looking back to the LXX of Exod 3:14 (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Especially since this exact construction is not necessary to communicate the location of the Son of Man, its presence in many witnesses here may suggest authenticity. Further, John uses the singular of οὐρανός (ourano", “heaven”) in all 18 instances of the word in this Gospel, and all but twice with the article (only 1:32 and 6:58 are anarthrous, and even in the latter there is significant testimony to the article). At the same time, the witnesses that lack this clause are very weighty and must not be discounted. Generally speaking, if other factors are equal, the reading of such mss should be preferred. And internally, it could be argued that ὁ ὤν is the most concise way to speak of the Son of Man in heaven at that time (without the participle the point would be more ambiguous). Further, the articular singular οὐρανός is already used twice in this verse, thus sufficiently prompting scribes to add the same in the longer reading. This combination of factors suggests that ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is not a genuine Johannism. Further intrinsic evidence against the longer reading relates to the evangelist’s purposes: If he intended v. 13 to be his own comments rather than Jesus’ statement, his switch back to Jesus’ words in v. 14 (for the lifting up of the Son of Man is still seen as in the future) seems inexplicable. The reading “who is in heaven” thus seems to be too hard. All things considered, as intriguing as the longer reading is, it seems almost surely to have been a marginal gloss added inadvertently to the text in the process of transmission. For an argument in favor of the longer reading, see David Alan Black, “The Text of John 3:13,” GTJ 6 (1985): 49-66.

[3:13]  sn See the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[3:14]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “And just as.”

[3:14]  ¹³⁰ sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.

[3:14]  ¹³¹ sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.

[3:14]  ¹³² sn So must the Son of Man be lifted up. This is ultimately a prediction of Jesus’ crucifixion. Nicodemus could not have understood this, but John’s readers, the audience to whom the Gospel is addressed, certainly could have (compare the wording of John 12:32). In John, being lifted up refers to one continuous action of ascent, beginning with the cross but ending at the right hand of the Father. Step 1 is Jesus’ death; step 2 is his resurrection; and step 3 is the ascension back to heaven. It is the upward swing of the “pendulum” which began with the incarnation, the descent of the Word become flesh from heaven to earth (cf. Paul in Phil 2:5-11). See also the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[3:15]  ¹³³ tn This is the first use of the term ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zwhn aiwnion) in the Gospel, although ζωή (zwh) in chap. 1 is to be understood in the same way without the qualifying αἰώνιος (aiwnios).

[3:15]  sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of Jesus’ words through v. 21.

[3:16]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “this is how much”; or “in this way.” The Greek adverb οὕτως (Joutws) can refer (1) to the degree to which God loved the world, that is, to such an extent or so much that he gave his own Son (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:133-34; D. A. Carson, John, 204) or (2) simply to the manner in which God loved the world, i.e., by sending his own son (see R. H. Gundry and R. W. Howell, “The Sense and Syntax of John 3:14-17 with Special Reference to the Use of Οὕτως…ὥστε in John 3:16,” NovT 41 [1999]: 24-39). Though the term more frequently refers to the manner in which something is done (see BDAG 741-42 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως), the following clause involving ὥστε (Jwste) plus the indicative (which stresses actual, but [usually] unexpected result) emphasizes the greatness of the gift God has given. With this in mind, then, it is likely (3) that John is emphasizing both the degree to which God loved the world as well as the manner in which He chose to express that love. This is in keeping with John’s style of using double entendre or double meaning. Thus, the focus of the Greek construction here is on the nature of God's love, addressing its mode, intensity, and extent.

[3:16]  ¹³⁵ tn Although this word is often translated “only begotten,” such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clement 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant. 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham’s only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means “one-of-a-kind” and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God (τέκνα θεοῦ, tekna qeou), Jesus is God’s Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).

[3:16]  ¹³⁶ tn In John the word ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi) can mean either (1) to be lost (2) to perish or be destroyed, depending on the context.

[3:16]  ¹³⁷ sn The alternatives presented are only two (again, it is typical of Johannine thought for this to be presented in terms of polar opposites): perish or have eternal life.

[3:17]  ¹³⁸ sn That is, “to judge the world to be guilty and liable to punishment.”

[3:18]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ¹⁴¹ tn See the note on the term “one and only” in 3:16.

[3:19]  ¹⁴² tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:21]  ¹⁴⁴ sn John 3:16-21 provides an introduction to the (so-called) “realized” eschatology of the Fourth Gospel: Judgment has come; eternal life may be possessed now, in the present life, as well as in the future. The terminology “realized eschatology” was originally coined by E. Haenchen and used by J. Jeremias in discussion with C. H. Dodd, but is now characteristically used to describe Dodd’s own formulation. See L. Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament, 1:54, note 10, and R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:cxvii-cxviii) for further discussion. Especially important to note is the element of choice portrayed in John’s Gospel. If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John’s Gospel, it should be emphasized that that reaction is very much dependent on a person’s choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (John 3:20-21). For John there is virtually no trace of determinism at the surface. Only when one looks beneath the surface does one find statements like “no one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

[3:22]  ¹⁴⁵ tn This section is related loosely to the preceding by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.

[3:23]  ¹⁴⁶ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[3:23]  ¹⁴⁷ tn The precise locations of Αἰνών (Ainwn) and Σαλείμ (Saleim) are unknown. Three possibilities are suggested: (1) In Perea, which is in Transjordan (cf. 1:28). Perea is just across the river from Judea. (2) In the northern Jordan Valley, on the west bank some 8 miles [13 km] south of Scythopolis. But with the Jordan River so close, the reference to abundant water (3:23) seems superfluous. (3) Thus Samaria has been suggested. 4 miles (6.6 km) east of Shechem is a town called Salim, and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Salim lies modern Ainun. In the general vicinity are many springs. Because of the meanings of the names (Αἰνών = “springs” in Aramaic and Σαλείμ = Salem, “peace”) some have attempted to allegorize here that John the Baptist is near salvation. Obviously there is no need for this. It is far more probable that the author has in mind real places, even if their locations cannot be determined with certainty.

[3:23]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

[3:23]  ¹⁴⁹ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:24]  ¹⁵⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[3:25]  ¹⁵¹ tc Was this dispute between the Baptist’s disciples and an individual Judean (᾿Ιουδαίου, Ioudaiou) or representatives of the Jewish authorities (᾿Ιουδαίων, Ioudaiwn)? There is good external support for the plural ᾿Ιουδαίων (Ì⁶⁶ א* Θ Ë^1,13 565 al latt), but the external evidence for the singular ᾿Ιουδαίου is slightly stronger ({Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L Ψ 33 1241 the majority of Byzantine minuscules and others}).

[3:25]  tn Or “a certain Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” If the emphasis is simply on the individual’s origin, “Judean” would be preferable since it designates a nationality or place of origin. However, the mention of ceremonial washing in the context suggests the dispute was religious in nature, so “Jew” has been retained in the translation here.

[3:25]  ¹⁵² tn Or “ceremonial cleansing,” or “purification.”

[3:25]  sn What was the controversy concerning ceremonial washing? It is not clear. Some have suggested that it was over the relative merits of the baptism of Jesus and John. But what about the ceremonial nature of the washing? There are so many unanswered questions here that even R. E. Brown (who does not usually resort to dislocations in the text as a solution to difficulties) proposes that this dialogue originally took place immediately after 1:19-34 and before the wedding at Cana. (Why else the puzzled hostility of the disciples over the crowds coming to Jesus?) Also, the synoptics imply John was imprisoned before Jesus began his Galilean ministry. At any rate, there is no reason to rearrange the material here – it occurs in this place for a very good reason. As far as the author is concerned, it serves as a further continuation of the point made to Nicodemus, that is, the necessity of being born “from above” (3:3). Note that John the Baptist describes Jesus as “the one who comes from heaven” in 3:31 (ἄνωθεν [anwqen], the same word as in 3:3). There is another lexical tie to preceding material: The subject of the dispute, ceremonial washing (3:25), calls to mind the six stone jars of water changed to wine at the wedding feast in 2:6, put there for “Jewish ceremonial washing.” This section ultimately culminates and concludes ideas begun in chap. 2 and continued in chap. 3. Although the author does not supply details, one scenario would be this: The disciples of John, perplexed after this disagreement with an individual Jew (or with the Jewish authorities), came to John and asked about the fact that Jesus was baptizing and more and more were coming to him. John had been preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sin (see Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). Possibly what the Jew(s) reported to John’s disciples was that Jesus was now setting aside the Jewish purification rituals as unnecessary. To John’s disciples this might also be interpreted as: (a) a falling away from Judaism, and (b) a break with John’s own teaching. That Jesus could have said this is very evident from many incidents in his ministry in all the gospels. The thrust would be that outward cleansing (that is, observance of purification rituals) was not what made a person clean. A new heart within (that is, being born from above) is what makes a person clean. So John’s disciples came to him troubled about an apparent contradiction in doctrine though the explicit problem they mentioned is that Jesus was baptizing and multitudes were coming to him. (Whether Jesus was or was not baptizing really wasn’t the issue though, and John the Baptist knew that because he didn’t mention it in his reply. In 4:2 the author says that Jesus was not baptizing, but his disciples. That reference would seem to cover this incident as well, and so the disciples of John are just reporting what they have heard, or thought they heard.) The real point at issue is the authority of Jesus to “overturn” the system of ritual purification within Judaism. John replied to this question of the authority of Jesus in 3:27-36. In 3:27-30 he reassured his disciples, reminding them that if more people were coming to Jesus, it did not threaten him at all, because “heaven” had ordained it to be so (v. 27). (After all, some of these very disciples of John had presumably heard him tell the Jewish delegation that he was not the Messiah but was sent before him, mentioned in John 1.) Then John compared himself to the friend of the bridegroom who stands by and yet participates in the bridegroom’s joy (v. 29). John was completely content in his own position as forerunner and preparer of the way.

[3:26]  ¹⁵³ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[3:27]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “answered and said.”

[3:28]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[3:28]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[3:29]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “rejoices with joy” (an idiom).

[3:29]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “Therefore this my joy is fulfilled.”

[3:30]  ¹⁵⁸ sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of John the Baptist’s words through v. 36.

[3:31]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Or “is above all.”

[3:31]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “speaks from the earth.”

[3:31]  ¹⁶¹ sn The one who comes from heaven refers to Christ. As in John 1:1, the Word’s preexistence is indicated here.

[3:31]  ¹⁶² tc Ì⁷⁵ א* D ˹ 565 as well as several versions and fathers lack the phrase “is superior to all” (ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν, epanw pantwn estin). This effectively joins the last sentence of v. 31 with v. 32: “The one who comes from heaven testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.” On the other side, the phrase may have been deleted because of perceived redundancy, since it duplicates what is said earlier in the verse. The witnesses that include ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν in both places are weighty and widespread (Ì^36vid,66 א² A B L W^s Θ Ψ 083 086 ˹³ 33 Ï lat sy^s,p,h bo). On balance, the longer reading should probably be considered authentic.

[3:31]  tn Or “is above all.”

[3:33]  ¹⁶³ tn Or “is true.”

[3:34]  ¹⁶⁴ tn That is, Christ.

[3:34]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “for not by measure does he give the Spirit” (an idiom). Leviticus Rabbah 15:2 states: “The Holy Spirit rested on the prophets by measure.” Jesus is contrasted to this. The Spirit rests upon him without measure.

[3:35]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “has given all things into his hand” (an idiom).

[3:36]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Or “refuses to believe,” or “disobeys.”

[3:36]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Or “anger because of evil,” or “punishment.”

[3:36]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Or “resides.”

[4:1]  ¹⁷⁰ tc Several early and important witnesses, along with the majority of later ones (Ì^66c,75 A B C L W^s Ψ 083 ˹³ 33 Ï sa), have κύριος (kurio", “Lord”) here instead of ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsou", “Jesus”). As significant as this external support is, the internal evidence seems to be on the side of ᾿Ιησοῦς. “Jesus” is mentioned two more times in the first two verses of chapter four in a way that is stylistically awkward (so much so that the translation has substituted the pronoun for the first one; see tn note below). This seems to be sufficient reason to motivate scribes to change the wording to κύριος. Further, the reading ᾿Ιησοῦς is not without decent support, though admittedly not as strong as that for κύριος (Ì^66* א D Θ 086 ˹ 565 1241 al lat bo). On the other hand, this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions elsewhere only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12; and probably 6:23, preferring ᾿Ιησοῦς most of the time. This fact could be used to argue that scribes, acquainted with John’s style, changed κύριος to ᾿Ιησοῦς. But the immediate context generally is weighed more heavily than an author’s style. It is possible that neither word was in the original text and scribes supplied what they thought most appropriate (see TCGNT 176). But without ms evidence to this effect coupled with the harder reading ᾿Ιησοῦς, this conjecture must remain doubtful. All in all, it is best to regard ᾿Ιησοῦς as the original reading here.

[4:1]  ¹⁷¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[4:1]  ¹⁷² tn Grk “Jesus”; the repetition of the proper name is somewhat redundant in English (see the beginning of the verse) and so the pronoun (“he”) has been substituted here.

[4:1]  ¹⁷³ tn Grk “was making.”

[4:2]  ¹⁷⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:3]  ¹⁷⁵ sn The author doesn’t tell why Jesus chose to set out once more for Galilee. Some have suggested that the Pharisees turned their attention to Jesus because John the Baptist had now been thrown into prison. But the text gives no hint of this. In any case, perhaps Jesus simply did not want to provoke a confrontation at this time (knowing that his “hour” had not yet come).

[4:4]  ¹⁷⁶ sn Travel through Samaria was not geographically necessary; the normal route for Jews ran up the east side of the Jordan River (Transjordan). Although some take the impersonal verb had to (δεῖ, dei) here to indicate logical necessity only, normally in John’s Gospel its use involves God’s will or plan (3:7, 3:14, 3:30, 4:4, 4:20, 4:24, 9:4, 10:16, 12:34, 20:9).

[4:4]  ¹⁷⁷ sn Samaria. The Samaritans were descendants of 2 groups: (1) The remnant of native Israelites who were not deported after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 b.c.; (2) Foreign colonists brought in from Babylonia and Media by the Assyrian conquerors to settle the land with inhabitants who would be loyal to Assyria. There was theological opposition between the Samaritans and the Jews because the former refused to worship in Jerusalem. After the exile the Samaritans put obstacles in the way of the Jewish restoration of Jerusalem, and in the 2nd century b.c. the Samaritans helped the Syrians in their wars against the Jews. In 128 b.c. the Jewish high priest retaliated and burned the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim.

[4:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[4:5]  ¹⁷⁹ sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.

[4:5]  ¹⁸⁰ sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.

[4:6]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “on (ἐπί, epi) the well.” There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of Ì⁶⁶ (“on the ground”) may be correct.

[4:6]  ¹⁸² tn Grk “the sixth hour.”

[4:6]  sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”

[4:7]  ¹⁸³ tn Grk “a woman from Samaria.” According to BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, the prepositional phrase is to be translated as a simple attributive: “γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας a Samaritan woman J 4:7.”

[4:7]  ¹⁸⁴ tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:8]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “buy food.”

[4:8]  ¹⁸⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author, indicating why Jesus asked the woman for a drink (for presumably his disciples also took the water bucket with them).

[4:9]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Or “a Judean.” Here BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαίος 2.a states, “Judean (with respect to birth, nationality, or cult).” The same term occurs in the plural later in this verse. In one sense “Judean” would work very well in the translation here, since the contrast is between residents of the two geographical regions. However, since in the context of this chapter the discussion soon becomes a religious rather than a territorial one (cf. vv. 19-26), the translation “Jew” has been retained here and in v. 22.

[4:9]  ¹⁸⁸ tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:9]  ¹⁸⁹ tn D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [Jn 4:7ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.

[4:9]  sn The background to the statement use nothing in common is the general assumption among Jews that the Samaritans were ritually impure or unclean. Thus a Jew who used a drinking vessel after a Samaritan had touched it would become ceremonially unclean.

[4:9]  ¹⁹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:10]  ¹⁹¹ tn Grk “answered and said to her.”

[4:10]  ¹⁹² tn Or “if you knew.”

[4:10]  ¹⁹³ tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).

[4:10]  ¹⁹⁴ tn This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.

[4:10]  sn The word translated living is used in Greek of flowing water, which leads to the woman’s misunderstanding in the following verse. She thought Jesus was referring to some unknown source of drinkable water.

[4:11]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek term κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage there is probably a gradual transition from one to the other as the woman’s respect for Jesus grows throughout the conversation (4:11, 15, 19).

[4:11]  ¹⁹⁶ tc ‡ Two early and important Greek mss along with two versional witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ B sy^s ac²) lack ἡ γυνή (Jh gunh, “the woman”) here; א* has ἐκείνη (ekeinh, “that one” or possibly “she”) instead of ἡ γυνή. It is possible that no explicit subject was in the original text and scribes added either ἡ γυνή or ἐκείνη to make the meaning clear. It is also possible that the archetype of Ì⁷⁵ א B expunged the subject because it was not altogether necessary, with the scribe of א later adding the pronoun. However, ἡ γυνή is not in doubt in any other introduction to the woman’s words in this chapter (cf. vv. 9, 15, 17, 19, 25), suggesting that intentional deletion was not the motive for the shorter reading in v. 11 (or else why would they delete the words only here?). Thus, the fact that virtually all witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א² A C D L W^s Θ Ψ 050 083 086 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h sa bo) have ἡ γυνή here may suggest that it is a motivated reading, conforming this verse to the rest of the pericope. Although a decision is difficult, it is probably best to regard the shorter reading as authentic. NA²⁷ has ἡ γυνή in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. For English stylistic reasons, the translation also includes “the woman” here.

[4:11]  ¹⁹⁷ tn The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ (frear, “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή (phgh).

[4:11]  ¹⁹⁸ tn The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”

[4:11]  ¹⁹⁹ sn Where then do you get this living water? The woman’s reply is an example of the “misunderstood statement,” a technique appearing frequently in John’s Gospel. Jesus was speaking of living water which was spiritual (ultimately a Johannine figure for the Holy Spirit, see John 7:38-39), but the woman thought he was speaking of flowing (fresh drinkable) water. Her misunderstanding gave Jesus the opportunity to explain what he really meant.

[4:12]  ²⁰⁰ tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”

[4:12]  ²⁰¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end. In this instance all of v. 12 is one question. It has been broken into two sentences for the sake of English style (instead of “for he” the Greek reads “who”).

[4:13]  ²⁰² tn Grk “answered and said to her.”

[4:13]  ²⁰³ tn Grk “will thirst.”

[4:14]  ²⁰⁴ tn Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.

[4:14]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “well.” “Fountain” is used as the translation for πηγή (phgh) here since the idea is that of an artesian well that flows freely, but the term “artesian well” is not common in contemporary English.

[4:14]  ²⁰⁶ tn The verb ἁλλομένου (Jallomenou) is used of quick movement (like jumping) on the part of living beings. This is the only instance of its being applied to the action of water. However, in the LXX it is used to describe the “Spirit of God” as it falls on Samson and Saul. See Judg 14:6, 19; 15:14; 1 Kgdms 10:2, 10 LXX (= 1 Sam 10:6, 10 ET); and Isa 35:6 (note context).

[4:15]  ²⁰⁷ tn Grk “or come here to draw.”

[4:15]  ²⁰⁸ tn The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.

[4:16]  ²⁰⁹ tc Most witnesses have “Jesus” here, either with the article (א^c C² D L W^s Ψ 086 Ï lat) or without (א* A Θ Ë^1,13 al), while several important and early witnesses lack the name (Ì^66,75 B C* 33^vid pc). It is unlikely that scribes would have deliberately expunged the name of Jesus from the text here, especially since it aids the reader with the flow of the dialogue. Further, that the name occurs both anarthrously and with the article suggests that it was a later addition. (For similar arguments, see the tc note on “woman” in 4:11).

[4:16]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).

[4:17]  ²¹¹ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[4:17]  ²¹² tn Grk “Well have you said.”

[4:17]  ²¹³ tn The word order in Jesus’ reply is reversed from the woman’s original statement. The word “husband” in Jesus’ reply is placed in an emphatic position.

[4:18]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “the one you have.”

[4:19]  ²¹⁵ tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.

[4:20]  ²¹⁶ sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.

[4:20]  ²¹⁷ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “say” is second person plural and thus refers to more than Jesus alone.

[4:20]  ²¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:21]  ²¹⁹ sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[4:21]  ²²⁰ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:21]  ²²¹ tn The verb is plural.

[4:22]  ²²² tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the Greek verb translated “worship” is second person plural and thus refers to more than the woman alone.

[4:22]  ²²³ tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.

[4:23]  ²²⁴ tn Grk “an hour.”

[4:23]  ²²⁵ tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.

[4:23]  ²²⁶ sn See also John 4:27.

[4:23]  ²²⁷ tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”

[4:23]  ²²⁸ tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunounta") as the complement.

[4:23]  sn The Father wants such people as his worshipers. Note how the woman has been concerned about where people ought to worship, while Jesus is concerned about who people ought to worship.

[4:24]  ²²⁹ tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (qeos) is the subject.

[4:25]  ²³⁰ tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”

[4:25]  sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[4:25]  ²³¹ tn Grk “that one.”

[4:25]  ²³² tn Or “he will announce to us.”

[4:25]  ²³³ tn Grk “all things.”

[4:27]  ²³⁴ tn Or “his disciples returned”; Grk “came” (“back” is supplied in keeping with English usage). Because of the length of the Greek sentence it is better to divide here and begin a new English sentence, leaving the καί (kai) before ἐθαύμαζον (eqaumazon) untranslated.

[4:27]  ²³⁵ tn BDAG 444 s.v. θαυμάζω 1.a.γ has “be surprised that” followed by indirect discourse. The context calls for a slightly stronger wording.

[4:27]  ²³⁶ tn The ὅτι (Joti) could also be translated as declarative (“that he had been speaking with a woman”) but since this would probably require translating the imperfect verb as a past perfect (which is normal after a declarative ὅτι), it is preferable to take this ὅτι as causal.

[4:27]  ²³⁷ tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.

[4:27]  sn The question “What do you want?” is John’s editorial comment (for no one in the text was asking it). The author is making a literary link with Jesus’ statement in v. 23: It is evident that, in spite of what the disciples may have been thinking, what Jesus was seeking is what the Father was seeking, that is to say, someone to worship him.

[4:28]  ²³⁸ tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anhr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.

[4:29]  ²³⁹ tn Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός (cristos) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Μεσσίας [Messias] is the lead term and is qualified by χριστός) to translate χριστός as “Messiah” here.

[4:29]  ²⁴⁰ tn The use of μήτι (mhti) normally presupposes a negative answer. This should not be taken as an indication that the woman did not believe, however. It may well be an example of “reverse psychology,” designed to gain a hearing for her testimony among those whose doubts about her background would obviate her claims.

[4:30]  ²⁴¹ tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.

[4:30]  ²⁴² sn The imperfect tense is here rendered began coming for the author is not finished with this part of the story yet; these same Samaritans will appear again in v. 35.

[4:31]  ²⁴³ tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”

[4:31]  ²⁴⁴ tn The direct object of φάγε (fage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ²⁴⁵ tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.

[4:33]  ²⁴⁶ tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (hnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.

[4:33]  ²⁴⁷ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “did they?”).

[4:34]  ²⁴⁸ sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.

[4:34]  ²⁴⁹ tn Or “to accomplish.”

[4:34]  ²⁵⁰ tn The substantival ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.

[4:34]  sn No one brought him anything to eat, did they? In the discussion with the disciples which took place while the woman had gone into the city, note again the misunderstanding: The disciples thought Jesus referred to physical food, while he was really speaking figuratively and spiritually again. Thus Jesus was forced to explain what he meant, and the explanation that his food was his mission, to do the will of God and accomplish his work, leads naturally into the metaphor of the harvest. The fruit of his mission was represented by the Samaritans who were coming to him.

[4:35]  ²⁵¹ tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.

[4:35]  ²⁵² tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.

[4:35]  ²⁵³ tn That is, “ripe.”

[4:36]  ²⁵⁴ tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.

[4:37]  ²⁵⁵ tn The recitative ὅτι (Joti) after ἀληθινός (alhqino") has not been translated.

[4:39]  ²⁵⁶ tn Grk “when she testified.”

[4:40]  ²⁵⁷ tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.

[4:40]  ²⁵⁸ tn Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[4:41]  ²⁵⁹ tn Or “and they believed much more.”

[4:42]  ²⁶⁰ tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).

[4:42]  ²⁶¹ sn There is irony in the Samaritans’ declaration that Jesus was really the Savior of the world, an irony foreshadowed in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (1:11): “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” Yet the Samaritans welcomed Jesus and proclaimed him to be not the Jewish Messiah only, but the Savior of the world.

[4:44]  ²⁶² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:45]  ²⁶³ sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.

[4:45]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:45]  ²⁶⁴ sn See John 2:23-25.

[4:45]  ²⁶⁵ sn John 4:44-45. The last part of v. 45 is a parenthetical note by the author. The major problem in these verses concerns the contradiction between the proverb stated by Jesus in v. 44 and the reception of the Galileans in v. 45. Origen solved the problem by referring his own country to Judea (which Jesus had just left) and not Galilee. But this runs counter to the thrust of John’s Gospel, which takes pains to identify Jesus with Galilee (cf. 1:46) and does not even mention his Judean birth. R. E. Brown typifies the contemporary approach: He regards v. 44 as an addition by a later redactor who wanted to emphasize Jesus’ unsatisfactory reception in Galilee. Neither expedient is necessary, though, if honor is understood in its sense of attributing true worth to someone. The Galileans did welcome him, but their welcome was to prove a superficial response based on what they had seen him do at the feast. There is no indication that the signs they saw brought them to place their faith in Jesus any more than Nicodemus did on the basis of the signs. But a superficial welcome based on enthusiasm for miracles is no real honor at all.

[4:46]  ²⁶⁶ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[4:46]  ²⁶⁷ sn See John 2:1-11.

[4:46]  ²⁶⁸ tn Grk “And in.”

[4:46]  ²⁶⁹ sn Capernaum was a town on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (204 m) below sea level. It was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.

[4:46]  map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[4:46]  ²⁷⁰ tn Although βασιλικός (basiliko") has often been translated “nobleman” it is almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there.

[4:47]  ²⁷¹ tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (hrwta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[4:48]  ²⁷² tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than the royal official alone).

[4:48]  ²⁷³ tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteushte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.

[4:50]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[4:50]  ²⁷⁵ tn Grk “and left.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.

[4:51]  ²⁷⁶ sn While he was on his way down. Going to Capernaum from Cana, one must go east across the Galilean hills and then descend to the Sea of Galilee. The 20 mi (33 km) journey could not be made in a single day. The use of the description on his way down shows the author was familiar with Palestinian geography.

[4:51]  ²⁷⁷ tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[4:52]  ²⁷⁸ tn Grk “the hour.”

[4:52]  ²⁷⁹ tn BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν (komyoteron ecein) as “begin to improve.”

[4:52]  ²⁸⁰ tn The second οὖν (oun) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.

[4:52]  ²⁸¹ tn Grk “at the seventh hour.”

[4:53]  ²⁸² tn Grk “at that hour.”

[4:54]  ²⁸³ tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. 2:11 where the same construction occurs.

[5:1]  ²⁸⁴ sn The temporal indicator After this is not specific, so it is uncertain how long after the incidents at Cana this occurred.

[5:1]  ²⁸⁵ tc The textual variants ἑορτή or ἡ ἑορτή (Jeorth or Jh Jeorth, “a feast” or “the feast”) may not appear significant at first, but to read ἑορτή with the article would almost certainly demand a reference to the Jewish Passover. The article is found in א C L Δ Ψ Ë¹ 33 892 1424 pm, but is lacking in {Ì^66,75 A B D T W^s Θ Ë¹³ 565 579 700 1241 pm}. Overall, the shorter reading has somewhat better support. Internally, the known proclivity of scribes to make the text more explicit argues compellingly for the shorter reading. Thus, the verse refers to a feast other than the Passover. The incidental note in 5:3, that the sick were lying outside in the porticoes of the pool, makes Passover an unlikely time because it fell toward the end of winter and the weather would not have been warm. L. Morris (John [NICNT], 299, n. 6) thinks it impossible to identify the feast with certainty.

[5:1]  sn A Jewish feast. Jews were obligated to go up to Jerusalem for 3 major annual feasts: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. If the first is probably ruled out because of the time of year, the last is not as likely because it forms the central setting for chap. 7 (where there are many indications in the context that Tabernacles is the feast in view.) This leaves the feast of Pentecost, which at some point prior to this time in Jewish tradition (as reflected in Jewish intertestamental literature and later post-Christian rabbinic writings) became identified with the giving of the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Such an association might explain Jesus’ reference to Moses in 5:45-46. This is uncertain, however. The only really important fact for the author is that the healing was done on a Sabbath. This is what provoked the controversy with the Jewish authorities recorded in 5:16-47.

[5:1]  ²⁸⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:2]  ²⁸⁷ tn Regarding the use of the present tense ἐστιν (estin) and its implications for the dating of the Gospel of John, see the article by D. B. Wallace, “John 5,2 and the Date of the Fourth Gospel,” Bib 71 (1990): 177-205.

[5:2]  ²⁸⁸ tn The site of the miracle is also something of a problem: προβατικῇ (probatikh) is usually taken as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple. Some (R. E. Brown and others) would place the word κολυμβήθρα (kolumbhqra) with προβατικῇ to read “in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Pool, there is (another pool) with the Hebrew name.” This would imply that there is reference to two pools in the context rather than only one. This does not seem necessary (although it is a grammatical possibility). The gender of the words does not help since both are feminine (as is the participle ἐπιλεγομένη [epilegomenh]). Note however that Brown’s suggestion would require a feminine word to be supplied (for the participle ἐπιλεγομένη to modify). The traditional understanding of the phrase as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple appears more probably correct.

[5:2]  ²⁸⁹ tc Some mss (א [L] 33 it) read Bethzatha, while others read Bethsaida (Ì^[66],75 B T W^s [Ψ] pc vg); codex D has Belzetha. A lot of controversy has surrounded the name of the pool itself: The reading of the Byzantine (or majority) text (A C Θ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï), Bethesda, has been virtually discarded by scholars in favor of what is thought to be the more primitive Bethzatha, even though many recent translations continue to employ Bethesda, the traditional reading. The latter is attested by Josephus as the name of a quarter of the city near the northeast corner of the temple area. He reports that the Syrian Legate Cestius burned this suburb in his attack on Jerusalem in October a.d. 68 (J. W. 2.19.4 [2.530]). However, there is some new archaeological evidence for this problem. 3Q15 (Copper Scroll) from Qumran seems to indicate that in the general area of the temple, on the eastern hill of Jerusalem, a treasure was buried in Bet áEsdatayin, in the pool at the entrance to the smaller basin. The name of the region or pool itself seems then to have been Bet ᾿Esda, “house of the flowing.” It appears with the dual ending in the scroll because there were two basins. Bethesda seems to be an accurate Greek rendition of the name, while J. T. Milik suggests Bethzatha is a rendition of the Aramaic intensive plural Bet áEsdata (DJDJ 3, 271). As for the text of John 5:2, the fundamental problems with the Bethesda reading are that it looks motivated (with an edifying Semitic etymology, meaning “House of Mercy” [TCGNT 178]), and is minimally attested. Apart from the Copper Scroll, the evidence for Bethesda is almost entirely shut up to the Byzantine text (C being the most notable exception, but it often has Byzantine encroachments). On the one hand, this argues the Byzantine reading here had ancient, semitic roots; on the other hand, since both readings are attested as historically accurate, a decision has to be based on the better witnesses. The fact that there are multiple readings here suggests that the original was not well understood. Which reading best explains the rise of the others? It seems that Bethzatha is the best choice.

[5:2]  sn On the location of the pool called Bethzatha, the double-pool of St. Anne is the probable site, and has been excavated; the pools were trapezoidal in shape, 165 ft (49.5 m) wide at one end, 220 ft (66 m) wide at the other, and 315 ft (94.5 m) long, divided by a central partition. There were colonnades (rows of columns) on all 4 sides and on the partition, thus forming the five covered walkways mentioned in John 5:2. Stairways at the corners permitted descent to the pool.

[5:2]  ²⁹⁰ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[5:2]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”

[5:2]  sn The pool had five porticoes. These were covered walkways formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the side facing the pool. People could stand, sit, or walk on these colonnaded porches, protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.

[5:4]  ²⁹² tc The majority of later mss (C³ Θ Ψ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï) add the following to 5:3: “waiting for the moving of the water. 5:4 For an angel of the Lord went down and stirred up the water at certain times. Whoever first stepped in after the stirring of the water was healed from whatever disease which he suffered.” Other mss include only v. 3b (A^c D 33 lat) or v. 4 (A L it). Few textual scholars today would accept the authenticity of any portion of vv. 3b-4, for they are not found in the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B C* T pc co), they include un-Johannine vocabulary and syntax, several of the mss that include the verses mark them as spurious (with an asterisk or obelisk), and because there is a great amount of textual diversity among the witnesses that do include the verses. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[5:5]  ²⁹³ tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”

[5:6]  ²⁹⁴ tn Or “knew.”

[5:6]  ²⁹⁵ tn Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:7]  ²⁹⁶ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage the paralytic who was healed by Jesus never acknowledges Jesus as Lord – he rather reports Jesus to the authorities.

[5:7]  ²⁹⁷ tn Grk “while I am going.”

[5:7]  ²⁹⁸ tn Grk “another.”

[5:7]  ²⁹⁹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[5:8]  ³⁰⁰ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” Some of these items, however, are rather substantial (e.g., “mattress”) and would probably give the modern English reader a false impression.

[5:9]  ³⁰¹ tn Grk “became well.”

[5:9]  ³⁰² tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.

[5:9]  ³⁰³ tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”

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

[5:10]  ³⁰⁴ 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. Here the author refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9).

[5:10]  ³⁰⁵ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.

[5:11]  ³⁰⁶ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8.

[5:12]  ³⁰⁷ tc While a number of mss, especially the later ones (A^c C³ D Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy), include the words τον κραβ(β)ατ(τ)ον σου (ton krab(b)at(t)on sou, “your mat”) here, the earliest and best (Ì^66,75 א B C* L) do not. Nevertheless, in the translation, it is necessary to supply the words due to the demands of English style, which does not typically allow for understood or implied direct objects as Greek does.

[5:12]  ³⁰⁸ tn Grk “Pick up and walk”; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.

[5:14]  ³⁰⁹ tn Since this is a prohibition with a present imperative, the translation “stop sinning” is sometimes suggested. This is not likely, however, since the present tense is normally used in prohibitions involving a general condition (as here) while the aorist tense is normally used in specific instances. Only when used opposite the normal usage (the present tense in a specific instance, for example) would the meaning “stop doing what you are doing” be appropriate.

[5:15]  ³¹⁰ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:16]  ³¹¹ sn Note the plural phrase these things which seems to indicate that Jesus healed on the Sabbath more than once (cf. John 20:30). The synoptic gospels show this to be true; the incident in 5:1-15 has thus been chosen by the author as representative.

[5:16]  ³¹² tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:16]  ³¹³ tn Or “harassing.”

[5:17]  ³¹⁴ tc ‡ Most witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ A D L Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt co) have ᾿Ιησοῦς (Ihsou", “Jesus”) here, while generally better witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א B W {0141} 892 1241 pbo) lack the name. Although it is possible that Alexandrian scribes deleted the name due to proclivities to prune, this is not as likely as other witnesses adding it for clarification, especially since multiple strands of the Alexandrian text are represented in the shorter reading. NA²⁷ places the word in brackets, indicating some doubts as to authenticity.

[5:17]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “answered.”

[5:17]  ³¹⁶ sn “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” What is the significance of Jesus’ claim? A preliminary understanding can be obtained from John 5:18, noting the Jewish authorities’ response and the author’s comment. They sought to kill Jesus, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was also calling God his own Father, thus making himself equal with God. This must be seen in the context of the relation of God to the Sabbath rest. In the commandment (Exod 20:11) it is explained that “In six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth…and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Philo, based on the LXX translation of Exod 20:11, denied outright that God had ever ceased his creative activity. And when Rabban Gamaliel II, R. Joshua, R. Eleazar ben Azariah, and R. Akiba were in Rome, ca. a.d. 95, they gave as a rebuttal to sectarian arguments evidence that God might do as he willed in the world without breaking the Sabbath because the entire world was his private residence. So even the rabbis realized that God did not really cease to work on the Sabbath: Divine providence remained active on the Sabbath, otherwise, all nature and life would cease to exist. As regards men, divine activity was visible in two ways: Men were born and men died on the Sabbath. Since only God could give life and only God could deal with the fate of the dead in judgment, this meant God was active on the Sabbath. This seems to be the background for Jesus’ words in 5:17. He justified his work of healing on the Sabbath by reminding the Jewish authorities that they admitted God worked on the Sabbath. This explains the violence of the reaction. The Sabbath privilege was peculiar to God, and no one was equal to God. In claiming the right to work even as his Father worked, Jesus was claiming a divine prerogative. He was literally making himself equal to God, as 5:18 goes on to state explicitly for the benefit of the reader who might not have made the connection.

[5:18]  ³¹⁷ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[5:19]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[5:19]  ³¹⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:19]  ³²⁰ tn Grk “nothing from himself.”

[5:19]  ³²¹ tn Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:19]  ³²² sn What works does the Son do likewise? The same that the Father does – and the same that the rabbis recognized as legitimate works of God on the Sabbath (see note on working in v. 17). (1) Jesus grants life (just as the Father grants life) on the Sabbath. But as the Father gives physical life on the Sabbath, so the Son grants spiritual life (John 5:21; note the “greater things” mentioned in v. 20). (2) Jesus judges (determines the destiny of people) on the Sabbath, just as the Father judges those who die on the Sabbath, because the Father has granted authority to the Son to judge (John 5:22-23). But this is not all. Not only has this power been granted to Jesus in the present; it will be his in the future as well. In v. 28 there is a reference not to spiritually dead (only) but also physically dead. At their resurrection they respond to the Son as well.

[5:21]  ³²³ tn Grk “and makes them live.”

[5:21]  ³²⁴ tn Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”

[5:22]  ³²⁵ tn Or “condemn.”

[5:22]  ³²⁶ tn Or “given,” or “handed over.”

[5:23]  ³²⁷ 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”).

[5:24]  ³²⁸ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:24]  ³²⁹ tn Or “obeys.”

[5:24]  ³³⁰ tn Or “word.”

[5:24]  ³³¹ tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”

[5:25]  ³³² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:25]  ³³³ tn Grk “an hour.”

[5:27]  ³³⁴ tn Grk “him.”

[5:27]  ³³⁵ tn Grk “authority to judge.”

[5:28]  ³³⁶ tn Grk “an hour.”

[5:29]  ³³⁷ tn Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”

[5:30]  ³³⁸ tn Grk “nothing from myself.”

[5:30]  ³³⁹ tn Or “righteous,” or “proper.”

[5:30]  ³⁴⁰ tn That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”

[5:32]  ³⁴¹ sn To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.

[5:33]  ³⁴² sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[5:34]  ³⁴³ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:35]  ³⁴⁴ sn He was a lamp that was burning and shining. Sir 48:1 states that the word of Elijah was “a flame like a torch.” Because of the connection of John the Baptist with Elijah (see John 1:21 and the note on John’s reply, “I am not”), it was natural for Jesus to apply this description to John.

[5:35]  ³⁴⁵ tn Grk “for an hour.”

[5:36]  ³⁴⁶ tn Or “works.”

[5:36]  ³⁴⁷ tn Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.

[5:37]  ³⁴⁸ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.

[5:37]  ³⁴⁹ sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer – their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.

[5:39]  ³⁵⁰ tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

[5:39]  ³⁵¹ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

[5:39]  ³⁵² tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

[5:41]  ³⁵³ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:41]  ³⁵⁴ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:41]  ³⁵⁵ tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.

[5:42]  ³⁵⁶ tn The genitive in the phrase τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ (thn agaphn tou qeou, “the love of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“God’s love”) or an objective genitive (“love for God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, the emphasis would be on the love God gives which in turn produces love for him, but Jesus’ opponents are lacking any such love inside them.

[5:43]  ³⁵⁷ tn Or “you do not receive.”

[5:43]  ³⁵⁸ tn Or “you will receive.”

[5:44]  ³⁵⁹ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ³⁶⁰ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ³⁶¹ tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì^66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some important mss, has the name ({א A D L Θ Ψ 33 Ï}). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (Jo mono") used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In uncial script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.

[5:45]  ³⁶² sn The final condemnation will come from Moses himself – again ironic, since Moses is the very one the Jewish authorities have trusted in (placed your hope). This is again ironic if it is occurring at Pentecost, which at this time was being celebrated as the occasion of the giving of the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai. There is evidence that some Jews of the 1st century looked on Moses as their intercessor at the final judgment (see W. A. Meeks, The Prophet King [NovTSup], 161). This would mean the statement Moses, in whom you have placed your hope should be taken literally and relates directly to Jesus’ statements about the final judgment in John 5:28-29.

[5:46]  ³⁶³ tn Grk “For if.”

[5:47]  ³⁶⁴ tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:1]  ³⁶⁵ tn Again, μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is a vague temporal reference. How Jesus got from Jerusalem to Galilee is not explained, which has led many scholars (e.g., Bernard, Bultmann, and Schnackenburg) to posit either editorial redaction or some sort of rearrangement or dislocation of material (such as reversing the order of chaps. 5 and 6, for example). Such a rearrangement of the material would give a simple and consistent connection of events, but in the absence of all external evidence it does not seem to be supportable. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:236) says that such an arrangement is attractive in some ways but not compelling, and that no rearrangement can solve all the geographical and chronological problems in John.

[6:1]  ³⁶⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Only John in the New Testament refers to the Sea of Galilee by the name Sea of Tiberias (see also John 21:1), but this is correct local usage. In the mid-20’s Herod completed the building of the town of Tiberias on the southwestern shore of the lake; after this time the name came into use for the lake itself.

[6:3]  ³⁶⁷ sn Up on the mountainside does not necessarily refer to a particular mountain or hillside, but may simply mean “the hill country” or “the high ground,” referring to the high country east of the Sea of Galilee (known today as the Golan Heights).

[6:4]  ³⁶⁸ sn Passover. According to John’s sequence of material, considerable time has elapsed since the feast of 5:1. If the feast in 5:1 was Pentecost of a.d. 31, then this feast would be the Passover of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion.

[6:4]  ³⁶⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:5]  ³⁷⁰ tn Grk “when he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).

[6:6]  ³⁷¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:6]  ³⁷² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:7]  ³⁷³ tn Grk “Philip answered him.”

[6:7]  ³⁷⁴ tn Grk “two hundred denarii.” The denarius was a silver coin worth about a day’s wage for a laborer; this would be an amount worth about eight months’ pay.

[6:8]  ³⁷⁵ tn Grk “one of his disciples.”

[6:9]  ³⁷⁶ tn Grk “but what are these”; the word “good” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[6:10]  ³⁷⁷ tn Grk “Make.”

[6:10]  ³⁷⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author (suggesting an eyewitness recollection).

[6:10]  ³⁷⁹ tn Here “men” has been used in the translation because the following number, 5,000, probably included only adult males (see the parallel in Matt 14:21).

[6:11]  ³⁸⁰ tn Grk “likewise also (he distributed) from the fish.”

[6:12]  ³⁸¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:13]  ³⁸² sn Note that the fish mentioned previously (in John 6:9) are not emphasized here, only the five barley loaves. This is easy to understand, however, because the bread is of primary importance for the author in view of Jesus’ upcoming discourse on the Bread of Life.

[6:14]  ³⁸³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:14]  ³⁸⁴ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[6:14]  ³⁸⁵ sn An allusion to Deut 18:15.

[6:15]  ³⁸⁶ sn Jesus, knowing that his “hour” had not yet come (and would not, in this fashion) withdrew again up the mountainside alone. The ministry of miracles in Galilee, ending with this, the multiplication of the bread (the last public miracle in Galilee recorded by John) aroused such a popular response that there was danger of an uprising. This would have given the authorities a legal excuse to arrest Jesus. The nature of Jesus’ kingship will become an issue again in the passion narrative of the Fourth Gospel (John 18:33ff.). Furthermore, the volatile reaction of the Galileans to the signs prepares for and foreshadows the misunderstanding of the miracle itself, and even the misunderstanding of Jesus’ explanation of it (John 6:22-71).

[6:16]  ³⁸⁷ tn Or “sea.” The Greek word indicates a rather large body of water, but the English word “sea” normally indicates very large bodies of water, so the word “lake” in English is a closer approximation.

[6:17]  ³⁸⁸ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.

[6:17]  ³⁸⁹ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:17]  ³⁹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[6:19]  ³⁹¹ tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.

[6:19]  ³⁹² tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[6:22]  ³⁹³ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:22]  ³⁹⁴ tc Most witnesses have after “one” the phrase “which his disciples had entered” (ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ekeino ei" }o enebhsan Joi maqhtai autou) although there are several permutations of this clause ([א* D] Θ [˹³ 33] Ï [sa]). The witnesses that lack this expression are, however, significant and diffused (Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L N W Ψ 1 565 579 1241 al lat). The clarifying nature of the longer reading, the multiple variants from it, and the weighty testimony for the shorter reading all argue against the authenticity of the longer text in any of its variations.

[6:22]  tn Grk “one”; the referent (a small boat) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:22]  ³⁹⁵ tn Grk “entered.”

[6:23]  ³⁹⁶ map For location see Map1 E2; Map2 C2; Map3 C3; Map4 D1; Map5 G4.

[6:23]  ³⁹⁷ tn Or “boats from Tiberias landed”; Grk “came.”

[6:23]  ³⁹⁸ tc D 091 a e sy^s,c lack the phrase “after the Lord had given thanks” (εὐχαριστήσαντος τοῦ κυρίου, eucaristhsanto" tou kuriou), while almost all the rest of the witnesses ({Ì⁷⁵ א A B L W Θ Ψ 0141 [˹] ˹³ 33 Ï as well as several versions and fathers}) have the words (though {l672 l950 sy^p pbo} read ᾿Ιησοῦ [Ihsou, “Jesus”] instead of κυρίου). Although the shorter reading has minimal support, it is significant that this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12; and possibly 4:1 (but see tc note on “Jesus” there). There is thus but one undisputed preresurrection text in which the narrator calls Jesus “Lord.” This fact can be utilized on behalf of either reading: The participial phrase could be seen as a scribal addition harking back to 6:11 but which does not fit Johannine style, or it could be viewed as truly authentic and in line with what John indisputably does elsewhere even if rarely. On balance, in light of the overwhelming support for these words it is probably best to retain them in the text.

[6:24]  ³⁹⁹ tn Or “embarked in the boats.”

[6:24]  ⁴⁰⁰ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:25]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:25]  ⁴⁰² sn John 6:25-31. The previous miracle of the multiplication of the bread had taken place near the town of Tiberias (cf. John 6:23). Jesus’ disciples set sail for Capernaum (6:17) and were joined by the Lord in the middle of the sea. The next day boats from Tiberias picked up a few of those who had seen the multiplication (certainly not the whole 5,000) and brought them to Capernaum. It was to this group that Jesus spoke in 6:26-27. But there were also people from Capernaum who had gathered to see Jesus, who had not witnessed the multiplication, and it was this group that asked Jesus for a miraculous sign like the manna (6:30-31). This would have seemed superfluous if it were the same crowd that had already seen the multiplication of the bread. But some from Capernaum had heard about it and wanted to see a similar miracle repeated.

[6:26]  ⁴⁰³ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:26]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:26]  ⁴⁰⁵ tn Grk “because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled.”

[6:27]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food).

[6:27]  sn Do not work for the food that disappears. Note the wordplay on “work” here. This does not imply “working” for salvation, since the “work” is later explained (in John 6:29) as “to believe in the one whom he (the Father) sent.”

[6:27]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.

[6:27]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Grk “on this one.”

[6:28]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:29]  ⁴¹¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:29]  ⁴¹² tn Grk “the work.”

[6:29]  ⁴¹³ tn Grk “This is the work of God.”

[6:29]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).

[6:31]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:31]  ⁴¹⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).

[6:32]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:33]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Or “he who.”

[6:34]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Or “Lord.” The Greek κύριος (kurios) means both “Sir” and “Lord.” In this passage it is not at all clear at this point that the crowd is acknowledging Jesus as Lord. More likely this is simply a form of polite address (“sir”).

[6:35]  ⁴²⁰ tn Grk “the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever.”

[6:35]  sn The one who believes in me will never be thirsty. Note the parallelism between “coming to Jesus” in the first part of v. 35 and “believing in Jesus” in the second part of v. 35. For the author of the Gospel of John these terms are virtually equivalent, both referring to a positive response to Jesus (see John 3:17-21).

[6:36]  ⁴²¹ tn Grk “But I said to you.”

[6:36]  ⁴²² tc A few witnesses lack με (me, “me”; א A a b e q sy^s,c), while the rest of the tradition has the word (Ì^66,75vid rell). It is possible that the mss that lack the pronoun preserve the original wording here, with the rest of the witnesses adding the pronoun for clarity’s sake. This likelihood increases since the object is not required in Greek. Without it, however, ambiguity increases: The referent could be “me” or it could be “signs,” reaching back to vv. 26 and 30. However, the oblique form of ἐγώ (egw, the first person personal pronoun) occurs some two dozen times in this chapter alone, yet it vacillates between the emphatic form and the unemphatic form. Although generally the unemphatic form is used with verbs, there are several exceptions to this in John (cf. 8:12; 12:26, 45, 48; 13:20; 14:9). If the pronoun is a later addition here, one wonders why it is so consistently the unemphatic form in the mss. Further, that two unrelated Greek witnesses lack this small word could easily be due to accidental deletion. Finally, the date and diversity of the witnesses for the pronoun are so weighty that it is likely to be authentic and should thus be retained in the text.

[6:37]  ⁴²³ tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”

[6:39]  ⁴²⁴ tn Or “resurrect them all,” or “make them all live again”; Grk “raise it up.” The word “all” is supplied to bring out the collective nature of the neuter singular pronoun αὐτό (auto) in Greek. The plural pronoun “them” is used rather than neuter singular “it” because this is clearer in English, which does not use neuter collective singulars in the same way Greek does.

[6:40]  ⁴²⁵ tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”

[6:40]  ⁴²⁶ sn Notice that here the result (having eternal life and being raised up at the last day) is produced by looking on the Son and believing in him. Compare John 6:54 where the same result is produced by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. This suggests that the phrase in 6:54 (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood in terms of the phrase here (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:41]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “Then 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 translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). Likewise, the designation “Judeans” does not fit here because the location is Galilee rather than Judea.

[6:43]  ⁴²⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:43]  ⁴²⁹ tn Or “Do not grumble among yourselves.” The words “about me” are supplied to clarify the translation “complain to one another” (otherwise the Jewish opponents could be understood to be complaining about one another, rather than complaining to one another about Jesus).

[6:44]  ⁴³⁰ tn Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).

[6:44]  sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40).

[6:45]  ⁴³¹ sn A quotation from Isa 54:13.

[6:45]  ⁴³² tn Or “listens to the Father and learns.”

[6:46]  ⁴³³ tn Grk “this one.”

[6:46]  ⁴³⁴ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Although some would attribute these words to Jesus himself, the switch from first person in Jesus’ preceding and following remarks to third person in v. 46 suggests that the author has added a clarifying comment here.

[6:47]  ⁴³⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:47]  ⁴³⁶ tc Most witnesses (A C² D Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat and other versions) have “in me” (εἰς ἐμέ, eis eme) here, while the Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac versions read “in God.” These clarifying readings are predictable variants, being motivated by the scribal tendency toward greater explicitness. That the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.

[6:47]  ⁴³⁷ tn Compare John 6:40.

[6:48]  ⁴³⁸ tn That is, “the bread that produces (eternal) life.”

[6:49]  ⁴³⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:50]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Or “Here.”

[6:50]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Grk “someone” (τις, tis).

[6:51]  ⁴⁴² tn Grk “And the bread.”

[6:52]  ⁴⁴³ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. 41.

[6:52]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “with one another, saying.”

[6:52]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”

[6:53]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:53]  ⁴⁴⁷ sn Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. These words are at the heart of the discourse on the Bread of Life, and have created great misunderstanding among interpreters. Anyone who is inclined toward a sacramental viewpoint will almost certainly want to take these words as a reference to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, because of the reference to eating and drinking. But this does not automatically follow: By anyone’s definition there must be a symbolic element to the eating which Jesus speaks of in the discourse, and once this is admitted, it is better to understand it here, as in the previous references in the passage, to a personal receiving of (or appropriation of) Christ and his work.

[6:53]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).

[6:54]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author’s part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

[6:54]  ⁴⁵⁰ sn Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:55]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Or “real.”

[6:55]  ⁴⁵² tn Or “real.”

[6:56]  ⁴⁵³ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:56]  ⁴⁵⁴ sn Resides in me, and I in him. Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood produces eternal life and the promise of resurrection at the last day. Here the same process of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of ‘possessing eternal life’ and of ‘residing in Jesus’ are virtually interchangeable.

[6:57]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Or “who chews”; Grk “who eats.” Here the translation “consumes” is more appropriate than simply “eats,” because it is the internalization of Jesus by the individual that is in view. On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:58]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Or “This one.”

[6:58]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:58]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not just like your ancestors ate and died.” The cryptic Greek expression has been filled out in the translation for clarity.

[6:58]  ⁴⁵⁹ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:59]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:59]  ⁴⁶¹ sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).

[6:59]  ⁴⁶² map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:60]  ⁴⁶³ tn The words “these things” are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.

[6:60]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”

[6:60]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”

[6:60]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (akouw) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of “obey.” It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., “who can accept what he said?” However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning “understand” is preferred here.

[6:61]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”

[6:61]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Or “were grumbling.”

[6:61]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”)

[6:61]  sn Does this cause you to be offended? It became apparent to some of Jesus’ followers at this point that there would be a cost involved in following him. They had taken offense at some of Jesus’ teaching (perhaps the graphic imagery of “eating his flesh” and “drinking his blood,” and Jesus now warned them that if they thought this was a problem, there was an even worse cause for stumbling in store: his upcoming crucifixion (John 6:61b-62). Jesus asked, in effect, “Has what I just taught caused you to stumble? What will you do, then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before?” This ascent is to be accomplished through the cross; for John, Jesus’ departure from this world and his return to the Father form one continual movement from cross to resurrection to ascension.

[6:62]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Or “he was formerly?”

[6:63]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ⁴⁷² tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[6:64]  ⁴⁷³ sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[6:65]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:65]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”

[6:66]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”

[6:66]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Grk “were not walking with him.”

[6:67]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “do you?”).

[6:69]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Grk “And we.”

[6:69]  ⁴⁸⁰ sn See 1 John 4:16.

[6:69]  ⁴⁸¹ tc The witnesses display a bewildering array of variants here. Instead of “the Holy One of God” (ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ, Jo {agio" tou qeou), Tertullian has ὁ Χριστός (Jo Cristo", “the Christ”); C³ Θ* ˹ 33 565 lat read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou, “the Christ, the Son of God”); two versional witnesses (b sy^c) have ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Son of God”); the Byzantine text as well as many others (Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï) read ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (Jo Cristo" Jo Juio" tou qeou tou zwnto", “the Christ, the Son of the living God”); and Ì⁶⁶ as well as a few versions have ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ (“the Christ, the Holy One of God”). The reading ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ is, however, well supported by Ì⁷⁵ א B C* D L W as well as versional witnesses. It appears that Peter’s confession in the Synoptic Gospels (especially Matt 16:16) supplied the motivation for the variations. Although the witnesses in Matt 16:16; Mark 8:29; and Luke 9:20 vary considerably, the readings are all intra-synoptic, that is, they do not pull in “the Holy One of God” but reflect various permutations of “Christ”/“Christ of God”/“Christ, the Son of God”/“Christ, the Son of the living God.” The wording “the Holy One of God” (without “Christ”) in important witnesses here is thus unique among Peter’s confessions, and best explains the rise of the other readings.

[6:69]  sn You have the words of eternal life…you are the Holy One of God! In contrast to the response of some of his disciples, here is the response of the twelve, whom Jesus then questioned concerning their loyalty to him. This was the big test, and the twelve, with Peter as spokesman, passed with flying colors. The confession here differs considerably from the synoptic accounts (Matt 16:16, Mark 8:29, and Luke 9:20) and concerns directly the disciples’ personal loyalty to Jesus, in contrast to those other disciples who had deserted him (John 6:66).

[6:70]  ⁴⁸² tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[6:70]  ⁴⁸³ tn Although most translations render this last phrase as “one of you is a devil,” such a translation presupposes that there is more than one devil. This finds roots in the KJV in which the Greek word for demon was often translated “devil.” In fact, the KJV never uses the word “demon.” (Sixty-two of the 63 NT instances of δαιμόνιον [daimonion] are translated “devil” [in Acts 17:18 the plural has been translated “gods”]. This can get confusing in places where the singular “devil” is used: Is Satan or one of the demons in view [cf. Matt 9:33 (demon); 13:39 (devil); 17:18 (demon); Mark 7:26 (demon); Luke 4:2 (devil); etc.]?) Now regarding John 6:70, both the construction in Greek and the technical use of διάβολος (diabolos) indicate that the one devil is in view. To object to the translation “the devil” because it thus equates Judas with Satan does not take into consideration that Jesus often spoke figuratively (e.g., “destroy this temple” [John 2:19]; “he [John the Baptist] is Elijah” [Matt 11:14]), even equating Peter with the devil on one occasion (Mark 8:33). According to ExSyn 249, “A curious phenomenon has occurred in the English Bible with reference to one particular monadic noun, διάβολος. The KJV translates both διάβολος and δαιμόνιον as ‘devil.’ Thus in the AV translators’ minds, ‘devil’ was not a monadic noun. Modern translations have correctly rendered δαιμόνιον as ‘demon’ and have, for the most part, recognized that διάβολος is monadic (cf., e.g., 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 20:2). But in John 6:70 modern translations have fallen into the error of the King James translators. The KJV has ‘one of you is a devil.’ So does the RSV, NRSV, ASV, NIV, NKJV, and the JB [Jerusalem Bible]. Yet there is only one devil…The legacy of the KJV still lives on, then, even in places where it ought not.”

[6:71]  ⁴⁸⁴ sn At least six explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). See D. A. Carson, John, 304.

[6:71]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:71]  ⁴⁸⁶ sn This parenthetical statement by the author helps the reader understand Jesus’ statement one of you is the devil in the previous verse. This is the first mention of Judas in the Fourth Gospel, and he is immediately identified (as he is in the synoptic gospels, Matt 10:4, Mark 3:19, Luke 6:16) as the one who would betray Jesus.

[7:1]  ⁴⁸⁷ sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

[7:1]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

[7:1]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[7:1]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

[7:1]  ⁴⁹¹ 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 should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

[7:1]  ⁴⁹² tn Grk “were seeking.”

[7:2]  ⁴⁹³ tn Or “feast of the Tents” (the feast where people lived in tents or shelters, which was celebrated in the autumn after harvest). John’s use of σκηνοπηγία (skhnophgia) for the feast of Tabernacles constitutes the only use of this term in the New Testament.

[7:2]  ⁴⁹⁴ sn Since the present verse places these incidents at the feast of Tabernacles (a.d. 29 or 32, depending on whether one dates the crucifixion in a.d. 30 or 33) there would have been a 6-month interval during which no events are recorded. The author is obviously selective in his approach; he is not recording an exhaustive history (as he will later tell the reader in John 21:25). After healing the paralytic on the Sabbath in Jerusalem (John 5:1-47), Jesus withdrew again to Galilee because of mounting opposition. In Galilee the feeding of the 5,000 took place, which marked the end of the Galilean ministry for all practical purposes. John 7:1-9 thus marks Jesus’ final departure from Galilee.

[7:3]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.

[7:3]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:3]  sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.

[7:4]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Or “seeks to be well known.”

[7:4]  ⁴⁹⁸ sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)

[7:5]  ⁴⁹⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:6]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[7:6]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Or “my opportunity.”

[7:6]  ⁵⁰² tn Or “is not yet here.”

[7:6]  ⁵⁰³ tn Grk “your time is always ready.”

[7:8]  ⁵⁰⁴ sn One always speaks of “going up” to Jerusalem in Jewish idiom, even though in western thought it is more common to speak of south as “down” (Jerusalem lies south of Galilee). The reason for the idiom is that Jerusalem was identified with Mount Zion in the OT, so that altitude was the issue.

[7:8]  ⁵⁰⁵ tc Most mss (Ì^66,75 B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 Ë^1,13 Ï sa), including most of the better witnesses, have “not yet” (οὔπω, oupw) here. Those with the reading οὐκ are not as impressive (א D K 1241 al lat), but οὐκ is the more difficult reading here, especially because it stands in tension with v. 10. On the one hand, it is possible that οὐκ arose because of homoioarcton: A copyist who saw oupw wrote ouk. However, it is more likely that οὔπω was introduced early on to harmonize with what is said two verses later. As for Jesus’ refusal to go up to the feast in v. 8, the statement does not preclude action of a different kind at a later point. Jesus may simply have been refusing to accompany his brothers with the rest of the group of pilgrims, preferring to travel separately and “in secret” (v. 10) with his disciples.

[7:8]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Although the word is καιρός (kairos) here, it parallels John’s use of ὥρα (Jwra) elsewhere as a reference to the time appointed for Jesus by the Father – the time of his return to the Father, characterized by his death, resurrection, and ascension (glorification). In the Johannine literature, synonyms are often interchanged for no apparent reason other than stylistic variation.

[7:8]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn Or “my time has not yet come to an end” (a possible hint of Jesus’ death at Jerusalem); Grk “my time is not yet fulfilled.”

[7:10]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:11]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:11]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Grk “Where is that one?”

[7:12]  ⁵¹¹ tn Grk “And there was.”

[7:12]  ⁵¹² tn Or “complaining.”

[7:12]  ⁵¹³ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).

[7:12]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Or “the crowd.”

[7:13]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:14]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Grk “to the temple.”

[7:14]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Or “started teaching.” An ingressive sense for the imperfect verb (“began to teach” or “started teaching”) fits well here, since the context implies that Jesus did not start his teaching at the beginning of the festival, but began when it was about half over.

[7:15]  ⁵¹⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:15]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.

[7:15]  ⁵²⁰ tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).

[7:15]  sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.

[7:16]  ⁵²¹ tn Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:16]  ⁵²² tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:17]  ⁵²³ tn Grk “his will.”

[7:17]  ⁵²⁴ tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”

[7:18]  ⁵²⁵ tn Grk “who speaks from himself.”

[7:18]  ⁵²⁶ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁵²⁷ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁵²⁸ tn Or “seeks.”

[7:18]  ⁵²⁹ tn Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”

[7:18]  ⁵³⁰ tn Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”

[7:19]  ⁵³¹ tn Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”

[7:19]  ⁵³² tn Grk “seek.”

[7:20]  ⁵³³ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in 7:15).

[7:20]  ⁵³⁴ tn Grk “You have a demon!”

[7:20]  ⁵³⁵ tn Grk “Who is seeking to kill you?”

[7:20]  sn Who is trying to kill you? Many of the crowd (if they had come in from surrounding regions for the feast) probably were ignorant of any plot. The plot was on the part of the Jewish leaders. Note how carefully John distinguishes between the leadership and the general populace in their respective responses to Jesus.

[7:21]  ⁵³⁶ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[7:21]  ⁵³⁷ tn Grk “I did one deed.”

[7:21]  ⁵³⁸ sn The “one miracle” that caused them all to be amazed was the last previous public miracle in Jerusalem recorded by the author, the healing of the paralyzed man in John 5:1-9 on the Sabbath. (The synoptic gospels record other Sabbath healings, but John does not mention them.)

[7:22]  ⁵³⁹ tn Grk “gave you circumcision.”

[7:22]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Grk “a man.” While the text literally reads “circumcise a man” in actual fact the practice of circumcising male infants on the eighth day after birth (see Phil 3:5) is primarily what is in view here.

[7:23]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.

[7:23]  ⁵⁴² tn Grk “receives circumcision.”

[7:23]  ⁵⁴³ sn If a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken. The Rabbis counted 248 parts to a man’s body. In the Talmud (b. Yoma 85b) R. Eleazar ben Azariah (ca. a.d. 100) states: “If circumcision, which attaches to one only of the 248 members of the human body, suspends the Sabbath, how much more shall the saving of the whole body suspend the Sabbath?” So absolutely binding did rabbinic Judaism regard the command of Lev 12:3 to circumcise on the eighth day, that in the Mishnah m. Shabbat 18.3; 19.1, 2; and m. Nedarim 3.11 all hold that the command to circumcise overrides the command to observe the Sabbath.

[7:23]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Or “made an entire man well.”

[7:24]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Or “based on sight.”

[7:24]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”

[7:25]  ⁵⁴⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[7:25]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Grk “Is it not this one.”

[7:25]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Grk “seeking.”

[7:26]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Or “speaking openly.”

[7:26]  ⁵⁵¹ sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.

[7:26]  ⁵⁵² tn Grk “this one.”

[7:26]  ⁵⁵³ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:26]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:27]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:27]  ⁵⁵⁵ sn We know where this man comes from. The author apparently did not consider this objection worth answering. The true facts about Jesus’ origins were readily available for any reader who didn’t know already. Here is an instance where the author assumes knowledge about Jesus that is independent from the material he records.

[7:27]  ⁵⁵⁶ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:27]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:27]  ⁵⁵⁷ sn The view of these people regarding the Messiah that no one will know where he comes from reflects the idea that the origin of the Messiah is a mystery. In the Talmud (b. Sanhedrin 97a) Rabbi Zera taught: “Three come unawares: Messiah, a found article, and a scorpion.” Apparently OT prophetic passages like Mal 3:1 and Dan 9:25 were interpreted by some as indicating a sudden appearance of Messiah. It appears that this was not a universal view: The scribes summoned by Herod at the coming of the Magi in Matt 2 knew that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. It is important to remember that Jewish messianic expectations in the early 1st century were not monolithic.

[7:28]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Grk “the temple.”

[7:28]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”

[7:28]  ⁵⁶⁰ sn You both know me and know where I come from! Jesus’ response while teaching in the temple is difficult – it appears to concede too much understanding to his opponents. It is best to take the words as irony: “So you know me and know where I am from, do you?” On the physical, literal level, they did know where he was from: Nazareth of Galilee (at least they thought they knew). But on another deeper (spiritual) level, they did not: He came from heaven, from the Father. Jesus insisted that he has not come on his own initiative (cf. 5:37), but at the bidding of the Father who sent him.

[7:28]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “And I have not come from myself.”

[7:28]  ⁵⁶² tn The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.

[7:28]  ⁵⁶³ tn Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”

[7:29]  ⁵⁶⁴ tn Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton).

[7:29]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn The preposition παρά (para) followed by the genitive has the local sense preserved and can be used of one person sending another. This does not necessarily imply origin in essence or eternal generation.

[7:29]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn Grk “and that one.”

[7:30]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:30]  sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus. This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32.

[7:30]  ⁵⁶⁸ tn Grk “his hour.”

[7:31]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).

[7:31]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:31]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:31]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “will he?”).

[7:32]  ⁵⁷² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:32]  ⁵⁷³ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).

[7:32]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:32]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing “police” duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (see K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:32]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn Grk “to seize him.” In the context of a deliberate attempt by the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees to detain Jesus, the English verb “arrest” conveys the point more effectively.

[7:33]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”

[7:33]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[7:34]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:35]  ⁵⁸⁰ 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 is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse (7:32, 45).

[7:35]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[7:35]  ⁵⁸² tn Grk “will not find him.”

[7:35]  ⁵⁸³ sn The Jewish people dispersed (Grk “He is not going to the Diaspora”). The Greek term diaspora (“dispersion”) originally meant those Jews not living in Palestine, but dispersed or scattered among the Gentiles.

[7:35]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”).

[7:35]  sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36. They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.

[7:36]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Grk “What is this word that he said.”

[7:36]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Grk “seek me.”

[7:37]  ⁵⁸⁷ sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.

[7:37]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

[7:38]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn An alternate way of punctuating the Greek text of vv. 37-38 results in this translation: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, just as the scripture says, ‘From within him will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38 has been the subject of considerable scholarly debate. Certainly Jesus picks up on the literal water used in the ceremony and uses it figuratively. But what does the figure mean? According to popular understanding, it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell in the believer. There is some difficulty in locating an OT text which speaks of rivers of water flowing from within such a person, but Isa 58:11 is often suggested: “The Lord will continually lead you, he will feed you even in parched regions. He will give you renewed strength, and you will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring that continually produces water.” Other passages which have been suggested are Prov 4:23 and 5:15; Isa 44:3 and 55:1; Ezek 47:1 ff.; Joel 3:18; and Zech 13:1 and 14:8. The meaning in this case is that when anyone comes to believe in Jesus the scriptures referring to the activity of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life are fulfilled. “When the believer comes to Christ and drinks he not only slakes his thirst but receives such an abundant supply that veritable rivers flow from him” (L. Morris, John [NICNT], 424-25). In other words, with this view, the believer himself becomes the source of the living water. This is the traditional understanding of the passage, often called the “Eastern interpretation” following Origen, Athanasius, and the Greek Fathers. It is supported by such modern scholars as Barrett, Behm, Bernard, Cadman, Carson, R. H. Lightfoot, Lindars, Michaelis, Morris, Odeberg, Schlatter, Schweizer, C. H. Turner, M. M. B. Turner, Westcott, and Zahn. In addition it is represented by the following Greek texts and translations: KJV, RSV, NASB, NA²⁷, and UBS⁴. D. A. Carson, John, 322-29, has a thorough discussion of the issues and evidence although he opts for the previous interpretation. There is another interpretation possible, however, called the “Western interpretation” because of patristic support by Justin, Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Irenaeus. Modern scholars who favor this view are Abbott, Beasley-Murray, Bishop, Boismard, Braun, Brown, Bullinger, Bultmann, Burney, Dodd, Dunn, Guilding, R. Harris, Hoskyns, Jeremias, Loisy, D. M. Stanley, Thüsing, N. Turner, and Zerwick. This view is represented by the translation in the RSV margin and by the NEB. It is also sometimes called the “christological interpretation” because it makes Jesus himself the source of the living water in v. 38, by punctuating as follows: (37b) ἐάν τι διψᾷ ἐρχέσθω πρός με, καὶ πινέτω (38) ὁ πιστεύων εἰς ἐμέ. Καθὼς εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ποταμοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας αὐτοῦ ῥεύσουσιν ὕδατος ζῶντος. Three crucial questions are involved in the solution of this problem: (1) punctuation; (2) determining the antecedent of αὐτοῦ (autou); and (3) the source of the scripture quotation. With regard to (1) Ì⁶⁶ does place a full stop after πινέτω (pinetw), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ. Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10, of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” (16:7). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water (Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4. Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.

[7:38]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”

[7:38]  ⁵⁹¹ sn An OT quotation whose source is difficult to determine; Isa 44:3, 55:1, 58:11, and Zech 14:8 have all been suggested.

[7:39]  ⁵⁹² tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

[7:39]  ⁵⁹³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:40]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:40]  ⁵⁹⁵ tn Or “truly.”

[7:40]  ⁵⁹⁶ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[7:41]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[7:41]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[7:41]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ (gar) which begins the clause.

[7:41]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does he?”).

[7:42]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).

[7:42]  ⁶⁰¹ sn An allusion to Ps 89:4.

[7:42]  ⁶⁰² sn An allusion to Mic 5:2.

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

[7:42]  ⁶⁰³ tn Grk “the village where David was.”

[7:43]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).

[7:43]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ⁶⁰⁶ sn Compare John 7:30 regarding the attempt to seize Jesus.

[7:45]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:45]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ⁶¹⁰ tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[7:47]  ⁶¹¹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[7:47]  ⁶¹² tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have you?”).

[7:48]  ⁶¹³ sn The chief priests and Pharisees (John 7:45) is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. Likewise the term ruler here denotes a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in John 3:1, and Nicodemus also speaks up in this episode (John 7:50).

[7:48]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “have they?”).

[7:49]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.

[7:50]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ⁶¹⁷ tn Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:50]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Grk “said to them.”

[7:51]  ⁶¹⁹ tn Grk “judge.”

[7:51]  ⁶²⁰ tn Grk “knows.”

[7:51]  ⁶²¹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “does it?”).

[7:52]  ⁶²² tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[7:52]  ⁶²³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[7:52]  ⁶²⁴ tc At least one early and important ms (Ì^66*) places the article before “prophet” (ὁ προφήτης, Jo profhths), making this a reference to the “prophet like Moses” mentioned in Deut 18:15.

[7:52]  tn This claim by the leaders presents some difficulty, because Jonah had been from Gath Hepher, in Galilee (2 Kgs 14:25). Also the Babylonian Talmud later stated, “There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets” (b. Sukkah 27b). Two explanations are possible: (1) In the heat of anger the members of the Sanhedrin overlooked the facts (this is perhaps the easiest explanation). (2) This anarthrous noun is to be understood as a reference to the prophet of Deut 18:15 (note the reading of Ì⁶⁶ which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2, but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).

[7:53]  ⁶²⁵ tc This entire section, 7:53-8:11, traditionally known as the pericope adulterae, is not contained in the earliest and best mss and was almost certainly not an original part of the Gospel of John. Among modern commentators and textual critics, it is a foregone conclusion that the section is not original but represents a later addition to the text of the Gospel. B. M. Metzger summarizes: “the evidence for the non-Johannine origin of the pericope of the adulteress is overwhelming” (TCGNT 187). External evidence is as follows. For the omission of 7:53-8:11: Ì^66,75 א B L N T W Δ Θ Ψ 0141 0211 33 565 1241 1424* 2768 al. In addition codices A and C are defective in this part of John, but it appears that neither contained the pericope because careful measurement shows that there would not have been enough space on the missing pages to include the pericope 7:53-8:11 along with the rest of the text. Among the mss that include 7:53-8:11 are D Ï lat. In addition E S Λ 1424^mg al include part or all of the passage with asterisks or obeli, 225 places the pericope after John 7:36, ˹ places it after John 21:25, {115} after John 8:12, ˹³ after Luke 21:38, and the corrector of 1333 includes it after Luke 24:53. (For a more complete discussion of the locations where this “floating” text has ended up, as well as a minority opinion on the authenticity of the passage, see M. A. Robinson, “Preliminary Observations regarding the Pericope Adulterae Based upon Fresh Collations of nearly All Continuous-Text Manuscripts and All Lectionary Manuscripts containing the Passage,” Filologia Neotestamentaria 13 [2000]: 35-59, especially 41-42.) In evaluating this ms evidence, it should be remembered that in the Gospels A is considered to be of Byzantine texttype (unlike in the epistles and Revelation, where it is Alexandrian), as are E F G (mss with the same designation are of Western texttype in the epistles). This leaves D as the only major Western uncial witness in the Gospels for the inclusion. Therefore the evidence could be summarized by saying that almost all early mss of the Alexandrian texttype omit the pericope, while most mss of the Western and Byzantine texttype include it. But it must be remembered that “Western mss” here refers only to D, a single witness (as far as Greek mss are concerned). Thus it can be seen that practically all of the earliest and best mss extant omit the pericope; it is found only in mss of secondary importance. But before one can conclude that the passage was not originally part of the Gospel of John, internal evidence needs to be considered as well. Internal evidence in favor of the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) 7:53 fits in the context. If the “last great day of the feast” (7:37) refers to the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, then the statement refers to the pilgrims and worshipers going home after living in “booths” for the week while visiting Jerusalem. (2) There may be an allusion to Isa 9:1-2 behind this text: John 8:12 is the point when Jesus describes himself as the Light of the world. But the section in question mentions that Jesus returned to the temple at “early dawn” (῎Ορθρου, Orqrou, in 8:2). This is the “dawning” of the Light of the world (8:12) mentioned by Isa 9:2. (3) Furthermore, note the relationship to what follows: Just prior to presenting Jesus’ statement that he is the Light of the world, John presents the reader with an example that shows Jesus as the light. Here the woman “came to the light” while her accusers shrank away into the shadows, because their deeds were evil (cf. 3:19-21). Internal evidence against the inclusion of 8:1-11 (7:53-8:11): (1) In reply to the claim that the introduction to the pericope, 7:53, fits the context, it should also be noted that the narrative reads well without the pericope, so that Jesus’ reply in 8:12 is directed against the charge of the Pharisees in 7:52 that no prophet comes from Galilee. (2) The assumption that the author “must” somehow work Isa 9:1-2 into the narrative is simply that – an assumption. The statement by the Pharisees in 7:52 about Jesus’ Galilean origins is allowed to stand without correction by the author, although one might have expected him to mention that Jesus was really born in Bethlehem. And 8:12 does directly mention Jesus’ claim to be the Light of the world. The author may well have presumed familiarity with Isa 9:1-2 on the part of his readers because of its widespread association with Jesus among early Christians. (3) The fact that the pericope deals with the light/darkness motif does not inherently strengthen its claim to authenticity, because the motif is so prominent in the Fourth Gospel that it may well have been the reason why someone felt that the pericope, circulating as an independent tradition, fit so well here. (4) In general the style of the pericope is not Johannine either in vocabulary or grammar (see D. B. Wallace, “Reconsidering ‘The Story of the Woman Taken in Adultery Reconsidered’,” NTS 39 [1993]: 290-96). According to R. E. Brown it is closer stylistically to Lukan material (John [AB], 1:336). Interestingly one important family of mss (˹³) places the pericope after Luke 21:38. Conclusion: In the final analysis, the weight of evidence in this case must go with the external evidence. The earliest and best mss do not contain the pericope. It is true with regard to internal evidence that an attractive case can be made for inclusion, but this is by nature subjective (as evidenced by the fact that strong arguments can be given against such as well). In terms of internal factors like vocabulary and style, the pericope does not stand up very well. The question may be asked whether this incident, although not an original part of the Gospel of John, should be regarded as an authentic tradition about Jesus. It could well be that it is ancient and may indeed represent an unusual instance where such a tradition survived outside of the bounds of the canonical literature. However, even that needs to be nuanced (see B. D. Ehrman, “Jesus and the Adulteress,” NTS 34 [1988]: 24–44).

[7:53]  sn Double brackets have been placed around this passage to indicate that most likely it was not part of the original text of the Gospel of John. In spite of this, the passage has an important role in the history of the transmission of the text, so it has been included in the translation.

[8:1]  ⁶²⁶ sn The Mount of Olives is a hill running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, lying east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. It was named for the large number of olive trees that grew on it.

[8:2]  ⁶²⁷ tn An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.

[8:3]  ⁶²⁸ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[8:3]  ⁶²⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:4]  ⁶³⁰ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:5]  ⁶³¹ sn An allusion to Lev 20:10 and Deut 22:22-24.

[8:5]  ⁶³² sn The accusers themselves subtly misrepresented the law. The Mosaic law stated that in the case of adultery, both the man and woman must be put to death (Lev 20:10, Deut 22:22), but they mentioned only such women.

[8:6]  ⁶³³ tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”

[8:6]  ⁶³⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.

[8:6]  ⁶³⁵ tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).

[8:7]  ⁶³⁶ tn Or “he straightened up.”

[8:7]  ⁶³⁷ tn Grk “and said to them.”

[8:7]  ⁶³⁸ tn Or “sinless.”

[8:8]  ⁶³⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[8:9]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”

[8:10]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Or “straightened up.”

[8:10]  ⁶⁴² sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions.

[8:11]  ⁶⁴³ tc The earliest and best mss do not contain 7:53–8:11 (see note on 7:53).

[8:12]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”

[8:12]  ⁶⁴⁵ sn The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88), that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus’ remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: A choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person’s decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus’ opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.

[8:12]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.

[8:13]  ⁶⁴⁷ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:13]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”

[8:13]  ⁶⁴⁹ sn Compare the charge You testify about yourself; your testimony is not true! to Jesus’ own statement about his testimony in 5:31.

[8:14]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”

[8:14]  ⁶⁵¹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.

[8:14]  ⁶⁵² sn You people do not know where I came from or where I am going. The ignorance of the religious authorities regarding Jesus’ origin works on two levels at once: First, they thought Jesus came from Galilee (although he really came from Bethlehem in Judea) and second, they did not know that he came from heaven (from the Father), and this is where he would return. See further John 7:52.

[8:15]  ⁶⁵³ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.

[8:15]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.

[8:15]  ⁶⁵⁵ sn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement “I do not judge anyone”? It is clear that Jesus did judge (even in the next verse). The point is that he didn’t practice the same kind of judgment that the Pharisees did. Their kind of judgment was condemnatory. They tried to condemn people. Jesus did not come to judge the world, but to save it (3:17). Nevertheless, and not contradictory to this, the coming of Jesus did bring judgment, because it forced people to make a choice. Would they accept Jesus or reject him? Would they come to the light or shrink back into the darkness? As they responded, so were they judged – just as 3:19-21 previously stated. One’s response to Jesus determines one’s eternal destiny.

[8:16]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Grk “my judgment is true.”

[8:16]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:16]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.

[8:17]  ⁶⁵⁹ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[8:18]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”

[8:19]  ⁶⁶¹ tn Grk “Then they were saying to him.” The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force here because of the introduction of a new line of questioning by the Pharisees. Jesus had just claimed his Father as a second witness; now his opponents want to know who his father is.

[8:19]  ⁶⁶² sn If you knew me you would know my Father too. Jesus’ reply is based on his identity with the Father (see also John 1:18; 14:9).

[8:20]  ⁶⁶³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:20]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn The term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at) the treasury.” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[8:20]  sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1).

[8:20]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Grk “the temple.”

[8:20]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Grk “his hour.”

[8:20]  ⁶⁶⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[8:21]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:21]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn The expression οὖν πάλιν (oun palin) indicates some sort of break in the sequence of events, but it is not clear how long. The author does not mention the interval between 8:12-20 and this next recorded dialogue. The feast of Tabernacles is past, and the next reference to time is 10:22, where the feast of the Dedication is mentioned. The interval is two months, and these discussions could have taken place at any time within that interval, as long as one assumes something of a loose chronological framework. However, if the material in the Fourth Gospel is arranged theologically or thematically, such an assumption would not apply.

[8:21]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Grk “you will seek me.”

[8:21]  ⁶⁷¹ tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en th Jamartia Jumwn apoqaneisqe) is similar to an expression found in the LXX at Ezek 3:18, 20 and Prov 24:9. Note the singular of ἁμαρτία (the plural occurs later in v. 24). To die with one’s sin unrepented and unatoned would be the ultimate disaster to befall a person. Jesus’ warning is stern but to the point.

[8:22]  ⁶⁷² 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 authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. It was the Pharisees who had begun this line of questioning in John 8:13, and there has been no clear change since then in the identity of Jesus’ opponents.

[8:22]  ⁶⁷³ tn The imperfect verb has been translated with ingressive force (“began to say”) because the comments that follow were occasioned by Jesus’ remarks in the preceding verse about his upcoming departure.

[8:23]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[8:23]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:24]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Grk “thus I said to you.”

[8:24]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).

[8:24]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[8:25]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:26]  ⁶⁷⁹ tn Or “I have many things to pronounce in judgment about you.” The two Greek infinitives could be understood as a hendiadys, resulting in one phrase.

[8:26]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:26]  ⁶⁸¹ tn Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).

[8:26]  ⁶⁸² tn Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”

[8:27]  ⁶⁸³ sn They did not understand…about his Father is a parenthetical note by the author. This type of comment, intended for the benefit of the reader, is typical of the “omniscient author” convention adopted by the author, who is writing from a postresurrection point of view. He writes with the benefit of later knowledge that those who originally heard Jesus’ words would not have had.

[8:28]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss).

[8:28]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24.

[8:28]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Grk “I do nothing from myself.”

[8:28]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”

[8:29]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn That is, “he has not abandoned me.”

[8:30]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.

[8:31]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), 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; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ⁶⁹² tn Or “truly.”

[8:32]  ⁶⁹³ tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.

[8:32]  sn The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John’s Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, “it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)” (John [NICNT], 457).

[8:33]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).

[8:33]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Grk “They answered to him.”

[8:33]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Or “How is it that you say.”

[8:34]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:34]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Or “who commits.” This could simply be translated, “everyone who sins,” but the Greek is more emphatic, using the participle ποιῶν (poiwn) in a construction with πᾶς (pas), a typical Johannine construction. Here repeated, continuous action is in view. The one whose lifestyle is characterized by repeated, continuous sin is a slave to sin. That one is not free; sin has enslaved him. To break free from this bondage requires outside (divine) intervention. Although the statement is true at the general level (the person who continually practices a lifestyle of sin is enslaved to sin) the particular sin of the Jewish authorities, repeatedly emphasized in the Fourth Gospel, is the sin of unbelief. The present tense in this instance looks at the continuing refusal on the part of the Jewish leaders to acknowledge who Jesus is, in spite of mounting evidence.

[8:34]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[8:35]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an “extended family”).

[8:35]  ⁷⁰¹ sn Jesus’ point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).

[8:36]  ⁷⁰² tn Or “Son.” The question is whether “son” is to be understood as a direct reference to Jesus himself, or as an indirect reference (a continuation of the generic illustration begun in the previous verse).

[8:37]  ⁷⁰³ tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).

[8:37]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Grk “you are seeking.”

[8:37]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:37]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.

[8:38]  ⁷⁰⁷ tc The first person pronoun μου (mou, “my”) may be implied, especially if ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) follows the second mention of “father” in this verse (as it does in the majority of mss); no doubt this implication gave rise to the reading μου found in most witnesses (א D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï it sy). No pronoun here is read by Ì^66,75 B C L 070 pc. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.

[8:38]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”

[8:38]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Grk “and you.”

[8:38]  ⁷¹⁰ tc A few significant witnesses lack ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here (Ì^66,75 B L W 070 pc), while the majority have the pronoun (א C D Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε (tou patro" Jumwn poieite), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν (tw patri Jumwn), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα (tw patri Jumwn tauta) all occur. If the pronoun is read, then the devil is in view and the text should be translated as “you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” If it is not read, then the same Father mentioned in the first part of the verse is in view. In this case, ποιεῖτε should be taken as an imperative: “you [must] practice the things you have heard from the Father.” The omission is decidedly the harder reading, both because the contrast between God and the devil is now delayed until v. 41, and because ποιεῖτε could be read as an indicative, especially since the two clauses are joined by καί (kai, “and”). Thus, the pronoun looks to be a motivated reading. In light of the better external and internal evidence the omission is preferred.

[8:39]  ⁷¹¹ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”

[8:39]  ⁷¹² tn Or “Our father is Abraham.”

[8:39]  ⁷¹³ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:39]  ⁷¹⁴ tc Although most mss (C W Θ Ψ 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï) have the imperfect ἦτε (hte, “you were”) here, making this sentence a proper second class condition, the harder reading, ἐστε (este, “you are”), is found in the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D L 070 pc lat).

[8:39]  ⁷¹⁵ tc Some important mss (Ì⁶⁶ B* [700]) have the present imperative ποιεῖτε (poieite) here: “If you are Abraham’s children, then do,” while many others (א² C K L N Δ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 565 579 892 pm) add the contingent particle ἄν (an) to ἐποιεῖτε (epoieite) making it a more proper second class condition by Attic standards. The simple ἐποιεῖτε without the ἄν is the hardest reading, and is found in some excellent witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* B² D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm).

[8:39]  tn Or “you would do.”

[8:40]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Grk “seeking.”

[8:40]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Grk “has spoken to you.”

[8:40]  ⁷¹⁸ tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.

[8:41]  ⁷¹⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:41]  ⁷²⁰ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (א B L W 070 it sy^s,p co) lack the conjunction here, while the earliest witnesses along with many others read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì^66,75 C D Θ Ψ 0250 ˹³ 33 Ï). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the combined testimony of two early papyri for the conjunction is impressive, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 52). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:41]  ⁷²¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:41]  ⁷²² sn We were not born as a result of immorality! is ironic, because Jesus’ opponents implied that it was not themselves but Jesus who had been born as a result of immoral behavior. This shows they did not know Jesus’ true origin and were not aware of the supernatural events surrounding his birth. The author does not even bother to refute the opponents’ suggestion but lets it stand, assuming his readers will know the true story.

[8:42]  ⁷²³ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:42]  ⁷²⁴ tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

[8:42]  ⁷²⁵ tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[8:42]  ⁷²⁶ tn Grk “from myself.”

[8:42]  ⁷²⁷ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).

[8:43]  ⁷²⁸ tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.

[8:43]  ⁷²⁹ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:44]  ⁷³⁰ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ⁷³¹ tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).

[8:44]  ⁷³² tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ⁷³³ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ⁷³⁴ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ⁷³⁵ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ⁷³⁶ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ⁷³⁷ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[8:45]  ⁷³⁸ tn Or “because I tell you.”

[8:46]  ⁷³⁹ tn Or “can convict me.”

[8:46]  ⁷⁴⁰ tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”

[8:46]  ⁷⁴¹ tn Or “if I tell you.”

[8:47]  ⁷⁴² tn Grk “who is of.”

[8:47]  ⁷⁴³ tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “you are not of God.”

[8:48]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.

[8:48]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[8:48]  ⁷⁴⁸ tn Grk “Do we not say rightly.”

[8:48]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις (Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei"). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply (John 8:49). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus (Acts 8:14-24) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.

[8:49]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Grk “I do not have a demon.”

[8:49]  ⁷⁵¹ tn “Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:50]  ⁷⁵² tn Grk “I am not seeking.”

[8:50]  ⁷⁵³ tn Grk “my glory.”

[8:50]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn Grk “who seeks.”

[8:50]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Or “will be the judge.”

[8:51]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:51]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:51]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:51]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:51]  sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁰ tc ‡ Important and early witnesses (Ì⁶⁶ א B C W Θ 579 it) lack the conjunction here, while other witnesses read οὖν (oun, “therefore”; Ì⁷⁵ D L Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). This conjunction occurs in John some 200 times, far more than in any other NT book. Even though the most important Johannine papyrus (Ì⁷⁵) has the conjunction, the combination of Ì⁶⁶ א B for the omission is even stronger. Further, the reading seems to be a predictable scribal emendation. In particular, οὖν is frequently used with the plural of εἶπον (eipon, “they said”) in John (in this chapter alone, note vv. 13, 39, 48, 57, and possibly 41). On balance, it is probably best to consider the shorter reading as authentic, even though “Then” is virtually required in translation for English stylistic reasons. NA²⁷ has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[8:52]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31).

[8:52]  ⁷⁶² tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:52]  ⁷⁶³ tn Grk “you have a demon.”

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn “Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁵ tn Grk “If anyone keeps.”

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[8:52]  ⁷⁶⁸ tn Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.

[8:53]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).

[8:54]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[8:54]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Grk “is nothing.”

[8:54]  ⁷⁷² tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:55]  ⁷⁷³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.

[8:55]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”

[8:55]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn Grk “I keep.”

[8:55]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn Grk “his word.”

[8:56]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”

[8:56]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice – an occasion of certain rejoicing.

[8:57]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31. Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.

[8:57]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Grk “said to him.”

[8:57]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).

[8:57]  ⁷⁸² tn Grk “And have.”

[8:58]  ⁷⁸³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[8:58]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Grk “before Abraham was.”

[8:58]  ⁷⁸⁵ sn I am! is an explicit claim to deity. Although each occurrence of the phrase “I am” in the Fourth Gospel needs to be examined individually in context to see if an association with Exod 3:14 is present, it seems clear that this is the case here (as the response of the Jewish authorities in the following verse shows).

[8:59]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Grk “they took up.”

[8:59]  ⁷⁸⁷ sn Jesus’ Jewish listeners understood his claim to deity, rejected it, and picked up stones to throw at him for what they considered blasphemy.

[8:59]  ⁷⁸⁸ tc Most later witnesses (A Θ^c Ë^1,13 Ï) have at the end of the verse “passing through their midst, he went away in this manner” (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου καὶ παρῆγεν οὕτως, dielqwn dia mesou kai parhgen {outw"), while many others have similar permutations (so א^1,2 C L N Ψ 070 33 579 892 1241 al). The wording is similar to two other texts: Luke 4:30 (διελθὼν διὰ μέσου; in several mss αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καί [autwn eporeueto kai] is found between this phrase and παρῆγεν, strengthening the parallel with Luke 4:30) and John 9:1 (παρῆγεν; cf. παράγων [paragwn] there). The effect is to signal Jesus’ departure as a miraculous cloaking. As such, the additional statement has all the earmarks of scribal amplification. Further, the best and earliest witnesses (Ì^66,75 א* B D W Θ* lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain.

[8:59]  tn Grk “from the temple.”

[9:1]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. 9, καὶ παράγων (kai paragwn), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances.

[9:1]  sn Since there is no break with chap. 8, Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. 9 fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2) and the feast of the Dedication (John 10:22). But in the author’s narrative the connection exists – the incident recorded in chap. 9 (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12, I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. 9 is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind (Exod 4:11, Ps 146:8). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18, 35:5, 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.

[9:2]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn Grk “asked him, saying.”

[9:2]  ⁷⁹¹ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:2]  ⁷⁹² tn Grk “in order that he should be born blind.”

[9:2]  sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.

[9:3]  ⁷⁹³ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”

[9:3]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn Grk “in him.”

[9:4]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn Grk “We must work the works.”

[9:4]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Or “of him who sent me” (God).

[9:4]  ⁸⁰⁰ tn Or “while.”

[9:5]  ⁸⁰¹ sn Jesus’ statement I am the light of the world connects the present account with 8:12. Here (seen more clearly than at 8:12) it is obvious what the author sees as the significance of Jesus’ statement. “Light” is not a metaphysical definition of the person of Jesus but a description of his effect on the world, forcing everyone in the world to ‘choose up sides’ for or against him (cf. 3:19-21).

[9:6]  ⁸⁰² tn Grk “said these things.”

[9:6]  ⁸⁰³ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency). The textual variant preserved in the Syriac text of Ephraem’s commentary on the Diatessaron (“he made eyes from his clay”) probably arose from the interpretation given by Irenaeus in Against Heresies: “that which the Artificer, the Word, had omitted to form in the womb, he then supplied in public.” This involves taking the clay as an allusion to Gen 2:7, which is very unlikely.

[9:6]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.

[9:6]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Grk “on his.”

[9:7]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn The pool’s name in Hebrew is shiloah from the Hebrew verb “to send.” In Gen 49:10 the somewhat obscure shiloh was interpreted messianically by later Jewish tradition, and some have seen a lexical connection between the two names (although this is somewhat dubious). It is known, however, that it was from the pool of Siloam that the water which was poured out at the altar during the feast of Tabernacles was drawn.

[9:7]  ⁸⁰⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Why does he comment on the meaning of the name of the pool? Here, the significance is that the Father sent the Son, and the Son sent the man born blind. The name of the pool is applicable to the man, but also to Jesus himself, who was sent from heaven.

[9:7]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:8]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Or “formerly.”

[9:8]  ⁸¹⁰ tn An ingressive force (“began saying”) is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.

[9:8]  ⁸¹¹ tn Grk “the one.”

[9:9]  ⁸¹² tn Grk “Others were saying.”

[9:9]  ⁸¹³ tn Grk “This is the one.”

[9:9]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Grk “No, but he is like him.”

[9:9]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:9]  ⁸¹⁶ tn Grk “I am he.”

[9:10]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “So they were saying to him.”

[9:10]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:11]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Grk “That one answered.”

[9:11]  ⁸²⁰ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:11]  ⁸²¹ tn Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.

[9:11]  ⁸²² tn Grk “said to me.”

[9:11]  ⁸²³ tn Or “and I gained my sight.”

[9:12]  ⁸²⁴ tn Grk “And they said.”

[9:12]  ⁸²⁵ tn Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.

[9:12]  ⁸²⁶ tn Grk “He said.”

[9:13]  ⁸²⁷ tn Grk “who was formerly blind.”

[9:13]  ⁸²⁸ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[9:14]  ⁸²⁹ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:14]  ⁸³⁰ tn Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:14]  ⁸³¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[9:15]  ⁸³² tn Or “how he had become able to see.”

[9:15]  sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).

[9:15]  ⁸³³ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[9:15]  ⁸³⁴ tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:15]  ⁸³⁵ tn The word “now” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man’s former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).

[9:16]  ⁸³⁶ tn As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to say” or “started saying”).

[9:16]  ⁸³⁷ tn Grk “he does not keep.”

[9:16]  ⁸³⁸ sn The Jewish religious leaders considered the work involved in making the mud to be a violation of the Sabbath.

[9:16]  ⁸³⁹ tn Grk “do.”

[9:16]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Or “So there was discord.”

[9:17]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Grk “the blind man.”

[9:17]  ⁸⁴² tn Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:17]  ⁸⁴³ tn Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’”

[9:17]  sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15, but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”

[9:18]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers mainly to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. References in this context to Pharisees and to the synagogue (v. 22) suggest an emphasis on the religious nature of the debate which is brought out by the translation “the Jewish religious leaders.”

[9:18]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”

[9:18]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:18]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Or “the man who had gained his sight.”

[9:19]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:19]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).

[9:20]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Grk “So his parents answered and said.”

[9:21]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:21]  ⁸⁵² tn Or “he is of age.”

[9:22]  ⁸⁵³ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.

[9:22]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Grk “confessed him.”

[9:22]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[9:22]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[9:22]  ⁸⁵⁶ tn Or “would be expelled from.”

[9:22]  ⁸⁵⁷ sn This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and nonhistorical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[9:23]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Or “he is of age.”

[9:23]  ⁸⁵⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author explaining the parents’ response.

[9:24]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Grk “they called.”

[9:24]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Grk “who was blind.”

[9:24]  ⁸⁶² tn Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).

[9:24]  ⁸⁶³ tn The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.

[9:25]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Grk “Then that one answered.”

[9:26]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:27]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[9:27]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Grk “you did not hear.”

[9:27]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn “It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.

[9:27]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[9:28]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[9:28]  ⁸⁷¹ tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”

[9:28]  ⁸⁷² tn Grk “and said.”

[9:28]  ⁸⁷³ tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”

[9:29]  ⁸⁷⁴ tn Grk “where this one.”

[9:30]  ⁸⁷⁵ tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”

[9:30]  ⁸⁷⁶ tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”

[9:30]  ⁸⁷⁷ tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:31]  ⁸⁷⁸ tn Grk “God does not hear.”

[9:31]  ⁸⁷⁹ tn Or “godly.”

[9:31]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:31]  ⁸⁸¹ tn Or “hears.”

[9:31]  ⁸⁸² tn Grk “this one.”

[9:32]  ⁸⁸³ tn Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”

[9:32]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:33]  ⁸⁸⁵ tn Grk “this one.”

[9:34]  ⁸⁸⁶ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”

[9:34]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.

[9:34]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”

[9:35]  ⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:35]  ⁸⁹⁰ tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) have θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D W sy^s) have ἀνθρώπου. Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου, but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου. The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.

[9:36]  ⁸⁹¹ tn Grk “That one.”

[9:36]  ⁸⁹² tn Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”

[9:36]  ⁸⁹³ tn Or “And who is he, sir? Tell me so that…” Some translations supply elliptical words like “Tell me” (NIV, NRSV) following the man’s initial question, but the shorter form given in the translation is clear enough.

[9:37]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Grk “that one.”

[9:37]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn The καί – καί (kai – kai) construction would normally be translated “both – and”: “You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you.” In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.

[9:38]  ⁸⁹⁶ sn Assuming the authenticity of John 9:38-39a (see the tc note following the bracket in v. 39), the man’s response after Jesus’ statement of v. 37 is extremely significant: He worshiped Jesus. In the Johannine context the word would connote its full sense: This was something due God alone. Note also that Jesus did not prevent the man from doing this. The verb προσκυνέω (proskunew) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. This would be the only place in John’s Gospel where anyone is said to have worshiped Jesus using this term. As such, it forms the climax of the story of the man born blind, but the uniqueness of the concept of worshiping Jesus at this point in John's narrative (which reaches its ultimate climax in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28) may suggest it is too early for such a response and it represents a later scribal addition.

[9:39]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn Grk “And Jesus.” 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.

[9:39]  ⁸⁹⁸ tc ‡ Some early and important witnesses (Ì⁷⁵ א* W b sa^ms ac² mf) lack the words, “He said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him. Jesus said,” (vv. 38-39a). This is weighty evidence for the omission of these words. It is difficult to overstate the value of Ì⁷⁵ here, since it is the only currently available papyrus ms extant for the text of John 9:38-39. Further, א is an important and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other mss, however, include these words. The omission may have been occasioned by parablepsis (both vv. 37 and 39 begin with “Jesus said to him”), though it is difficult to account for such an error across such a wide variety of witnesses. On the other hand, the longer reading appears to be motivated by liturgical concerns (so R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:375), since the verb προσκυνέω (proskunew, “I worship”) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20. If these words were authentic here, this would be the only place in John’s Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of προσκυνέω. Even if these words are not authentic, such an omission would nevertheless hardly diminish John’s high Christology (cf. 1:1; 5:18-23; 14:6-10; 20:28), nor the implicit worship of him by Thomas (20:28). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult, and the included words may reflect a very early tradition about the blind man’s response to Jesus.

[9:39]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn Or “that those who do not see may see.”

[9:40]  ⁹⁰⁰ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[9:40]  ⁹⁰¹ tn Grk “heard these things.”

[9:40]  ⁹⁰² tn Grk “and said to him.”

[9:40]  ⁹⁰³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).

[9:41]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[9:41]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn Grk “you would not have sin.”

[9:41]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”

[9:41]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn Or “your sin.”

[9:41]  ⁹⁰⁸ sn Because you claim that you can see, your guilt remains. The blind man received sight physically, and this led him to see spiritually as well. But the Pharisees, who claimed to possess spiritual sight, were spiritually blinded. The reader might recall Jesus’ words to Nicodemus in 3:10, “Are you the teacher of Israel and don’t understand these things?” In other words, to receive Jesus was to receive the light of the world, to reject him was to reject the light, close one’s eyes, and become blind. This is the serious sin of which Jesus had warned before (8:21-24). The blindness of such people was incurable since they had rejected the only cure that exists (cf. 12:39-41).

[10:1]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[10:1]  ⁹¹⁰ sn There was more than one type of sheepfold in use in Palestine in Jesus’ day. The one here seems to be a courtyard in front of a house (the Greek word used for the sheepfold here, αὐλή [aulh] frequently refers to a courtyard), surrounded by a stone wall (often topped with briars for protection).

[10:1]  ⁹¹¹ tn Or “entrance.”

[10:3]  ⁹¹² tn Or “porter” (British English).

[10:3]  sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.

[10:3]  ⁹¹³ tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[10:3]  ⁹¹⁴ tn Grk “For this one.”

[10:3]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:3]  ⁹¹⁶ sn He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Some interpreters have suggested that there was more than one flock in the fold, and there would be a process of separation where each shepherd called out his own flock. This may also be suggested by the mention of a doorkeeper in v. 3 since only the larger sheepfolds would have such a guard. But the Gospel of John never mentions a distinction among the sheep in this fold; in fact (10:16) there are other sheep which are to be brought in, but they are to be one flock and one shepherd.

[10:4]  ⁹¹⁷ tn The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[10:4]  ⁹¹⁸ tn Grk “because they know.”

[10:5]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Or “someone whom they do not know.”

[10:5]  ⁹²⁰ tn Grk “know.”

[10:5]  ⁹²¹ tn Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”

[10:6]  ⁹²² sn A parable is a fairly short narrative that has symbolic meaning. The Greek word παροιμίαν (paroimian) is used again in 16:25, 29. This term does not occur in the synoptic gospels, where παραβολή (parabolh) is used. Nevertheless it is similar, denoting a short narrative with figurative or symbolic meaning.

[10:6]  ⁹²³ tn Grk “these.”

[10:6]  ⁹²⁴ tn Or “comprehend.”

[10:7]  ⁹²⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[10:7]  ⁹²⁶ tn Or “I am the sheep’s door.”

[10:8]  ⁹²⁷ tn Grk “are” (present tense).

[10:8]  ⁹²⁸ tn Or “the sheep did not hear them.”

[10:9]  ⁹²⁹ tn Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι (eisercomai kai exercomai, “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21; see also Num 27:17; 2 Chr 1:10]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4, where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b.β.

[10:9]  ⁹³⁰ sn That is, pasture land in contrast to cultivated land.

[10:10]  ⁹³¹ tn That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).

[10:10]  ⁹³² tn That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.

[10:11]  ⁹³³ tn Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [kalos] here).

[10:11]  ⁹³⁴ tn Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.”

[10:11]  sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section (John 10:11, 15). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep (10:10), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17, by contrast).

[10:12]  ⁹³⁵ sn Jesus contrasts the behavior of the shepherd with that of the hired hand. This is a worker who is simply paid to do a job; he has no other interest in the sheep and is certainly not about to risk his life for them. When they are threatened, he simply runs away.

[10:12]  ⁹³⁶ tn Grk “leaves.”

[10:12]  ⁹³⁷ tn Or “flees.”

[10:12]  ⁹³⁸ tn Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12, this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.

[10:13]  ⁹³⁹ tn Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”

[10:13]  ⁹⁴⁰ tc The phrase “he runs away” is lacking in several important mss (Ì^{44vid,45,66,75} א A*^vid B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv. 12-13, which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.

[10:14]  ⁹⁴¹ tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:14]  ⁹⁴² tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”

[10:15]  ⁹⁴³ tn Or “I die willingly.”

[10:15]  ⁹⁴⁴ tn Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”

[10:16]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:16]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”

[10:16]  ⁹⁴⁷ sn The statement I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold almost certainly refers to Gentiles. Jesus has sheep in the fold who are Jewish; there are other sheep which, while not of the same fold, belong to him also. This recalls the mission of the Son in 3:16-17, which was to save the world – not just the nation of Israel. Such an emphasis would be particularly appropriate to the author if he were writing to a non-Palestinian and primarily non-Jewish audience.

[10:16]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Grk “they will hear my voice.”

[10:16]  ⁹⁴⁹ tn Grk “voice, and.”

[10:16]  ⁹⁵⁰ tn The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.

[10:17]  ⁹⁵¹ tn Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”

[10:17]  ⁹⁵² tn Or “die willingly.”

[10:18]  ⁹⁵³ tn Or “give it up.”

[10:18]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.

[10:18]  ⁹⁵⁵ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ⁹⁵⁶ tn Or “I have the right.”

[10:18]  ⁹⁵⁷ tn Or “order.”

[10:19]  ⁹⁵⁸ tn Or perhaps “the Jewish religious leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase could be taken to refer to the Jewish religious leaders, since the Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40. However, in light of the charge about demon possession, which echoes 8:48, it is more likely that Jewish people in general (perhaps in Jerusalem, if that is understood to be the setting of the incident) are in view here.

[10:20]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.

[10:21]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn Or “the sayings.”

[10:21]  ⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[10:21]  ⁹⁶² tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “can it?”).

[10:22]  ⁹⁶³ tn That is, Hanukkah or the ‘Festival of Lights.’ The Greek name for the feast, τὰ ἐγκαίνια (ta enkainia), literally means “renewal” and was used to translate Hanukkah which means “dedication.” The Greek noun, with its related verbs, was the standard term used in the LXX for the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle (Num 7:10-11), the altar of the temple of Solomon (1 Kgs 8:63; 2 Chr 7:5), and the altar of the second temple (Ezra 6:16). The word is thus connected with the consecration of all the houses of God in the history of the nation of Israel.

[10:22]  sn The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164 b.c. – when Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians, rebuilt the altar, and rededicated the temple on 25 Kislev (1 Macc 4:41-61). From a historical standpoint, it was the last great deliverance the Jewish people had experienced, and it came at a time when least expected. Josephus ends his account of the institution of the festival with the following statement: “And from that time to the present we observe this festival, which we call the festival of Lights, giving this name to it, I think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it” (Ant. 12.7.6 [12.325]).

[10:22]  ⁹⁶⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:23]  ⁹⁶⁵ sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.

[10:23]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[10:23]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”

[10:23]  sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.

[10:24]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19.

[10:24]  ⁹⁶⁹ tn Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.

[10:24]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn Grk “How long will you take away our life?” (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις (thn yuchn Jhmwn airei") meaning “to keep in suspense” is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means “to annoy, bother.”

[10:24]  ⁹⁷¹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[10:24]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[10:24]  ⁹⁷² tn Or “publicly.”

[10:25]  ⁹⁷³ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:25]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn Or “the works.”

[10:28]  ⁹⁷⁵ tn Grk “And I give.”

[10:28]  ⁹⁷⁶ tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”

[10:28]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn Or “no one will seize.”

[10:29]  ⁹⁷⁸ tn Or “is superior to all.”

[10:29]  ⁹⁷⁹ tn Or “no one can seize.”

[10:30]  ⁹⁸⁰ tn Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.

[10:30]  ⁹⁸¹ tn The phrase ἕν ἐσμεν ({en esmen) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. ἕν is neuter, not masculine, so the assertion is not that Jesus and the Father are one person, but one “thing.” Identity of the two persons is not what is asserted, but essential unity (unity of essence).

[10:31]  ⁹⁸² tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24.

[10:32]  ⁹⁸³ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[10:32]  ⁹⁸⁴ tn Or “good works.”

[10:33]  ⁹⁸⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here again the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in vv. 24, 31.

[10:33]  ⁹⁸⁶ tn Grk “answered him.”

[10:33]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “good work.”

[10:33]  ⁹⁸⁸ sn This is the first time the official charge of blasphemy is voiced openly in the Fourth Gospel (although it was implicit in John 8:59).

[10:33]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Grk “and because.”

[10:33]  ⁹⁹⁰ tn Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”

[10:34]  ⁹⁹¹ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:34]  ⁹⁹² sn A quotation from Ps 82:6. Technically the Psalms are not part of the OT “law” (which usually referred to the five books of Moses), but occasionally the term “law” was applied to the entire OT, as here. The problem in this verse concerns the meaning of Jesus’ quotation from Ps 82:6. It is important to look at the OT context: The whole line reads “I say, you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.” Jesus will pick up on the term “sons of the Most High” in 10:36, where he refers to himself as the Son of God. The psalm was understood in rabbinic circles as an attack on unjust judges who, though they have been given the title “gods” because of their quasi-divine function of exercising judgment, are just as mortal as other men. What is the argument here? It is often thought to be as follows: If it was an OT practice to refer to men like the judges as gods, and not blasphemy, why did the Jewish authorities object when this term was applied to Jesus? This really doesn’t seem to fit the context, however, since if that were the case Jesus would not be making any claim for “divinity” for himself over and above any other human being – and therefore he would not be subject to the charge of blasphemy. Rather, this is evidently a case of arguing from the lesser to the greater, a common form of rabbinic argument. The reason the OT judges could be called gods is because they were vehicles of the word of God (cf. 10:35). But granting that premise, Jesus deserves much more than they to be called God. He is the Word incarnate, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world to save the world (10:36). In light of the prologue to the Gospel of John, it seems this interpretation would have been most natural for the author. If it is permissible to call men “gods” because they were the vehicles of the word of God, how much more permissible is it to use the word “God” of him who is the Word of God?

[10:35]  ⁹⁹³ sn The parenthetical note And the scripture cannot be broken belongs to Jesus’ words rather than the author’s. Not only does Jesus appeal to the OT to defend himself against the charge of blasphemy, but he also adds that the scripture cannot be “broken.” In this context he does not explain precisely what is meant by “broken,” but it is not too hard to determine. Jesus’ argument depended on the exact word used in the context of Ps 82:6. If any other word for “judge” had been used in the psalm, his argument would have been meaningless. Since the scriptures do use this word in Ps 82:6, the argument is binding, because they cannot be “broken” in the sense of being shown to be in error.

[10:36]  ⁹⁹⁴ tn Or “dedicated.”

[10:37]  ⁹⁹⁵ tn Or “do.”

[10:37]  ⁹⁹⁶ tn Or “works.”

[10:38]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Or “works.”

[10:38]  sn Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.

[10:38]  ⁹⁹⁸ tn Or “so that you may learn.”

[10:39]  ⁹⁹⁹ tc It is difficult to decide between ἐζήτουν οὖν (ezhtoun oun, “then they were seeking”; Ì⁶⁶ א A L W Ψ Ë^1,13 33 pm lat), ἐζήτουν δέ (ezhtoun de, “now they were seeking”; Ì⁴⁵ and a few versional witnesses), καὶ ἐζήτουν (kai ezhtoun, “and they were seeking”; D), and ἐζήτουν (Ì^75vid B Γ Θ 700 pm). Externally, the most viable readings are ἐζήτουν οὖν and ἐζήτουν. Transcriptionally, the οὖν could have dropped out via haplography since the verb ends in the same three letters. On the other hand, it is difficult to explain the readings with δέ or καί if ἐζήτουν οὖν is original; such readings would more likely have arisen from the simple ἐζήτουν. Intrinsically, John is fond of οὖν, using it some 200 times. Further, this Gospel begins relatively few sentences without some conjunction. The minimal support for the δέ and καί readings suggests that they arose either from the lone verb reading (which would thus be prior to their respective Vorlagen but not necessarily the earliest reading) or through carelessness on the part of the scribes. Indeed, the ancestors of Ì⁴⁵ and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν.

[10:39]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tn Grk “they were seeking.”

[10:39]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn Grk “he departed out of their hand.”

[10:39]  sn It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to “arrest” him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches. Nor is it clear whether Jesus’ escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his “hour” comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: His enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.

[10:40]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:40]  ¹⁰⁰³ tn The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.

[10:40]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:40]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn Grk “formerly.”

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

[10:41]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Grk “And many.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:41]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[10:41]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ tn Grk “did.”

[10:41]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn Grk “this one.”

[10:42]  ¹⁰¹⁰ tn Grk “in him.”

[11:1]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”

[11:2]  ¹⁰¹² tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”

[11:2]  ¹⁰¹³ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:4]  ¹⁰¹⁶ tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”

[11:4]  sn Jesus plainly stated the purpose of Lazarus’ sickness in the plan of God: The end of the matter would not be death, but the glorification of the Son. Johannine double-meanings abound here: Even though death would not be the end of the matter, Lazarus is going to die; and ultimately his death and resurrection would lead to the death and resurrection of the Son of God (11:45-53). Furthermore, the glorification of the Son is not praise that comes to him for the miracle, but his death, resurrection, and return to the Father which the miracle precipitates (note the response of the Jewish authorities in 11:47-53).

[11:4]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Or “to God’s praise.”

[11:4]  ¹⁰¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:7]  ¹⁰²¹ sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).

[11:8]  ¹⁰²² tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”

[11:8]  ¹⁰²³ 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]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Grk “seeking.”

[11:8]  ¹⁰²⁵ 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]  ¹⁰²⁶ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[11:9]  ¹⁰²⁷ tn Or “he does not trip.”

[11:9]  ¹⁰²⁸ 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]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn Grk “in the night.”

[11:10]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Or “he trips.”

[11:11]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”

[11:11]  ¹⁰³² 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]  ¹⁰³³ tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”

[11:13]  ¹⁰³⁴ tn Or “speaking about.”

[11:13]  ¹⁰³⁵ tn Grk “these.”

[11:13]  ¹⁰³⁶ tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.

[11:13]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:15]  ¹⁰³⁷ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

[11:15]  ¹⁰³⁸ 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]  ¹⁰³⁹ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[11:16]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:16]  ¹⁰⁴¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁴² tn Grk “Then when.”

[11:17]  ¹⁰⁴³ tn Grk “came.”

[11:17]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:17]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).

[11:17]  sn There is no description of the journey itself. The author simply states that when Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. He had died some time before this but probably not very long (cf. Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:6,10 who were buried immediately after they died, as was the common practice of the time). There is some later evidence (early 3rd century) of a rabbinic belief that the soul hovered near the body of the deceased for three days, hoping to be able to return to the body. But on the fourth day it saw the beginning of decomposition and finally departed (Leviticus Rabbah 18.1). If this belief is as old as the 1st century, it might suggest the significance of the four days: After this time, resurrection would be a first-order miracle, an unequivocal demonstration of the power of God. It is not certain if the tradition is this early, but it is suggestive. Certainly the author does not appear to attach any symbolic significance to the four days in the narrative.

[11:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[11:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:19]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”

[11:19]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[11:19]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:20]  ¹⁰⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁵² tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[11:22]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn Or “give.”

[11:22]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:23]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”

[11:23]  sn Jesus’ remark to Martha that Lazarus would come back to life again is another example of the misunderstood statement. Martha apparently took it as a customary statement of consolation and joined Jesus in professing belief in the general resurrection of the body at the end of the age. However, as Jesus went on to point out in 11:25-26, Martha’s general understanding of the resurrection at the last day was inadequate for the present situation, for the gift of life that conquers death was a present reality to Jesus. This is consistent with the author’s perspective on eternal life in the Fourth Gospel: It is not only a future reality, but something to be experienced in the present as well. It is also consistent with the so-called “realized eschatology” of the Fourth Gospel.

[11:24]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn Grk “Martha said to him.”

[11:24]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Or “will rise again.”

[11:25]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn That is, will come to life.

[11:26]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn Grk “will never die forever.”

[11:27]  ¹⁰⁶¹ tn Grk “She said to him.”

[11:27]  ¹⁰⁶² 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]  ¹⁰⁶³ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[11:27]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[11:27]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”

[11:28]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:28]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).

[11:28]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ tn Grk “is calling you.”

[11:29]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ¹⁰⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷² tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).

[11:33]  ¹⁰⁷³ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Or “Where have you placed him?”

[11:34]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.

[11:35]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁸¹ tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[11:37]  ¹⁰⁸² 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]  ¹⁰⁸³ tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”

[11:38]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:39]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn Or “Remove the stone.”

[11:39]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”

[11:39]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Grk “already he stinks.”

[11:39]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).

[11:39]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”

[11:41]  ¹⁰⁹¹ tn Or “they removed.”

[11:41]  ¹⁰⁹² tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”

[11:41]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn Or “that you have heard me.”

[11:42]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

[11:42]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[11:43]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ tn Grk “And when.”

[11:43]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”

[11:44]  ¹¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “Loose him.”

[11:45]  ¹¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹¹⁰² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:46]  ¹¹⁰³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[11:46]  ¹¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “told them.”

[11:47]  ¹¹⁰⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”

[11:48]  ¹¹⁰⁸ tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).

[11:49]  ¹¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.

[11:50]  ¹¹¹⁰ tn Or “you are not considering.”

[11:50]  ¹¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹¹² 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]  ¹¹¹³ tn Grk “say this from himself.”

[11:51]  ¹¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ¹¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹¹⁷ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ¹¹¹⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:54]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn Grk “walked.”

[11:54]  ¹¹²⁰ tn Or “openly.”

[11:54]  ¹¹²¹ 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]  ¹¹²² 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]  ¹¹²³ 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]  ¹¹²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:55]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).

[11:56]  ¹¹²⁶ tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”

[11:56]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[11:57]  ¹¹²⁸ 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]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:57]  ¹¹³⁰ tn Or “could seize.”

[11:57]  ¹¹³¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:1]  ¹¹³² 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]  ¹¹³³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.

[12:2]  ¹¹³⁴ 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]  ¹¹³⁵ tn Grk “reclining at the table.”

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

[12:3]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).

[12:3]  ¹¹³⁷ 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]  sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.

[12:3]  ¹¹³⁸ 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]  ¹¹³⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:5]  ¹¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹¹⁴² 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]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:6]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.

[12:6]  ¹¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁷ tc A few isolated witnesses omit v. 8 (D sy^s), 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.

[12:8]  tn In the Greek text of this clause, “me” is in emphatic position (the first word in the clause). To convey some impression of the emphasis, an exclamation point is used in the translation.

[12:9]  ¹¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “knew.”

[12:9]  ¹¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹¹⁵² 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]  ¹¹⁵³ 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.

[12:11]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:12]  ¹¹⁵⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:13]  ¹¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁷ 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]  sn Hosanna is an Aramaic expression that literally means, “help, I pray,” or “save, I pray.” By Jesus’ time it had become a strictly liturgical formula of praise, however, and was used as an exclamation of praise to God.

[12:13]  ¹¹⁵⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.

[12:13]  ¹¹⁵⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁶¹ 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]  ¹¹⁶² sn A quotation from Zech 9:9.

[12:16]  ¹¹⁶³ tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”

[12:16]  ¹¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:19]  ¹¹⁶⁹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:20]  ¹¹⁷⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁷¹ 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]  ¹¹⁷² tn Grk “and were asking him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:22]  ¹¹⁷³ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁴ tn Grk “Jesus answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.

[12:23]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Grk “the hour.”

[12:23]  ¹¹⁷⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[12:24]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”

[12:24]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn Or “bears.”

[12:24]  ¹¹⁸⁰ tn Grk “much fruit.”

[12:25]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn Or “soul.”

[12:25]  ¹¹⁸² 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.

[12:25]  ¹¹⁸³ tn Or “keeps.”

[12:26]  ¹¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”

[12:27]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Or “save me.”

[12:27]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:27]  sn Father, deliver me from this hour. It is now clear that Jesus’ hour has come – the hour of his return to the Father through crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension (see 12:23). This will be reiterated in 13:1 and 17:1. Jesus states (employing words similar to those of Ps 6:4) that his soul is troubled. What shall his response to his imminent death be? A prayer to the Father to deliver him from that hour? No, because it is on account of this very hour that Jesus has come. His sacrificial death has always remained the primary purpose of his mission into the world. Now, faced with the completion of that mission, shall he ask the Father to spare him from it? The expected answer is no.

[12:27]  ¹¹⁸⁸ tn Or “this occasion.”

[12:28]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).

[12:28]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:28]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ¹¹⁹² tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:29]  ¹¹⁹³ 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]  ¹¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”

[12:30]  ¹¹⁹⁵ tn Or “for my sake.”

[12:31]  ¹¹⁹⁶ sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.

[12:31]  ¹¹⁹⁷ 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.

[12:31]  sn The phrase driven out must refer to Satan’s loss of authority over this world. This must be in principle rather than in immediate fact, since 1 John 5:19 states that the whole world (still) lies in the power of the evil one (a reference to Satan). In an absolute sense the reference is proleptic. The coming of Jesus’ hour (his crucifixion, death, resurrection, and exaltation to the Father) marks the end of Satan’s domain and brings about his defeat, even though that defeat has not been ultimately worked out in history yet and awaits the consummation of the age.

[12:32]  ¹¹⁹⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁹⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:34]  ¹²⁰⁰ tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”

[12:34]  ¹²⁰¹ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[12:34]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[12:34]  ¹²⁰² 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]  ¹²⁰³ tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:35]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[12:35]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”

[12:35]  ¹²⁰⁶ 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]  ¹²⁰⁷ tn The idiom “sons of light” means essentially “people characterized by light,” that is, “people of God.”

[12:36]  sn The expression sons of light refers to men and women to whom the truth of God has been revealed and who are therefore living according to that truth, thus, “people of God.”

[12:37]  ¹²⁰⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:37]  ¹²⁰⁹ tn Or “done.”

[12:38]  ¹²¹⁰ tn Or “message.”

[12:38]  ¹²¹¹ tn Grk “who said.”

[12:38]  ¹²¹² 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]  ¹²¹³ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[12:39]  ¹²¹⁴ 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]  ¹²¹⁵ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ¹²¹⁷ 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]  ¹²¹⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[12:41]  ¹²¹⁹ 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).

[12:41]  sn Because he saw Christ’s glory. The glory which Isaiah saw in Isa 6:3 was the glory of Yahweh (typically rendered as “Lord” in the OT). Here John speaks of the prophet seeing the glory of Christ since in the next clause and spoke about him, “him” can hardly refer to Yahweh, but must refer to Christ. On the basis of statements like 1:14 in the prologue, the author probably put no great distinction between the two. Since the author presents Jesus as fully God (cf. John 1:1), it presents no problem to him to take words originally spoken by Isaiah of Yahweh himself and apply them to Jesus.

[12:42]  ¹²²⁰ 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]  ¹²²¹ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:42]  ¹²²² 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]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[12:42]  ¹²²³ tn Or “be expelled from.”

[12:42]  ¹²²⁴ sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[12:43]  ¹²²⁵ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ¹²²⁶ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:44]  ¹²²⁷ tn Grk “shouted out and said.”

[12:44]  ¹²²⁸ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

[12:45]  ¹²²⁹ sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.

[12:47]  ¹²³⁰ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ¹²³¹ tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ¹²³² sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ¹²³³ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ¹²³⁴ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ¹²³⁵ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ¹²³⁶ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ¹²³⁷ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[12:50]  ¹²³⁸ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ¹²³⁹ tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”