Yohanes 11:1--12:50
Konteks11:1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived. 1 11:2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil 2 and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 11:3 So the sisters sent a message 4 to Jesus, 5 “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 11:4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death, 6 but to God’s glory, 7 so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 8 11:5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.) 9
11:6 So when he heard that Lazarus 10 was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 11:7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 11 11:8 The disciples replied, 12 “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders 13 were just now trying 14 to stone you to death! Are 15 you going there again?” 11:9 Jesus replied, 16 “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, 17 because he sees the light of this world. 18 11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, 19 he stumbles, 20 because the light is not in him.”
11:11 After he said this, he added, 21 “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. 22 But I am going there to awaken him.” 11:12 Then the disciples replied, 23 “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 11:13 (Now Jesus had been talking about 24 his death, but they 25 thought he had been talking about real sleep.) 26
11:14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 11:15 and I am glad 27 for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. 28 But let us go to him.” 11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus 29 ) 30 said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” 31
11:17 When 32 Jesus arrived, 33 he found that Lazarus 34 had been in the tomb four days already. 35 11:18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles 36 from Jerusalem, 37 11:19 so many of the Jewish people of the region 38 had come to Martha and Mary to console them 39 over the loss of their brother.) 40 11:20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 41 11:21 Martha 42 said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant 43 you.” 44
11:23 Jesus replied, 45 “Your brother will come back to life again.” 46 11:24 Martha said, 47 “I know that he will come back to life again 48 in the resurrection at the last day.” 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live 49 even if he dies, 11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. 50 Do you believe this?” 11:27 She replied, 51 “Yes, Lord, I believe 52 that you are the Christ, 53 the Son of God who comes into the world.” 54
11:28 And when she had said this, Martha 55 went and called her sister Mary, saying privately, 56 “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.” 57 11:29 So when Mary 58 heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 11:30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 11:31 Then the people 59 who were with Mary 60 in the house consoling her saw her 61 get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep 62 there.
11:32 Now when Mary came to the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people 63 who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved 64 in spirit and greatly distressed. 65 11:34 He asked, 66 “Where have you laid him?” 67 They replied, 68 “Lord, come and see.” 11:35 Jesus wept. 69 11:36 Thus the people who had come to mourn 70 said, “Look how much he loved him!” 11:37 But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see! 71 Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus 72 from dying?”
11:38 Jesus, intensely moved 73 again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) 74 11:39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” 75 Martha, the sister of the deceased, 76 replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, 77 because he has been buried 78 four days.” 79 11:40 Jesus responded, 80 “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 11:41 So they took away 81 the stone. Jesus looked upward 82 and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. 83 11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, 84 but I said this 85 for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 11:43 When 86 he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, 87 “Lazarus, come out!” 11:44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, 88 and a cloth wrapped around his face. 89 Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him 90 and let him go.”
11:45 Then many of the people, 91 who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus 92 did, believed in him. 11:46 But some of them went to the Pharisees 93 and reported to them 94 what Jesus had done. 11:47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees 95 called the council 96 together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 11:48 If we allow him to go on in this way, 97 everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary 98 and our nation.”
11:49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said, 99 “You know nothing at all! 11:50 You do not realize 100 that it is more to your advantage to have one man 101 die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.” 102 11:51 (Now he did not say this on his own, 103 but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation, 104 11:52 and not for the Jewish nation 105 only, 106 but to gather together 107 into one the children of God who are scattered.) 108 11:53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.
11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went 109 around publicly 110 among the Judeans, 111 but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, 112 and stayed there with his disciples. 11:55 Now the Jewish feast of Passover 113 was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem 114 from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually. 115 11:56 Thus they were looking for Jesus, 116 and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts, 117 “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 11:57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees 118 had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus 119 was should report it, so that they could arrest 120 him.) 121
12:1 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom he 122 had raised from the dead. 12:2 So they prepared a dinner for Jesus 123 there. Martha 124 was serving, and Lazarus was among those present at the table 125 with him. 12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound 126 of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard 127 and anointed the feet of Jesus. She 128 then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) 129 12:4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was going to betray him) 130 said, 12:5 “Why wasn’t this oil sold for three hundred silver coins 131 and the money 132 given to the poor?” 12:6 (Now Judas 133 said this not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief. As keeper of the money box, 134 he used to steal what was put into it.) 135 12:7 So Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She has kept it for the day of my burial. 136 12:8 For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me!” 137
12:9 Now a large crowd of Judeans 138 learned 139 that Jesus 140 was there, and so they came not only because of him 141 but also to see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead. 12:10 So the chief priests planned to kill Lazarus too, 142 12:11 for on account of him many of the Jewish people from Jerusalem 143 were going away and believing in Jesus.
12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 144 12:13 So they took branches of palm trees 145 and went out to meet him. They began to shout, 146 “Hosanna! 147 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! 148 Blessed is 149 the king of Israel!” 12:14 Jesus found a young donkey 150 and sat on it, just as it is written, 12:15 “Do not be afraid, people of Zion; 151 look, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt!” 152 12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, 153 but when Jesus was glorified, 154 then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened 155 to him.) 156
12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. 157 12:18 Because they had heard that Jesus 158 had performed this miraculous sign, the crowd went out to meet him. 12:19 Thus the Pharisees 159 said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing. Look, the world has run off after him!”
12:20 Now some Greeks 160 were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast. 12:21 So these approached Philip, 161 who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and requested, 162 “Sir, we would like to see Jesus.” 12:22 Philip went and told Andrew, and they both 163 went and told Jesus. 12:23 Jesus replied, 164 “The time 165 has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 166 12:24 I tell you the solemn truth, 167 unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone. 168 But if it dies, it produces 169 much grain. 170 12:25 The one who loves his life 171 destroys 172 it, and the one who hates his life in this world guards 173 it for eternal life. 12:26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must follow 174 me, and where I am, my servant will be too. 175 If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
12:27 “Now my soul is greatly distressed. And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me 176 from this hour’? 177 No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour. 178 12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, 179 “I have glorified it, 180 and I will glorify it 181 again.” 12:29 The crowd that stood there and heard the voice 182 said that it had thundered. Others said that an angel had spoken to him. 183 12:30 Jesus said, 184 “This voice has not come for my benefit 185 but for yours. 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world 186 will be driven out. 187 12:32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people 188 to myself.” 12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) 189
12:34 Then the crowd responded, 190 “We have heard from the law that the Christ 191 will remain forever. 192 How 193 can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?” 12:35 Jesus replied, 194 “The light is with you for a little while longer. 195 Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. 196 The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become sons of light.” 197 When Jesus had said these things, he went away and hid himself from them.
12:37 Although Jesus 198 had performed 199 so many miraculous signs before them, they still refused to believe in him, 12:38 so that the word 200 of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, 201 “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord 202 been revealed?” 203 12:39 For this reason they could not believe, 204 because again Isaiah said,
12:40 “He has blinded their eyes
and hardened their heart, 205
so that they would not see with their eyes
and understand with their heart, 206
and turn to me, 207 and I would heal them.” 208
12:41 Isaiah said these things because he saw Christ’s 209 glory, and spoke about him.
12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers 210 many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees 211 they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, 212 so that they would not be put out of 213 the synagogue. 214 12:43 For they loved praise 215 from men more than praise 216 from God.
12:44 But Jesus shouted out, 217 “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, 218 12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. 219 12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 12:47 If anyone 220 hears my words and does not obey them, 221 I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 222 12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept 223 my words has a judge; 224 the word 225 I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, 226 but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me 227 what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. 228 Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” 229
[11:1] 1 tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”
[11:2] 2 tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”
[11:2] 3 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It is a bit surprising that the author here identifies Mary as the one who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, since this event is not mentioned until later, in 12:3. Many see this “proleptic” reference as an indication that the author expected his readers to be familiar with the story already, and go on to assume that in general the author in writing the Fourth Gospel assumed his readers were familiar with the other three gospels. Whether the author assumed actual familiarity with the synoptic gospels or not, it is probable that he did assume some familiarity with Mary’s anointing activity.
[11:3] 4 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] 5 tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:4] 6 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] 7 tn Or “to God’s praise.”
[11:4] 8 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] 9 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] 10 tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:7] 11 sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).
[11:8] 12 tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”
[11:8] 13 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] 15 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] 16 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
[11:9] 17 tn Or “he does not trip.”
[11:9] 18 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] 19 tn Grk “in the night.”
[11:11] 21 tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”
[11:11] 22 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] 23 tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”
[11:13] 24 tn Or “speaking about.”
[11:13] 26 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] 27 tn Grk “and I rejoice.”
[11:15] 28 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] 29 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
[11:16] 30 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:16] 31 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] 32 tn Grk “Then when.”
[11:17] 34 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:17] 35 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] 36 tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).
[11:18] 37 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:19] 38 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] 39 tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”
[11:19] 40 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] 41 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] 42 tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:22] 44 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] 45 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:23] 46 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] 47 tn Grk “Martha said to him.”
[11:24] 48 tn Or “will rise again.”
[11:25] 49 tn That is, will come to life.
[11:26] 50 tn Grk “will never die forever.”
[11:27] 51 tn Grk “She said to him.”
[11:27] 52 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] 53 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] 54 tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”
[11:28] 55 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:28] 56 tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).
[11:28] 57 tn Grk “is calling you.”
[11:29] 58 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 59 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] 60 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:31] 61 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] 62 tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
[11:33] 63 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] 64 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] 65 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] 66 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] 67 tn Or “Where have you placed him?”
[11:34] 68 tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.
[11:35] 69 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] 70 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] 71 tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
[11:37] 72 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] 73 tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”
[11:38] 74 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:39] 75 tn Or “Remove the stone.”
[11:39] 76 tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”
[11:39] 77 tn Grk “already he stinks.”
[11:39] 78 tn Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17).
[11:39] 79 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] 80 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
[11:41] 81 tn Or “they removed.”
[11:41] 82 tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”
[11:41] 83 tn Or “that you have heard me.”
[11:42] 84 tn Grk “that you always hear me.”
[11:42] 85 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
[11:43] 87 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] 88 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] 89 tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”
[11:44] 90 tn Grk “Loose him.”
[11:45] 91 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] 92 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:46] 93 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[11:46] 94 tn Grk “told them.”
[11:47] 95 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] 96 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] 97 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
[11:48] 98 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
[11:49] 99 tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
[11:50] 100 tn Or “you are not considering.”
[11:50] 101 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] 102 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] 103 tn Grk “say this from himself.”
[11:51] 104 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] 105 tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.
[11:52] 106 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] 107 tn Grk “that he might gather together.”
[11:52] 108 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[11:54] 111 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] 112 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] 113 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] 114 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[11:55] 115 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
[11:56] 116 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
[11:56] 117 tn Grk “in the temple.”
[11:57] 118 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] 119 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[11:57] 120 tn Or “could seize.”
[11:57] 121 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:1] 122 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] 123 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.
[12:2] 124 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] 125 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] 126 tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).
[12:3] 127 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] 128 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] 129 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] 130 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:5] 131 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] 132 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] 133 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:6] 134 tn Grk “a thief, and having the money box.” Dividing the single Greek sentence improves the English style.
[12:6] 135 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] 136 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] 137 tc A few isolated witnesses omit v. 8 (D sys), part of v. 8 (Ì75), or vv. 7-8 ({0250}). The latter two omissions are surely due to errors of sight, while the former can be attributed to D’s sometimes erratic behavior. The verse is secure in light of the overwhelming evidence on its behalf.
[12:8] 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] 138 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] 140 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] 141 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] 142 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] 143 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] 144 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[12:13] 145 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] 146 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] 147 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] 148 sn A quotation from Ps 118:25-26.
[12:13] 149 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] 150 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] 151 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] 152 sn A quotation from Zech 9:9.
[12:16] 153 tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”
[12:16] 154 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] 155 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] 156 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] 157 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] 158 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:19] 159 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[12:20] 160 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] 161 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] 162 tn Grk “and were asking him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:22] 163 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] 164 tn Grk “Jesus answered them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated here.
[12:23] 165 tn Grk “the hour.”
[12:23] 166 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] 167 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
[12:24] 168 tn Or “it remains only a single kernel.”
[12:24] 170 tn Grk “much fruit.”
[12:25] 172 tn Or “loses.” Although the traditional English translation of ἀπολλύει (apolluei) in John 12:25 is “loses,” the contrast with φυλάξει (fulaxei, “keeps” or “guards”) in the second half of the verse favors the meaning “destroy” here.
[12:26] 174 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] 175 tn Grk “where I am, there my servant will be too.”
[12:27] 177 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] 178 tn Or “this occasion.”
[12:28] 179 tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).
[12:28] 180 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:28] 181 tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:29] 182 tn “The voice” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
[12:29] 183 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] 184 tn Grk “Jesus answered and said.”
[12:30] 185 tn Or “for my sake.”
[12:31] 186 sn The ruler of this world is a reference to Satan.
[12:31] 187 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] 188 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] 189 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[12:34] 190 tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”
[12:34] 191 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] 192 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] 193 tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[12:35] 194 tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”
[12:35] 195 tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”
[12:35] 196 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] 197 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] 198 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[12:38] 201 tn Grk “who said.”
[12:38] 202 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] 203 sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.
[12:39] 204 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] 205 tn Or “closed their mind.”
[12:40] 206 tn Or “their mind.”
[12:40] 207 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] 208 sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.
[12:41] 209 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] 210 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] 211 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
[12:42] 212 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] 213 tn Or “be expelled from.”
[12:42] 214 sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
[12:43] 215 tn Grk “the glory.”
[12:43] 216 tn Grk “the glory.”
[12:44] 217 tn Grk “shouted out and said.”
[12:44] 218 sn The one who sent me refers to God.
[12:45] 219 sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.
[12:47] 220 tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.
[12:47] 221 tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”
[12:48] 223 tn Or “does not receive.”
[12:48] 224 tn Grk “has one who judges him.”
[12:49] 226 tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”
[12:49] 227 tn Grk “has given me commandment.”
[12:50] 228 tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”
[12:50] 229 tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”
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