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John 4:4-54
New English Translation

Conversation With a Samaritan Woman

4 But he had[a] to pass through Samaria.[b] 5 Now he came to a Samaritan town[c] called Sychar,[d] near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.[e] 6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside[f] the well. It was about noon.[g]

7 A Samaritan woman[h] came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me some water[i] to drink.” 8 (For his disciples had gone off into the town to buy supplies.[j])[k] 9 So the Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you—a Jew[l]—ask me, a Samaritan woman, for water[m] to drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common[n] with Samaritans.)[o]

10 Jesus answered[p] her, “If you had known[q] the gift of God and who it is who said to you, ‘Give me some water[r] to drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”[s] 11 “Sir,”[t] the woman[u] said to him, “you have no bucket and the well[v] is deep; where then do you get this[w] living water?[x] 12 Surely you’re not greater than our ancestor[y] Jacob, are you? For he gave us this well and drank from it himself, along with his sons and his livestock.”[z]

13 Jesus replied,[aa] “Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty[ab] again. 14 But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again,[ac] but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain[ad] of water springing up[ae] to eternal life.” 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[af] water.”[ag] 16 He[ah] said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.”[ai] 17 The woman replied,[aj] “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said,[ak] ‘I have no husband,’[al] 18 for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with[am] now is not your husband. This you said truthfully!”

19 The woman said to him, “Sir, I see[an] that you are a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshiped on this mountain,[ao] and you people[ap] say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 Jesus said to her, “Believe me, woman,[aq] a time[ar] is coming when you will worship[as] the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You people[at] worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, because salvation is from the Jews.[au] 23 But a time[av] is coming—and now is here[aw]—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks[ax] such people to be[ay] his worshipers.[az] 24 God is spirit,[ba] and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 25 The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (the one called Christ);[bb] “whenever he[bc] comes, he will tell[bd] us everything.”[be] 26 Jesus said to her, “I, the one speaking to you, am he.”

The Disciples Return

27 Now at that very moment his disciples came back.[bf] They were shocked[bg] because he was speaking[bh] with a woman. However, no one said, “What do you want?”[bi] or “Why are you speaking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people,[bj] 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah,[bk] can he?”[bl] 30 So[bm] they left the town and began coming[bn] to him.

Workers for the Harvest

31 Meanwhile the disciples were urging him,[bo] “Rabbi, eat something.”[bp] 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 So the disciples began to say[bq] to one another, “No one brought him anything[br] to eat, did they?”[bs] 34 Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me[bt] and to complete[bu] his work.[bv] 35 Don’t you say,[bw] ‘There are four more months and then comes the harvest?’ I tell you, look up[bx] and see that the fields are already white[by] for harvest! 36 The one who reaps receives pay[bz] and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together. 37 For in this instance the saying is true,[ca] ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 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

39 Now many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the report of the woman who testified,[cb] “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they began asking[cc] him to stay with them.[cd] He stayed there two days, 41 and because of his word many more[ce] believed. 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[cf] really is the Savior of the world.”[cg]

Onward to Galilee

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

Healing the Royal Official’s Son

46 Now he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had made the water wine.[cl] In[cm] Capernaum[cn] there was a certain royal official[co] whose son was sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him[cp] to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people[cq] see signs and wonders you will never believe!”[cr] 49 “Sir,” the official said to him, “come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus told him, “Go home;[cs] your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and set off for home.[ct]

51 While he was on his way down,[cu] his slaves[cv] met him and told him that his son was going to live. 52 So he asked them the time[cw] when his condition began to improve,[cx] and[cy] they told him, “Yesterday at one o’clock in the afternoon[cz] the fever left him.” 53 Then the father realized that it was the very time[da] Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household. 54 Jesus did this as his second miraculous sign[db] when he returned from Judea to Galilee.

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Footnotes

  1. John 4:4 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, 14, 30; 4:4, 20, 24; 9:4; 10:16; 12:34; 20:9).
  2. John 4:4 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.
  3. John 4:5 tn Grk “town of Samaria.” The noun Σαμαρείας (Samareias) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
  4. John 4:5 sn Sychar was somewhere in the vicinity of Shechem, possibly the village of Askar, 1.5 km northeast of Jacob’s well.
  5. John 4:5 sn Perhaps referred to in Gen 48:22.
  6. John 4:6 tn Grk “on (ἐπί, epi) the well.” There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of P66 (“on the ground”) may be correct.
  7. John 4:6 tn Grk “the sixth hour.”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.”
  8. John 4:7 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.”
  9. John 4:7 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  10. John 4:8 tn Grk “buy food.”
  11. John 4:8 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author, indicating why Jesus asked the woman for a drink.
  12. John 4:9 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.
  13. John 4:9 tn “Water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  14. John 4:9 tn D. Daube (“Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: the Meaning of συγχράομαι [Jn 4:7ff],” JBL 69 [1950]: 137-47) suggests this meaning.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.
  15. John 4:9 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  16. John 4:10 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
  17. John 4:10 tn Or “if you knew.”
  18. John 4:10 tn The phrase “some water” is supplied as the understood direct object of the infinitive πεῖν (pein).
  19. John 4:10 tn This is a second class conditional sentence in Greek.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.
  20. John 4:11 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).
  21. John 4:11 tc ‡ Two early and significant Greek mss along with two versional witnesses (P75 B sys ac2) lack ἡ γυνή (hē gunē, “the woman”) here; א* has ἐκείνη (ekeinē, “that one” or possibly “she”) instead of ἡ γυνή. It is possible that no explicit subject was in the autographic text and scribes added either ἡ γυνή or ἐκείνη to make the meaning clear. It is also possible that the archetype of P75 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 (P66 א2 A C D L Ws Θ Ψ 050 083 086 ƒ1,13 M latt syc,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. NA28 has ἡ γυνή in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity. For English stylistic reasons, the translation also includes “the woman” here.
  22. John 4:11 tn The word for “well” has now shifted to φρέαρ (phrear, “cistern”); earlier in the passage it was πηγή (pēgē).
  23. John 4:11 tn The anaphoric article has been translated “this.”
  24. John 4:11 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.
  25. John 4:12 tn Or “our forefather”; Grk “our father.”
  26. John 4:12 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) 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”).
  27. John 4:13 tn Grk “answered and said to her.”
  28. John 4:13 tn Grk “will thirst.”
  29. John 4:14 tn Grk “will never be thirsty forever.” The possibility of a later thirst is emphatically denied.
  30. John 4:14 tn Or “well.” “Fountain” is used as the translation for πηγή (pēgē) here since the idea is that of an artesian well that flows freely, but the term “artesian well” is not common in contemporary English.
  31. John 4:14 tn The verb ἁλλομένου (hallomenou) 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).
  32. John 4:15 tn Grk “or come here to draw.”
  33. John 4:15 tn The direct object of the infinitive ἀντλεῖν (antlein) is understood in Greek but supplied for clarity in the English translation.
  34. John 4:16 tc Most witnesses have “Jesus” here, either with the article (אc C2 D L Ws Ψ 086 M lat) or without (א* A Θ ƒ1,13 al), while several significant and early witnesses lack the name (P66,75 B C* 33vid). 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).
  35. John 4:16 tn Grk “come here” (“back” is implied).
  36. John 4:17 tn Grk “answered and said to him.”
  37. John 4:17 tn Grk “Well have you said.”
  38. John 4:17 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.
  39. John 4:18 tn Grk “the one you have.”
  40. John 4:19 tn Grk “behold” or “perceive,” but these are not as common in contemporary English usage.
  41. John 4:20 sn This mountain refers to Mount Gerizim, where the Samaritan shrine was located.
  42. John 4:20 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.
  43. John 4:21 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.
  44. John 4:21 tn Grk “an hour.”
  45. John 4:21 tn The verb is plural.
  46. John 4:22 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.
  47. John 4:22 tn Or “from the Judeans.” See the note on “Jew” in v. 9.
  48. John 4:23 tn Grk “an hour.”
  49. John 4:23 tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
  50. John 4:23 sn See also John 4:27.
  51. John 4:23 tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”
  52. John 4:23 tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunountas) as the complement.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.
  53. John 4:24 tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (theos) is the subject.
  54. John 4:25 tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
  55. John 4:25 tn Grk “that one.”
  56. John 4:25 tn Or “he will announce to us.”
  57. John 4:25 tn Grk “all things.”
  58. John 4:27 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 (ethaumazon) untranslated.
  59. John 4:27 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.
  60. John 4:27 tn The ὅτι (hoti) 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.
  61. John 4:27 tn Grk “seek.” See John 4:23.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.
  62. John 4:28 tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anēr]). 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.
  63. John 4:29 tn Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός (christos) 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.
  64. John 4:29 tn The use of μήτι (mēti) 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.
  65. John 4:30 tn “So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.
  66. John 4:30 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.
  67. John 4:31 tn Grk “were asking him, saying.”
  68. John 4:31 tn The direct object of φάγε (phage) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.
  69. John 4:33 tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.
  70. John 4:33 tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (ēnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.
  71. John 4:33 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) 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?”).
  72. John 4:34 sn The one who sent me refers to the Father.
  73. John 4:34 tn Or “to accomplish.”
  74. John 4:34 tn The substantival ἵνα (hina) clause has been translated as an English infinitive clause.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.
  75. John 4:35 tn The recitative ὅτι (hoti) after λέγετε (legete) has not been translated.
  76. John 4:35 tn Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.
  77. John 4:35 tn That is, “ripe.”
  78. John 4:36 tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.
  79. John 4:37 tn The recitative ὅτι (hoti) after ἀληθινός (alēthinos) has not been translated.
  80. John 4:39 tn Grk “when she testified.”
  81. John 4:40 tn Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.
  82. John 4:40 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.
  83. John 4:41 tn Or “and they believed much more.”
  84. John 4:42 tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).
  85. John 4:42 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.
  86. John 4:44 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  87. John 4:45 sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.
  88. John 4:45 sn See John 2:23-25.
  89. John 4:45 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.
  90. John 4:46 sn See John 2:1-11.
  91. John 4:46 tn Grk “And in.”
  92. John 4:46 sn Capernaum was a town located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, 680 ft (207 m) below sea level. It existed since Hasmonean times and was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region. The population in the first century is estimated to be around 1,500. Capernaum became the hub of operations for Jesus’ Galilean ministry (Matt 4:13; Mark 2:1). In modern times the site was discovered in 1838 by the American explorer E. Robinson, and major excavations began in 1905 by German archaeologists H. Kohl and C. Watzinger. Not until 1968, however, were remains from the time of Jesus visible; in that year V. Corbo and S. Loffreda began a series of annual archaeological campaigns that lasted until 1985. This work uncovered what is thought to be the house of Simon Peter as well as ruins of the first century synagogue beneath the later synagogue from the fourth or fifth century A.D. Today gently rolling hills and date palms frame the first century site, a favorite tourist destination of visitors to the Galilee.
  93. John 4:46 tn Although βασιλικός (basilikos) has often been translated “nobleman” it 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.
  94. John 4:47 tn The direct object of ἠρώτα (ērōta) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  95. John 4:48 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).
  96. John 4:48 tn Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε (pisteusēte) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.
  97. John 4:50 tn Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
  98. John 4:50 tn Grk “and went.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.
  99. John 4:51 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.
  100. John 4:51 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.). One good 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. Also, many slaves in the Roman world became slaves through Rome’s subjugation of conquered nations, kidnapping, or by being born into slave households.
  101. John 4:52 tn Grk “the hour.”
  102. John 4:52 tn BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν (kompsoteron echein) as “begin to improve.”
  103. John 4:52 tn The second οὖν (oun) in 4:52 has been translated as “and” to improve English style by avoiding redundancy.
  104. John 4:52 tn Grk “at the seventh hour.”
  105. John 4:53 tn Grk “at that hour.”
  106. John 4:54 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.
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Mark 8:1-9
New English Translation

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

8 In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So[a] Jesus[b] called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great distance.” 4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.” 6 Then[c] he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So[d] they served the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well. 8 Everyone[e] ate and was satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 There were about 4,000[f] who ate.[g] Then he dismissed them.[h]

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 8:1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  2. Mark 8:1 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  3. Mark 8:6 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
  4. Mark 8:6 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.
  5. Mark 8:8 tn Grk “They.”
  6. Mark 8:9 sn The parallel in Matt 15:32-39 notes that the 4,000 were only men, a point not made explicit in Mark.
  7. Mark 8:9 tn The words “who ate” are not in the Greek text but have been supplied for clarity.
  8. Mark 8:9 sn Mark 8:1-10. Many commentators, on the basis of similarities between this account of the feeding of the multitude (8:1-10) and that in 6:30-44, have argued that there is only one event referred to in both passages. While there are similarities in language and in the response of the disciples, there are also noticeable differences, including the different number present on each occasion (i.e., 5,000 in chap. 6 and 4,000 here). In the final analysis, the fact that Jesus refers to two distinct feedings in 8:18-20 settles the issue; this passage represents another very similar incident to that recorded in 6:30-44.
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Matthew 14:13-21
New English Translation

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

13 Now when Jesus heard this he went away from there privately in a boat[a] to an isolated place. But when the crowd heard about it,[b] they followed him on foot from the towns.[c] 14 As he got out he saw the large crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. 15 When evening arrived, his disciples came to him saying, “This is an isolated place[d] and the hour is already late. Send the crowds away so that they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 But he[e] replied, “They don’t need to go. You[f] give them something to eat.” 17 They[g] said to him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” 18 “Bring them here to me,” he replied. 19 Then[h] he instructed the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke the loaves. He gave them to the disciples,[i] who in turn gave them to the crowds.[j] 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, twelve baskets full. 21 Not counting women and children, there were about 5,000 men who ate.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 14:13 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  2. Matthew 14:13 tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  3. Matthew 14:13 tn Or “cities.”
  4. Matthew 14:15 tn Or “a desert” (meaning a deserted or desolate area with sparse vegetation).
  5. Matthew 14:16 tc ‡ The majority of witnesses read ᾿Ιησοῦς (Iēsous, “Jesus”) here, perhaps to clarify the subject. Although only a few Greek mss, along with several versional witnesses (א* D Zvid 579 1424 e k sys,c,p sa bo), lack the name of Jesus, the omission does not seem to be either accidental or malicious and is therefore judged to be most likely the original reading. Nevertheless, a decision is difficult. NA28 has the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
  6. Matthew 14:16 tn Here the pronoun ὑμεῖς (humeis) is used, making “you” in the translation emphatic.
  7. Matthew 14:17 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  8. Matthew 14:19 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then.”
  9. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “And after instructing the crowds to recline for a meal on the grass, after taking the five loaves and the two fish, after looking up to heaven, he gave thanks, and after breaking the loaves he gave them to the disciples.” Although most of the participles are undoubtedly attendant circumstance, there are but two indicative verbs—“he gave thanks” and “he gave.” The structure of the sentence thus seems to focus on these two actions and has been translated accordingly.
  10. Matthew 14:19 tn Grk “to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.”
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Matthew 15
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Matthew 14:22-33
New English Translation

Walking on Water

22 Immediately Jesus[a] made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds. 23 And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone. 24 Meanwhile the boat, already far from land,[b] was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it. 25 As the night was ending,[c] Jesus came to them walking on the sea.[d] 26 When[e] the disciples saw him walking on the water[f] they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. 27 But immediately Jesus[g] spoke to them:[h] “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” 28 Peter[i] said to him,[j] “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” 29 So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out,[k] “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 14:22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  2. Matthew 14:24 tn Grk “The boat was already many stades from the land.” A stade (στάδιον, stadion) was a unit of distance about 607 feet (185 meters) long.
  3. Matthew 14:25 tn Grk “In the fourth watch of the night,” that is, between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
  4. Matthew 14:25 tn Or “on the lake.”
  5. Matthew 14:26 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  6. Matthew 14:26 tn Grk “on the sea”; or “on the lake.” The translation “water” has been used here for stylistic reasons (cf. the same phrase in v. 25).
  7. Matthew 14:27 tc Most witnesses have ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”), while a few lack the words (א* D 073 892 ff1 syc sa bo). Although such additions are often suspect (due to liturgical influences, piety, or for the sake of clarity), in this case it is likely that ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς dropped out accidentally. Apart from a few albeit significant witnesses, as noted above, the rest of the tradition has either ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς αὐτοῖς (ho Iēsous autois) or αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (autois ho Iēsous). In majuscule letters, with Jesus’ name as a nomen sacrum, this would have been written as autoisois_ or ois_autois. Thus homoioteleuton could explain the reason for the omission of Jesus’ name. (This same phenomenon occurs in P137 at Mark 1:17 where the original text no doubt read αὐτοῖς ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς, but this papyrus accidentally omits the nomen sacrum.)
  8. Matthew 14:27 tn Grk “he said to them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
  9. Matthew 14:28 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
  10. Matthew 14:28 tn Grk “answering him, Peter said.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokritheis) is redundant and has not been translated.
  11. Matthew 14:30 tn Grk “he cried out, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant and has not been translated.
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John 18
New English Translation

Betrayal and Arrest

18 When he had said these things,[a] Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley.[b] There was an orchard[c] there, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, knew the place too, because Jesus had met there many times[d] with his disciples.)[e] 3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers[f] and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees.[g] They came to the orchard[h] with lanterns[i] and torches and weapons.

4 Then Jesus, because he knew everything that was going to happen to him,[j] came and asked them, “Who are you looking for?”[k] 5 They replied,[l] “Jesus the Nazarene.” He told them, “I am he.” (Now Judas, the one who betrayed him, was standing there with them.)[m] 6 So when Jesus[n] said to them, “I am he,” they retreated[o] and fell to the ground.[p] 7 Then Jesus[q] asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 Jesus replied,[r] “I told you that I am he. If you are looking for[s] me, let these men[t] go.”[u] 9 He said this[v] to fulfill the word he had spoken,[w] “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.”[x]

10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave,[y] cutting off his right ear.[z] (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.)[aa] 11 But Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword back into its sheath! Am I not to drink the cup that the Father has given me?”[ab]

Jesus Before Annas

12 Then the squad of soldiers[ac] with their commanding officer[ad] and the officers of the Jewish leaders[ae] arrested[af] Jesus and tied him up.[ag] 13 They[ah] brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.[ai] 14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised[aj] the Jewish leaders[ak] that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)[al]

Peter’s First Denial

15 Simon Peter and another disciple followed them as they brought Jesus to Annas.[am] (Now the other disciple[an] was acquainted with the high priest, and he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard.)[ao] 16 But Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door,[ap] and brought Peter inside. 17 The girl[aq] who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You’re not one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”[ar] He replied,[as] “I am not.” 18 (Now the slaves[at] and the guards[au] were standing around a charcoal fire they had made, warming themselves because it was cold.[av] Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.)[aw]

Jesus Questioned by Annas

19 While this was happening,[ax] the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.[ay] 20 Jesus replied,[az] “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues[ba] and in the temple courts,[bb] where all the Jewish people[bc] assemble together. I[bd] have said nothing in secret. 21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said.[be] They[bf] know what I said.” 22 When Jesus[bg] had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said,[bh] “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” 23 Jesus replied,[bi] “If I have said something wrong,[bj] confirm[bk] what is wrong.[bl] But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” 24 Then Annas sent him, still tied up,[bm] to Caiaphas the high priest.[bn]

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

25 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard[bo] warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”[bp] Peter[bq] denied it: “I am not!” 26 One of the high priest’s slaves,[br] a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off,[bs] said, “Did I not see you in the orchard[bt] with him?”[bu] 27 Then Peter denied it again, and immediately a rooster crowed.[bv]

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

28 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence.[bw] (Now it was very early morning.)[bx] They[by] did not go into the governor’s residence[bz] so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. 29 So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation[ca] do you bring against this man?”[cb] 30 They replied,[cc] “If this man[cd] were not a criminal,[ce] we would not have handed him over to you.”[cf]

31 Pilate told them,[cg] “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him[ch] according to your own law!”[ci] The Jewish leaders[cj] replied,[ck] “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”[cl] 32 (This happened[cm] to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated[cn] what kind of death he was going to die.[co])

Pilate Questions Jesus

33 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence,[cp] summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”[cq] 34 Jesus replied,[cr] “Are you saying this on your own initiative,[cs] or have others told you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?[ct] Your own people[cu] and your chief priests handed you over[cv] to me. What have you done?”

36 Jesus replied, “My kingdom[cw] is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being[cx] handed over[cy] to the Jewish authorities.[cz] But as it is,[da] my kingdom is not from here.” 37 Then Pilate said,[db] “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to[dc] my voice.” 38 Pilate asked,[dd] “What is truth?”[de]

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders[df] and announced,[dg] “I find no basis for an accusation[dh] against him. 39 But it is your custom that I release one prisoner[di] for you at the Passover.[dj] So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” 40 Then they shouted back,[dk] “Not this man,[dl] but Barabbas!”[dm] (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.[dn])[do]

Footnotes

  1. John 18:1 sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.
  2. John 18:1 tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).
  3. John 18:1 tn Or “a garden.”
  4. John 18:2 tn Or “often.”
  5. John 18:2 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  6. John 18:3 tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one-tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos, v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.
  7. John 18:3 tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
  8. John 18:3 tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.
  9. John 18:3 tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.sn Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John’s Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).
  10. John 18:4 tn Grk “knowing all things that were coming upon him.”
  11. John 18:4 tn Grk “Whom do you seek?”
  12. John 18:5 tn Grk “They answered.”sn The author does not state precisely who from the group of soldiers and temple police replied to Jesus at this point. It may have been the commander of the Roman soldiers, although his presence is not explicitly mentioned until 18:12. It may also have been one of the officers of the chief priests. To the answer given, “Jesus the Nazarene,” Jesus replies “I am [he].”
  13. John 18:5 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).
  14. John 18:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. John 18:6 tn Grk “moved back” (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).
  16. John 18:6 sn When Jesus said to those who came to arrest him “I am,” they retreated and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that “it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus’ unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall” (John [NICNT], 743-44). Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene, but the theological significance given to this event by the author implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus the Nazarene. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the divine Name of Exod 3:14, “I AM.” Therefore this amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, “Who are you looking for?” This is a vivid reminder to the reader of the Gospel that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the one who bears the divine Name.
  17. John 18:7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  18. John 18:8 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
  19. John 18:8 tn Grk “if you are seeking.”
  20. John 18:8 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.
  21. John 18:8 sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.
  22. John 18:9 tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.
  23. John 18:9 sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.
  24. John 18:9 tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.sn This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus’ own words: “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” Here it is Jesus’ own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus’ words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John’s Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.
  25. John 18:10 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  26. John 18:10 sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (ōtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
  27. John 18:10 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  28. John 18:11 tn Grk “The cup that the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.sn Jesus continues with what most would take to be a rhetorical question expecting a positive reply: “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” The cup is also mentioned in Gethsemane in the synoptics (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42). In connection with the synoptic accounts it is mentioned in Jesus’ prayer; this occurrence certainly complements the synoptic accounts if Jesus had only shortly before finished praying about this. Only here in the Fourth Gospel is it specifically said that the cup is given to Jesus to drink by the Father, but again this is consistent with the synoptic mention of the cup in Jesus’ prayer: It is the cup of suffering which Jesus is about to undergo.
  29. John 18:12 tn Grk “a cohort” (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).
  30. John 18:12 tn Grk “their chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos) literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militaris, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.
  31. John 18:12 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, who were named as “chief priests and Pharisees” in John 18:3.
  32. John 18:12 tn Or “seized.”
  33. John 18:12 tn Or “bound him.”
  34. John 18:13 tn Grk “up, and brought.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
  35. John 18:13 sn Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pretrial hearing before Annas, and that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who is said to be high priest in that year. Caiaphas is also mentioned as being high priest in John 11:49. But in 18:15, 16, 19, and 22 Annas is called high priest. Annas is also referred to as high priest by Luke in Acts 4:6. Many scholars have dismissed these references as mistakes on the part of both Luke and John, but as mentioned above, John 11:49 and 18:13 indicate that John knew that Caiaphas was high priest in the year that Jesus was crucified. This has led others to suggest that Annas and Caiaphas shared the high priesthood, but there is no historical evidence to support this view. Annas had been high priest from a.d. 6 to a.d. 15 when he was deposed by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus (according to Josephus, Ant. 18.2.2 [18.34]). His five sons all eventually became high priests. The family was noted for its greed, wealth, and power. There are a number of ways the references in both Luke and John to Annas being high priest may be explained. Some Jews may have refused to recognize the changes in high priests effected by the Roman authorities, since according to the Torah the high priesthood was a lifetime office (Num 25:13). Another possibility is that it was simply customary to retain the title after a person had left the office as a courtesy, much as retired ambassadors are referred to as “Mr. Ambassador” or ex-presidents as “Mr. President.” Finally, the use of the title by Luke and John may simply be a reflection of the real power behind the high priesthood of the time: Although Annas no longer technically held the office, he may well have managed to control those relatives of his who did hold it from behind the scenes. In fact this seems most probable and would also explain why Jesus was brought to him immediately after his arrest for a sort of “pretrial hearing” before being sent on to the entire Sanhedrin.
  36. John 18:14 tn Or “counseled.”
  37. John 18:14 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
  38. John 18:14 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  39. John 18:15 tn The words “them as they brought Jesus to Annas” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify who Peter and the other disciple were following. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  40. John 18:15 tn Grk “that disciple.”sn Many have associated this unnamed other disciple with the beloved disciple, that is, John son of Zebedee, mainly because the phrase the other disciple which occurs here is also used to describe the beloved disciple in John 20:2, 3, 4, and 8. Peter is also closely associated with the beloved disciple in 13:23-26; 20:2-10; 21:7, and 21:20-23. But other identifications have also been proposed, chiefly because v. 16 states that this disciple who was accompanied by Peter was known to the high priest. As C. K. Barrett (St. John, 525) points out, the term γνωστός (gnōstos) is used in the LXX to refer to a close friend (Ps 54:14 LXX [55:14 ET]). This raises what for some is an insurmountable difficulty in identifying the “other disciple” as John son of Zebedee, since how could the uneducated son of an obscure Galilean fisherman be known to such a powerful and influential family in Jerusalem? E. A. Abbott (as quoted in “Notes of Recent Exposition,” ExpTim 25 [1913/14]: 149-50) proposed that the “other disciple” who accompanied Peter was Judas, since he was the one disciple of whom it is said explicitly (in the synoptic accounts) that he had dealings with the high priest. E. A. Tindall (“Contributions and Comments: John xviii.15, ” ExpTim 28 [1916/17]: 283-84) suggested the disciple was Nicodemus, who as a member of the Sanhedrin, would have had access to the high priest’s palace. Both of these suggestions, while ingenious, nevertheless lack support from the text of the Fourth Gospel itself or the synoptic accounts. W. Wuellner (The Meaning of “Fishers of Men” [NTL]) argues that the common attitude concerning the low social status and ignorance of the disciples from Galilee may in fact be a misconception. Zebedee is presented in Mark 1:20 as a man wealthy enough to have hired servants, and Mark 10:35-45 presents both of the sons of Zebedee as concerned about status and prestige. John’s mother appears in the same light in Matt 20:20-28. Contact with the high priestly family in Jerusalem might not be so unlikely in such circumstances. Others have noted the possibility that John came from a priestly family, some of which is based upon a statement in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.31.3) quoting Polycrates that John son of Zebedee was a priest. For further information on possible priestly connections among members of John’s family see L. Morris (John [NICNT], 752, n. 32). None of this is certain, but on the whole it seems most probable that the disciple who accompanied Peter and gained entry into the courtyard for him was John son of Zebedee.
  41. John 18:15 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  42. John 18:16 tn Grk “spoke to the doorkeeper”; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun θυρωρός (thurōros) may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.
  43. John 18:17 tn Grk “slave girl.” Since the descriptive term “slave girl” was introduced in the translation in the previous verse, it would be redundant to repeat the full expression here.
  44. John 18:17 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) 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?”).
  45. John 18:17 tn Grk “He said.”
  46. John 18:18 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  47. John 18:18 tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.
  48. John 18:18 tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”
  49. John 18:18 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  50. John 18:19 tn The introductory phrase “While this was happening” is not in the Greek text. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the alternation of scenes in the narrative for the modern reader.
  51. John 18:19 sn The nature of this hearing seems to be more that of a preliminary investigation; certainly normal legal procedure was not followed, for no indication is given that any witnesses were brought forth at this point to testify against Jesus. True to what is known of Annas’ character, he was more interested in Jesus’ disciples than in the precise nature of Jesus’ teaching, since he inquired about the followers first. He really wanted to know just how influential Jesus had become and how large a following he had gathered. This was of more concern to Annas that the truth or falsity of Jesus’ teaching.
  52. John 18:20 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
  53. John 18:20 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
  54. John 18:20 tn Grk “in the temple.”
  55. John 18:20 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people generally, for whom the synagogues and the temple courts in Jerusalem were important public gathering places. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish religious leaders” in v. 12.
  56. John 18:20 tn Grk “And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
  57. John 18:21 tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.
  58. John 18:21 tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”
  59. John 18:22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  60. John 18:22 tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rhapisma), see L&N 19.4.
  61. John 18:23 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
  62. John 18:23 tn Or “something incorrect.”
  63. John 18:23 tn Grk “testify.”
  64. John 18:23 tn Or “incorrect.”
  65. John 18:24 tn Or “still bound.”
  66. John 18:24 sn Where was Caiaphas the high priest located? Did he have a separate palace, or was he somewhere else with the Sanhedrin? Since Augustine (4th century) a number of scholars have proposed that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different wings of the same palace, which were bound together by a common courtyard through which Jesus would have been led as he was taken from Annas to Caiaphas. This seems a reasonable explanation, although there is no conclusive evidence.
  67. John 18:25 tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.
  68. John 18:25 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) 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?”).
  69. John 18:25 tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  70. John 18:26 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
  71. John 18:26 sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.
  72. John 18:26 tn Or “garden.”
  73. John 18:26 tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.
  74. John 18:27 tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorophōnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some mss [P37vid,45 ƒ1] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, ephōnēsen alektōr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.sn No indication is given of Peter’s emotional state at this third denial (as in Matt 26:74 and Mark 14:71) or that he remembered that Jesus had foretold the denials (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72 and Luke 22:61), or the bitter remorse Peter felt afterward (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72, and Luke 22:62).
  75. John 18:28 tn Grk “to the praetorium.”sn The permanent residence of the Roman governor of Palestine was in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). The governor had a residence in Jerusalem which he normally occupied only during principal feasts or in times of political unrest. The location of this building in Jerusalem is uncertain, but is probably one of two locations: either (1) the fortress or tower of Antonia, on the east hill north of the temple area, which is the traditional location of the Roman praetorium since the 12th century, or (2) the palace of Herod on the west hill near the present Jaffa Gate. According to Philo (Embassy 38 [299]) Pilate had some golden shields hung there, and according to Josephus (J. W. 2.14.8 [2.301], 2.15.5 [2.328]) the later Roman governor Florus stayed there.
  76. John 18:28 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  77. John 18:28 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
  78. John 18:28 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
  79. John 18:29 tn Or “charge.”
  80. John 18:29 sn In light of the fact that Pilate had cooperated with them in Jesus’ arrest by providing Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities were probably expecting Pilate to grant them permission to carry out their sentence on Jesus without resistance (the Jews were not permitted to exercise capital punishment under the Roman occupation without official Roman permission, cf. v. 31). They must have been taken somewhat by surprise by Pilate’s question “What accusation do you bring against this man,” because it indicated that he was going to try the prisoner himself. Thus Pilate was regarding the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin as only an inquiry and their decision as merely an accusation.
  81. John 18:30 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
  82. John 18:30 tn Grk “this one.”
  83. John 18:30 tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”
  84. John 18:30 tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”
  85. John 18:31 tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”
  86. John 18:31 tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).
  87. John 18:31 sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.
  88. John 18:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
  89. John 18:31 tn Grk “said to him.”
  90. John 18:31 tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”sn The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen’s death may be explained as a result of “mob violence” rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and “The Trial of Christ,” Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament [SPCKTC], 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John’s account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.
  91. John 18:32 tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
  92. John 18:32 tn Or “making clear.”
  93. John 18:32 sn A reference to John 12:32.
  94. John 18:33 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
  95. John 18:33 sn It is difficult to discern Pilate’s attitude when he asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Some have believed the remark to be sarcastic or incredulous as Pilate looked at this lowly and humble prisoner: “So you’re the king of the Jews, are you?” Others have thought the Roman governor to have been impressed by Jesus’ regal disposition and dignity, and to have sincerely asked, “Are you really the king of the Jews?” Since it will later become apparent (v. 38) that Pilate considered Jesus innocent (and therefore probably also harmless) an attitude of incredulity is perhaps most likely, but this is far from certain in the absence of clear contextual clues.
  96. John 18:34 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
  97. John 18:34 tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”
  98. John 18:35 sn Many have seen in Pilate’s reply “I am not a Jew, am I?” the Roman contempt for the Jewish people. Some of that may indeed be present, but strictly speaking, all Pilate affirms is that he, as a Roman, has no firsthand knowledge of Jewish custom or belief. What he knows of Jesus must have come from the Jewish authorities. They are the ones (your own people and your chief priests) who have handed Jesus over to Pilate.
  99. John 18:35 tn Or “your own nation.”
  100. John 18:35 tn Or “delivered you over.”
  101. John 18:36 sn The kingdom (of God) is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself, as here where Jesus refers to My kingdom.
  102. John 18:36 tn Grk “so that I may not be.”
  103. John 18:36 tn Or “delivered over.”
  104. John 18:36 tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.
  105. John 18:36 tn Grk “now.”
  106. John 18:37 tn Grk “said to him.”
  107. John 18:37 tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”
  108. John 18:38 tn Grk “Pilate said.”
  109. John 18:38 sn With his reply “What is truth?” Pilate dismissed the matter. It is not clear what Pilate’s attitude was at this point, as in 18:33. He may have been sarcastic, or perhaps somewhat reflective. The author has not given enough information in the narrative to be sure. Within the narrative, Pilate’s question serves to make the reader reflect on what truth is, and that answer (in the narrative) has already been given (14:6).
  110. John 18:38 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. The term also occurs in v. 31, where it is clear the Jewish leaders are in view, because they state that they cannot legally carry out an execution. Although it is likely (in view of the synoptic parallels) that the crowd here in 18:38 was made up not just of the Jewish leaders, but of ordinary residents of Jerusalem and pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, nevertheless in John’s Gospel Pilate is primarily in dialogue with the leadership of the nation, who are expressly mentioned in 18:35 and 19:6.
  111. John 18:38 tn Grk “said to them.”
  112. John 18:38 tn Grk “find no cause.”
  113. John 18:39 tn The word “prisoner” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
  114. John 18:39 sn Pilate then offered to release Jesus, reminding the Jewish authorities that they had a custom that he release one prisoner for them at the Passover. There is no extra-biblical evidence alluding to the practice. It is, however, mentioned in Matthew and Mark, described either as a practice of Pilate (Mark 15:6) or of the Roman governor (Matt 27:15). These references may explain the lack of extra-biblical attestation: The custom to which Pilate refers here (18:39) is not a permanent one acknowledged by all the Roman governors, but one peculiar to Pilate as a means of appeasement, meant to better relations with his subjects. Such a limited meaning is certainly possible and consistent with the statement here.
  115. John 18:40 tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John’s Gospel to understand the phrase to mean “they shouted back” as a reply to Pilate’s question.
  116. John 18:40 tn Grk “this one.”
  117. John 18:40 sn The name Barabbas in Aramaic means “son of abba,” that is, “son of the father,” and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: The crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, “son of the father,” while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.
  118. John 18:40 tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (lēstēs) in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.
  119. John 18:40 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
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John 11
New English Translation

The Death of Lazarus

11 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.[a] 2 (Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil[b] and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)[c] 3 So the sisters sent a message[d] to Jesus,[e] “Lord, look, the one you love is sick.” 4 When Jesus heard this, he said, “This sickness will not lead to death,[f] but to God’s glory,[g] so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”[h] 5 (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.)[i]

6 So when he heard that Lazarus[j] was sick, he remained in the place where he was for two more days. 7 Then after this, he said to his disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”[k] 8 The disciples replied,[l] “Rabbi, the Jewish leaders[m] were just now trying[n] to stone you to death! Are[o] you going there again?” 9 Jesus replied,[p] “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble,[q] because he sees the light of this world.[r] 10 But if anyone walks around at night,[s] he stumbles,[t] because the light is not in him.”

11 After he said this, he added,[u] “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep.[v] But I am going there to awaken him.” 12 Then the disciples replied,[w] “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 (Now Jesus had been talking about[x] his death, but they[y] thought he had been talking about real sleep.)[z]

14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and I am glad[aa] for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe.[ab] But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas (called Didymus[ac])[ad] said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.”[ae]

Speaking with Martha and Mary

17 When[af] Jesus arrived,[ag] he found that Lazarus[ah] had been in the tomb four days already.[ai] 18 (Now Bethany was less than two miles[aj] from Jerusalem, 19 so many of the Jewish people of the region[ak] had come to Martha and Mary to console them[al] over the loss of their brother.)[am] 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary was sitting in the house.[an] 21 Martha[ao] said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant[ap] you.”[aq]

23 Jesus replied,[ar] “Your brother will come back to life again.”[as] 24 Martha said,[at] “I know that he will come back to life again[au] in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live[av] even if he dies, 26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.[aw] Do you believe this?” 27 She replied,[ax] “Yes, Lord, I believe[ay] that you are the Christ,[az] the Son of God who comes into the world.”[ba]

28 And when she had said this, Martha[bb] went and called her sister Mary, saying privately,[bc] “The Teacher is here and is asking for you.”[bd] 29 So when Mary[be] heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 (Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still in the place where Martha had come out to meet him.) 31 Then the people[bf] who were with Mary[bg] in the house consoling her saw her[bh] get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep[bi] there.

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.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people[bj] who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved[bk] in spirit and greatly distressed.[bl] 34 He asked,[bm] “Where have you laid him?”[bn] They replied,[bo] “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept.[bp] 36 Thus the people who had come to mourn[bq] said, “Look how much he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “This is the man who caused the blind man to see![br] Couldn’t he have done something to keep Lazarus[bs] from dying?”

Lazarus Raised from the Dead

38 Jesus, intensely moved[bt] again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.)[bu] 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.”[bv] Martha, the sister of the deceased,[bw] replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell,[bx] because he has been buried[by] four days.”[bz] 40 Jesus responded,[ca] “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away[cb] the stone. Jesus looked upward[cc] and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me.[cd] 42 I knew that you always listen to me,[ce] but I said this[cf] for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When[cg] he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice,[ch] “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth,[ci] and a cloth wrapped around his face.[cj] Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him[ck] and let him go.”

The Response of the Jewish Leaders

45 Then many of the people,[cl] who had come with Mary and had seen the things Jesus[cm] did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees[cn] and reported to them[co] what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees[cp] called the council[cq] together and said, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many miraculous signs. 48 If we allow him to go on in this way,[cr] everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary[cs] and our nation.”

49 Then one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said,[ct] “You know nothing at all! 50 You do not realize[cu] that it is more to your advantage to have one man[cv] die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”[cw] 51 (Now he did not say this on his own,[cx] but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,[cy] 52 and not for the Jewish nation[cz] only,[da] but to gather together[db] into one the children of God who are scattered.)[dc] 53 So from that day they planned together to kill him.

54 Thus Jesus no longer went[dd] around publicly[de] among the Judeans,[df] but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim,[dg] and stayed there with his disciples. 55 Now the Jewish Feast of Passover[dh] was near, and many people went up to Jerusalem from the rural areas before the Passover to cleanse themselves ritually.[di] 56 Thus they were looking for Jesus,[dj] and saying to one another as they stood in the temple courts,[dk] “What do you think? That he won’t come to the feast?” 57 (Now the chief priests and the Pharisees[dl] had given orders that anyone who knew where Jesus[dm] was should report it, so that they could arrest[dn] him.)[do]

Footnotes

  1. John 11:1 tn Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”
  2. John 11:2 tn Or “perfume,” “ointment.”
  3. John 11:2 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.
  4. John 11:3 tn The phrase “a message” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.
  5. John 11:3 tn Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.
  6. John 11:4 tn Grk “This sickness is not to death.”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).
  7. John 11:4 tn Or “to God’s praise.”
  8. John 11:4 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.
  9. John 11:5 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. It was necessary for the author to reaffirm Jesus’ love for Martha and her sister and Lazarus here because Jesus’ actions in the following verse appear to be contradictory.
  10. John 11:6 tn Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  11. John 11:7 sn The village of Bethany, where Lazarus was, lies in Judea, less than 2 mi (3 km) from Jerusalem (see 11:18).
  12. John 11:8 tn Grk “The disciples said to him.”
  13. John 11:8 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.
  14. John 11:8 tn Grk “seeking.”
  15. John 11:8 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.
  16. John 11:9 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
  17. John 11:9 tn Or “he does not trip.”
  18. John 11:9 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).
  19. John 11:10 tn Grk “in the night.”
  20. John 11:10 tn Or “he trips.”
  21. John 11:11 tn Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”
  22. John 11:11 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaō) 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).
  23. John 11:12 tn Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”
  24. John 11:13 tn Or “speaking about.”
  25. John 11:13 tn Grk “these.”
  26. John 11:13 tn Grk “the sleep of slumber”; this is a redundant expression to emphasize physical sleep as opposed to death.sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  27. John 11:15 tn Grk “and I rejoice.”
  28. John 11:15 sn So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples’ belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples’ faith previous to this in John’s Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.
  29. John 11:16 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
  30. John 11:16 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  31. John 11:16 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.
  32. John 11:17 tn Grk “Then when.”
  33. John 11:17 tn Grk “came.”
  34. John 11:17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  35. John 11:17 tn Grk “he had already had four days in the tomb” (an idiom).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.
  36. John 11:18 tn Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 185 meters).
  37. John 11:19 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.
  38. John 11:19 tn Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”
  39. John 11:19 tn Grk “to comfort them concerning their brother”; the words “loss of” are not in the Greek text but are implied.sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  40. John 11:20 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.
  41. John 11:21 tn Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
  42. John 11:22 tn Or “give.”
  43. John 11:22 sn The statement “whatever you ask from God, God will grant you” by Martha presents something of a dilemma, because she seems to be suggesting here (implicitly at least) the possibility of a resurrection for her brother. However, Martha’s statement in 11:39 makes it clear that she had no idea that a resurrection was still possible. How then are her words in 11:22 to be understood? It seems best to take them as a confession of Martha’s continuing faith in Jesus even though he was not there in time to help her brother. She means, in effect, “Even though you weren’t here in time to help, I still believe that God grants your requests.”
  44. John 11:23 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
  45. John 11:23 tn Or “Your brother will rise again.”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.
  46. John 11:24 tn Grk “Martha said to him.”
  47. John 11:24 tn Or “will rise again.”
  48. John 11:25 tn That is, will come to life.
  49. John 11:26 tn Grk “will never die forever.”
  50. John 11:27 tn Grk “She said to him.”
  51. John 11:27 tn The perfect tense in Greek is often used to emphasize the results or present state of a past action. Such is the case here. To emphasize this nuance the perfect tense verb πεπίστευκα (pepisteuka) has been translated as a present tense. This is in keeping with the present context, where Jesus asks of her present state of belief in v. 26, and the theology of the Gospel as a whole, which emphasizes the continuing effects and present reality of faith. For discussion on this use of the perfect tense, see ExSyn 574-76 and B. M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, 291-97.
  52. John 11:27 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
  53. John 11:27 tn Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”
  54. John 11:28 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  55. John 11:28 tn Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).
  56. John 11:28 tn Grk “is calling you.”
  57. John 11:29 tn Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  58. John 11:31 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.
  59. John 11:31 tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  60. John 11:31 tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.
  61. John 11:31 tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).
  62. John 11:33 tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8, “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19, and the word “people” in v. 31.
  63. John 11:33 tn Or (perhaps) “he was deeply indignant.” The verb ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimēsato), 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.
  64. John 11:33 tn Or “greatly troubled.” The verb ταράσσω (tarassō) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ἐνεβριμήσατο (enebrimēsato). 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.
  65. John 11:34 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.
  66. John 11:34 tn Or “Where have you placed him?”
  67. John 11:34 tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autō) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.
  68. John 11:35 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.
  69. John 11:36 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.
  70. John 11:37 tn Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
  71. John 11:37 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.
  72. John 11:38 tn Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”
  73. John 11:38 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  74. John 11:39 tn Or “Remove the stone.”
  75. John 11:39 tn Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”
  76. John 11:39 tn Grk “already he stinks.”
  77. John 11:39 tn Or “been there” (in the tomb—see John 11:17).
  78. John 11:39 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.
  79. John 11:40 tn Grk “Jesus said to her.”
  80. John 11:41 tn Or “they removed.”
  81. John 11:41 tn Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”
  82. John 11:41 tn Or “that you have heard me.”
  83. John 11:42 tn Grk “that you always hear me.”
  84. John 11:42 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
  85. John 11:43 tn Grk “And when.”
  86. John 11:43 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).
  87. John 11:44 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.
  88. John 11:44 tn Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”
  89. John 11:44 tn Grk “Loose him.”
  90. John 11:45 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.
  91. John 11:45 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  92. John 11:46 sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
  93. John 11:46 tn Grk “told them.”
  94. John 11:47 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.
  95. John 11:47 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.
  96. John 11:48 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
  97. John 11:48 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
  98. John 11:49 tn Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς (autois) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.
  99. John 11:50 tn Or “you are not considering.”
  100. John 11:50 tn Although it is possible to argue that ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) 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, outos ho anthrōpos) has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.
  101. John 11:50 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.
  102. John 11:51 tn Grk “say this from himself.”
  103. John 11:51 tn The word “Jewish” is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context (so also NIV; TEV “the Jewish people”).
  104. John 11:52 tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.
  105. John 11:52 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.
  106. John 11:52 tn Grk “that he might gather together.”
  107. John 11:52 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  108. John 11:54 tn Grk “walked.”
  109. John 11:54 tn Or “openly.”
  110. John 11:54 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.
  111. John 11:54 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.
  112. John 11:55 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 tēs chōras) who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.
  113. John 11:55 tn Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).
  114. John 11:56 tn Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”
  115. John 11:56 tn Grk “in the temple.”
  116. John 11:57 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.
  117. John 11:57 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  118. John 11:57 tn Or “could seize.”
  119. John 11:57 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
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Matthew 8:23-27
New English Translation

Stilling of a Storm

23 As he got into the boat,[a] his disciples followed him.[b] 24 And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat.[c] But he was asleep. 25 So they came[d] and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” 26 But[e] he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked[f] the winds and the sea,[g] and it was dead calm. 27 And the men[h] were amazed and said,[i] “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!”[j]

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 8:23 sn See the note at Matt 4:21 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  2. Matthew 8:23 sn The evangelist’s observation that Jesus’ disciples followed him into the boat continues the theme of discipleship (following Jesus) from the preceding context. Here the disciples are probably to be understood as only the Twelve, and even that would have required a boat of moderate size.
  3. Matthew 8:24 sn The Sea of Galilee is well known for its sudden and violent storms, caused by winds blowing down the ravines from the surrounding heights.
  4. Matthew 8:25 tn The participle προσελθόντες (proselthontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
  5. Matthew 8:26 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
  6. Matthew 8:26 tn Or “commanded” (often with the implication of a threat, L&N 33.331). The verb indicates strong disapproval or even censure (BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτιμάω 1).
  7. Matthew 8:26 sn Who has authority over the seas and winds is discussed in the OT: Pss 104:3, 7; 135:7; 107:23-30; also 106:9. What is portrayed here is a power struggle, and the text leaves no doubt who is in control. When Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea he demonstrated his authority over nature, making by implication a statement about who he was.
  8. Matthew 8:27 tn It is difficult to know whether ἄνθρωποι (anthrōpoi) should be translated as “men” or “people” (in a generic sense) here. At issue is whether (1) only the Twelve were with Jesus in the boat, as opposed to other disciples (cf. v. 23), and (2) whether any of those other disciples would have been women. The issue is complicated further by the parallel in Mark (4:35-41), where the author writes (4:36) that other boats accompanied them on this journey.
  9. Matthew 8:27 tn Grk “the men were amazed, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) has been translated as a finite verb to make the sequence of events clear in English.
  10. Matthew 8:27 sn Jesus’ authority over creation raised a question for the disciples about his identity (What sort of person is this?). This verse shows that although the disciples followed Jesus, their understanding of who he was at this point was incomplete.
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John 21
New English Translation

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples in Galilee

21 After this[a] Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias.[b] Now this is how he did so.[c] 2 Simon Peter, Thomas[d] (called Didymus),[e] Nathanael[f] (who was from Cana in Galilee), the sons[g] of Zebedee,[h] and two other disciples[i] of his were together. 3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied.[j] They went out and got into the boat,[k] but that night they caught nothing.

4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 So Jesus said to them, “Children, you don’t have any fish,[l] do you?”[m] They replied,[n] “No.” 6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.”[o] So they threw the net,[p] and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.

7 Then the disciple whom[q] Jesus loved[r] said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” So Simon Peter, when he heard that it was the Lord, tucked in his outer garment (for he had nothing on underneath it),[s] and plunged[t] into the sea. 8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards.[u]

9 When they got out on the beach,[v] they saw a charcoal fire ready[w] with a fish placed on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said,[x] “Bring some of the fish you have just now caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and pulled the net to shore. It was[y] full of large fish, 153,[z] but although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 “Come, have breakfast,” Jesus said.[aa] But none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Peter’s Restoration

15 Then when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John,[ab] do you love me more than these do?”[ac] He replied,[ad] “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”[ae] Jesus[af] told him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Jesus[ag] said[ah] a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He replied,[ai] “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus[aj] told him, “Shepherd my sheep.” 17 Jesus[ak] said[al] a third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed[am] that Jesus[an] asked[ao] him a third time, “Do you love me?” and said,[ap] “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.” Jesus[aq] replied,[ar] “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the solemn truth,[as] when you were young, you tied your clothes around you[at] and went wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will tie you up[au] and bring you where you do not want to go.” 19 (Now Jesus[av] said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter[aw] was going to glorify God.)[ax] After he said this, Jesus told Peter,[ay] “Follow me.”

Peter and the Disciple Jesus Loved

20 Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them.[az] (This was the disciple[ba] who had leaned back against Jesus’[bb] chest at the meal and asked,[bc] “Lord, who is the one who is going to betray you?”)[bd] 21 So when Peter saw him,[be] he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus replied,[bf] “If I want him to live[bg] until I come back,[bh] what concern is that of yours? You follow me!” 23 So the saying circulated[bi] among the brothers and sisters[bj] that this disciple was not going to die. But Jesus did not say to him that he was not going to die, but rather, “If I want him to live[bk] until I come back,[bl] what concern is that of yours?”

A Final Note

24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. 25 There are many other things that Jesus did. If every one of them were written down,[bm] I suppose the whole world[bn] would not have room for the books that would be written.[bo]

Footnotes

  1. John 21:1 tn The time reference indicated by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is indefinite, in comparison with the specific “after eight days” (μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ὀκτώ, meth’ hēmeras oktō) between the two postresurrection appearances of Jesus in 20:26.
  2. John 21:1 sn The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee (see 6:1).
  3. John 21:1 tn Grk “how he revealed himself.”
  4. John 21:2 tn Grk “and Thomas.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
  5. John 21:2 sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.
  6. John 21:2 tn Grk “and Nathanael.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
  7. John 21:2 tn Grk “and the sons.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements of a series.
  8. John 21:2 sn The sons of Zebedee were James and John.
  9. John 21:2 sn The two other disciples who are not named may have been Andrew and Philip, who are mentioned together in John 6:7-8 and 12:22.
  10. John 21:3 tn Grk “they said to him.”
  11. John 21:3 sn See the note at John 6:17 for a description of the first-century fishing boat discovered in 1986 near Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.
  12. John 21:5 tn The word προσφάγιον (prosphagion) is unusual. According to BDAG 886 s.v. in Hellenistic Greek it described a side dish to be eaten with bread, and in some contexts was the equivalent of ὄψον (opson), “fish.” Used in addressing a group of returning fishermen, however, it is quite clear that the speaker had fish in mind.
  13. John 21:5 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “do you?”).
  14. John 21:5 tn Grk “They answered him.”
  15. John 21:6 tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  16. John 21:6 tn The words “the net” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  17. John 21:7 tn Grk “the disciple, that one whom.”
  18. John 21:7 sn On the disciple whom Jesus loved see 13:23-26.
  19. John 21:7 tn Grk “for he was naked.” Peter’s behavior here has been puzzling to many interpreters. It is usually understood that the Greek word γυμνός (gumnos, usually translated “naked”) does not refer to complete nudity (as it could), since this would have been offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context. It is thus commonly understood to mean “stripped for work” here (cf. NASB, NLT), that is, with one’s outer clothing removed, and Peter was wearing either a loincloth or a loose-fitting tunic (a long shirt-like garment worn under a cloak, cf. NAB, “for he was lightly clad”). Believing himself inadequately dressed to greet the Lord, Peter threw his outer garment around himself and dived into the sea. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 580-81) offered the explanation that a greeting was a religious act and thus could not be performed unless one was clothed. This still leaves the improbable picture of a person with much experience around the water putting on his outer garment before diving in. R. E. Brown’s suggestion (John [AB], 2:1072) seems much more probable here: The Greek verb used (διαζώννυμι, diazōnnumi) does not necessarily mean putting clothing on, but rather tying the clothing around oneself (the same verb is used in 13:4-5 of Jesus tying the towel around himself). The statement that Peter was “naked” could just as well mean that he was naked underneath the outer garment, and thus could not take it off before jumping into the water. But he did pause to tuck it up and tie it with the girdle before jumping in, to allow himself more freedom of movement. Thus the clause that states Peter was naked is explanatory (note the use of for), explaining why Peter girded up his outer garment rather than taking it off—he had nothing on underneath it and so could not remove it.sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  20. John 21:7 tn Grk “threw himself.”
  21. John 21:8 tn Or “about a hundred meters”; Grk “about 200 cubits.” According to BDAG 812 s.v., a πῆχυς (pēchus) was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred πηχῶν (pēchōn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).
  22. John 21:9 tn Grk “land.”
  23. John 21:9 tn Grk “placed,” “laid.”
  24. John 21:10 tn Grk “said to them.”
  25. John 21:11 tn The words “It was” are not in the Greek text. Here a new sentence was begun in the translation in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences. For this reason the words “It was” had to be supplied.
  26. John 21:11 sn Here the author makes two further points about the catch of fish: (1) there were 153 large fish in the net, and (2) even with so many, the net was not torn. Many symbolic interpretations have been proposed for both points (unity, especially, in the case of the second), but the reader is given no explicit clarification in the text itself. It seems better not to speculate here, but to see these details as indicative of an eyewitness account. Both are the sort of thing that would remain in the mind of a person who had witnessed them firsthand. For a summary of the symbolic interpretations proposed for the number of fish in the net, see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1074-75), where a number are discussed at length. Perhaps the reader is simply to understand this as the abundance which results from obedience to Jesus, much as with the amount of wine generated in the water jars in Cana at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry (2:6).
  27. John 21:12 tn Grk “said to them.” The words “to them” are omitted because it is clear in context to whom Jesus was speaking, and the words are slightly redundant in English.
  28. John 21:15 tc The majority of mss (A C2 Θ Ψ ƒ1,13 33 M sy) read “Simon, the son of Jonah” here and in vv. 16 and 17, but these are perhaps assimilations to Matt 16:17. The reading “Simon, son of John” is better attested, being found in א1 (א* only has “Simon” without mention of his father) B C* D L W lat co.
  29. John 21:15 tn To whom (or what) does “these” (τούτων, toutōn) refer? Three possibilities are suggested: (1) τούτων should be understood as neuter, “these things,” referring to the boats, nets, and fishing gear nearby. In light of Peter’s statement in 21:3, “I am going fishing,” some have understood Peter to have renounced his commission in light of his denials of Jesus. Jesus, as he restores Peter and forgives him for his denials, is asking Peter if he really loves his previous vocation more than he loves Jesus. Three things may be said in evaluation of this view: (a) it is not at all necessary to understand Peter’s statement in 21:3 as a renouncement of his discipleship, as this view of the meaning of τούτων would imply; (b) it would probably be more likely that the verb would be repeated in such a construction (see 7:31 for an example where the verb is repeated); and (c) as R. E. Brown has observed (John [AB], 2:1103) by Johannine standards the choice being offered to Peter between material things and the risen Jesus would seem rather ridiculous, especially after the disciples had realized whom it was they were dealing with (the Lord, see v. 12). (2) τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than you love these other disciples?” The same objection mentioned as (c) under (1) would apply here: Could the author, in light of the realization of who Jesus is which has come to the disciples after the resurrection, and which he has just mentioned in 21:12, seriously present Peter as being offered a choice between the other disciples and the risen Jesus? This leaves option (3), that τούτων refers to the other disciples, meaning “Do you love me more than these other disciples do?” It seems likely that there is some irony here: Peter had boasted in 13:37, “I will lay down my life for you,” and the synoptics present Peter as boasting even more explicitly of his loyalty to Jesus (“Even if they all fall away, I will not,” Matt 26:33; Mark 14:29). Thus the semantic force of what Jesus asks Peter here amounts to something like “Now, after you have denied me three times, as I told you you would, can you still affirm that you love me more than these other disciples do?” The addition of the auxiliary verb “do” in the translation is used to suggest to the English reader the third interpretation, which is the preferred one.
  30. John 21:15 tn Grk “He said to him.”
  31. John 21:15 tn Is there a significant difference in meaning between the two words for love used in the passage, ἀγαπάω and φιλέω (agapaō and phileō)? Aside from Origen, who saw a distinction in the meaning of the two words, most of the Greek Fathers like Chrysostom and Cyril of Alexandria, saw no real difference of meaning. Neither did Augustine nor the translators of the Itala (Old Latin). This was also the view of the Reformation Greek scholars Erasmus and Grotius. The suggestion that a distinction in meaning should be seen comes primarily from a number of British scholars of the 19th century, especially Trench, Westcott, and Plummer. It has been picked up by others such as Spicq, Lenski, and Hendriksen. But most modern scholars decline to see a real difference in the meaning of the two words in this context, among them Bernard, Moffatt, Bonsirven, Bultmann, Barrett, Brown, Morris, Haenchen, and Beasley-Murray. There are three significant reasons for seeing no real difference in the meaning of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses: (1) the author has a habit of introducing slight stylistic variations in repeated material without any significant difference in meaning (compare, for example, 3:3 with 3:5, and 7:34 with 13:33). An examination of the uses of ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in the Fourth Gospel seems to indicate a general interchangeability between the two. Both terms are used of God’s love for man (3:16; 16:27); of the Father’s love for the Son (3:35; 5:20); of Jesus’ love for men (11:3, 5); of the love of men for men (13:34; 15:19); and of the love of men for Jesus (8:42; 16:27). (2) If (as seems probable) the original conversation took place in Aramaic (or possibly Hebrew), there would not have been any difference expressed because both Aramaic and Hebrew have only one basic word for love. In the LXX both ἀγαπάω and φιλέω are used to translate the same Hebrew word for love, although ἀγαπάω is more frequent. It is significant that in the Syriac version of the NT only one verb is used to translate vv. 15-17 (Syriac is very similar linguistically to Palestinian Aramaic). (3) Peter’s answers to the questions asked with ἀγαπάω are ‘yes’ even though he answers using the verb φιλέω. If he is being asked to love Jesus on a higher or more spiritual level his answers give no indication of this, and one would be forced to say (in order to maintain a consistent distinction between the two verbs) that Jesus finally concedes defeat and accepts only the lower form of love which is all that Peter is capable of offering. Thus it seems best to regard the interchange between ἀγαπάω and φιλέω in these verses as a minor stylistic variation of the author, consistent with his use of minor variations in repeated material elsewhere, and not indicative of any real difference in meaning. Thus no attempt has been made to distinguish between the two Greek words in the translation.
  32. John 21:15 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  33. John 21:16 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  34. John 21:16 tn Grk “said again.” The word “again” (when used in connection with the phrase “a second time”) is redundant and has not been translated.
  35. John 21:16 tn Grk “He said to him.”
  36. John 21:16 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  37. John 21:17 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  38. John 21:17 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
  39. John 21:17 tn Or “was sad.”
  40. John 21:17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  41. John 21:17 tn Grk “said to.”
  42. John 21:17 tn Grk “and said to him.” The words “to him” are clear from the context and slightly redundant in English.
  43. John 21:17 tc ‡ Most witnesses, especially later ones (A Θ Ψ ƒ13 M), read ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς (ho Iēsous, “Jesus”) here, while B C have ᾿Ιησοῦς without the article and א D W ƒ1 33 565 al lat lack both. Because of the rapid verbal exchange in this pericope, “Jesus” is virtually required for clarity, providing a temptation to scribes to add the name. Further, the name normally occurs with the article. Although it is possible that B C accidentally omitted the article with the name, it is just as likely that they added the simple name to the text for clarity’s sake, while other witnesses added the article as well. The omission of ὁ ᾿Ιησοῦς thus seems most likely to be authentic. NA28 includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  44. John 21:17 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
  45. John 21:18 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
  46. John 21:18 tn Or “you girded yourself.”
  47. John 21:18 tn Grk “others will gird you.”
  48. John 21:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  49. John 21:19 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  50. John 21:19 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus’ own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [NICNT], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner’s arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [LHD], 88).
  51. John 21:19 tn Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
  52. John 21:20 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
  53. John 21:20 tn The words “This was the disciple” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for clarity.
  54. John 21:20 tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  55. John 21:20 tn Grk “and said.”
  56. John 21:20 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
  57. John 21:21 tn Grk “saw this one.”
  58. John 21:22 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
  59. John 21:22 tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain,” but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.
  60. John 21:22 tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.
  61. John 21:23 tn Grk “went out.”
  62. John 21:23 tn Grk “the brothers,” but here the term refers to more than just the immediate disciples of Jesus (as it does in 20:17). Here, as R. E. Brown notes (John [AB], 2:1110), it refers to Christians of the Johannine community (which would include both men and women).
  63. John 21:23 tn Grk “to stay” or “to remain,” but since longevity is the issue in the context, “to live” conveys the idea more clearly.
  64. John 21:23 tn The word “back” is supplied to clarify the meaning.
  65. John 21:25 tn Grk “written”; the word “down” is supplied in keeping with contemporary English idiom.
  66. John 21:25 tn Grk “the world itself.”
  67. John 21:25 tc Although the majority of mss (C2 Θ Ψ ƒ13 M lat) conclude this Gospel with ἀμήν (amēn, “amen”), such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, excellent and early witnesses, as well as a few others (א A B C*,3 D W 1 33 it), lack the particle, rendering no doubt as to how this Gospel originally ended.sn The author concludes the Gospel with a note concerning his selectivity of material. He makes it plain that he has not attempted to write an exhaustive account of the words and works of Jesus, for if one attempted to do so, “the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” This is clearly hyperbole, and as such bears some similarity to the conclusion of the Book of Ecclesiastes (12:9-12). As it turns out, the statement seems more true of the Fourth Gospel itself, which is the subject of an ever-lengthening bibliography. The statement in v. 25 serves as a final reminder that knowledge of Jesus, no matter how well-attested it may be, is still partial. Everything that Jesus did during his three and one-half years of earthly ministry is not known. This supports the major theme of the Fourth Gospel: Jesus is repeatedly identified as God, and although he may be truly known on the basis of his self-disclosure, he can never be known exhaustively. There is far more to know about Jesus than could ever be written down, or even known. On this appropriate note the Gospel of John ends.
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