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.


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


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


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


“So” is supplied for transitional smoothness in English.


Grk “were asking him, saying.”


The direct object of φάγε ( fage ) in Greek is understood; “something” is supplied in English.


An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.


The direct object of ἤνεγκεν ( hnenken ) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.


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


Or “to accomplish.”


The substantival ἵνα ( Jina ) 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.


The recitative ὅτι ( Joti ) after λέγετε ( legete ) has not been translated.


Grk “lift up your eyes” (an idiom). BDAG 357 s.v. ἐπαίρω 1 has “look up” here.


That is, “ripe.”


Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.


The recitative ὅτι ( Joti ) after ἀληθινός ( alhqino" ) has not been translated.


Grk “when she testified.”


Following the arrival of the Samaritans, the imperfect verb has been translated as ingressive.


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.


Or “and they believed much more.”


Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).


For location see Map1-C3 ; Map2-D2 ; Map3-C5 .


Grk “And in.”


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


The direct object of ἠρώτα ( hrwta ) is supplied from context. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.


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).


Or “you never believe.” The verb πιστεύσητε ( pisteushte ) is aorist subjunctive and may have either nuance.


Grk “Go”; the word “home” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


Grk “and left.” The words “for home” are implied by the following verse.


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


Grk “the hour.”


BDAG 558 s.v. κομψότερον translates the idiom κομψότερον ἔχειν ( komyoteron ecein ) as “begin to improve.”


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


Grk “at the seventh hour.”


Grk “at that hour.”


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.


For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


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


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


Grk “in Hebrew.”


Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.” sn The pool had five porticoes . These were covered walkways formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the side facing the pool. People could stand, sit, or walk on these colonnaded porches, protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.


Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”


Or “knew.”


Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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


Grk “while I am going.”


Grk “another.”


The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.


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


Grk “became well.”


Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.


Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.” sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. Here the author refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9).


Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in v. 8 .


א B C* L) do not. Nevertheless, in the translation, it is necessary to supply the words due to the demands of English style, which does not typically allow for understood or implied direct objects as Greek does.


Grk “Pick up and walk”; the object (the mat) is implied but not repeated.


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


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10 .


Or “harassing.”


places the word in brackets, indicating some doubts as to authenticity.


Grk “answered.”


Grk “answered and said to them.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


Grk “nothing from himself.”


Grk “that one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “and makes them live.”


Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”


Or “condemn.”


Or “given,” or “handed over.”


Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).


Or “obeys.”


Or “word.”


Grk “and does not come into judgment.”


Grk “an hour.”


Grk “him.”


Grk “authority to judge.”


Or “a resurrection resulting in judgment.”


Grk “nothing from myself.”


Or “righteous,” or “proper.”


That is, “the will of the Father who sent me.”


Or “I do not receive.”


Grk “for an hour.”


Or “works.”


Grk “complete, which I am now doing”; the referent of the relative pronoun has been specified by repeating “deeds” from the previous clause.


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


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


The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).


Or “honor” ( Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).


Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.


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


Or “you do not receive.”


Or “you will receive.”


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


Grk “For if.”


Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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


Grk “when he lifted up his eyes” (an idiom).


Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “Philip answered him.”


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


Grk “one of his disciples.”


Grk “but what are these”; the word “good” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


Grk “Make.”


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


Grk “likewise also (he distributed) from the fish.”


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


Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in the previous verse.


For location see Map1-D2 ; Map2-C3 ; Map3-B2 .


Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters). sn About three or four miles . The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.


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


Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16 .


A B L N W Ψ 1 565 579 1241 al lat). The clarifying nature of the longer reading, the multiple variants from it, and the weighty testimony for the shorter reading all argue against the authenticity of the longer text in any of its variations. Grk “one”; the referent (a small boat) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “entered.”


For location see Map1-E2 ; Map2-C2 ; Map3-C3 ; Map4-D1 ; Map5-G4 .


Or “boats from Tiberias landed”; Grk “came.”


pbo} read ᾿Ιησοῦ [ Ihsou , “Jesus”] instead of κυρίου ). Although the shorter reading has minimal support, it is significant that this Gospel speaks of Jesus as Lord in the evangelist’s narrative descriptions only in 11:2; 20:18, 20; 21:12 ; and possibly 4:1 (but see tc note on “Jesus” there). There is thus but one undisputed preresurrection text in which the narrator calls Jesus “Lord.” This fact can be utilized on behalf of either reading: The participial phrase could be seen as a scribal addition harking back to 6:11 but which does not fit Johannine style, or it could be viewed as truly authentic and in line with what John indisputably does elsewhere even if rarely. On balance, in light of the overwhelming support for these words it is probably best to retain them in the text.


Or “embarked in the boats.”


Grk “answered and said to them.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


Grk “because you ate of the loaves of bread and were filled.”


Or “perishes” (this might refer to spoiling, but is more focused on the temporary nature of this kind of food). sn Do not work for the food that disappears. Note the wordplay on “work” here. This does not imply “working” for salvation, since the “work” is later explained (in John 6:29 ) as “to believe in the one whom he (the Father) sent.”


The referent (the food) has been specified for clarity by repeating the word “food” from the previous clause.


Grk “on this one.”


Grk “the works.”


Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”


Grk “the work.”


Grk “This is the work of God.”


Grk “that one” (i.e., God).


Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”


Or “he who.”


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


Grk “the one who believes in me will not possibly thirst, ever.” sn The one who believes in me will never be thirsty. Note the parallelism between “coming to Jesus” in the first part of v. 35 and “believing in Jesus” in the second part of v. 35 . For the author of the Gospel of John these terms are virtually equivalent, both referring to a positive response to Jesus (see John 3:17-21 ).


Grk “But I said to you.”


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


Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”


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


Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”


Grk “Then the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e. β ), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” ( 6:25 ). Likewise, the designation “Judeans” does not fit here because the location is Galilee rather than Judea.


Grk “answered and said to them.”


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


Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503). sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65 , where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40 ).


Or “listens to the Father and learns.”


Grk “this one.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc ) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.


Compare John 6:40 .


That is, “the bread that produces (eternal) life.”


Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”


Or “Here.”


Grk “someone” ( τις , tis ).


Grk “And the bread.”


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


Grk “with one another, saying.”


Grk “this one,” “this person.”


That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).


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


Or “real.”


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


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


Or “This one.”


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


Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.


For location see Map1-D2 ; Map2-C3 ; Map3-B2 .


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


Or “hard,” “demanding.”


Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”


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


Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”


Or “were grumbling.”


Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” ( Grk “cause you to stumble?”) sn Does this cause you to be offended? It became apparent to some of Jesus’ followers at this point that there would be a cost involved in following him. They had taken offense at some of Jesus’ teaching (perhaps the graphic imagery of “eating his flesh” and “drinking his blood,” and Jesus now warned them that if they thought this was a problem, there was an even worse cause for stumbling in store: his upcoming crucifixion ( John 6:61 b-62). Jesus asked, in effect, “Has what I just taught caused you to stumble? What will you do, then, if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ” This ascent is to be accomplished through the cross; for John, Jesus’ departure from this world and his return to the Father form one continual movement from cross to resurrection to ascension.


Or “he was formerly?”


Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”


Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”


Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”


Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”


Grk “were not walking with him.”


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


Grk “And we.”


Grk “Jesus answered them.”


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


Grk “this one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”


Grk “For he.” Here γάρ ( gar , “for”) has not been translated.


Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.


Grk “were seeking.”


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


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


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


Or “seeks to be well known.”


Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”


Or “my opportunity.”


Or “is not yet here.”


Grk “your time is always ready.”


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


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


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


Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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


Grk “Where is that one?”


Grk “And there was.”


Or “complaining.”


Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities mentioned in the previous verse).


Or “the crowd.”


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


Grk “to the temple.”


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


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


Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3 ). sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos , creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.


Grk “So Jesus answered and said to them.”


The phrase “the one who sent me” refers to God.


Grk “his will.”


Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”


Grk “who speaks from himself.”


Or “seeks.”


Or “praise”; Grk “glory.”


Or “is truthful”; Grk “is true.”


Or “accomplishes”; Grk “does.”


Grk “seek.”


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


Grk “You have a demon!”


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


Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”


Grk “I did one deed.”


Grk “gave you circumcision.”


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


Grk “a man.” See the note on “male child” in the previous verse.


Grk “receives circumcision.”


Or “made an entire man well.”


Or “based on sight.”


Or “honest”; Grk “righteous.”


For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


Grk “Is it not this one.”


Grk “seeking.”


Or “speaking openly.”


Grk “this one.”


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 .


Grk “the temple.”


Grk “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying.”


Grk “And I have not come from myself.”


Grk “the one who sent me is true, whom you do not know.”


Although the conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, the contrast is implied (an omitted conjunction is called asyndeton ).


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


Grk “and that one.”


Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. sn Here the response is on the part of the crowd, who tried to seize Jesus . This is apparently distinct from the attempted arrest by the authorities mentioned in 7:32 .


Grk “his hour.”


Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities).


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


Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the Pharisees).


Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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


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


Grk “Yet a little I am with you.”


The word “then” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


Grk “seek me.”


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase is understood to refer to the Jewish authorities or leaders, since the Jewish leaders are mentioned in this context both before and after the present verse ( 7:32, 45 ).


Grk “this one.”


Grk “will not find him.”


Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “is he?”). sn Note the Jewish opponents’ misunderstanding of Jesus’ words, as made clear in vv. 35-36 . They didn’t realize he spoke of his departure out of the world. This is another example of the author’s use of misunderstanding as a literary device to emphasize a point.


Grk “What is this word that he said.”


Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”


does place a full stop after πινέτω ( pinetw ), but this may be theologically motivated and could have been added later. Grammatical and stylistic arguments are inconclusive. More important is (2) the determination of the antecedent of αὐτοῦ . Can any other Johannine parallels be found which make the believer the source of the living water? John 4:14 is often mentioned in this regard, but unlike 4:14 the water here becomes a source for others also. Neither does 14:12 provide a parallel. Furthermore, such an interpretation becomes even more problematic in light of the explanation given in v. 39 that the water refers to the Holy Spirit, since it is extremely difficult to see the individual believer becoming the ‘source’ of the Spirit for others. On the other hand, the Gospel of John repeatedly places Jesus himself in this role as source of the living water: 4:10 , of course, for the water itself; but according to 20:22 Jesus provides the Spirit (cf. 14:16 ). Furthermore, the symbolism of 19:34 is difficult to explain as anything other than a deliberate allusion to what is predicted here. This also explains why the Spirit cannot come to the disciples unless Jesus “departs” ( 16:7 ). As to (3) the source of the scripture quotation, M. E. Boismard has argued that John is using a targumic rendering of Ps 78:15-16 which describes the water brought forth from the rock in the wilderness by Moses (“Les citations targumiques dans le quatrième évangile,” RB 66 [1959]: 374-78). The frequency of Exodus motifs in the Fourth Gospel (paschal lamb, bronze serpent, manna from heaven) leads quite naturally to the supposition that the author is here drawing on the account of Moses striking the rock in the wilderness to bring forth water ( Num 20:8 ff.). That such imagery was readily identified with Jesus in the early church is demonstrated by Paul’s understanding of the event in 1 Cor 10:4 . Jesus is the Rock from which the living water – the Spirit – will flow. Carson (see note above) discusses this imagery although he favors the traditional or “Eastern” interpretation. In summary, the latter or “Western” interpretation is to be preferred.


Or “out of the innermost part of his person”; Grk “out of his belly.”


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


Or “The common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).


Or “truly.”


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 .


An initial negative reply (“No”) is suggested by the causal or explanatory γάρ ( gar ) which begins the clause.


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


Grk “is from the seed” (an idiom for human descent).


Grk “the village where David was.”


Or “among the common people” (as opposed to the religious authorities like the chief priests and Pharisees).


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


Grk “came.”


Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.


Grk “answered them.”


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


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


Grk “crowd.” “Rabble” is a good translation here because the remark by the Pharisees is so derogatory.


Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “who was one of them”; the referent (the rulers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “said to them.”


Grk “judge.”


Grk “knows.”


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


Grk “They answered and said to him.”


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


which is articular), by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief. This would produce in the text of John’s Gospel a high sense of irony indeed, since the religious authorities by their insistence that “the Prophet” could not come from Galilee displayed their true ignorance of where Jesus came from on two levels at once (Bethlehem, his birthplace, the fulfillment of Mic 5:2 , but also heaven, from which he was sent by the Father). The author does not even bother to refute the false attestation of Jesus’ place of birth as Galilee (presumably Christians knew all too well where Jesus came from).


An ingressive sense for the imperfect fits well here following the aorist participle.


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


Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “so that they could accuse.”


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


Or “he straightened up.”


Grk “and said to them.”


Or “sinless.”


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


Or “beginning from the eldest.”


Or “straightened up.”


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


Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”


The double negative οὐ μή ( ou mh ) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.


Grk “Then the Pharisees said to him.”


Grk “Jesus answered and said to them.”


The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun (“you”) and verb (“do not know”) in Greek are plural.


The word “people” is supplied in the translation to indicate that the pronoun and verb (“judge”) in Greek are plural.


Or “judge according to external things”; Grk “according to the flesh.” These translations are given by BDAG 916 s.v. σάρξ 5.


Grk “my judgment is true.”


The phrase “when I judge” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.


The phrase “do so together” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the context.


Grk “I am the one who testifies about myself.”


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


Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The term γαζοφυλάκιον ( gazofulakion ) can be translated “treasury” or “treasure room” in this context. BDAG 186 s.v. 1 notes, “It can be taken in this sense J 8:20 (sing.) in (or at ) the treasury .” BDAG 186 s.v. 2 argues that the occurrences of this word in the synoptic gospels also refer to the treasury: “For Mk 12:41, 43 ; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself. sn The offering box probably refers to the receptacles in the temple forecourt by the Court of Women used to collect freewill offerings. These are mentioned by Josephus, J. W. 5.5.2 (5.200), 6.5.2 (6.282); Ant. 19.6.1 (19.294); and in 1 Macc 14:49 and 2 Macc 3:6, 24, 28, 40 (see also Mark 12:41 ; Luke 21:1 ).


Grk “the temple.”


Grk “his hour.”


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


Grk “you will seek me.”


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


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders in Jerusalem. It was the Pharisees who had begun this line of questioning in John 8:13 , and there has been no clear change since then in the identity of Jesus’ opponents.


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


Grk “And he said to them.”


The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.


Grk “thus I said to you.”


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


Grk “Jesus said to them.”


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


Grk “the one”; the referent (the Father) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “true” (in the sense of one who always tells the truth).


Grk “and what things I have heard from him, these things I speak to the world.”


Grk “Then Jesus said to them” (the words “to them” are not found in all mss ).


Grk “that I am.” See the note on this phrase in v. 24 .


Grk “I do nothing from myself.”


Grk “but just as the Father taught me, these things I speak.”


That is, “he has not abandoned me.”


The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.


Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33 ).


Grk “If you continue in my word.”


Or “truly.”


Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea. sn The statement the truth will set you free is often taken as referring to truth in the philosophical (or absolute) sense, or in the intellectual sense, or even (as the Jews apparently took it) in the political sense. In the context of John’s Gospel (particularly in light of the prologue) this must refer to truth about the person and work of Jesus. It is saving truth. As L. Morris says, “it is the truth which saves men from the darkness of sin, not that which saves them from the darkness of error (though there is a sense in which men in Christ are delivered from gross error)” ( John [NICNT], 457).


Grk “We are the seed” (an idiom).


Grk “They answered to him.”


Or “How is it that you say.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


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


See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51 .


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


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


Grk “seed” (an idiom).


Grk “you are seeking.”


Grk “my word.”


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


B C L 070 pc. This problem cannot be isolated from the second in the verse, however. See that discussion below.


Grk “The things which I have seen with the Father I speak about.”


Grk “and you.”


33 565 892 Ï al lat sy). However, these mss do not agree on the placement of the pronoun: τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν ποιεῖτε ( tou patro" Jumwn poieite ), τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ( tw patri Jumwn ), and τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν ταῦτα ( tw patri Jumwn tauta ) all occur. If the pronoun is read, then the devil is in view and the text should be translated as “you are practicing the things you have heard from your father.” If it is not read, then the same Father mentioned in the first part of the verse is in view. In this case, ποιεῖτε should be taken as an imperative: “you [must] practice the things you have heard from the Father.” The omission is decidedly the harder reading, both because the contrast between God and the devil is now delayed until v. 41 , and because ποιεῖτε could be read as an indicative, especially since the two clauses are joined by καί ( kai , “and”). Thus, the pronoun looks to be a motivated reading. In light of the better external and internal evidence the omission is preferred.


Grk “They answered and said to him.”


Or “Our father is Abraham.”


Grk “Jesus said to them.”


א B D L 070 pc lat).


D W Γ Θ 070 0250 1424 pm ). Or “you would do.”


Grk “seeking.”


Grk “has spoken to you.”


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


The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.


has the conjunction in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.


Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.


Or “I came from God and have arrived.”


Grk “For I.” Here γάρ ( gar ) has not been translated.


Grk “from myself.”


Grk “that one” (referring to God).


Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.


Grk “my word.”


The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.


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


Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”


Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).


Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).


Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”


Grk “he speaks from his own.”


Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”


Or “because I tell you.”


Or “can convict me.”


Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”


Or “if I tell you.”


Grk “who is of.”


Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).


Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).


Grk “you are not of God.”


Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31 . Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts ( 8:20 ) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31 ). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.


Grk “answered and said to him.”


Grk “Do we not say rightly.”


Grk “and have a demon.” It is not clear what is meant by the charge Σαμαρίτης εἶ σὺ καὶ δαιμόνιον ἔχεις ( Samarith" ei su kai daimonion ecei" ). The meaning could be “you are a heretic and are possessed by a demon.” Note that the dual charge gets one reply ( John 8:49 ). Perhaps the phrases were interchangeable: Simon Magus ( Acts 8:14-24 ) and in later traditions Dositheus, the two Samaritans who claimed to be sons of God, were regarded as mad, that is, possessed by demons.


Grk “I do not have a demon.”


“Yet” is supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.


Grk “I am not seeking.”


Grk “my glory.”


Grk “who seeks.”


Or “will be the judge.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


Grk “If anyone keeps.”


Grk “my word.”


Grk “he will never see death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic. sn Those who keep Jesus’ words will not see death because they have already passed from death to life (cf. 5:24 ). In Johannine theology eternal life begins in the present rather than in the world to come.


Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31 . Here, as in vv. 31 and 48 , the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts ( 8:20 ) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31 ).


Grk “said to him.”


Grk “you have a demon.”


“Yet” has been supplied to show the contrastive element present in the context.


Grk “will never taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).


Grk “he will never taste of death forever.” The Greek negative here is emphatic.


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


Grk “Jesus answered.”


Grk “is nothing.”


The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.


Here καί ( kai ) has been translated as “Yet” to indicate the contrast present in the context.


Grk “If I say, ‘I do not know him.’”


Grk “I keep.”


Grk “his word.”


Or “rejoiced greatly.”


What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice – an occasion of certain rejoicing.


Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. 31 . Here, as in vv. 31, 48, and 52 , the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts ( 8:20 ) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. 8:31 ). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.


Grk ‘You do not yet have fifty years” (an idiom).


Grk “And have.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


Grk “before Abraham was.”


Grk “they took up.”


א * B D W Θ * lat sa) lack these words, rendering the shorter text virtually certain. Grk “from the temple.”


Or “going along.” The opening words of chap. , καὶ παράγων ( kai paragwn ), convey only the vaguest indication of the circumstances. sn Since there is no break with chap. , Jesus is presumably still in Jerusalem, and presumably not still in the temple area. The events of chap. fall somewhere between the feast of Tabernacles ( John 7:2 ) and the feast of the Dedication ( John 10:22 ). But in the author’s narrative the connection exists – the incident recorded in chap. (along with the ensuing debates with the Pharisees) serves as a real-life illustration of the claim Jesus made in 8:12 , I am the light of the world. This is in fact the probable theological motivation behind the juxtaposition of these two incidents in the narrative. The second serves as an illustration of the first, and as a concrete example of the victory of light over darkness. One other thing which should be pointed out about the miracle recorded in chap. is its messianic significance. In the OT it is God himself who is associated with the giving of sight to the blind ( Exod 4:11 , Ps 146:8 ). In a number of passages in Isa (29:18, 35:5, 42:7) it is considered to be a messianic activity.


Grk “asked him, saying.”


Grk “this one.”


Grk “in order that he should be born blind.” sn The disciples assumed that sin (regardless of who committed it) was the cause of the man’s blindness. This was a common belief in Judaism; the rabbis used Ezek 18:20 to prove there was no death without sin, and Ps 89:33 to prove there was no punishment without guilt (the Babylonian Talmud, b. Shabbat 55a, although later than the NT, illustrates this). Thus in this case the sin must have been on the part of the man’s parents, or during his own prenatal existence. Song Rabbah 1:41 (another later rabbinic work) stated that when a pregnant woman worshiped in a heathen temple the unborn child also committed idolatry. This is only one example of how, in rabbinic Jewish thought, an unborn child was capable of sinning.


Grk “but so that.” There is an ellipsis that must be supplied: “but [he was born blind] so that” or “but [it happened to him] so that.”


Or “deeds”; Grk “works.”


Or “manifested,” “brought to light.”


Grk “in him.”


Grk “We must work the works.”


Or “of him who sent me” (God).


Or “while.”


Grk “said these things.”


Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency). The textual variant preserved in the Syriac text of Ephraem’s commentary on the Diatessaron (“he made eyes from his clay”) probably arose from the interpretation given by Irenaeus in Against Heresies : “that which the Artificer, the Word, had omitted to form in the womb, he then supplied in public.” This involves taking the clay as an allusion to Gen 2:7 , which is very unlikely.


Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί ( kai ) was replaced by a third person pronoun and a new sentence started here in the translation.


Grk “on his.”


The pool’s name in Hebrew is shiloah from the Hebrew verb “to send.” In Gen 49:10 the somewhat obscure shiloh was interpreted messianically by later Jewish tradition, and some have seen a lexical connection between the two names (although this is somewhat dubious). It is known, however, that it was from the pool of Siloam that the water which was poured out at the altar during the feast of Tabernacles was drawn.


Grk “So he”; the referent (the blind man) is specified in the translation for clarity.


Or “formerly.”


An ingressive force (“began saying”) is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.


Grk “the one.”


Grk “Others were saying.”


Grk “This is the one.”


Grk “No, but he is like him.”


Grk “That one”; the referent (the man himself) is specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “I am he.”


Grk “So they were saying to him.”


Grk “How then were your eyes opened” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Grk “That one answered.”


Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).


Grk “and smeared.” Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when obvious from the context.


Grk “said to me.”


Or “and I gained my sight.”


Grk “And they said.”


Grk “that one.” “Man” is more normal English style for the referent.


Grk “He said.”


Grk “who was formerly blind.”


Grk “and opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Or “how he had become able to see.” sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21 ).


Grk “And he said to them.”


The word “now” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man’s former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).


As a response to the answers of the man who used to be blind, the use of the imperfect tense in the reply of the Pharisees is best translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to say” or “started saying”).


Grk “he does not keep.”


Grk “do.”


Or “So there was discord.”


Grk “the blind man.”


Grk “since he opened your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Grk “And he said, ‘He is a prophet.’” sn At this point the man, pressed by the Pharisees, admitted there was something special about Jesus. But here, since prophet is anarthrous (is not accompanied by the Greek article) and since in his initial reply in 9:11-12 the man showed no particular insight into the true identity of Jesus, this probably does not refer to the prophet of Deut 18:15 , but merely to an unusual person who is capable of working miracles. The Pharisees had put this man on the spot, and he felt compelled to say something about Jesus, but he still didn’t have a clear conception of who Jesus was, so he labeled him a “prophet.”


Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers mainly to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16 . References in this context to Pharisees and to the synagogue (v. 22 ) suggest an emphasis on the religious nature of the debate which is brought out by the translation “the Jewish religious leaders.”


The Greek text contains the words “about him” at this point: “the Jewish authorities did not believe about him…”


Grk “they called.”


Or “the man who had gained his sight.”


Grk “and they asked them, saying”; the referent (the parents) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The Greek pronoun and verb are both plural (both parents are addressed).


Grk “So his parents answered and said.”


Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Or “he is of age.”


Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16 . The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18 .


Grk “confessed him.”


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 .


Or “would be expelled from.”


Grk “who was blind.”


Grk “Give glory to God” (an idiomatic formula used in placing someone under oath to tell the truth).


The phrase “this man” is a reference to Jesus.


Grk “Then that one answered.”


Grk “open your eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Grk “He answered them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς ( autois ) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.


Grk “you did not hear.”


“It” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when they were clearly implied in the context.


The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.


Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”


Grk “and said.”


Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”


Grk “where this one.”


Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”


Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”


Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Grk “God does not hear.”


Or “godly.”


Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Or “hears.”


Grk “this one.”


Or “Never from the beginning of time,” Grk “From eternity.”


Grk “someone opening the eyes of a man born blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”


Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of , is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.


Grk “and are you teaching us?”


Grk “found him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


) have ἀνθρώπου . Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου , but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου . The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.


Grk “That one.”


Grk answered and said.” This has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”


Or “And who is he, sir? Tell me so that…” Some translations supply elliptical words like “Tell me” (NIV, NRSV) following the man’s initial question, but the shorter form given in the translation is clear enough.


Grk “that one.”


The καί – καί ( kai – kai ) construction would normally be translated “both – and”: “You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you.” In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.


Grk “And Jesus.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


here, since it is the only currently available papyrus ms extant for the text of John 9:38-39 . Further, א is an important and early Alexandrian witness for the omission. The versional testimony and codex W also give strong support to the omission. Nearly all other mss , however, include these words. The omission may have been occasioned by parablepsis (both vv. 37 and 39 begin with “Jesus said to him”), though it is difficult to account for such an error across such a wide variety of witnesses. On the other hand, the longer reading appears to be motivated by liturgical concerns (so R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:375), since the verb προσκυνέω ( proskunew , “I worship”) is used in John 4:20-25 of worshiping God, and again with the same sense in 12:20 . If these words were authentic here, this would be the only place in John’s Gospel where Jesus is the explicit object of προσκυνέω . Even if these words are not authentic, such an omission would nevertheless hardly diminish John’s high Christology (cf. 1:1; 5:18-23; 14:6-10; 20:28 ), nor the implicit worship of him by Thomas ( 20:28 ). Nevertheless, a decision is difficult, and the included words may reflect a very early tradition about the blind man’s response to Jesus.


Or “that those who do not see may see.”


Grk “heard these things.”


Grk “and said to him.”


Questions prefaced with μή ( mh ) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are we?”).


Grk “Jesus said to them.”


Grk “you would not have sin.”


Grk “now because you say, ‘We see…’”


Or “your sin.”


Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”


Or “entrance.”


Or “porter” (British English). sn There have been many attempts to identify who the doorkeeper represents, none of which are convincing. More likely there are some details in this parable that are included for the sake of the story, necessary as parts of the overall picture but without symbolic significance.


The words “the door” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.


Grk “For this one.”


Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


The word “sheep” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.


Grk “because they know.”


Or “someone whom they do not know.”


Grk “know.”


Or “the voice of someone they do not know.”


Grk “these.”


Or “comprehend.”


Or “I am the sheep’s door.”


Grk “are” (present tense).


Or “the sheep did not hear them.”


Since the Greek phrase εἰσέρχομαι καὶ ἐξέρχομαι ( eisercomai kai exercomai , “come in and go out”) is in some places an idiom for living or conducting oneself in relationship to some community (“to live with, to live among” [cf. Acts 1:21 ; see also Num 27:17 ; 2 Chr 1:10 ]), it may well be that Jesus’ words here look forward to the new covenant community of believers. Another significant NT text is Luke 9:4 , where both these verbs occur in the context of the safety and security provided by a given household for the disciples. See also BDAG 294 s.v. εἰσέρχομαι 1.b. β .


That is, “to slaughter” (in reference to animals).


That is, more than one would normally expect or anticipate.


Or “model” (see R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:386, who argues that “model” is a more exact translation of καλός [ kalos ] here).


Or “The good shepherd dies willingly.” sn Jesus speaks openly of his vicarious death twice in this section ( John 10:11, 15 ). Note the contrast: The thief takes the life of the sheep ( 10:10 ), the good shepherd lays down his own life for the sheep. Jesus is not speaking generally here, but specifically: He has his own substitutionary death on the cross in view. For a literal shepherd with a literal flock, the shepherd’s death would have spelled disaster for the sheep; in this instance it spells life for them (Compare the worthless shepherd of Zech 11:17 , by contrast).


Grk “leaves.”


Or “flees.”


Or “seizes.” The more traditional rendering, “snatches,” has the idea of seizing something by force and carrying it off, which is certainly possible here. However, in the sequence in John 10:12 , this action precedes the scattering of the flock of sheep, so “attacks” is preferable.


Grk “does not have a care for the sheep.”


B D L [W] Θ 1 33 1241 al co). Most likely it was added by a later scribe to improve the readability of vv. 12-13 , which is one long sentence in Greek. It has been included in the translation for the same stylistic reasons.


Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”


Or “I die willingly.”


Or “on behalf of” or “for the sake of.”


Grk “And I have.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


Or “that do not belong to”; Grk “that are not of.”


Grk “they will hear my voice.”


Grk “voice, and.”


The word “and” is not in the Greek text, but must be supplied to conform to English style. In Greek it is an instance of asyndeton (omission of a connective), usually somewhat emphatic.


Grk “Because of this the Father loves me.”


Or “die willingly.”


Or “give it up.”


Or “of my own accord.” “Of my own free will” is given by BDAG 321 s.v. ἐμαυτοῦ c.


Or “I have the right.”


Or “order.”


Or perhaps “the Jewish religious leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι ( Ioudaioi ) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase could be taken to refer to the Jewish religious leaders, since the Pharisees were the last to be mentioned specifically by name, in John 9:40 . However, in light of the charge about demon possession, which echoes 8:48 , it is more likely that Jewish people in general (perhaps in Jerusalem, if that is understood to be the setting of the incident) are in view here.


Or “is insane.” To translate simply “he is mad” (so KJV, ASV, RSV; “raving mad” NIV) could give the impression that Jesus was angry, while the actual charge was madness or insanity.


Or “the sayings.”


Grk “open the eyes of the blind” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


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


That is, Hanukkah or the ‘Festival of Lights.’ The Greek name for the feast, τὰ ἐγκαίνια ( ta enkainia ), literally means “renewal” and was used to translate Hanukkah which means “dedication.” The Greek noun, with its related verbs, was the standard term used in the LXX for the consecration of the altar of the Tabernacle ( Num 7:10-11 ), the altar of the temple of Solomon ( 1 Kgs 8:63 ; 2 Chr 7:5 ), and the altar of the second temple ( Ezra 6:16 ). The word is thus connected with the consecration of all the houses of God in the history of the nation of Israel. sn The feast of the Dedication (also known as Hanukkah) was a feast celebrating annually the Maccabean victories of 165-164 b.c. – when Judas Maccabeus drove out the Syrians, rebuilt the altar, and rededicated the temple on 25 Kislev (1 Macc 4:41-61). From a historical standpoint, it was the last great deliverance the Jewish people had experienced, and it came at a time when least expected. Josephus ends his account of the institution of the festival with the following statement: “And from that time to the present we observe this festival, which we call the festival of Lights, giving this name to it, I think, from the fact that the right to worship appeared to us at a time when we hardly dared hope for it” ( Ant. 12.7.6 [12.325]).


For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


Grk “in the temple.”


Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.” sn Solomon ’ s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. The question they ask Jesus (“Are you the Christ?”) is the same one they sent and asked of John the Baptist in the desert (see John 1:19-34 ). See also the note on the phrase “the Jewish people” in v. 19 .


Grk “said to him.” This has been translated as “asked” for stylistic reasons.


Grk “How long will you take away our life?” (an idiom which meant to keep one from coming to a conclusion about something). The use of the phrase τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν αἴρεις ( thn yuchn Jhmwn airei" ) meaning “to keep in suspense” is not well attested, although it certainly fits the context here. In modern Greek the phrase means “to annoy, bother.”


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 .


Or “publicly.”


Grk “answered them.”


Or “the works.”


Grk “And I give.”


Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”


Or “no one will seize.”


Or “is superior to all.”


Or “no one can seize.”


Grk “I and the Father.” The order has been reversed to reflect English style.


The phrase ἕν ἐσμεν ( {en esmen ) is a significant assertion with trinitarian implications. ἕν is neuter, not masculine, so the assertion is not that Jesus and the Father are one person, but one “thing.” Identity of the two persons is not what is asserted, but essential unity (unity of essence).


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrases “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in v. 24 .


Grk “Jesus answered them.”


Or “good works.”


Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here again the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders. See the notes on the phrase “Jewish people” in v. 19 and “Jewish leaders” in vv. 24, 31 .


Grk “answered him.”


Or “good work.”


Grk “and because.”


Grk “you, a man, make yourself to be God.”


Grk “answered them.”


Or “dedicated.”


Or “do.”


Or “works.”


Or “works.” sn Jesus says that in the final analysis, the deeds he did should indicate whether he was truly from the Father. If the authorities could not believe in him, it would be better to believe in the deeds he did than not to believe at all.


Or “so that you may learn.”


and D may have committed haplography, leaving later scribes in the chain to guess at the conjunction needed. In sum, the best reading appears to be ἐζήτουν οὖν .


Grk “they were seeking.”


Grk “he departed out of their hand.” sn It is not clear whether the authorities simply sought to “arrest” him, or were renewing their attempt to stone him (cf. John 10:31 ) by seizing him and taking him out to be stoned. In either event, Jesus escaped their clutches . Nor is it clear whether Jesus’ escape is to be understood as a miracle. If so, the text gives little indication and even less description. What is clear is that until his “hour” comes, Jesus is completely safe from the hands of men: His enemies are powerless to touch him until they are permitted to do so.


Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


The word “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity.


Grk “formerly.” sn This refers to the city of Bethany across the Jordan River (see John 1:28 ).


Grk “And many.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί ( kai ) has not been translated here.


Grk “did.”


Grk “this one.”


Grk “in him.”


Grk “from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.”


Or “perfume,” “ointment.”


The phrase “a message” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from context.


Grk “to him, saying”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.


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 ).


Or “to God’s praise.”


Grk “that he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “The disciples said to him.”


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 .


Grk “seeking.”


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.


Grk “Jesus answered.”


Or “he does not trip.”


Grk “in the night.”


Or “he trips.”


Grk “He said these things, and after this he said to them.”


The verb κοιμάω ( koimaw ) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “asleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term, especially in light of the disciples’ confusion over what Jesus actually meant (see v. 13 ).


Grk “Then the disciples said to him.”


Or “speaking about.”


Grk “these.”


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.


Grk “and I rejoice.”


Grk “Then when.”


Grk “came.”


Grk “he”; the referent (Lazarus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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.


Or “three kilometers”; Grk “fifteen stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).


For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


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 .


Or “to comfort them” or “to offer them sympathy.”


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.


Grk “Then Martha.” Here οὖν ( oun ) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.


Or “give.”


Grk “Jesus said to her.”


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.


Grk “Martha said to him.”


Or “will rise again.”


That is, will come to life.


Grk “will never die forever.”


Grk “She said to him.”


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.


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 .


Or “the Son of God, the one who comes into the world.”


Grk “she”; the referent (Martha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Or “in secret” (as opposed to publicly, so that the other mourners did not hear).


Grk “is calling you.”


Grk “she”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


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 .


Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.


Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).


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 .


Or (perhaps) “he was deeply indignant.” The verb ἐνεβριμήσατο ( enebrimhsato ), which is repeated in John 11:38 , indicates a strong display of emotion, somewhat difficult to translate – “shuddered, moved with the deepest emotions.” In the LXX, the verb and its cognates are used to describe a display of indignation ( Dan 11:30 , for example – see also Mark 14:5 ). Jesus displayed this reaction to the afflicted in Mark 1:43 , Matt 9:30 . Was he angry at the afflicted? No, but he was angry because he found himself face-to-face with the manifestations of Satan’s kingdom of evil. Here, the realm of Satan was represented by death.


Or “greatly troubled.” The verb ταράσσω ( tarassw ) also occurs in similar contexts to those of ἐνεβριμήσατο ( enebrimhsato ). John uses it in 14:1 and 27 to describe the reaction of the disciples to the imminent death of Jesus, and in 13:21 the verb describes how Jesus reacted to the thought of being betrayed by Judas, into whose heart Satan had entered.


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.


Or “Where have you placed him?”


Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ ( autw ) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.


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 .


Grk “who opened the eyes of the blind man” (“opening the eyes” is an idiom referring to restoration of sight).


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 11:37 b 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.


Or (perhaps) “Jesus was deeply indignant.”


Or “Remove the stone.”


Grk “the sister of the one who had died.”


Grk “already he stinks.”


Or “been there” (in the tomb – see John 11:17 ).


Grk “Jesus said to her.”


Or “they removed.”


Grk “lifted up his eyes above.”


Or “that you have heard me.”


Grk “that you always hear me.”


The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.


Grk “And when.”


Grk “and his face tied around with cloth.”


Grk “Loose him.”


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 .


Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.


Grk “told them.”


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 .


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.


Grk “If we let him do thus.”


Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).


Grk “said to them.” The indirect object αὐτοῖς ( autois ) has not been translated for stylistic reasons.


Or “you are not considering.”


Although it is possible to argue that ἄνθρωπος ( anqrwpo" ) should be translated “person” here since it is not necessarily masculinity that is in view in Caiaphas’ statement, “man” was retained in the translation because in 11:47 “this man” ( οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος , outo" Jo anqrwpo" ) has as its referent a specific individual, Jesus, and it was felt this connection should be maintained.


Grk “say this from himself.”


The word “Jewish” is not in the Greek text, but is clearly implied by the context (so also NIV; TEV “the Jewish people”).


See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.


Grk “that he might gather together.”


Grk “walked.”


Or “openly.”


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 .


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.


Grk “the Passover of the Jews.” This is the final Passover of Jesus’ ministry. The author is now on the eve of the week of the Passion. Some time prior to the feast itself, Jerusalem would be crowded with pilgrims from the surrounding districts ( ἐκ τῆς χώρας , ek th" cwra" ) who had come to purify themselves ceremonially before the feast.


For location see Map5-B1 ; Map6-F3 ; Map7-E2 ; Map8-F2 ; Map10-B3 ; JP1-F4 ; JP2-F4 ; JP3-F4 ; JP4-F4 .


Or “to purify themselves” (to undergo or carry out ceremonial cleansing before participating in the Passover celebration).


Grk “they were seeking Jesus.”


Grk “in the temple.”


Or “could seize.”


Grk “whom Jesus,” but a repetition of the proper name (Jesus) here would be redundant in the English clause structure, so the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.


Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity and to conform with contemporary English style.


Grk “And Martha.” The connective καί ( kai , “and”) has been omitted in the translation because it would produce a run-on sentence in English.