HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

John 18 is the eighteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the
Christian Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a v ...
. This chapter records the events on the day of the
Crucifixion of Jesus The crucifixion and death of Jesus occurred in 1st-century Judea, most likely in AD 30 or AD 33. It is described in the four canonical gospels, referred to in the New Testament epistles, attested to by other ancient sources, and consider ...
, starting with the
arrest of Jesus The arrest of Jesus was a pivotal event in Christianity recorded in the canonical gospels. It occurred shortly after the Last Supper (during which Jesus gave his final sermon), and immediately after the kiss of Judas, which is traditionally s ...
the evening before (in
Judaic Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in t ...
calculation, this would be considered part of the same day).Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'': an Abbreviated Bible Commentary. 23rd edition. Zondervan Publishing House. 1962. The three denials of Peter () are interwoven into the narrative concerning the trials of Jesus. The book containing this chapter is unattributed, however early Christian tradition generally considers that
John the Evangelist John the Evangelist ( grc-gre, Ἰωάννης, Iōánnēs; Aramaic: ܝܘܚܢܢ; Ge'ez: ዮሐንስ; ar, يوحنا الإنجيلي, la, Ioannes, he, יוחנן cop, ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ or ⲓⲱ̅ⲁ) is the name traditionally given t ...
composed the Gospel of John.Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 2012.


Text

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


Textual witnesses

Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: *
Rylands Library Papyrus P52 The Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as the St John's fragment and with an accession reference of Papyrus Rylands Greek 457, is a fragment from a papyrus codex, measuring only at its widest (about the size of a credit card), and conserved ...
(~Anno Domini 125; extant verses 31–33, 37–38) *
Papyrus 90 Papyrus 90 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), designated by 𝔓90, is a small fragment from the Gospel of John 18:36-19:7 dating palaeographically to the late 2nd century. The Greek text of this codex is a representative of the Alexandrian text- ...
(A.D. 150–175; extant verses 36–40) * Papyrus 108 (2nd/3rd century; extant verses 1–5) * Papyrus 66 (A.D. ~200; complete) *
Codex Vaticanus The Codex Vaticanus ( The Vatican, Bibl. Vat., Vat. gr. 1209), designated by siglum B or 03 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering), δ 1 ( von Soden), is a fourth-century Christian manuscript of a Greek Bible, containing the majority of the Greek Old ...
(A.D. 325–350) *
Codex Sinaiticus The Codex Sinaiticus (Shelfmark: London, British Library, Add MS 43725), designated by siglum [Aleph] or 01 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 2 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts) ...
(A.D. 330–360) *
Codex Bezae The Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, designated by siglum D or 05 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 5 (in the von Soden of New Testament manuscript), is a codex of the New Testament dating from the 5th century writt ...
(A.D. ~400) *
Codex Alexandrinus The Codex Alexandrinus (London, British Library, Royal MS 1. D. V-VIII), designated by the siglum A or 02 (in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 4 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a manu ...
(A.D. 400–440) *
Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (Paris, National Library of France, Greek 9) designated by the siglum C or 04 {in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts), δ 3 (in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts), is a man ...
(A.D. ~450; extant verses 1–35) *
Papyrus 60 Papyrus 60 (in the Gregory- Aland numbering), signed by 𝔓60, is a copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of John, it contains John 16:29-19:26. The manuscript paleographically has been assigned to the s ...
(A.D. ~700; complete). *
Papyrus 59 Papyrus 59 (in the Gregory- Aland numbering), signed by 𝔓59, is a copy of the New Testament in Greek. It is a papyrus manuscript of the Gospel of John. The manuscript has been palaeographically assigned to the seventh century. ; Contents Gos ...
(7th century; extant verses 1–2, 16–17, 22).


Places

The events recorded in this chapter took place in Jerusalem.


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

The opening of chapter 18 is directly connected with the final words of chapter 14: :''Arise, let us go from here'' (). The intervening chapters record Jesus'
Farewell Discourse In the New Testament, chapters 14–17 of the Gospel of John are known as the Farewell Discourse given by Jesus to eleven of his disciples immediately after the conclusion of the Last Supper in Jerusalem, the night before his crucifixion.''Joh ...
. Alfred Plummer, in the
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges is a biblical commentary set published in parts by Cambridge University Press from 1882 onwards. Anglican bishop John Perowne was the general editor. The first section published was written by theologia ...
(1902), suggests that Jesus and His disciples have "rise from table and prepare to depart at John 14:31, but that the contents of chapters 15-17 are spoken before they leave the room".


Verse 1

:''When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook (or winter stream) Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered.'' Some translations instead open with "When He had finished praying" or similar words. and refer to "a place called Gethsemane", but it is unnamed here, simply referred to as a garden. In the place is the mount of Olives.


Verse 2

: ''And
Judas Judas Iscariot (; grc-x-biblical, Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης; syc, ܝܗܘܕܐ ܣܟܪܝܘܛܐ; died AD) was a disciple and one of the original Twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. According to all four canonical gospels, Judas betray ...
, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.'' Judas is now called "Judas the betrayer" or "Judas, who is betraying" ( gr, ιουδας ο παραδιδους, ''ioudas ho paradidous'') ( John 18:2 and again in verse 5). He comes to this familiar place with troops, a captain and officers and servants of the chief priests and the Pharisees, carrying torches and lanterns and weapons (verse 6, cf. verse 12). H. W. Watkins surmises that Gethsemane might have been belonged to "a friend or disciple" of Jesus.Watkins, H. W. (1905)
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
on John 18, accessed 16 July 2016
Where many modern translations say that Jesus "met" there with his disciples, or "gathered" there in the Revised Geneva Translation, older versions such as the King James states that they "resorted" there. The New American Standard Bible notes that the troops were the ''Roman''
cohort Cohort or cohortes may refer to: * Cohort (educational group), a group of students working together through the same academic curriculum * Cohort (floating point), a set of different encodings of the same numerical value * Cohort (military unit) ...
( gr, σπεῖρα, ''speira'' in is the technical word for the Roman cohort) whereas
Richard Francis Weymouth Dr. Richard Francis Weymouth (M.A., D.Litt.) (1822–1902) was an English schoolmaster, Baptist layman and Bible student known particularly for producing one of the earliest modern language translations of the New Testament. Life Born near Devo ...
identified them as a detachment of the Temple police. This was the garrison band from Fort Antonia, at the north-east corner of the Temple.
Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a s ...
also came with a weapon (verses 10–11): :''Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was
Malchus Malchus (; grc-x-koine, Μάλχος, translit=Málkhos, ) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, ...
''.


Verse 4

:''Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”'' Plummer notes from this verse that the evangelist's narrative confirms: *the voluntariness of Christ's
suffering Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, may be an experience of unpleasantness or aversion, possibly associated with the perception of harm or threat of harm in an individual. Suffering is the basic element that makes up the negative valence of a ...
s, and *the fulfilment of a divine plan in Christ's sufferings and that the aim of the narrative is to endorse Jesus' earlier words, :''I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.'' and the evangelist's earlier commentary :''Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.Plummer, A. (1902)
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
on John 18, accessed 8 June 2019


Verse 5

:''"Jesus of Nazareth", they answered.'' :''"I am he", he said.'' :''Judas, the traitor, was standing there with them.'' A more literal translation of the guards' answer is "Jesus the Nazarene", which Plummer calls "a rather more
contemptuous Contempt is a pattern of attitudes and behaviour, often towards an individual or a group, but sometimes towards an ideology, which has the characteristics of disgust and anger. The word originated in 1393 in Old French contempt, contemps, ...
expression than 'Jesus of Nazareth'". Jesus' response is Ἐγώ εἰμι (''ego eimi'', I am): the word 'he' is not expressed in the Greek text. This is a familiar expression throughout John's Gospel, seen in , , , , , and . Plummer comments that "Judas, if not the chief priests, must have noticed the significant words". Verses 6 and 8 repeat the words Ἐγώ εἰμι (in English, "I am he").


Verse 9

:''That the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none".'' According to the New American Bible Revised Edition, the citation may refer to John 6:39, 10:28 or 17:12. *John 6:39: ''This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.'' *John 10:28: ''And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.'' *John 17:12: ''While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.'' Henry Alford,Alford, H.
Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary - Alford
on John 18, accessed 3 September 2022
Plummer, and Watkins concur in associating this verse with John 17:12. Arnold uses this fulfillment to argue (as "an unquestionable proof") that John 17 is a historical account of the words of Jesus and not merely "a description of the mind of our Lord at the time".


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

Jesus and "another disciple", or "the other disciple", who was known to the high priest, are taken to the High Priest's Courtyard, where initially Jesus meets with
Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High P ...
. The other disciple then brings in Peter. Unusually, John Wycliffe's bible translates gr, τω αρχιερει, ''tō archierei'' as "the
bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
".


Verse 19

:''The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.''
Annas Annas (also Ananus or Ananias;Goodman, Martin, "Rome & Jerusalem", Penguin Books, p.12 (2007) , ; grc-x-koine, Ἅννας, ; 23/22 BC – death date unknown, probably around AD 40) was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High P ...
is here referred to as "the high priest", although
Caiaphas Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famously pr ...
was the high priest that year ().
Heinrich Meyer Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer (10 January 1800 – 21 June 1873) was a German Protestant divine. He wrote commentaries on the ''New Testament'' and published an edition of that book. Biography Meyer was born in Gotha. He studied theology at Jena, ...
notes that Jesus ignores the first part of the question and answers only the second part, "and that by putting it aside as something entirely aimless, appealing to the publicity of His life".


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


Verse 28

:''Then they he Jewish leadersled Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.'' The Jewish leaders: words supplied by the New International Version to clarify "they". The reference is to the Sanhedrists, according to Scottish Free Church minister William Nicoll. The text here confirms that in John's timeline, the trial of Jesus took place ''before'' the Passover and therefore likewise the events of chapters 13-17 preceded the Passover: cf. : ''before the Feast of the Passover ...''


Verse 31

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


Verse 37

: ''Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?"'' : ''Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king.'' :: ''For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world,'' :: ''that I should bear witness to the truth.'' :: ''Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”'' Cross reference: Matthew 27:11; Mark 15:2; Luke 23:3


What is truth? (18:39-40)


Verse 38

: ''Pilate said to Him, "What is truth?"'' : ''And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews,'' :: ''and said to them, "I find no fault in Him at all".'' NKJV


See also

*
Arrest of Jesus The arrest of Jesus was a pivotal event in Christianity recorded in the canonical gospels. It occurred shortly after the Last Supper (during which Jesus gave his final sermon), and immediately after the kiss of Judas, which is traditionally s ...
*
Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...
*
Denial of Peter The Denial of Peter (or Peter's Denial) refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament. All four Canonical Gospels state that during Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, he p ...
* Jerusalem * Jesus Christ * Pontius Pilate *
Rylands Library Papyrus P52 The Rylands Library Papyrus P52, also known as the St John's fragment and with an accession reference of Papyrus Rylands Greek 457, is a fragment from a papyrus codex, measuring only at its widest (about the size of a credit card), and conserved ...
*
Sanhedrin trial of Jesus In the New Testament, the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus refers to the trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin (a Jewish judicial body) following his arrest in Jerusalem and prior to the trial before Pontius Pilate. It is an incident reported by all t ...
* Other related Bible parts:
Matthew 26 Matthew 26 is the 26th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, part of the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This chapter covers the beginning of the Passion of Jesus narrative, which continues to Matthew 28; it contains the narratives of the Jewis ...
, Matthew 27,
Mark 14 Mark 14 is the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It contains the plot to kill Jesus, his anointing by a woman, the Last Supper, predictions of his betrayal, and Peter the Apostle's three deni ...
,
Mark 15 Mark 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. This chapter records the narrative of Jesus' passion, including his trial before Pontius Pilate and then his crucifixion, death and entombment ...
, Luke 22, Luke 23,
John 13 John 13 is the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The "latter half" John 19 John 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The book containing this chapter is anonymous, but early Christian tradition uniformly affirmed that John composed this Gospel.Holman Illustrate ...


References


External links

* King James Bible - Wikisource
English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate''Online Bible'' at GospelHall.org
(ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English)
Multiple bible versions at ''Bible Gateway''
(NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) {{Gospel of John John 18 Pontius Pilate Gethsemane