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2 Chronicles 30-31

Hezekiah Observes the Passover

30 Hezekiah sent messages throughout Israel and Judah; he even wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, summoning them to come to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem and observe a Passover celebration for the Lord God of Israel. ²The king, his officials, and the entire assembly in Jerusalem decided to observe the Passover in the second month. ³They were unable to observe it at the regular^[a] time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. ⁴The proposal seemed appropriate to^[b] the king and the entire assembly. ⁵So they sent an edict^[c] throughout Israel from Beer Sheba to Dan, summoning the people^[d] to come and observe a Passover for the Lord God of Israel in Jerusalem, for they had not observed it on a nationwide scale as prescribed in the law.^[e] ⁶Messengers^[f] delivered the letters from the king and his officials throughout Israel and Judah.

This royal edict read:^[g] “O Israelites, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, so he may return^[h] to you who have been spared from the kings of Assyria.^[i] ⁷Don’t be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the Lord God of their ancestors,^[j] provoking him to destroy them,^[k] as you can see. ⁸Now, don’t be stubborn^[l] like your fathers. Submit^[m] to the Lord and come to his sanctuary which he has permanently consecrated. Serve the Lord your God so that he might relent from his raging anger.^[n] ⁹For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and sons will be shown mercy by their captors and return to this land. The Lord your God is merciful and compassionate; he will not reject you^[o] if you return to him.”

¹⁰The messengers journeyed from city to city through the land of Ephraim and Manasseh as far as Zebulun, but people mocked and ridiculed them.^[p] ¹¹But some men from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹²In Judah God moved the people to unite^[q] and carry out the edict of the king and the officers in keeping with the Lord’s message. ¹³A huge crowd assembled in Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month.^[r] ¹⁴They removed the altars in Jerusalem; they also removed all the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.^[s]

¹⁵They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and Levites were ashamed, so they consecrated themselves and brought burnt sacrifices to the Lord’s temple. ¹⁶They stood at their posts according to the regulations outlined in the law of Moses, the man of God. The priests were splashing the blood as the Levites handed it to them.^[t] ¹⁷Because many in the assembly had not consecrated themselves, the Levites slaughtered^[u] the Passover lambs of all who were ceremonially unclean and could not consecrate their sacrifice to the Lord.^[v] ¹⁸The majority of the many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun were ceremonially unclean, yet they ate the Passover in violation of what is prescribed in the law.^[w] For Hezekiah prayed for them, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive^[x] ¹⁹everyone who has determined to follow God,^[y] the Lord God of his ancestors, even if he is not ceremonially clean according to the standards of the temple.”^[z] ²⁰The Lord responded favorably^[aa] to Hezekiah and forgave^[ab] the people.

²¹The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might.^[ac] ²²Hezekiah expressed his appreciation to all the Levites,^[ad] who demonstrated great skill in serving the Lord.^[ae] They feasted for the seven days of the festival,^[af] and were making peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord God of their ancestors.

²³The entire assembly then decided to celebrate for seven more days; so they joyfully celebrated for seven more days. ²⁴King Hezekiah of Judah supplied 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep^[ag] for the assembly, while the officials supplied them^[ah] with 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. Many priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵The celebration included^[ai] the entire assembly of Judah, the priests, the Levites, the entire assembly of those who came from Israel, the resident foreigners^[aj] who came from the land of Israel, and those who were residents of Judah. ²⁶There was a great celebration in Jerusalem, unlike anything that had occurred in Jerusalem since the time of King Solomon son of David of Israel.^[ak] ²⁷The priests and Levites got up and pronounced blessings on the people. The Lord responded favorably to them^[al] as their prayers reached his holy dwelling place in heaven.

31 When all this was over, the Israelites^[am] who were in the cities of Judah went out and smashed the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah poles, and demolished^[an] all the high places and altars throughout Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh.^[ao] Then all the Israelites returned to their own homes in their cities.^[ap]

The People Contribute to the Temple

²Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and Levites to do their assigned tasks^[aq]—to offer burnt sacrifices and present offerings and to serve, give thanks, and offer praise in the gates of the Lord’s sanctuary.^[ar]

³The king contributed^[as] some of what he owned for burnt sacrifices, including the morning and evening burnt sacrifices and the burnt sacrifices made on Sabbaths, new moon festivals, and at other appointed times prescribed^[at] in the law of the Lord. ⁴He ordered^[au] the people living in Jerusalem to contribute the portion prescribed for the priests and Levites so they might be obedient^[av] to the law of the Lord. ⁵When the edict was issued,^[aw] the Israelites freely contributed^[ax] the initial portion of their grain, wine, olive oil, honey, and all the produce of their fields. They brought a tenth of everything, which added up to a huge amount. ⁶The Israelites and people of Judah^[ay] who lived in the cities of Judah also contributed a tenth of their cattle and sheep, as well as a tenth of the holy items consecrated to the Lord their God. They brought them and placed them in many heaps.^[az] ⁷In the third month they began piling their contributions in heaps^[ba] and finished in the seventh month. ⁸When Hezekiah and the officials came and saw the heaps, they praised the Lord and pronounced blessings on his people Israel.^[bb]

⁹When Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps, ¹⁰Azariah, the head priest from the family of Zadok, said to him, “Since the contributions began arriving in the Lord’s temple, we have had plenty to eat and have a large quantity left over. For the Lord has blessed his people, and this large amount remains.” ¹¹Hezekiah ordered that storerooms be prepared in the Lord’s temple. When this was done,^[bc] ¹²they brought in the contributions, tithes,^[bd] and consecrated items that had been offered.^[be] Konaniah, a Levite, was in charge of all this, assisted by his brother Shimei. ¹³Jehiel, Azaziah, Nahath, Asahel, Jerimoth, Jozabad, Eliel, Ismakiah, Mahath, and Benaiah worked under the supervision of Konaniah and his brother Shimei, as directed by King Hezekiah and Azariah, the supervisor of God’s temple.

¹⁴Kore son of Imnah, a Levite and the guard on the east side, was in charge of the voluntary offerings made to God and disbursed the contributions made to the Lord and the consecrated items. ¹⁵In the cities of the priests, Eden, Miniamin, Jeshua, Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah faithfully assisted him in making disbursements to their fellow priests^[bf] according to their divisions, regardless of age.^[bg] ¹⁶They made disbursements to all the males three years old and up who were listed in the genealogical records—to all who would enter the Lord’s temple to serve on a daily basis and fulfill their duties as assigned to their divisions.^[bh] ¹⁷They made disbursements to the priests listed in the genealogical records by their families, and to the Levites twenty years old and up, according to their duties as assigned to their divisions, ¹⁸and to all the infants, wives, sons, and daughters of the entire assembly listed in the genealogical records, for they faithfully consecrated themselves. ¹⁹As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities,^[bi] men were assigned^[bj] to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

²⁰This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah. He did what the Lord his God considered good and right and faithful. ²¹He wholeheartedly and successfully reinstituted service in God’s temple and obedience to the law, in order to follow his God.^[bk]

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 30:3 tn Heb “at that time.”
2 Chronicles 30:4 tn Heb “and the thing was proper in the eyes of.”
2 Chronicles 30:5 tn Heb “and they caused to stand a word to cause a voice to pass through.”
2 Chronicles 30:5 tn The words “summoning the people” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons, with the summons being the "voice" that passed throughout Israel.
2 Chronicles 30:5 tn Heb “because not for abundance had they done as written.”
2 Chronicles 30:6 tn Heb “the runners.”
2 Chronicles 30:6 tn Heb “and according to the command of the king, saying.”
2 Chronicles 30:6 tn The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
2 Chronicles 30:6 tn Heb “to the survivors who are left to you from the palm of the kings of Assyria.”
2 Chronicles 30:7 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 19, 22).
2 Chronicles 30:7 tn Heb “and he made them a devastation” (or, perhaps, “an object of horror”).
2 Chronicles 30:8 tn Heb “don’t stiffen your neck” (a Hebrew idiom for being stubborn).
2 Chronicles 30:8 tn Heb “give a hand.” On the meaning of the idiom here, see HALOT 387 s.v. I יָד 2.
2 Chronicles 30:8 tn Heb “so that the rage of his anger might turn from you.” The jussive with vav conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.
2 Chronicles 30:9 tn Heb “turn [his] face from you.”
2 Chronicles 30:10 tn Heb “and they were mocking them and ridiculing them.”
2 Chronicles 30:12 tn Heb “the hand of God was [such as] to give them one heart.”
2 Chronicles 30:13 tn The Hebrew text adds here, “a very large assembly.” This has not been translated to avoid redundancy with the expression “a huge crowd” at the beginning of the verse.
2 Chronicles 30:14 tn Heb “and they arose and removed the altars which were in Jerusalem, and all the incense altars they removed and threw into the Kidron Valley.”
2 Chronicles 30:16 tn Heb “from the hand of the Levites.”
2 Chronicles 30:17 tn Heb “were over the slaughter of.”
2 Chronicles 30:17 tn Heb “of everyone not pure to consecrate to the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 30:18 tn Heb “without what is written.”
2 Chronicles 30:18 tn Heb “make atonement for.”
2 Chronicles 30:19 tn Heb “everyone [who] has prepared his heart to seek God.”
2 Chronicles 30:19 tn Heb “and not according to the purification of the holy place.”
2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “listened.”
2 Chronicles 30:20 tn Heb “healed.”
2 Chronicles 30:21 tn Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhle ʿoz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments (NASB “with loud instruments”; NEB “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (b^ekhol ʿoz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז and BDB 739 s.v. עֹז).
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites.” On the meaning of the idiom “speak to the heart of” here, see HALOT 210 s.v. II דבר 8.d.
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “who demonstrated skill [with] good skill for the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 30:22 tn Heb “and they ate [during] the appointed time [for] seven days.” מוֹעֵד (moʿed, “appointed time”) is probably an adverbial accusative of time referring to the festival. However, some understand it as metonymically referring to the food eaten during the festival. See BDB 417 s.v.
2 Chronicles 30:24 tn The Hebrew term צֹאן (tsoʾn, translated “sheep” twice in this verse) denotes smaller livestock in general; depending on context it can refer to sheep only or goats only, but there is nothing in the immediate context here to specify one or the other.
2 Chronicles 30:24 tn Heb “the assembly.” The pronoun “them” has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.
2 Chronicles 30:25 tn Heb “they rejoiced.”
2 Chronicles 30:25 sn The term גֵּר (ger) refers to a foreign resident, but with different social implications in different settings. In Mosaic Law the resident foreigner was essentially a naturalized citizen and convert to worshiping the God of Israel (see Exod 12:19, 48; Deut 29:10-13). Here the term refers to those who had immigrated (or fled as refugees) from the conquered northern kingdom as well as those already residents of the southern kingdom of Judah.
2 Chronicles 30:26 tn Heb “and there was great joy in Jerusalem, for from the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel, there was nothing like this in Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 30:27 tn Heb “and it was heard with their voice.” BDB 1034 s.v. שָׁמַע Niph.4 interprets this to mean “hearing was granted to their voice.” It is possible that the name יְהוָה (y^ehvah, “the Lord”) has been accidentally omitted.
2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “all Israel.”
2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Or “tore down.”
2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “the high places and the altars from all Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and in Manasseh until finished.”
2 Chronicles 31:1 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel returned, each to his possession to their cities.”
2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “and Hezekiah appointed the divisions of the priests and the Levites according to their divisions, each in accordance with his service for the priests and for the Levites.”
2 Chronicles 31:2 tn Heb “in the gates of the encampments of the Lord.”
2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “the portion of the king [was].”
2 Chronicles 31:3 tn Heb “festivals, as written.”
2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “said to.”
2 Chronicles 31:4 tn Heb “might hold firmly.”
2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “and when the word spread out.”
2 Chronicles 31:5 tn Heb “the sons of Israel multiplied.”
2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “and the sons of Israel and Judah.”
2 Chronicles 31:6 tn Heb “heaps, heaps.” Repetition of the noun draws attention to the large number of heaps.
2 Chronicles 31:7 tn Heb “they began the heaps to establish.”
2 Chronicles 31:8 tn Heb “they blessed the Lord and his people Israel.”
2 Chronicles 31:11 tn Heb “and they prepared.”
2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “tenth.”
2 Chronicles 31:12 tn Heb “and holy things in faithfulness.”
2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “to their brothers.”
2 Chronicles 31:15 tn Heb “like great, like small” (i.e., old and young alike).
2 Chronicles 31:16 tn Heb “in addition enrolling them by males from a son of three years and upwards, to everyone who enters the house of the Lord for a matter of a day in its day, for their service by their duties according to their divisions.”
2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “the priests in the fields of the pastureland of their cities in every city and city.”
2 Chronicles 31:19 tn Heb “designated by names.”
2 Chronicles 31:21 tn Heb “and in all the work which he began with regard to the service of the house of God and with respect to the law and with respect to the commandment, to seek his God; with all his heart he acted and he succeeded.”

John 18:1-18

Betrayal and Arrest

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

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

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

Jesus Before Annas

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

Peter’s First Denial

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

Footnotes

John 18:1 sn When he had said these things appears to be a natural transition at the end of the Farewell Discourse (the farewell speech of Jesus to his disciples in John 13:31-17:26, including the final prayer in 17:1-26). The author states that Jesus went out with his disciples, a probable reference to their leaving the upper room where the meal and discourse described in chaps. 13-17 took place (although some have seen this only as a reference to their leaving the city, with the understanding that some of the Farewell Discourse, including the concluding prayer, was given en route, cf. 14:31). They crossed the Kidron Valley and came to a garden, or olive orchard, identified in Matt 26:36 and Mark 14:32 as Gethsemane. The name is not given in Luke’s or John’s Gospel, but the garden must have been located somewhere on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives.
John 18:1 tn Grk “the wadi of the Kidron,” or “the ravine of the Kidron” (a wadi is a stream that flows only during the rainy season and is dry during the dry season).
John 18:1 tn Or “a garden.”
John 18:2 tn Or “often.”
John 18:2 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:3 tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one-tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos, v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.
John 18:3 tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.
John 18:3 tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.
John 18:3 tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.sn Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John’s Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).
John 18:4 tn Grk “knowing all things that were coming upon him.”
John 18:4 tn Grk “Whom do you seek?”
John 18:5 tn Grk “They answered.”sn The author does not state precisely who from the group of soldiers and temple police replied to Jesus at this point. It may have been the commander of the Roman soldiers, although his presence is not explicitly mentioned until 18:12. It may also have been one of the officers of the chief priests. To the answer given, “Jesus the Nazarene,” Jesus replies “I am [he].”
John 18:5 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Before he states the response to Jesus’ identification of himself, the author inserts a parenthetical note that Judas, again identified as the one who betrayed him (cf. 18:2), was standing with the group of soldiers and officers of the chief priests. Many commentators have considered this to be an awkward insertion, but in fact it heightens considerably the dramatic effect of the response to Jesus’ self-identification in the following verse, and has the added effect of informing the reader that along with the others the betrayer himself ironically falls down at Jesus’ feet (18:6).
John 18:6 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 18:6 tn Grk “moved back” (but here a fairly rapid movement is implied).
John 18:6 sn When Jesus said to those who came to arrest him “I am,” they retreated and fell to the ground. L. Morris says that “it is possible that those in front recoiled from Jesus’ unexpected advance, so that they bumped those behind them, causing them to stumble and fall” (John [NICNT], 743-44). Perhaps this is what in fact happened on the scene, but the theological significance given to this event by the author implies that more is involved. The reaction on the part of those who came to arrest Jesus comes in response to his affirmation that he is indeed the one they are seeking, Jesus the Nazarene. But Jesus makes this affirmation of his identity using a formula which the reader has encountered before in the Fourth Gospel, e.g., 8:24, 28, 58. Jesus has applied to himself the divine Name of Exod 3:14, “I AM.” Therefore this amounts to something of a theophany which causes even his enemies to recoil and prostrate themselves, so that Jesus has to ask a second time, “Who are you looking for?” This is a vivid reminder to the reader of the Gospel that even in this dark hour, Jesus holds ultimate power over his enemies and the powers of darkness, because he is the one who bears the divine Name.
John 18:7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 18:8 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
John 18:8 tn Grk “if you are seeking.”
John 18:8 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more generic word like “people” because in context Jesus referred only to the eleven remaining disciples who were loyal to him and were present at his arrest.
John 18:8 sn A second time Jesus replied, “I told you that I am he,” identifying himself as the one they are seeking. Jesus also added, “If you are looking for me, let these men go.” Jesus successfully diverted attention from his disciples by getting the soldiers and officers of the chief priests to admit (twice) that it is only him they were after. Even in this hour Jesus still protected and cared for his own, giving himself up on their behalf. By handing himself over to his enemies, Jesus ensured that his disciples went free. From the perspective of the author, this is acting out beforehand what Jesus will actually do for his followers when he goes to the cross.
John 18:9 tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.
John 18:9 sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.
John 18:9 tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.sn This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus’ own words: “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” Here it is Jesus’ own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus’ words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38; 13:18; 15:25; 17:12; 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John’s Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.
John 18:10 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
John 18:10 sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (ōtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).
John 18:10 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:11 tn Grk “The cup that the Father has given me to drink, shall I not drink it?” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.sn Jesus continues with what most would take to be a rhetorical question expecting a positive reply: “Shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” The cup is also mentioned in Gethsemane in the synoptics (Matt 26:39, Mark 14:36, and Luke 22:42). In connection with the synoptic accounts it is mentioned in Jesus’ prayer; this occurrence certainly complements the synoptic accounts if Jesus had only shortly before finished praying about this. Only here in the Fourth Gospel is it specifically said that the cup is given to Jesus to drink by the Father, but again this is consistent with the synoptic mention of the cup in Jesus’ prayer: It is the cup of suffering which Jesus is about to undergo.
John 18:12 tn Grk “a cohort” (but since this was a unit of 600 soldiers, a smaller detachment is almost certainly intended).
John 18:12 tn Grk “their chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos) literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militaris, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.
John 18:12 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, who were named as “chief priests and Pharisees” in John 18:3.
John 18:12 tn Or “seized.”
John 18:12 tn Or “bound him.”
John 18:13 tn Grk “up, and brought.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
John 18:13 sn Jesus was taken first to Annas. Only the Gospel of John mentions this pretrial hearing before Annas, and that Annas was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who is said to be high priest in that year. Caiaphas is also mentioned as being high priest in John 11:49. But in 18:15, 16, 19, and 22 Annas is called high priest. Annas is also referred to as high priest by Luke in Acts 4:6. Many scholars have dismissed these references as mistakes on the part of both Luke and John, but as mentioned above, John 11:49 and 18:13 indicate that John knew that Caiaphas was high priest in the year that Jesus was crucified. This has led others to suggest that Annas and Caiaphas shared the high priesthood, but there is no historical evidence to support this view. Annas had been high priest from a.d. 6 to a.d. 15 when he was deposed by the Roman prefect Valerius Gratus (according to Josephus, Ant. 18.2.2 [18.34]). His five sons all eventually became high priests. The family was noted for its greed, wealth, and power. There are a number of ways the references in both Luke and John to Annas being high priest may be explained. Some Jews may have refused to recognize the changes in high priests effected by the Roman authorities, since according to the Torah the high priesthood was a lifetime office (Num 25:13). Another possibility is that it was simply customary to retain the title after a person had left the office as a courtesy, much as retired ambassadors are referred to as “Mr. Ambassador” or ex-presidents as “Mr. President.” Finally, the use of the title by Luke and John may simply be a reflection of the real power behind the high priesthood of the time: Although Annas no longer technically held the office, he may well have managed to control those relatives of his who did hold it from behind the scenes. In fact this seems most probable and would also explain why Jesus was brought to him immediately after his arrest for a sort of “pretrial hearing” before being sent on to the entire Sanhedrin.
John 18:14 tn Or “counseled.”
John 18:14 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
John 18:14 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:15 tn The words “them as they brought Jesus to Annas” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify who Peter and the other disciple were following. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
John 18:15 tn Grk “that disciple.”sn Many have associated this unnamed other disciple with the beloved disciple, that is, John son of Zebedee, mainly because the phrase the other disciple which occurs here is also used to describe the beloved disciple in John 20:2, 3, 4, and 8. Peter is also closely associated with the beloved disciple in 13:23-26; 20:2-10; 21:7, and 21:20-23. But other identifications have also been proposed, chiefly because v. 16 states that this disciple who was accompanied by Peter was known to the high priest. As C. K. Barrett (St. John, 525) points out, the term γνωστός (gnōstos) is used in the LXX to refer to a close friend (Ps 54:14 LXX [55:14 ET]). This raises what for some is an insurmountable difficulty in identifying the “other disciple” as John son of Zebedee, since how could the uneducated son of an obscure Galilean fisherman be known to such a powerful and influential family in Jerusalem? E. A. Abbott (as quoted in “Notes of Recent Exposition,” ExpTim 25 [1913/14]: 149-50) proposed that the “other disciple” who accompanied Peter was Judas, since he was the one disciple of whom it is said explicitly (in the synoptic accounts) that he had dealings with the high priest. E. A. Tindall (“Contributions and Comments: John xviii.15, ” ExpTim 28 [1916/17]: 283-84) suggested the disciple was Nicodemus, who as a member of the Sanhedrin, would have had access to the high priest’s palace. Both of these suggestions, while ingenious, nevertheless lack support from the text of the Fourth Gospel itself or the synoptic accounts. W. Wuellner (The Meaning of “Fishers of Men” [NTL]) argues that the common attitude concerning the low social status and ignorance of the disciples from Galilee may in fact be a misconception. Zebedee is presented in Mark 1:20 as a man wealthy enough to have hired servants, and Mark 10:35-45 presents both of the sons of Zebedee as concerned about status and prestige. John’s mother appears in the same light in Matt 20:20-28. Contact with the high priestly family in Jerusalem might not be so unlikely in such circumstances. Others have noted the possibility that John came from a priestly family, some of which is based upon a statement in Eusebius (Ecclesiastical History 3.31.3) quoting Polycrates that John son of Zebedee was a priest. For further information on possible priestly connections among members of John’s family see L. Morris (John [NICNT], 752, n. 32). None of this is certain, but on the whole it seems most probable that the disciple who accompanied Peter and gained entry into the courtyard for him was John son of Zebedee.
John 18:15 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:16 tn Grk “spoke to the doorkeeper”; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun θυρωρός (thurōros) may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.
John 18:17 tn Grk “slave girl.” Since the descriptive term “slave girl” was introduced in the translation in the previous verse, it would be redundant to repeat the full expression here.
John 18:17 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
John 18:17 tn Grk “He said.”
John 18:18 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
John 18:18 tn That is, the “guards of the chief priests” as distinguished from the household slaves of Annas.
John 18:18 tn Grk “because it was cold, and they were warming themselves.”
John 18:18 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

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Old/New Testament

Hezekiah Observes the Passover

The People Contribute to the Temple

Footnotes

Betrayal and Arrest

Jesus Before Annas

Peter’s First Denial

Footnotes