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2 Chronicles 32-33

Sennacherib Invades Judah

32 After these faithful deeds were accomplished, King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah. He besieged the fortified cities, intending to seize them.^[a] ²When Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had invaded and intended to attack Jerusalem,^[b] ³he consulted with his advisers and military officers about stopping up the springs^[c] outside the city, and they supported him. ⁴A large number of people gathered together and stopped up all the springs and the stream that flowed through the district.^[d] They reasoned,^[e] “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” ⁵Hezekiah^[f] energetically rebuilt^[g] every broken wall. He erected towers and an outer wall^[h] and fortified the terrace of the City of David.^[i] He made many weapons and shields.

⁶He appointed military officers over the army^[j] and assembled them in the square at the city gate. He encouraged them,^[k] saying, ⁷“Be strong and brave! Don’t be afraid and don’t panic^[l] because of the king of Assyria and this huge army that is with him. We have with us one who is stronger than those who are with him.^[m] ⁸He has with him mere human strength,^[n] but the Lord our God is with us to help us and fight our battles!” The army^[o] was encouraged by the words of King Hezekiah of Judah.

⁹Afterward King Sennacherib of Assyria, while attacking Lachish with all his military might, sent his messengers^[p] to Jerusalem. The message was for King Hezekiah of Judah and all the people of^[q] Judah who were in Jerusalem. It read: ¹⁰“This is what King Sennacherib of Assyria says: ‘Why are you so confident that you remain in Jerusalem while it is under siege?^[r] ¹¹Hezekiah says, “The Lord our God will rescue us from the power^[s] of the king of Assyria.” But he is misleading you, and you will die of hunger and thirst!^[t] ¹²Hezekiah is the one who eliminated^[u] the Lord’s^[v] high places and altars and then told Judah and Jerusalem, “At one altar you must worship and offer sacrifices.” ¹³Are you not aware of what I and my predecessors^[w] have done to all the nations of the surrounding lands? Have the gods of the surrounding lands actually been able to rescue their lands from my power?^[x] ¹⁴Who among all the gods of these nations whom my predecessors annihilated was able to rescue his people from my power, that your God would be able to rescue you from my power?^[y] ¹⁵Now don’t let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. So how^[z] can your gods rescue^[aa] you from my power?’”

¹⁶Sennacherib’s^[ab] servants further insulted^[ac] the Lord God and his servant Hezekiah. ¹⁷He wrote letters mocking the Lord God of Israel and insulting him with these words:^[ad] “The gods of the surrounding nations could not rescue their people from my power. Neither can Hezekiah’s god rescue his people from my power.”^[ae] ¹⁸They called out loudly in the Judahite dialect to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, trying to scare and terrify them so they could seize the city. ¹⁹They talked about the God of Jerusalem as if he were one of the man-made gods of the nations of the earth.

²⁰King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz prayed about this and cried out to heaven. ²¹The Lord sent a messenger^[af] and he wiped out all the soldiers, princes, and officers in the army of the king of Assyria. So Sennacherib^[ag] returned home humiliated.^[ah] When he entered the temple of his god, some of his own sons^[ai] struck him down with the sword. ²²The Lord delivered Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem from the power of King Sennacherib of Assyria and from all the other nations.^[aj] He made them secure on every side.^[ak] ²³Many were bringing presents^[al] to the Lord in Jerusalem and precious gifts to King Hezekiah of Judah. From that time on he was respected by^[am] all the nations.

Hezekiah’s Shortcomings and Accomplishments

²⁴In those days Hezekiah was stricken with a terminal illness.^[an] He prayed to the Lord, who answered him and gave him a sign confirming that he would be healed.^[ao] ²⁵But Hezekiah was ungrateful; he had a proud attitude, provoking God to be angry at him, as well as Judah and Jerusalem.^[ap] ²⁶But then Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem humbled themselves and abandoned their pride, and the Lord was not angry with them for the rest of Hezekiah’s reign.^[aq]

²⁷Hezekiah was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made storehouses for his silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields, and all his other valuable possessions. ²⁸He made storerooms for the harvest of grain, wine, and olive oil, and stalls for all his various kinds of livestock and his flocks.^[ar] ²⁹He built royal cities^[as] and owned a large number of sheep and cattle, for God gave him a huge amount of possessions.

³⁰Hezekiah dammed up the source of the waters of the Upper Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the City of David.^[at] Hezekiah succeeded in all that he did. ³¹So when the envoys arrived from the Babylonian officials to visit him and inquire about the sign that occurred in the land,^[au] God left him alone to test him, in order to know his true motives.^[av]

³²The rest of the events of Hezekiah’s reign, including his faithful deeds, are recorded in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz, included in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.^[aw] ³³Hezekiah passed away^[ax] and was buried on the ascent of the tombs of the descendants of David. All the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem buried him with great honor.^[ay] His son Manasseh replaced him as king.

Manasseh’s Reign

33 Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. ²He did evil in the sight of^[az] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations^[ba] whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites. ³He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky^[bb] and worshiped^[bc] them. ⁴He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my permanent home.”^[bd] ⁵In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. ⁶He passed his sons through the fire^[be] in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it.^[bf] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered him.^[bg] ⁷He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s temple, about which God had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.^[bh] ⁸I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,^[bi] provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law, the rules and regulations given through Moses.” ⁹But Manasseh misled the people of^[bj] Judah and the residents of Jerusalem so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed ahead of the Israelites.

¹⁰The Lord confronted^[bk] Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. ¹¹So the Lord brought against them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria. They seized Manasseh, put hooks in his nose,^[bl] bound him with bronze chains, and carried him away to Babylon. ¹²In his pain^[bm] Manasseh^[bn] asked the Lord his God for mercy^[bo] and truly^[bp] humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.^[bq] ¹³When he prayed to the Lord,^[br] the Lord^[bs] responded to him^[bt] and answered favorably^[bu] his cry for mercy. The Lord^[bv] brought him back to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh realized that the Lord is the true God.

¹⁴After this Manasseh^[bw] built up the outer wall of the City of David^[bx] on the west side of the Gihon in the valley to the entrance of the Fish Gate and all around the terrace; he made it much higher. He placed army officers in all the fortified cities in Judah.

¹⁵He removed the foreign gods and images from the Lord’s temple and all the altars he had built on the hill of the Lord’s temple and in Jerusalem; he threw them outside the city. ¹⁶He erected the altar of the Lord and offered on it peace offerings and thank offerings. He told the people of^[by] Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. ¹⁷However, the people continued to offer sacrifices at the high places, but only to the Lord their God.

¹⁸The rest of the events of Manasseh’s reign, including his prayer to his God and the words the prophets^[bz] spoke to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, are recorded^[ca] in the Annals of the Kings of Israel. ¹⁹The Annals of the Prophets include his prayer, give an account of how the Lord responded to it, record all his sins and unfaithful acts, and identify the sites where he built high places and erected Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself.^[cb] ²⁰Manasseh passed away^[cc] and was buried in his palace. His son Amon replaced him as king.

Amon’s Reign

²¹Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned for two years in Jerusalem. ²²He did evil in the sight of^[cd] the Lord, just as his father Manasseh had done. Amon offered sacrifices to all the idols his father Manasseh had made, and worshiped^[ce] them. ²³He did not humble himself before the Lord as his father Manasseh had done.^[cf] Amon was guilty of great sin.^[cg] ²⁴His servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace. ²⁵The people of the land executed all who had conspired against King Amon, and they^[ch] made his son Josiah king in his place.

Footnotes

2 Chronicles 32:1 tn Heb “and he said to break into them for himself.”
2 Chronicles 32:2 tn Heb “and his face was for war against Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 32:3 tn Heb “the waters of the springs.”
2 Chronicles 32:4 tn Heb “and they closed up all the springs and the stream that flows in the midst of the land.” Here אָרֶץ (ʾarets, “land”) does not refer to the entire land, but to a smaller region like a district.
2 Chronicles 32:4 tn Heb “land, saying.”
2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “strengthened himself and built.”
2 Chronicles 32:5 tn Heb “and outside the wall another one.”
2 Chronicles 32:5 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
2 Chronicles 32:6 tn Heb “and he placed officers of war over the people.”
2 Chronicles 32:6 tn Heb “he spoke to their heart[s].”
2 Chronicles 32:7 tn Or perhaps, “and don’t be discouraged.”
2 Chronicles 32:7 tn Heb “for with us [is] a greater [one] than with him.”
2 Chronicles 32:8 tn Heb “With him is an arm of flesh.”
2 Chronicles 32:8 tn Or “people.”
2 Chronicles 32:9 tn Heb “servants.”
2 Chronicles 32:9 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
2 Chronicles 32:10 tn Heb “On what are you trusting that [you] are living during the siege in Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 32:11 tn Heb “hand.”
2 Chronicles 32:11 tn Heb “Is not Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to die by hunger and thirst, saying, ‘The Lord our God will rescue us from the hand of the king of Assyria’?’
2 Chronicles 32:12 tn Heb “Did not he, Hezekiah, eliminate…?” This rhetorical question presupposes a positive reply (“yes, he did”) and so has been translated here as a positive statement.
2 Chronicles 32:12 tn Heb “his”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 32:13 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 14, 15), but in this context the term does not necessarily refer to Sennacherib’s ancestors, but to his predecessors on the Assyrian throne.
2 Chronicles 32:13 tn Heb “hand.”
2 Chronicles 32:14 tn Heb “hand.”
2 Chronicles 32:15 tn Heb “how much less.”
2 Chronicles 32:15 tn The verb is plural, suggesting that the preceding אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (ʾelohekhem) be translated “your gods,” rather than “your God.”
2 Chronicles 32:16 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
2 Chronicles 32:16 tn Heb “spoke against.”
2 Chronicles 32:17 tn Heb “and speaking against him, saying.”
2 Chronicles 32:17 tn Heb “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who did not rescue their people from my hand, so the god of Hezekiah will not rescue his people from my hand.”
2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Or “an angel.”
2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Sennacherib) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “and he returned with shame of face to his land.”
2 Chronicles 32:21 tn Heb “and some from those who went out from him, from his inward parts.”
2 Chronicles 32:22 tn Heb “and from the hand of all.”
2 Chronicles 32:22 tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “and he led him from all around.” However, the present translation prefers the Septuagint and Vulgate reading, which suggests an original text of וַיָּנַח לָהֶם מִסָּבִיב (vayyanakh lahem missaviv, “and he gave rest to them from all around”). See 2 Chr 15:15 and 20:30.
2 Chronicles 32:23 tn Or perhaps, “offerings.”
2 Chronicles 32:23 tn Heb “lifted up in the eyes of.”
2 Chronicles 32:24 tn Heb “was sick to the point of dying.”
2 Chronicles 32:24 tn Heb “and he spoke to him and a sign he gave to him.”
2 Chronicles 32:25 tn Heb “but not according to the benefit [given] to him did Hezekiah repay, for his heart was high, and there was anger against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 32:26 tn Heb “and Hezekiah humbled himself in the height of his heart, he and the residents of Jerusalem, and the anger of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.”
2 Chronicles 32:28 tn Heb “and stalls for all beasts and beasts, and flocks for the stalls.” The repetition of בְּהֵמָה (b^ehemah, “beast”) here indicates various kinds of livestock.
2 Chronicles 32:29 tn Heb “and cities he made for himself.”
2 Chronicles 32:30 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
2 Chronicles 32:31 tn Heb “and when the envoys of the officials of Babylon, who sent to him to inquire concerning the sign which was in the land, [arrived].”
2 Chronicles 32:31 tn Heb “to know all [that was] in his heart.”
2 Chronicles 32:32 tn Heb “and the rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and his faithful acts, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet upon the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
2 Chronicles 32:33 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
2 Chronicles 32:33 tn Heb “and honor they did to him in his death, all Judah and the residents of Jerusalem.”
2 Chronicles 33:2 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
2 Chronicles 33:2 tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”
2 Chronicles 33:3 tn The phrase כָל צְבָא הֲַשָּׁמַיִם (khol ts^evaʾ hashamayim), traditionally translated “all the host of heaven,” refers to the heavenly lights, including stars and planets. In 1 Kgs 22:19 these heavenly bodies are pictured as members of the Lord’s royal court or assembly, but many other texts view them as the illegitimate objects of pagan and Israelite worship.
2 Chronicles 33:3 tn Or “served.”
2 Chronicles 33:4 tn Heb “In Jerusalem my name will be permanently.”
2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Or “he sacrificed his sons in the fire.” This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB, NASB “made his sons pass through the fire”; NIV “sacrificed his sons in the fire”; NRSV “made his sons pass through fire”). For discussion see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 266-67.
2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Heb “and he set up a ritual pit, along with a conjurer.” Hebrew אוֹב (ʾov, “ritual pit”) refers to a pit used by a magician to conjure up underworld spirits. In 1 Sam 28:7 the witch of Endor is called a בַּעֲלַת אוֹב (baʿalat ʾov, “owner of a ritual pit”). See H. Hoffner, “Second Millennium Antecedents to the Hebrew ʾÔḆ,” JBL 86 (1967): 385-401.
2 Chronicles 33:6 tn Heb “and he multiplied doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord, angering him.”
2 Chronicles 33:7 tn Heb “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I chose from all the tribes of Israel, I will place my name permanently” (or perhaps “forever”).
2 Chronicles 33:8 tn Heb “I will not again make the feet of Israel wander from the land which I established for their fathers.”
2 Chronicles 33:9 tn Heb “misled Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
2 Chronicles 33:10 tn Heb “spoke to.”
2 Chronicles 33:11 tn Heb “and they seized him with hooks.”
2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Or “distress.”
2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “appeased the face of the Lord his God.”
2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Or “greatly.”
2 Chronicles 33:12 tn Heb “fathers.”
2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “him”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “was entreated by him,” or “allowed himself to be entreated by him.”
2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “heard.”
2 Chronicles 33:13 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 33:14 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Manasseh) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 Chronicles 33:14 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
2 Chronicles 33:16 tn Heb “told Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” here by metonymy for the people of Judah.
2 Chronicles 33:18 tn Or “seers.”
2 Chronicles 33:18 tn Heb “look, they are.”
2 Chronicles 33:19 tn Heb “and his prayer and being entreated by him, and all his sin and his unfaithfulness and the places where he built high places and set up Asherah poles and idols before he humbled himself—behold, they are written on the words of his seers.”
2 Chronicles 33:20 tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”
2 Chronicles 33:22 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
2 Chronicles 33:22 tn Or “served.”
2 Chronicles 33:23 tn Heb “as Manasseh his father had humbled himself.”
2 Chronicles 33:23 tn Heb “for he, Amon, multiplied guilt.”
2 Chronicles 33:25 tn Heb “and the people of the land.”

John 18:19-40

Jesus Questioned by Annas

¹⁹While this was happening,^[a] the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.^[b] ²⁰Jesus replied,^[c] “I have spoken publicly to the world. I always taught in the synagogues^[d] and in the temple courts,^[e] where all the Jewish people^[f] assemble together. I^[g] have said nothing in secret. ²¹Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said.^[h] They^[i] know what I said.” ²²When Jesus^[j] had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said,^[k] “Is that the way you answer the high priest?” ²³Jesus replied,^[l] “If I have said something wrong,^[m] confirm^[n] what is wrong.^[o] But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?” ²⁴Then Annas sent him, still tied up,^[p] to Caiaphas the high priest.^[q]

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

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

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

²⁸Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence.^[z] (Now it was very early morning.)^[aa] They^[ab] did not go into the governor’s residence^[ac] so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal. ²⁹So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation^[ad] do you bring against this man?”^[ae] ³⁰They replied,^[af] “If this man^[ag] were not a criminal,^[ah] we would not have handed him over to you.”^[ai]

³¹Pilate told them,^[aj] “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him^[ak] according to your own law!”^[al] The Jewish leaders^[am] replied,^[an] “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”^[ao] ³²(This happened^[ap] to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated^[aq] what kind of death he was going to die.^[ar])

Pilate Questions Jesus

³³So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence,^[as] summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”^[at] ³⁴Jesus replied,^[au] “Are you saying this on your own initiative,^[av] or have others told you about me?” ³⁵Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?^[aw] Your own people^[ax] and your chief priests handed you over^[ay] to me. What have you done?”

³⁶Jesus replied, “My kingdom^[az] is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being^[ba] handed over^[bb] to the Jewish authorities.^[bc] But as it is,^[bd] my kingdom is not from here.” ³⁷Then Pilate said,^[be] “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world—to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to^[bf] my voice.” ³⁸Pilate asked,^[bg] “What is truth?”^[bh]

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders^[bi] and announced,^[bj] “I find no basis for an accusation^[bk] against him. ³⁹But it is your custom that I release one prisoner^[bl] for you at the Passover.^[bm] So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” ⁴⁰Then they shouted back,^[bn] “Not this man,^[bo] but Barabbas!”^[bp] (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.^[bq])^[br]

Footnotes

John 18:19 tn The introductory phrase “While this was happening” is not in the Greek text. It has been supplied in the translation to clarify the alternation of scenes in the narrative for the modern reader.
John 18:19 sn The nature of this hearing seems to be more that of a preliminary investigation; certainly normal legal procedure was not followed, for no indication is given that any witnesses were brought forth at this point to testify against Jesus. True to what is known of Annas’ character, he was more interested in Jesus’ disciples than in the precise nature of Jesus’ teaching, since he inquired about the followers first. He really wanted to know just how influential Jesus had become and how large a following he had gathered. This was of more concern to Annas that the truth or falsity of Jesus’ teaching.
John 18:20 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
John 18:20 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:59.
John 18:20 tn Grk “in the temple.”
John 18:20 tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people generally, for whom the synagogues and the temple courts in Jerusalem were important public gathering places. See also the note on the phrase “Jewish religious leaders” in v. 12.
John 18:20 tn Grk “And I.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
John 18:21 tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.
John 18:21 tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”
John 18:22 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 18:22 tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rhapisma), see L&N 19.4.
John 18:23 tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”
John 18:23 tn Or “something incorrect.”
John 18:23 tn Grk “testify.”
John 18:23 tn Or “incorrect.”
John 18:24 tn Or “still bound.”
John 18:24 sn Where was Caiaphas the high priest located? Did he have a separate palace, or was he somewhere else with the Sanhedrin? Since Augustine (4th century) a number of scholars have proposed that Annas and Caiaphas resided in different wings of the same palace, which were bound together by a common courtyard through which Jesus would have been led as he was taken from Annas to Caiaphas. This seems a reasonable explanation, although there is no conclusive evidence.
John 18:25 tn The words “in the courtyard” are not in the Greek text. They are supplied for the benefit of the modern reader, to link this scene to the preceding one in John 18:15-18.
John 18:25 tn Questions prefaced with μή (mē) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here the tag is “are you?”).
John 18:25 tn Grk “That one denied it and said”; the referent of the pronoun (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
John 18:26 tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.
John 18:26 sn This incident is recounted in v. 10.
John 18:26 tn Or “garden.”
John 18:26 tn This question, prefaced with οὐκ (ouk) in Greek, anticipates a positive answer.
John 18:27 tn It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technical term referring to the trumpet call which ended the third watch of the night (from midnight to 3 a.m.). This would then be a reference to the Roman gallicinium (ἀλεκτοροφωνία, alektorophōnia; the term is used in Mark 13:35 and is found in some mss [P^37vid,45 ƒ¹] in Matt 26:34) which would have been sounded at 3 a.m.; in this case Jesus would have prophesied a precise time by which the denials would have taken place. For more details see J. H. Bernard, St. John (ICC), 2:604. However, in light of the fact that Mark mentions the rooster crowing twice (Mark 14:72) and in Luke 22:60 the words are reversed (ἐφώνησεν ἀλέκτωρ, ephōnēsen alektōr), it is more probable that a real rooster is in view. In any event natural cockcrow would have occurred at approximately 3 a.m. in Palestine at this time of year (March-April) anyway.sn No indication is given of Peter’s emotional state at this third denial (as in Matt 26:74 and Mark 14:71) or that he remembered that Jesus had foretold the denials (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72 and Luke 22:61), or the bitter remorse Peter felt afterward (Matt 26:75, Mark 14:72, and Luke 22:62).
John 18:28 tn Grk “to the praetorium.”sn The permanent residence of the Roman governor of Palestine was in Caesarea (Acts 23:35). The governor had a residence in Jerusalem which he normally occupied only during principal feasts or in times of political unrest. The location of this building in Jerusalem is uncertain, but is probably one of two locations: either (1) the fortress or tower of Antonia, on the east hill north of the temple area, which is the traditional location of the Roman praetorium since the 12th century, or (2) the palace of Herod on the west hill near the present Jaffa Gate. According to Philo (Embassy 38 [299]) Pilate had some golden shields hung there, and according to Josephus (J. W. 2.14.8 [2.301], 2.15.5 [2.328]) the later Roman governor Florus stayed there.
John 18:28 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
John 18:28 tn Grk “And they.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.
John 18:28 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
John 18:29 tn Or “charge.”
John 18:29 sn In light of the fact that Pilate had cooperated with them in Jesus’ arrest by providing Roman soldiers, the Jewish authorities were probably expecting Pilate to grant them permission to carry out their sentence on Jesus without resistance (the Jews were not permitted to exercise capital punishment under the Roman occupation without official Roman permission, cf. v. 31). They must have been taken somewhat by surprise by Pilate’s question “What accusation do you bring against this man,” because it indicated that he was going to try the prisoner himself. Thus Pilate was regarding the trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin as only an inquiry and their decision as merely an accusation.
John 18:30 tn Grk “They answered and said to him.”
John 18:30 tn Grk “this one.”
John 18:30 tn Or “an evildoer”; Grk “one doing evil.”
John 18:30 tn Or “would not have delivered him over.”
John 18:31 tn Grk “Then Pilate said to them.”
John 18:31 tn Or “judge him.” For the translation “pass judgment on him” see R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:848).
John 18:31 sn Pilate, as the sole representative of Rome in a troubled area, was probably in Jerusalem for the Passover because of the danger of an uprising (the normal residence for the Roman governor was in Caesarea as mentioned in Acts 23:35). At this time on the eve of the feast he would have been a busy and perhaps even a worried man. It is not surprising that he offered to hand Jesus back over to the Jewish authorities to pass judgment on him. It may well be that Pilate realized when no specific charge was mentioned that he was dealing with an internal dispute over some religious matter. Pilate wanted nothing to do with such matters, as the statement “Pass judgment on him according to your own law!” indicates. As far as the author is concerned, this points out who was really responsible for Jesus’ death: The Roman governor Pilate would have had nothing to do with it if he had not been pressured by the Jewish religious authorities, upon whom the real responsibility rested.
John 18:31 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.
John 18:31 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 18:31 tn Grk “It is not permitted to us to kill anyone.”sn The historical background behind the statement We cannot legally put anyone to death is difficult to reconstruct. Scholars are divided over whether this statement in the Fourth Gospel accurately reflects the judicial situation between the Jewish authorities and the Romans in 1st century Palestine. It appears that the Roman governor may have given the Jews the power of capital punishment for specific offenses, some of them religious (the death penalty for Gentiles caught trespassing in the inner courts of the temple, for example). It is also pointed out that the Jewish authorities did carry out a number of executions, some of them specifically pertaining to Christians (Stephen, according to Acts 7:58-60; and James the Just, who was stoned in the 60s according to Josephus, Ant. 20.9.1 [20.200]). But Stephen’s death may be explained as a result of “mob violence” rather than a formal execution, and as Josephus in the above account goes on to point out, James was executed in the period between two Roman governors, and the high priest at the time was subsequently punished for the action. Two studies by A. N. Sherwin-White (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, 1-47; and “The Trial of Christ,” Historicity and Chronology in the New Testament [SPCKTC], 97-116) have tended to support the accuracy of John’s account. He concluded that the Romans kept very close control of the death penalty for fear that in the hands of rebellious locals such power could be used to eliminate factions favorable or useful to Rome. A province as troublesome as Judea would not have been likely to be made an exception to this.
John 18:32 tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
John 18:32 tn Or “making clear.”
John 18:32 sn A reference to John 12:32.
John 18:33 tn Grk “into the praetorium.”
John 18:33 sn It is difficult to discern Pilate’s attitude when he asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Some have believed the remark to be sarcastic or incredulous as Pilate looked at this lowly and humble prisoner: “So you’re the king of the Jews, are you?” Others have thought the Roman governor to have been impressed by Jesus’ regal disposition and dignity, and to have sincerely asked, “Are you really the king of the Jews?” Since it will later become apparent (v. 38) that Pilate considered Jesus innocent (and therefore probably also harmless) an attitude of incredulity is perhaps most likely, but this is far from certain in the absence of clear contextual clues.
John 18:34 tn Grk “Jesus answered.”
John 18:34 tn Grk “saying this from yourself.”
John 18:35 sn Many have seen in Pilate’s reply “I am not a Jew, am I?” the Roman contempt for the Jewish people. Some of that may indeed be present, but strictly speaking, all Pilate affirms is that he, as a Roman, has no firsthand knowledge of Jewish custom or belief. What he knows of Jesus must have come from the Jewish authorities. They are the ones (your own people and your chief priests) who have handed Jesus over to Pilate.
John 18:35 tn Or “your own nation.”
John 18:35 tn Or “delivered you over.”
John 18:36 sn The kingdom (of God) is a major theme of Jesus’ teaching. The nature of the kingdom of God in the NT and in Jesus’ teaching has long been debated by interpreters and scholars, with discussion primarily centering around the nature of the kingdom (earthly, heavenly, or both) and the kingdom’s arrival (present, future, or both). An additional major issue concerns the relationship between the kingdom of God and the person and work of Jesus himself, as here where Jesus refers to My kingdom.
John 18:36 tn Grk “so that I may not be.”
John 18:36 tn Or “delivered over.”
John 18:36 tn Or “the Jewish leaders”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. In the translation “authorities” was preferred over “leaders” for stylistic reasons.
John 18:36 tn Grk “now.”
John 18:37 tn Grk “said to him.”
John 18:37 tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”
John 18:38 tn Grk “Pilate said.”
John 18:38 sn With his reply “What is truth?” Pilate dismissed the matter. It is not clear what Pilate’s attitude was at this point, as in 18:33. He may have been sarcastic, or perhaps somewhat reflective. The author has not given enough information in the narrative to be sure. Within the narrative, Pilate’s question serves to make the reader reflect on what truth is, and that answer (in the narrative) has already been given (14:6).
John 18:38 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, especially members of the Sanhedrin. See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12. The term also occurs in v. 31, where it is clear the Jewish leaders are in view, because they state that they cannot legally carry out an execution. Although it is likely (in view of the synoptic parallels) that the crowd here in 18:38 was made up not just of the Jewish leaders, but of ordinary residents of Jerusalem and pilgrims who were in Jerusalem for the Passover, nevertheless in John’s Gospel Pilate is primarily in dialogue with the leadership of the nation, who are expressly mentioned in 18:35 and 19:6.
John 18:38 tn Grk “said to them.”
John 18:38 tn Grk “find no cause.”
John 18:39 tn The word “prisoner” is not in the Greek text but is implied.
John 18:39 sn Pilate then offered to release Jesus, reminding the Jewish authorities that they had a custom that he release one prisoner for them at the Passover. There is no extra-biblical evidence alluding to the practice. It is, however, mentioned in Matthew and Mark, described either as a practice of Pilate (Mark 15:6) or of the Roman governor (Matt 27:15). These references may explain the lack of extra-biblical attestation: The custom to which Pilate refers here (18:39) is not a permanent one acknowledged by all the Roman governors, but one peculiar to Pilate as a means of appeasement, meant to better relations with his subjects. Such a limited meaning is certainly possible and consistent with the statement here.
John 18:40 tn Or “they shouted again,” or “they shouted in turn.” On the difficulty of translating πάλιν (palin) see BDAG 753 s.v. 5. It is simplest in the context of John’s Gospel to understand the phrase to mean “they shouted back” as a reply to Pilate’s question.
John 18:40 tn Grk “this one.”
John 18:40 sn The name Barabbas in Aramaic means “son of abba,” that is, “son of the father,” and presumably the man in question had another name (it may also have been Jesus, according to the textual variant in Matt 27:16, although this is uncertain). For the author this name held ironic significance: The crowd was asking for the release of a man called Barabbas, “son of the father,” while Jesus, who was truly the Son of the Father, was condemned to die instead.
John 18:40 tn Or “robber.” It is possible that Barabbas was merely a robber or highwayman, but more likely, given the use of the term ληστής (lēstēs) in Josephus and other early sources, that he was a guerrilla warrior or revolutionary leader. See both R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:857) and K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 4:258) for more information. The word λῃστής was used a number of times by Josephus (J. W. 2.13.2-3 [2.253-254]) to describe the revolutionaries or guerrilla fighters who, from mixed motives of nationalism and greed, kept the rural districts of Judea in constant turmoil.
John 18:40 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

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Old/New Testament

Sennacherib Invades Judah

Hezekiah’s Shortcomings and Accomplishments

Manasseh’s Reign

Amon’s Reign

Footnotes

Jesus Questioned by Annas

Peter’s Second and Third Denials

Jesus Brought Before Pilate

Pilate Questions Jesus

Footnotes