John 13

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This verse is the theological overture to the entire Farewell Discourse (chapters 13-17). The phrase eis telos ('to the end') carries a double meaning: 'to the uttermost' (the fullest extent of love) and 'to the completion' (love expressed in the cross). The word hora ('hour') is the culmination of every previous reference to 'his hour' throughout the Gospel. The phrase 'his own' (tous idious) echoes the Prologue (1:11) but here refers specifically to the disciples, not Israel as a whole.

Translator Notes

1. The genitive absolute deipnou ginomenou means 'while supper was taking place,' not 'after supper was ended' as the KJV renders. The devil (ho diabolos) is the external agent, Judas's heart is the internal battleground. The perfect participle beblakotos ('having already put') indicates that the decision has been made before the foot-washing — Judas's betrayal is already in motion even as Jesus washes his feet.

Translator Notes

1. The triple knowledge — all authority, divine origin, divine destination — makes the foot-washing astonishing. It is precisely the one who possesses absolute authority who takes the position of the lowest slave. The phrase 'from God ... back to God' (apo theou ... pros ton theon) frames the incarnation as a round trip: origin, mission, return.

Translator Notes

1. The historic present tense (egeiretai, 'rises'; tithesin, 'lays aside') gives the narrative vivid immediacy. The verb tithesin ('lays aside') is the same word used for laying down one's life in 10:11, 15, 17-18 — a verbal foreshadowing of the cross. The actions described are precisely those of a household slave: removing outer clothing, wrapping a towel, and preparing to wash feet.

Translator Notes

1. Foot-washing was a menial task assigned to the lowest-ranking servant in a household, or performed by a wife for her husband or a student for his teacher — never by a master for his servants. In Jewish custom, even a Hebrew slave could not be compelled to wash feet (Mekilta on Exodus 21:2). Jesus's act overturns every social expectation.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Exodus 21:2 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's question carries shock and protest. The Greek word order emphasizes the incongruity: sy mou — 'You ... my?' The emphatic pronouns set the Lord against the servant, making Peter's objection not mere politeness but theological protest — this inversion of status is intolerable to him.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus distinguishes between present incomprehension (ouk oidas arti) and future understanding (gnosei de meta tauta). The 'afterward' may refer to the cross, the resurrection, or the coming of the Spirit — all of which will illuminate the meaning of this act. The foot-washing is a parable-in-action that requires interpretation.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Peter's ou me ('never, by no means') is the strongest possible refusal. Jesus's response raises the stakes to the ultimate level: meros ('share, portion, inheritance') is the same word used for Israel's inheritance in the Promised Land (cf. Deuteronomy 12:12). Without receiving Jesus's cleansing service, Peter has no part in Jesus's kingdom. The washing symbolizes the cleansing that comes through Jesus's sacrificial death.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Deuteronomy 12:12 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's response swings from refusal to excess — characteristically impulsive. If washing means sharing in Jesus, he wants the maximum. The mention of hands, feet, and head may echo priestly washing rituals (Exodus 30:19-21), though the connection is not explicit.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 30:19-21. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus distinguishes between the full bath (ho leloumenos, from louō, 'to bathe the whole body') and the foot-washing (nipsasthai, from niptō, 'to wash a part'). The one who has been bathed needs only the foot-washing — a metaphor whose precise referent is debated: the bath may represent initial conversion/baptism, and the foot-washing ongoing cleansing from sin. The ominous qualification 'but not all' (all' ouchi pantes) points to Judas.

Translator Notes

1. The narrator clarifies the cryptic remark. Jesus's knowledge of the betrayer is emphasized throughout this chapter (vv. 2, 11, 18, 21, 26-27). The uncleanness is moral, not physical — Judas has been washed but remains unclean because his heart belongs to the devil (v. 2).

Translator Notes

1. The verb elaben ('took up, received') reverses the tithesin ('laid aside') of verse 4 — Jesus resumes his garments, having completed the act of service. The question ginōskete ('do you understand?') shifts from the act to its meaning. The foot-washing is not merely exemplary behavior; it carries theological significance that requires explanation.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus affirms the titles 'Teacher' (ho didaskalos, corresponding to 'Rabbi') and 'Lord' (ho kyrios). The affirmation is crucial: the foot-washing does not erase the hierarchy but redefines how authority is exercised. The one who is genuinely Teacher and Lord chooses to serve — this is not a renunciation of authority but its highest expression.

Translator Notes

1. The verb opheilete ('you ought, you owe it') expresses moral obligation, not merely suggestion. The reciprocal 'one another' (allelōn) makes the command communal — every disciple serves every other, with no one exempt. Note the reversal of title order: 'Lord and Teacher' (not 'Teacher and Lord' as in v. 13), placing the higher title first to maximize the force of the argument.

Translator Notes

1. The word hypodeigma ('example, pattern, model') indicates that the foot-washing is paradigmatic — it establishes a pattern of self-giving service that defines the community's life. The 'just as' (kathōs) sets a standard: not merely serving in general, but serving in the specific manner of Jesus — sacrificially, without concern for status.

Translator Notes

1. The double amen introduces a solemn principle. The word apostolos ('one who is sent, messenger') here carries its original meaning rather than the later technical sense of 'Apostle.' The logic is a fortiori: if the Master serves, the servants have no ground for refusing to serve.

Translator Notes

1. The beatitude (makarioi, 'blessed, fortunate') hinges on the conditional ean poiete ('if you do'). Knowledge without practice yields no blessing. This echoes the Sermon on the Mount's emphasis on doing, not merely hearing (Matthew 7:24-27). John rarely uses makarios, making this instance particularly striking.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus quotes Psalm 41:9, which describes the betrayal of a close friend — one who shares table fellowship. The verb trogōn ('the one eating, feeding on') is the same visceral word used in the Bread of Life discourse (6:54-58). The image of lifting the heel (epēren ... tēn pternan) may suggest a horse kicking its master, or simply turning one's back in contempt. The Scripture is not merely predicted but 'fulfilled' (plērōthē) — Judas's betrayal is woven into the divine plan.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Psalms 41:9 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The ego eimi ('I am') at the end of this verse is the absolute form — without a predicate. Jesus's foreknowledge of the betrayal is itself a sign of divine identity. When the betrayal occurs as predicted, the disciples will recognize that Jesus is the 'I AM' of Exodus 3:14 — the one who knows the end from the beginning.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 3:14. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. This saying establishes a chain of representation: the sent one represents Jesus, and Jesus represents the Father. The principle of agency (shaliach) in Jewish law held that a person's agent was legally equivalent to the person himself. This prepares for the sending of the disciples after the resurrection (20:21).

Translator Notes

1. The verb etarachthē ('was troubled, disturbed, agitated') is the same word used at Lazarus's tomb (11:33) and in the 'soul troubled' passage (12:27). Jesus is not detached from the anguish of betrayal — he feels it deeply. The verb emarturēsen ('testified, bore witness') elevates the prediction to a formal declaration.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect eblepon ('were looking') captures the prolonged, bewildered exchange of glances. The participle aporoumenoi ('being at a loss, uncertain') indicates genuine confusion — none of the disciples suspects Judas, which speaks either to Judas's skill at concealment or to the disciples' trust.

Translator Notes

1. This is the first explicit appearance of the Beloved Disciple (hon egapa ho Iesous, 'whom Jesus loved'). The phrase en tō kolpō ('at the chest/bosom') describes the position of honor at a Roman-style dining arrangement, where guests reclined on their left sides — the one reclining in front of Jesus would have his head near Jesus's chest. The phrase echoes 1:18, where the Son is 'in the bosom' (eis ton kolpon) of the Father.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's resort to gestures (neuei, 'nods, signals') shows the intimacy of the reclining arrangement — direct conversation required physical proximity that Peter apparently lacked. He relies on the Beloved Disciple's privileged position to gain information.

Translator Notes

1. The Beloved Disciple leans back (anapesōn) toward Jesus's chest to ask privately. The question is whispered — this is not a public exchange. The physical intimacy between the Beloved Disciple and Jesus mirrors the theological intimacy between the Son and the Father (1:18).

Translator Notes

1. The psōmion ('morsel, small piece of bread') dipped and given was a gesture of honor at a meal — the host would offer choice morsels to favored guests. Jesus's act is thus a final gesture of intimacy and generosity toward his betrayer, making the betrayal all the more grievous. The identification is made privately to the Beloved Disciple, not publicly to the group.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The shift from 'the devil' (diabolos, v. 2) to 'Satan' (Satanas) marks an escalation — Satan himself takes possession. The timing 'after the morsel' is chilling: the gesture of fellowship becomes the occasion of total satanic invasion. Jesus's command 'do quickly' (poiēson tachion) is not permission but sovereign dismissal — he controls even the timing of his own betrayal.

Translator Notes

1. Despite the identification to the Beloved Disciple, the rest of the group remains ignorant. The secrecy is maintained — Jesus does not expose Judas publicly, preserving the betrayer's dignity even at this late moment.

Translator Notes

1. The mention of the glossokomon ('money box') recalls 12:6, where John noted that Judas was a thief who helped himself from it. The fact that Judas was entrusted with the group's finances despite his character speaks to the mundane realities of the community. The two guesses — festival supplies or almsgiving — show that the disciples' explanation is utterly domestic; they have no idea that cosmic treachery is underway.

Translator Notes

1. The three-word phrase en de nyx ('and it was night') is one of the most theologically charged sentences in the Gospel. On the literal level, it is a time marker. On the symbolic level, Judas steps out of the light of Jesus's presence into the darkness that represents the domain of evil (cf. 1:5, 3:19, 8:12, 9:4, 11:10, 12:35-36, 46). Night has come.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. Judas's departure triggers the glorification language. The aorist edoxasthē ('was glorified') is proleptic — the cross is already accomplished in Jesus's mind. In John, 'glorification' (doxa) encompasses the cross, resurrection, and ascension as a single event. The mutual glorification ('the Son of Man glorified' and 'God glorified in him') expresses the inseparability of Father and Son.

Translator Notes

1. The cascade of 'glorify' language (five uses of the doxaz- root in vv. 31-32) creates an intense concentration. The 'at once' (euthys) emphasizes the immediacy — there is no gap between the Son's obedient death and the Father's vindication.

Translator Notes

1. The address teknia ('little children') is unique to Jesus in John and is found nowhere else in the Gospels (though John uses it in 1 John 2:1, 12, 28). It conveys tender affection and paternal care. Jesus applies to the disciples the same warning he gave to the Jewish leaders (7:33-34, 8:21), but with a crucial difference: for the disciples, the separation is temporary.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The 'new commandment' (entolēn kainēn) is not new in commanding love — Leviticus 19:18 already did that. It is new in its standard: 'just as I have loved you' (kathōs ēgapēsa hymas). The measure of love is no longer 'as yourself' but 'as Christ' — a standard that includes sacrificial death. The command defines the community's identity: they are not marked by knowledge, power, or ritual, but by mutual love.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Leviticus 19:18. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. Love is the public badge of discipleship — not miracles, not doctrine, not moral rigor, but mutual love. The verb gnōsontai ('will know') makes love an epistemological category: the world gains knowledge of Christ through the community's love. This is the most visible and most demanding criterion of authentic Christianity.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's question picks up on verse 33. Jesus's answer contains both a refusal and a promise: 'not now' (nyn) but 'afterward' (hysteron). The verb akolouthēseis ('you will follow') contains a double meaning — Peter will follow Jesus both in discipleship and in death (cf. 21:18-19, where Peter's crucifixion is predicted).

Translator Notes

1. Peter's declaration uses the exact language of the Good Shepherd: 'lay down my life' (tēn psychēn mou ... thēsō, cf. 10:11, 15, 17-18). He claims to do for Jesus what Jesus does for the sheep. The irony is painful — within hours, Peter will not lay down his life but will deny three times that he even knows Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus echoes Peter's words back as a question, exposing the gap between Peter's intention and his capacity. The prediction is precise: three denials before the rooster crows. The fulfillment in 18:15-27 is exact. The double amen underscores the certainty of this painful prophecy. Yet the chapter does not end in despair — the following discourse (chapters 14-17) will provide the resources for Peter's eventual restoration.