¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

² tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, according to all which Uzziah his father had done.”

³ tn Heb “except he did not enter the house of the Lord.”

⁴ tn Heb “wall of Ophel.” See HALOT 861 s.v. II עֹפֶל.

⁵ tn Heb “he fought with.”

⁶ tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).

⁷ sn As a unit of dry measure a kor was roughly equivalent to six bushels (about 220 liters).

⁸ tn Heb “10,000 kors of wheat and 10,000 of barley.” The unit of measure of the barley is omitted in the Hebrew text, but is understood to be “kors,” the same as the measures of wheat.

⁹ tn Heb “This the sons of Ammon brought to him, and in the second year and the third.”

¹⁰ tn Heb “because he established his ways before the Lord his God.”

¹¹ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jotham, and his battles and his ways, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Israel and Judah.”

¹² tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

¹³ sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.

¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

¹⁵ tn Heb “and he did not do what was proper in the eyes of the Lord, like David his father.”

¹⁶ tn Heb “he walked in the ways of.”

¹⁷ sn This may refer to child sacrifice, though some interpret it as a less drastic cultic practice (NEB “burnt his sons in the fire”; NASB “burned his sons in 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.

¹⁸ tn Heb “like the abominable practices of the nations.”

¹⁹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁰ tn Heb “and took captive from him a great captivity and brought [them] to Damascus.”

²¹ tn Heb “who struck him down with a great striking.”

²² tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 9, 25).

²³ tn Heb “the loot.” The pronoun (“it”) has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons, to avoid redundancy.

²⁴ map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.

²⁵ tn Heb “and you killed them with anger [that] reaches as far as heaven.”

²⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

²⁷ tn Heb “to enslave as male servants and female servants.”

²⁸ tn Heb “sons.”

²⁹ tn Heb “for the rage of the anger of the Lord is upon you.”

³⁰ tn Heb “men from.”

³¹ tn Heb “arose against.”

³² tn Heb “for to the guilt of the Lord upon us you are saying to add to our sins and our guilty deeds.”

³³ tn Heb “for great is [the] guilt to us and rage of anger is upon Israel.”

³⁴ tn Heb “and the men who were designated by names arose and took the captives and all their naked ones they clothed from the loot.”

³⁵ tn Heb “and poured oil on them.”

³⁶ tn Heb “and they led them on donkeys, with respect to everyone stumbling.”

³⁷ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

³⁸ tc Most Hebrew mss read the plural, “kings,” but one Hebrew ms, the LXX and Vulgate read the singular “king.” Note the singular in v. 20.

³⁹ tn Heb “Shephelah.”

⁴⁰ tn Or “subdued.”

⁴¹ sn That is, “of Judah.” Frequently in 2 Chronicles “Israel” is substituted for “Judah.”

⁴² tn The infinitive absolute precedes the finite verbal form to emphasize the degree of Ahaz’s unfaithfulness.

⁴³ tn Heb “Tilgath-pilneser,” a variant spelling of Tiglath-pileser.

⁴⁴ tn Heb “and he caused him distress and did not strengthen him.”

⁴⁵ tn Heb “divided up,” but some read חִלֵּץ (khillets, “despoiled”).

⁴⁶ tn Heb “the gods of Damascus, the ones who had defeated him.” The words “he thought” are supplied in the translation for clarification. The perspective is that of Ahaz, not the narrator! Another option is that “the kings” has been accidentally omitted after “gods of.” See v. 23b.

⁴⁷ tn Heb “said.”

⁴⁸ tn Heb “As for the rest of his events, and all his ways, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”

⁴⁹ tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”

⁵⁰ sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.

⁵¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

⁵² tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

⁵³ tn Or “a voice” (cf. Rev 1:15), but since in this context nothing is mentioned as the content of the voice, it is preferable to translate φωνή (fwnh) as “sound” here.

⁵⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of a new topic.

⁵⁵ tn Grk “elders, and no one.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in the Greek text, but because of the length and complexity of the sentence a new sentence was started here in the translation.

⁵⁶ tn The aorist passive verb is rendered as a reflexive (“defiled themselves”) by BDAG 657 s.v. μολύνω 2.

⁵⁷ tn Grk “in their mouth was not found a lie.”

⁵⁸ tc Several mss (Ì⁴⁷ א 1 1006 1611 2351 Ï^K pc) have the conjunction “for” (γάρ, gar) here so that the phrase reads: “for they are blameless.” Other important mss (A C P 1854 2053 al lat) lack the word. The shorter reading is to be preferred since the scribes were more likely to make the connection explicit through the addition of “for” than they would have been to omit the conjunction. As it is, the passage without the conjunction makes good sense and evokes a very somber tone.

⁵⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

⁶⁰ tc Most mss (Ì47 א* Ï sa) lack ἄλλον (allon, “another”) here, but the support for it is stronger (Ì^115vid א² A C P 051 1006 1611 1841 2053 2329 al latt sy bo). The problem that its inclusion represents is that there is no reference to any other angel in the immediate context (the last mention was in 11:15). In this instance, the longer reading is harder. The word was probably intentionally omitted in order to resolve the tension; less likely, it might have been accidentally omitted since its spelling is similar to “angel” (ἄγγελος, angelos).

⁶¹ tn L&N 1.10 states, “a point or region of the sky directly above the earth – ‘high in the sky, midpoint in the sky, directly overhead, straight above in the sky.’”

⁶² tn Grk “having.”

⁶³ tn Or “an eternal gospel to announce as good news.”

⁶⁴ tn Grk “to those seated on the earth.”

⁶⁵ tn Grk “and tribe,” but καί (kai) has not been translated here or before the following term since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

⁶⁶ tn Grk “people, saying.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence. For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.

⁶⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁶⁸ tc There are several different variants comprising a textual problem involving “second” (δεύτερος, deuteros). First, several mss (A 1 2329 Ï^K) read “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος δεύτερος ἄγγελος, allo" deutero" angelo"). Second, other mss (Ì⁴⁷ א* 1006 1841 1854 pc) read just “another, a second” (ἄλλος δεύτερος). Third, the reading “another angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος) is supported by a few Greek mss and some versional evidence (69 pc ar vg). Fourth, several mss (א² [C reads δεύτερον instead of δεύτερος] 051 1611 2053 2344 Ï^A) support the reading “another, a second angel” (ἄλλος ἄγγελος δεύτερος). The reading that most likely gave rise to the others is the fourth. The first reading attempts to smooth out the grammar by placing the adjective in front of the noun. The second reading may have dropped out the “angel” on the basis of its similarity to “another” (ἄλλος). The third reading either intentionally or accidentally left out the word “second.” In any event, this is weakly attested and should not be given much consideration. (If, however, this reading had had good support, with “second” floating, and with “third” in the text in 14:9, one could possibly see δεύτερος as a motivated reading. But without sufficient support for the third reading, the one thing that is most certain is that δεύτερος was part of the original text here.) It is difficult to account for the rise of the other readings if “second” is not original. And the undisputed use of “third” (τρίτος, tritos) in 14:9 may be another indicator that the adjective “second” was in the original text. Finally, the fourth reading is the more difficult and therefore, in this case, to be accepted as the progenitor of the others.

⁶⁹ tn Grk “And another angel, a second.”

⁷⁰ tn The words “the first” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁷¹ tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.

⁷² sn The fall of Babylon the great city is described in detail in Rev 18:2-24.

⁷³ tn Or “all the Gentiles” (the same Greek word may be translated “Gentiles” or “nations”).

⁷⁴ tn Grk “of the wine of the passion of the sexual immorality of her.” Here τῆς πορνείας (th" porneia") has been translated as an attributive genitive. In an ironic twist of fate, God will make Babylon drink her own mixture, but it will become the wine of his wrath in retribution for her immoral deeds (see the note on the word “wrath” in 16:19).

⁷⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁷⁶ tn Grk “And another angel, a third.”

⁷⁷ tn Grk “followed them.”

⁷⁸ tn For the translation of λέγω (legw) as “declare,” see BDAG 590 s.v. 2.e.

⁷⁹ tn Grk “he himself.”

⁸⁰ tn The Greek word for “anger” here is θυμός (qumos), a wordplay on the “passion” (θυμός) of the personified city of Babylon in 14:8.

⁸¹ tn Traditionally, “brimstone.”

⁸² tn The Greek pronoun is plural here even though the verbs in the previous verse are singular.

⁸³ tn The present tense ἀναβαίνει (anabainei) has been translated as a futuristic present (ExSyn 535-36). This is also consistent with the future passive βασανισθήσεται (basanisqhsetai) in v. 10.

⁸⁴ tn The present tense ἔχουσιν (ecousin) has been translated as a futuristic present to keep the English tense consistent with the previous verb (see note on “will go up” earlier in this verse).

⁸⁵ tn Grk “and.”

⁸⁶ tn Grk “Here is.”

⁸⁷ tn Or “the perseverance.”

⁸⁸ tn Grk “who keep.”

⁸⁹ tn The words “hold to” are implied as a repetition of the participle translated “keep” (οἱ τηροῦντες, Joi throunte").

⁹⁰ tn Grk “faith of Jesus.” The construction may mean either “faith in Jesus” or “faithful to Jesus.” Either translation implies that ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) is to be taken as an objective genitive; the difference is more lexical than grammatical because πίστις (pistis) can mean either “faith” or “faithfulness.”

⁹¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

⁹² tn Or “from their trouble” (L&N 22.7).

⁹³ tn Grk “their deeds will follow with them.”

⁹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

⁹⁵ tn Grk “and behold, a white cloud.”

⁹⁶ tn This phrase constitutes an allusion to Dan 7:13. Concerning υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (Juio" tou anqrwpou), BDAG 1026 s.v. υἱός 2.d.γ says: “ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου lit. ‘the son of the man’…‘the human being, the human one, the man’…On Israelite thought contemporary w. Jesus and alleged knowledge of a heavenly being looked upon as a ‘Son of Man’ or ‘Man’, who exercises Messianic functions such as judging the world (metaph., pictorial passages in En 46-48; 4 Esdr 13:3, 51f)…Outside the gospels: Ac 7:56…Rv 1:13; 14:14 (both after Da 7:13…).” The term “son” here in this expression is anarthrous and as such lacks specificity. Some commentators and translations take the expression as an allusion to Daniel 7:13 and not to “the son of man” found in gospel traditions (e.g., Mark 8:31; 9:12; cf. D. E. Aune, Revelation [WBC], 2:800-801; cf. also NIV). Other commentators and versions, however, take the phrase “son of man” as definite, involving allusions to Dan 7:13 and “the son of man” gospel traditions (see G. K. Beale, Revelation [NIGTC], 771-72; NRSV).

⁹⁷ tn Grk “like a son of man, having.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence.

⁹⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

⁹⁹ tn Grk “Send out.”

¹⁰⁰ tn The aorist θέρισον (qerison) has been translated ingressively.

¹⁰¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.

¹⁰² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence within the narrative.

¹⁰³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “who had authority over.” This appears to be the angel who tended the fire on the altar.

¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “to the one having the sharp sickle”; the referent (the angel in v. 17) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “Send.”

¹⁰⁷ tn On this term BDAG 1018 s.v. τρυγάω states: “‘gather in’ ripe fruit, esp. harvest (grapes) w. acc. of the fruit (POslo. 21, 13 [71 ad]; Jos., Ant. 4, 227) Lk 6:44; Rv 14:18 (in imagery, as in the foll. places)…W. acc. of that which bears the fruit gather the fruit of the vine…or the vineyard (s. ἄμπελος a) Rv 14:19.”

¹⁰⁸ tn On this term BDAG 181 s.v. βότρυς states, “bunch of grapes Rv 14:18…The word is also found in the Phrygian Papias of Hierapolis, in a passage in which he speaks of the enormous size of the grapes in the new aeon (in the Lat. transl. in Irenaeus 5, 33, 2f.): dena millia botruum Papias (1:2). On this see Stephan. Byz. s.v. Εὐκαρπία: Metrophanes says that in the district of Εὐκαρπία in Phrygia Minor the grapes were said to be so large that one bunch of them caused a wagon to break down in the middle.”

¹⁰⁹ tn The genitive τῆς γῆς (ths ghs), taken symbolically, could be considered a genitive of apposition.

¹¹⁰ tn Or perhaps, “its bunches of grapes” (a different Greek word from the previous clause). L&N 3.38 states, “the fruit of grapevines (see 3.27) – ‘grape, bunch of grapes.’ τρύγησον τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀμπέλου τῆς γῆς, ὅτι ἤκμασαν αἱ σταφυλαὶ αὐτῆς ‘cut the grapes from the vineyard of the earth because its grapes are ripe’ Re 14:18. Some scholars have contended that βότρυς means primarily a bunch of grapes, while σταφυλή designates individual grapes. In Re 14:18 this difference might seem plausible, but there is scarcely any evidence for such a distinction, since both words may signify grapes as well as bunches of grapes.”

¹¹¹ tn On the use of ἥκμασαν (hkmasan) BDAG 36 s.v. ἀκμάζω states, “to bloom…of grapes…Rv 14:18.”

¹¹² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s directions.

¹¹³ tn Or “vine.” BDAG 54 s.v. ἄμπελος a states, “τρυγᾶν τοὺς βότρυας τῆς ἀ. τῆς γῆς to harvest the grapes fr. the vine of the earth (i.e. fr. the earth, symbol. repr. as a grapevine) Rv 14:18f; but ἀ may be taking on the meaning of ἀμπελών, as oft. in pap., possibly PHib. 70b, 2 [III bc].” The latter alternative has been followed in the translation (ἀμπελών = “vineyard”).

¹¹⁴ tn Although the gender of μέγαν (megan, masc.) does not match the gender of ληνόν (lhnon, fem.) it has been taken to modify that word (as do most English translations).

¹¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the vision.

¹¹⁶ sn The winepress was stomped. See Isa 63:3, where Messiah does this alone (usually several individuals would join in the process).

¹¹⁷ tn L&N 6.7 states, “In Re 14:20 the reference to a bit and bridle is merely an indication of measurement, that is to say, the height of the bit and bridle from the ground, and one may reinterpret this measurement as ‘about a meter and a half’ or ‘about five feet.’”

¹¹⁸ tn Grk “1,600 stades.” A stade was a measure of length about 607 ft (185 m). Thus the distance here would be 184 mi or 296 km.

¹¹⁹ tn Heb “the latter rain.” This expression refers to the last concentration of heavy rainfall in the spring of the year in Palestine, about March or April. Metaphorically and eschatologically (as here) the “latter rain” speaks of God’s outpouring of blessing in the end times (cf. Hos 6:3; Joel 2:21-25).

¹²⁰ tn The Hebrew word תְּרָפִים (tÿrafim, “teraphim”) refers to small images used as means of divination and in other occult practices (cf. Gen 31:19, 34-35; 1 Sam 19:13, 16; Hos 3:4). A number of English versions transliterate the Hebrew term (cf. ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV) or simply use the generic term “idols” (so KJV, NIV, TEV).

¹²¹ sn Shepherd is a common OT metaphor for the king (see esp. Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 23:1-2; 50:6; Ezek 34).

¹²² sn On the NT use of the image of the cornerstone, see Luke 20:17; Eph 2:20; 1 Pet 2:6.

¹²³ sn The metaphor of the wall peg (Heb. יָתֵד, yated), together with the others in this list, describes the remarkable change that will take place at the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom. Israel, formerly sheep-like, will be turned into a mighty warhorse. The peg refers to a wall hook (although frequently translated “tent peg,” but cf. ASV “nail”; TWOT 1:419) from which tools and weapons were suspended, but figuratively also to the promise of God upon which all of Israel’s hopes were hung (cf. Isa 22:15-25; Ezra 9:8).

¹²⁴ tn This is not the usual word to describe a king of Israel or Judah (such as מֶלֶךְ, melekh, or נָשִׂיא, nasi’), but נוֹגֵשׂ, noges, “dictator” (cf. KJV “oppressor”). The author is asserting by this choice of wording that in the messianic age God’s rule will be by force.

¹²⁵ tn Heb “and the riders on horses will be put to shame,” figurative for the defeat of mounted troops. The word “enemy” in the translation is supplied from context.

¹²⁶ tn Heb “the house.”

¹²⁷ tn Or “the kingdom of Israel”; Heb “the house of Joseph.”

sn Joseph is mentioned here instead of the usual Israel (but see 2 Sam 19:20; Ps 78:67; 80:1; 81:5; Ezek 37:16; Amos 5:6, 15; 6:6) because of the exodus motif that follows in vv. 8-11.

¹²⁸ tc The anomalous MT reading וְחוֹשְׁבוֹתִים (vÿkhoshÿvotim) should probably be וַהֲשִׁי בוֹתִם (vahashi votim), the Hiphil perfect consecutive of שׁוּב (shuv), “return” (cf. Jer 12:15).

¹²⁹ tn Or “sow” (so KJV, ASV). The imagery is taken from the sowing of seed by hand.

¹³⁰ sn I will bring them back from Egypt…from Assyria. The gathering of God’s people to their land in eschatological times will be like a reenactment of the exodus, but this time they will come from all over the world (cf. Isa 40:3-5; 43:1-7, 14-21; 48:20-22; 51:9-11).

¹³¹ tn Heb “he,” in which case the referent is the Lord. This reading is followed by KJV, ASV, NAB (which renders it as first person), and NASB. The LXX reads “they,” referring to the Israelites themselves, a reading followed by many modern English versions (e.g., NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT).

¹³² tn Heb “scepter,” referring by metonymy to the dominating rule of Egypt (cf. NLT).

¹³³ tc Heb “I will strengthen them in the Lord.” Because of the perceived problem of the Lord saying he will strengthen the people “in the Lord,” both BHK and BHS suggest emending גִּבַּרְתִּים (gibbartim, “I will strengthen them”) to גְּבֻרָתָם (gevuratam, “their strength”). This is unnecessary, however, for the Lord frequently refers to himself in that manner (see Zech 2:11).

¹³⁴ tc The LXX and Syriac presuppose יִתְהַלָּלוּ (yithallalu, “they will glory”) for יִתְהַלְּכוּ (yithallÿkhu, “they will walk about”). Since walking about is a common idiom in Zechariah (cf. 1:10, 11; 6:7 [3x]) to speak of dominion, and dominion is a major theme of the present passage, there is no reason to reject the MT reading, which is followed by most modern English versions.

¹³⁵ tn Grk “his hour.”

¹³⁶ tn Grk “that he should depart.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause in Koine Greek frequently encroached on the simple infinitive (for the sake of greater clarity).

¹³⁷ tn Or “he now loved them completely,” or “he now loved them to the uttermost” (see John 19:30). All of John 13:1 is a single sentence in Greek, although in English this would be unacceptably awkward. At the end of the verse the idiom εἰς τέλος (eis telos) was translated literally as “to the end” and the modern equivalents given in the note above, because there is an important lexical link between this passage and John 19:30, τετέλεσται (tetelestai, “It is ended”).

sn The full extent of Jesus’ love for his disciples is not merely seen in his humble service to them in washing their feet (the most common interpretation of the passage). The full extent of his love for them is demonstrated in his sacrificial death for them on the cross. The footwashing episode which follows then becomes a prophetic act, or acting out beforehand, of his upcoming death on their behalf. The message for the disciples was that they were to love one another not just in humble, self-effacing service, but were to be willing to die for one another. At least one of them got this message eventually, though none understood it at the time (see 1 John 3:16).

¹³⁸ tn Or “Supper.” To avoid possible confusion because of different regional English usage regarding the distinction between “dinner” and “supper” as an evening meal, the translation simply refers to “the evening meal.”

¹³⁹ sn At this point the devil had already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, that he should betray Jesus. C. K. Barrett (St. John, 365) thought this was a reference to the idea entering the devil’s own heart, but this does not seem likely. It is more probable that Judas’ heart is meant, since the use of the Greek article (rather than a possessive pronoun) is a typical idiom when a part of one’s own body is indicated. Judas’ name is withheld until the end of the sentence for dramatic effect (emphasis). This action must be read in light of 13:27, and appears to refer to a preliminary idea or plan.

¹⁴⁰ tn Or “that he should hand over.”

¹⁴¹ tn Grk “betray him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴² tn Grk “Because he knew”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴³ tn Grk “had given all things into his hands.”

¹⁴⁴ tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

¹⁴⁵ tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.

¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.

¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “with the towel with which he was girded.”

¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) is specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “do you wash” or “are you washing.”

¹⁵⁰ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

¹⁵¹ tn Grk “You do not know.”

¹⁵² tn Grk “you will know.”

¹⁵³ tn Grk “You will never wash my feet forever.” The negation is emphatic in Greek but somewhat awkward in English. Emphasis is conveyed in the translation by the use of an exclamation point.

¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

¹⁵⁵ tn Or “you have no part in me.”

¹⁵⁶ tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.

¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”

¹⁵⁸ tn Grk “has no need except to wash his feet.”

¹⁵⁹ tn Or “entirely.”

¹⁶⁰ sn The one who has bathed needs only to wash his feet. A common understanding is that the “bath” Jesus referred to is the initial cleansing from sin, which necessitates only “lesser, partial” cleansings from sins after conversion. This makes a fine illustration from a homiletic standpoint, but is it the meaning of the passage? This seems highly doubtful. Jesus stated that the disciples were completely clean except for Judas (vv. 10b, 11). What they needed was to have their feet washed by Jesus. In the broader context of the Fourth Gospel, the significance of the foot-washing seems to point not just to an example of humble service (as most understand it), but something more – Jesus’ self-sacrificial death on the cross. If this is correct, then the foot-washing which they needed to undergo represented their acceptance of this act of self-sacrifice on the part of their master. This makes Peter’s initial abhorrence of the act of humiliation by his master all the more significant in context; it also explains Jesus’ seemingly harsh reply to Peter (above, v. 8; compare Matt 16:21-23 where Jesus says to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan”).

¹⁶¹ tn The word “disciples” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb. Peter is not the only one Jesus is addressing here.

¹⁶² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁶³ tn Grk “Not all of you are.”

¹⁶⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “he reclined at the table.” The phrase reflects the normal 1st century Near Eastern practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

¹⁶⁷ tn Grk “Do you know.”

¹⁶⁸ tn Or “rightly.”

¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “and I am these things.”

¹⁷⁰ sn I have given you an example. Jesus tells his disciples after he has finished washing their feet that what he has done is to set an example for them. In the previous verse he told them they were to wash one another’s feet. What is the point of the example? If it is simply an act of humble service, as most interpret the significance, then Jesus is really telling his disciples to serve one another in humility rather than seeking preeminence over one another. If, however, the example is one of self-sacrifice up to the point of death, then Jesus is telling them to lay down their lives for one another (cf. 15:13).

¹⁷¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

¹⁷² tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

¹⁷³ tn Or “nor is the apostle” (“apostle” means “one who is sent” in Greek).

¹⁷⁴ tn Grk “If you know.”

¹⁷⁵ tn Grk “But so that the scripture may be fulfilled.”

¹⁷⁶ tn Or “The one who shares my food.”

¹⁷⁷ tn Or “has become my enemy”; Grk “has lifted up his heel against me.” The phrase “to lift up one’s heel against someone” reads literally in the Hebrew of Ps 41 “has made his heel great against me.” There have been numerous interpretations of this phrase, but most likely it is an idiom meaning “has given me a great fall,” “has taken cruel advantage of me,” or “has walked out on me.” Whatever the exact meaning of the idiom, it clearly speaks of betrayal by a close associate. See E. F. F. Bishop, “‘He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me’ – Jn xiii.18 (Ps xli.9),” ExpTim 70 (1958-59): 331-33.

sn A quotation from Ps 41:9.

¹⁷⁸ tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”

¹⁷⁹ tn Grk “so that you may believe.”

¹⁸⁰ tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.

¹⁸¹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

¹⁸² tn Or “receives,” and so throughout this verse.

¹⁸³ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

¹⁸⁴ tn Or “greatly troubled.”

¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “and testified and said.”

¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

¹⁸⁷ tn Or “will hand me over.”

¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporew).

¹⁸⁹ sn Here for the first time the one Jesus loved, the ‘beloved disciple,’ is introduced. This individual also is mentioned in 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, and 21:20. Some have suggested that this disciple is to be identified with Lazarus, since the Fourth Gospel specifically states that Jesus loved him (11:3, 5, 36). From the terminology alone this is a possibility; the author is certainly capable of using language in this way to indicate connections. But there is nothing else to indicate that Lazarus was present at the last supper; Mark 14:17 seems to indicate it was only the twelve who were with Jesus at this time, and there is no indication in the Fourth Gospel to the contrary. Nor does it appear that Lazarus ever stood so close to Jesus as the later references in chaps. 19, 20 and 21 seem to indicate. When this is coupled with the omission of all references to John son of Zebedee from the Fourth Gospel, it seems far more likely that the references to the beloved disciple should be understood as references to him.

¹⁹⁰ tn Grk “was reclining.” This reflects the normal 1st century practice of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

¹⁹¹ tn Grk “was reclining in the bosom (or “lap”) of Jesus” (according to both L&N 17.25 and BDAG 65 s.v. ἀνάκειμαι 2 an idiom for taking the place of honor at a meal, but note the similar expression in John 1:18). Whether this position or the position to the left of Jesus should be regarded as the position of second highest honor (next to the host, in this case Jesus, who was in the position of highest honor) is debated. F. Prat, “Les places d’honneur chez les Juifs contemporains du Christ” (RSR 15 [1925]: 512-22), who argued that the table arrangement was that of the Roman triclinium (a U-shaped table with Jesus and two other disciples at the bottom of the U), considered the position to the left of Jesus to be the one of second highest honor. Thus the present translation renders this “a position of honor” without specifying which one (since both of the two disciples to the right and to the left of Jesus would be in positions of honor). Other translations differ as to how they handle the phrase ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ ᾿Ιησοῦ (en tw kolpw tou Ihsou; “leaning on Jesus’ bosom,” KJV; “lying close to the breast of Jesus,” RSV; “reclining on Jesus’ breast,” NASB; “reclining next to him,” NIV, NRSV) but the symbolic significance of the beloved disciple’s position seems clear. He is close to Jesus and in an honored position. The phrase as an idiom for a place of honor at a feast is attested in the Epistles of Pliny (the Younger) 4.22.4, an approximate contemporary of Paul.

sn Note that the same expression translated in a place of honor here (Grk “in the bosom of”) is used to indicate Jesus’ relationship with the Father in 1:18.

¹⁹² sn It is not clear where Simon Peter was seated. If he were on Jesus’ other side, it is difficult to see why he would not have asked the question himself. It would also have been difficult to beckon to the beloved disciple, on Jesus’ right, from such a position. So apparently Peter was seated somewhere else. It is entirely possible that Judas was seated to Jesus’ left. Matt 26:25 seems to indicate that Jesus could speak to him without being overheard by the rest of the group. Judas is evidently in a position where Jesus can hand him the morsel of food (13:26).

¹⁹³ tn Grk “to this one”; the referent (the beloved disciple) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹⁵ sn That is, who would betray him (v. 21).

¹⁹⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the disciple Jesus loved) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

¹⁹⁸ sn The piece of bread was a broken-off piece of bread (not merely a crumb).

¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “after I have dipped it.” The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.

²⁰⁰ tn The words “in the dish” are not in the Greek text, but the presence of a bowl or dish is implied.

²⁰¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁰² tn Grk “into that one”; the pronoun “he” is more natural English style here.

sn This is the only time in the Fourth Gospel that Satan is mentioned by name. Luke 22:3 uses the same terminology of Satan “entering into” Judas but indicates it happened before the last supper at the time Judas made his deal with the authorities. This is not necessarily irreconcilable with John’s account, however, because John 13:2 makes it clear that Judas had already come under satanic influence prior to the meal itself. The statement here is probably meant to indicate that Judas at this point came under the influence of Satan even more completely and finally. It marks the end of a process which, as Luke indicates, had begun earlier.

²⁰³ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to him.”

²⁰⁴ tn Grk “reclining at the table.” The phrase reclining at the table reflects the normal practice in 1st century Near Eastern culture of eating a meal in a semi-reclining position.

²⁰⁵ tn Or “knew.”

²⁰⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁰⁷ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²⁰⁸ tn Grk “telling him, ‘Buy whatever we need for the feast.’” The first clause is direct discourse and the second clause indirect discourse. For smoothness of English style, the first clause has been converted to indirect discourse to parallel the second (the meaning is left unchanged).

²⁰⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

²¹⁰ tn Grk “That one”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²¹¹ sn Now it was night is a parenthetical note by the author. The comment is more than just a time indicator, however. With the departure of Judas to set in motion the betrayal, arrest, trials, crucifixion, and death of Jesus, daytime is over and night has come (see John 9:5; 11:9-10; 12:35-36). Judas had become one of those who walked by night and stumbled, because the light was not in him (11:10).

²¹² tn Grk “Then when.”

²¹³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Judas) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

²¹⁴ tc A number of early mss (Ì⁶⁶ א* B C* D L W al as well as several versional witnesses) do not have the words “If God is glorified in him,” while the majority of mss have the clause (so א² A C² Θ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï lat). Although the mss that omit the words are significantly better witnesses, the omission may have occurred because of an error of sight due to homoioteleuton (v. 31 ends in ἐν αὐτῷ [en autw, “in him”], as does this clause). Further, the typical step-parallelism found in John is retained if the clause is kept intact (TCGNT 205-6). At the same time, it is difficult to explain how such a wide variety of witnesses would have accidentally deleted this clause, and arguments for intentional deletion are not particularly convincing. NA²⁷ rightly places the words in brackets, indicating doubt as to their authenticity.

²¹⁵ tn Or “immediately.”

²¹⁶ tn Or “You will seek me.”

²¹⁷ tn 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 residents of Jerusalem in general, or to the Jewish religious leaders in particular, who had sent servants to attempt to arrest Jesus on that occasion (John 7:33-35). The last option is the one adopted in the translation above.

²¹⁸ sn See John 7:33-34.

²¹⁹ tn The words “the same” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

²²⁰ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.

²²¹ sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.

²²² tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.

²²³ tn Grk “Jesus answered him.”

²²⁴ tn Or “I will die willingly for you.”

²²⁵ tn Or “Will you die willingly for me?”

²²⁶ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”