Commentary on John, Book 32
Before the feast: knowing his hour had come§1
He loved them to the end. Love to the end reaches as far as the cross.
Greek · §1
Πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι ἦλθεν αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα ἵνα μεταβῇ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου πρὸς τὸν πατέρα…
Εἰς τέλος ἠγάπησεν αὐτούς· ἡ εἰς τέλος ἀγάπη μέχρι τοῦ σταυροῦ φθάνει.
Supper underway; the devil had already put it into Judas§2
The cast into the heart toward betrayal is not without the devil.
Greek · §2
Καὶ δείπνου γινομένου, τοῦ διαβόλου ἤδη βεβληκότος εἰς τὴν καρδίαν ἵνα παραδοῖ αὐτὸν Ἰούδας…
Οὐκ ἄνευ τοῦ διαβόλου ἡ εἰς παράδοσιν βολὴ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν.
He rises from supper and lays aside his garments§3
3He rises from supper, lays aside his garments, and taking a towel girded himself.
As the passion arrangement seeks what he was about to do, he prefigures the emptying by laying aside the garments.
Greek · §3
Ἐγείρεται ἐκ τοῦ δείπνου καὶ τίθησιν τὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ λαβὼν λέντιον διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν.
Ζητούσης τῆς κατὰ τὸ πάθος οἰκονομίας ἐφ᾽ ὃ ἔμελλεν, προτυποῖ τὴν κένωσιν τῇ θέσει τῶν ἱματίων.
He pours water and begins to wash the disciples’ feet§4
4Then he pours water into the basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet.
Not only the bath before supper, but after dining a second water for the feet alone.
Greek · §4
Εἶτα βάλλει ὕδωρ εἰς τὸν νιπτῆρα καὶ ἤρξατο νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν.
Οὐ πρὸ τοῦ δείπνου μόνον τὸ λουτρόν, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ δειπνῆσαι δεύτερον ὕδωρ εἰς μόνους τοὺς πόδας.
Peter: You will never wash my feet§5
5He comes to Simon Peter, who says, “Lord, are you washing my feet?” … “You will never wash my feet.”
We will use what Peter now says in due time as an example of human reverence.
Greek · §5
Ἔρχεται πρὸς Σίμωνα Πέτρον· λέγει αὐτῷ· Κύριε, σύ μου νίπτεις τοὺς πόδας; … Οὐ μὴ νίψῃς μου τοὺς πόδας εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
Τοῖς νῦν ὑπὸ Πέτρου λεγομένοις ἐν καιρῷ χρησόμεθα παραδείγματος ἕνεκεν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης αἰδοῦς.
If I do not wash you, you have no share with me§6
6Jesus answered, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”
Ask whether you have no share at all if I do not wash you, or not with me the teacher and Lord, yet with those lesser than me.
Greek · §6
Ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ.
Ζητήσεις πότερον οὐδ᾽ ὅλως ἔχεις μέρος ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, ἢ οὐ μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ μὲν τοῦ διδασκάλου μετὰ δὲ τῶν ἐλαττόνων.
The one who has bathed needs only to wash the feet§7
7Simon Peter said, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head.”
“The one who has bathed has no need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean.”
Greek · §7
Λέγει αὐτῷ Σίμων Πέτρος· Κύριε, μὴ τοὺς πόδας μου μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τὴν κεφαλήν.
Ὁ λελουμένος οὐκ ἔχει χρείαν νίψασθαι εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας, ἀλλ᾽ ἔστιν καθαρὸς ὅλος.
You are clean, but not all§8
8“And you are clean, but not all.” For he knew who was betraying him.
Those genuinely discipled are clean; the betrayer has not been cleansed.
Greek · §8
Καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε, ἀλλ᾽ οὐχὶ πάντες· ᾔδει γὰρ τὸν παραδιδόντα αὐτόν.
Καθάρσιοι οἱ γνησίως μαθητεύσαντες· ὁ παραδιδοὺς οὐ κεκαθάρισται.
Let us offer our feet to Jesus who still rises from supper§9
9Therefore let us offer our feet to Jesus even now as he rises from supper,
so that by washing he may cleanse the lowest pollutions of the soul.
Greek · §9
Διὰ τοῦτο παρέχωμεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τοὺς πόδας ἡμῶν καὶ νῦν ἐγειρομένῳ ἐκ τοῦ δείπνου.
Ἵνα νίψας καθαρίσῃ τὰ κατωτάτω τῆς ψυχῆς μολύσματα.
Do you know what I have done to you?§10
10When he had washed their feet… he said, “Do you know what I have done to you?”
Those who grasp the greatness of Jesus’ power likely understand what he did in washing the feet.
Greek · §10
Ὅτε οὖν ἔνιψεν τοὺς πόδας αὐτῶν… εἶπεν· Γινώσκετε τί πεποίηκα ὑμῖν;
Εἰκὸς τοὺς νοήσαντας τὸ μέγεθος τῆς Ἰησοῦ δυνάμεως συνιέναι τί πεποίηκεν νίψας τοὺς πόδας.
You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well§11
11“You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.”
“If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Greek · §11
Ὑμεῖς φωνεῖτέ με Ὁ διδάσκαλος καὶ Ὁ κύριος, καὶ καλῶς λέγετε· εἰμὶ γάρ.
Εἰ οὖν ἐγὼ ἔνιψα ὑμῶν τοὺς πόδας, ὁ κύριος καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ὑμεῖς ὀφείλετε ἀλλήλων νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας.
I gave you an example§12
12“For I gave you an example, that you also should do as I did to you.”
The example is not only bodily but also of the Word’s humility.
Greek · §12
Ὑπόδειγμα γὰρ ἔδωκα ὑμῖν ἵνα καθὼς ἐγὼ ἐποίησα ὑμῖν καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιῆτε.
Οὐ μόνον σωματικὸν τὸ ὑπόδειγμα ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης τοῦ λόγου.
A slave is not greater than his lord§13
13“Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his lord, nor an apostle greater than the one who sent him.”
“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
Greek · §13
Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος μείζων τοῦ πέμψαντος αὐτόν.
Εἰ ταῦτα οἴδατε, μακάριοί ἐστε ἐὰν ποιῆτε αὐτά.
I am not speaking of you all; the Scripture must be fulfilled§14
14“I am not speaking of you all; I know whom I have chosen. But that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me.’”
The Scripture is fulfilled concerning the betrayer.
Greek · §14
Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω· ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὸν ἄρτον ἐπῆρεν ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ τὴν πτέρναν αὐτοῦ.
Περὶ τοῦ παραδιδόντος ἡ γραφὴ πληροῦται.
I tell you now before it happens§15
15“From now on I tell you before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe that I am.”
The foretelling strengthens faith toward the “I am.”
Greek · §15
Ἀπ᾽ ἄρτι λέγω ὑμῖν πρὸ τοῦ γενέσθαι, ἵνα πιστεύσητε ὅταν γένηται ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι.
Ἡ πρόρρησις στηρίζει τὴν πίστιν εἰς τὸ ἐγώ εἰμι.
Whoever receives the one I send receives me§16
16“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives anyone I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
A chain of sending: from the Father through the Son to the apostles.
Greek · §16
Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὁ λαμβάνων ἄν τινα πέμψω ἐμὲ λαμβάνει, ὁ δὲ ἐμὲ λαμβάνων λαμβάνει τὸν πέμψαντά με.
Ἅλυσις πέμψεως ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ εἰς τοὺς ἀποστόλους.
Jesus was troubled in spirit: one of you will betray me§17
17Having said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you that one of you will betray me.”
The troubling of spirit is sympathy and disclosure of what is coming.
Greek · §17
Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐταράχθη τῷ πνεύματι καὶ ἐμαρτύρησεν· Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με.
Ἡ ταραχὴ τοῦ πνεύματος συμπάθεια καὶ δήλωσις τοῦ μέλλοντος.
The disciples looked at one another, uncertain§18
18The disciples looked at one another, uncertain about whom he spoke.
The perplexity belongs to the clean; they do not know the defiled one.
Greek · §18
Ἔβλεπον εἰς ἀλλήλους οἱ μαθηταί, ἀπορούμενοι περὶ τίνος λέγει.
Ἡ ἀπορία καθαρῶν ἐστιν· οὐκ ἐπίστανται τὸν μιαρόν.
The disciple whom Jesus loved reclining on his breast§19
19One of his disciples was reclining on Jesus’ breast, the one Jesus loved.
So Simon Peter motions to him to ask who it might be of whom he speaks.
Greek · §19
Ἦν ἀνακείμενος εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς.
Νεύει οὖν τούτῳ Σίμων Πέτρος πυθέσθαι τίς ἂν εἴη περὶ οὗ λέγει.
Lord, who is it?§20
20Leaning back thus on Jesus’ chest, that one says to him, “Lord, who is it?”
Nearness of the beloved gives boldness for the question.
Greek · §20
Ἀναπεσὼν οὖν ἐκεῖνος οὕτως ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λέγει αὐτῷ· Κύριε, τίς ἐστιν;
Ἡ ἐγγύτης τοῦ ἀγαπωμένου παρρησίαν δίδωσιν τῆς ἐρωτήσεως.
It is the one to whom I will give the morsel§21
21Jesus answers, “It is the one to whom I will give this morsel when I have dipped it.”
Having dipped the morsel, he gives it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot.
Greek · §21
Ἀποκρίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ᾧ ἐγὼ βάψω τὸ ψωμίον καὶ δώσω αὐτῷ.
Βάψας τὸ ψωμίον δίδωσιν Ἰούδᾳ Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου.
After the morsel, Satan entered into him§22
22And after the morsel, Satan entered into him.
Jesus said to him, “What you are doing, do quickly.”
Greek · §22
Καὶ μετὰ τὸ ψωμίον τότε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ὁ σατανᾶς.
Λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ὃ ποιεῖς ποίησον τάχιον.
No one at the table knew why he said this§23
23None of those reclining knew why he said this to him.
Some thought, since Judas held the moneybag, that he was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast.”
Greek · §23
Τοῦτο δὲ οὐδεὶς ἔγνω τῶν ἀνακειμένων πρὸς τί εἶπεν αὐτῷ.
Τινὲς γὰρ ἐδόκουν, ἐπεὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον εἶχεν Ἰούδας, ὅτι λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἀγόρασον ὧν χρείαν ἔχομεν εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν.
Having received the morsel, he went out immediately; and it was night§24
24So after receiving the morsel he went out immediately; and it was night.
Night is a symbol of the darkness into which the betrayer goes out.
Greek · §24
Λαβὼν οὖν τὸ ψωμίον ἐκεῖνος ἐξῆλθεν εὐθύς· ἦν δὲ νύξ.
Ἡ νὺξ σύμβολον τῆς σκοτίας εἰς ἣν ἐξέρχεται ὁ παραδιδούς.
Now the Son of Man is glorified§25
25When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him.”
The betrayer’s exit is the beginning of the glory according to the passion.
Greek · §25
Ὅτε οὖν ἐξῆλθεν λέγει Ἰησοῦς· Νῦν ἐδοξάσθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐδοξάσθη ἐν αὐτῷ.
Ἡ ἔξοδος τοῦ παραδιδόντος ἀρχὴ τῆς κατὰ τὸ πάθος δόξης.
God will glorify him in himself§26
26“If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and will glorify him at once.”
The return of glory from the Father to the Son does not delay.
Greek · §26
Εἰ ὁ θεὸς ἐδοξάσθη ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ὁ θεὸς δοξάσει αὐτὸν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ εὐθὺς δοξάσει αὐτόν.
Ἡ ἀντίδοσις τῆς δόξης ἀπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ υἱῷ οὐ χρονίζει.
Little children, I am with you a little while longer§27
‘A little while’ is the short span of presence toward the passion.
Greek · §27
Τεκνία, ἔτι μικρὸν μεθ᾽ ὑμῶν εἰμι· ζητήσετέ με, καὶ καθὼς εἶπον τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις… καὶ ὑμῖν λέγω ἄρτι.
Μικρὸν τὸ τῆς παρουσίας πρὸς τὸ πάθος διάστημα.
A new commandment: love one another§28
28“A new commandment I give you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”
New not by time alone but by the measure of the Son’s love.
Greek · §28
Ἐντολὴν καινὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, ἵνα ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς ἀγαπᾶτε ἀλλήλους.
Καινὴ οὐ χρόνῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ ἀγάπης.
By this all will know you are my disciples§29
29“By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The sign of discipleship is love among yourselves — not words or powers alone.
Greek · §29
Ἐν τούτῳ γνώσονται πάντες ὅτι ἐμοὶ μαθηταί ἐστε, ἐὰν ἀγάπην ἔχητε ἐν ἀλλήλοις.
Σημεῖον μαθητείας ἡ ἐν ἀλλήλοις ἀγάπη, οὐ μόνον λόγοι ἢ δυνάμεις.
Peter: Lord, where are you going?§30
30Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” He answered, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.”
Inability now; later following through martyrdom.
Greek · §30
Λέγει αὐτῷ Σίμων Πέτρος· Κύριε, ποῦ ὑπάγεις; ἀπεκρίθη· Ὅπου ὑπάγω οὐ δύνασαί μοι νῦν ἀκολουθῆσαι, ἀκολουθήσεις δὲ ὕστερον.
Νῦν ἀδυναμία, ὕστερον ἀκολουθία διὰ τοῦ μαρτυρίου.
I will lay down my life for you§31
31Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”
The eagerness is great; the trial is still lacking.
Greek · §31
Λέγει αὐτῷ Πέτρος· Κύριε, διὰ τί οὐ δύναμαί σοι ἀκολουθῆσαι ἄρτι; τὴν ψυχήν μου ὑπὲρ σοῦ θήσω.
Προθυμία μὲν μεγάλη, πείρα δὲ ἔτι λείπει.
The rooster will not crow until you deny me; close of Book 32§32
32Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times.”
So much for the thirty-second tome on the basin, the betrayal, and the new commandment.
Greek · §32
Ἀποκρίνεται Ἰησοῦς· Τὴν ψυχήν σου ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ θήσεις; ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀλέκτωρ φωνήσῃ ἕως οὗ ἀρνήσῃ με τρίς.
Ταῦτα εἰς τὸν τριακοστὸν καὶ δεύτερον τόμον περὶ τοῦ νιπτῆρος καὶ τῆς παραδόσεως καὶ τῆς καινῆς ἐντολῆς.