1
Ταῦτα ⸀εἰπὼν Ἰησοῦς ἐξῆλθεν σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ πέραν τοῦ χειμάρρου ⸀τοῦ Κεδρὼν ὅπου ἦν κῆπος, εἰς ὃν εἰσῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
Having said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron valley, where there was a garden, into which he and his disciples entered.
Garden (κῆπος, kēpos) — this book names no Gethsemane and no olive grove. The same word returns at 19:41, and 20:15 makes a gardener from it.
first here Jesus Ἰησοῦς Iēsous
first here Kidron Κεδρών Kedrōn
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun he = Jesus
2
ᾔδει δὲ καὶ Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν τὸν τόπον, ὅτι πολλάκις ⸀συνήχθη Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ.
Now Judas, who was handing him over, also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
The place is known because it was used often — the text says so.
first here Judas Ἰούδας Ioudas
pronoun who = Judas
pronoun him = Jesus
3
ὁ οὖν Ἰούδας λαβὼν τὴν σπεῖραν καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ ⸂ἐκ τῶν⸃ Φαρισαίων ὑπηρέτας ἔρχεται ἐκεῖ μετὰ φανῶν καὶ λαμπάδων καὶ ὅπλων.
So Judas, taking the cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Cohort (σπεῖρα, speira) is a Roman unit. Only this book brings Roman soldiers to the arrest.
first here Pharisee Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios
4
Ἰησοῦς ⸀οὖν εἰδὼς πάντα τὰ ἐρχόμενα ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ⸂ἐξῆλθεν, καὶ λέγει⸃ αὐτοῖς· Τίνα ζητεῖτε;
So Jesus, knowing all that was coming upon him, went out and says to them, “Whom do you seek?”
Knowing all that was coming — he goes out to them, and is not found.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun them = those who came
pronoun you = those who came
5
ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ· Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον. λέγει ⸀αὐτοῖς· Ἐγώ εἰμι. εἱστήκει δὲ καὶ Ἰούδας ὁ παραδιδοὺς αὐτὸν μετ’ αὐτῶν.
They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He says to them, “I am.” And Judas, who was handing him over, was standing with them.
I am (ἐγώ εἰμι, egō eimi) can be heard as plain “it is I” or as the words of 8:58. The next verse shows which the writer means.
first here Nazorean Ναζωραῖος Nazōraios
pronoun They = those who came
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun He = Jesus
pronoun them = those who came
pronoun who = Judas
Why this rendering
John.18.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
The predicateless Ἐγώ εἰμι occurs three times in this scene — vv.5, 6 and 8. It began at 4:26 and passed through 8:24, 28, 58 and 9:9 to here. And at v.6 the narrator records the response: when he said “Ἐγώ εἰμι” they drew back and fell to the ground. The text itself records what these two words produce. Men come to arrest him falling down is not a response to ordinary self-identification. The εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω of v.6 is the phrase used at 6:66 of the disciples who drew back. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀αὐτοῖς·).
Rendering options · 2
I am he
Basis Supplies “he” and makes it self-identification.
Rejected Verse 6 records that they fell when he said it, so an ordinary self-identification leaves the response unexplained. The text puts weight on these two words and the rendering removes it. It is the form of 4:26 and 8:24 and takes the same rendering.
Adopted They answered him, “Jesus the Nazorean.” He says to them, “I am.”
Basis Leaves the predicate empty. The Vulgate has ego sum here as in the earlier places.
Lost in translation
a series of eight places 4:26, 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 9:9, 18:5, 18:6 and 18:8 are one predicateless form. Most versions supply a pronoun everywhere and leave it empty only at 8:58, so the series is invisible. Two keep all eight bare — the Vulgate with ego sum and the Church Slavonic 1900 with а҆́зъ є҆́смь. The Peshitta reaches seven and changes form only at 8:58; LSV leaves six bare and at 4:26 and 9:9 prints am [He], marking the supplied word in brackets.
Survives in · Vulgata Clementina / this edition — 7 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
6
ὡς οὖν εἶπεν ⸀αὐτοῖς· Ἐγώ εἰμι, ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ ἔπεσαν χαμαί.
So when he said to them, “I am,” they drew back and fell to the ground.
Drew back and fell — the reaction is given without explanation.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = those who came
pronoun they = those who came
7
πάλιν οὖν ⸂ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτούς⸃· Τίνα ζητεῖτε; οἱ δὲ εἶπαν· Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον.
So again he asked them, “Whom do you seek?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazorean.”
The question and the answer are put again, word for word.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun them = those who came
pronoun you = those who came
pronoun they = those who came
8
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Εἶπον ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι· εἰ οὖν ἐμὲ ζητεῖτε, ἄφετε τούτους ὑπάγειν·
Jesus answered, “I told you that I am. So if you seek me, let these go.”
Let these go — the arrest is bargained down to one man.
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = those who came
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun these = the disciples
9
ἵνα πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος ὃν εἶπεν ὅτι Οὓς δέδωκάς μοι οὐκ ἀπώλεσα ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐδένα.
This was so that the word he had spoken might be fulfilled: “Of those you have given me I lost none.”
The writer names the saying as fulfilled — it stands at 6:39 and 17:12.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun you = the Father
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
10
Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος ἔχων μάχαιραν εἵλκυσεν αὐτὴν καὶ ἔπαισεν τὸν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως δοῦλον καὶ ἀπέκοψεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ⸀ὠτάριον τὸ δεξιόν. ἦν δὲ ὄνομα τῷ δούλῳ Μάλχος.
Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. The slave's name was Malchus.
Only this book names Malchus, names Peter as the striker, and says right ear. The word for ear here is a diminutive (ὠτάριον, ōtarion); English cannot carry the small form without adding an anatomy the text does not give.
first here Simon Σίμων Simōn
first here Peter Πέτρος Petros
first here Malchus Μάλχος Malchos
pronoun it = the sword
pronoun his = the slave
Why this rendering
John.18.10 Observation
Syntactic observation
εἵλκυσεν is the aorist of ἕλκω. It is the verb of 12:32, I will ἑλκύσω all to myself. In John it stands in five places — 6:44, the Father drawing; 12:32, drawing all; here at 18:10, Peter drawing a sword; and 21:6 and 21:11, hauling the net. So the Father drawing people, Peter drawing a sword and the disciples hauling a net are one verb. ὠτάριον is a diminutive, nearer to the lobe of the ear, and John records even the slave's name, Malchus. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ὠτάριον).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted drew his sword
Basis Uses the natural rendering.
drew — the same word as at 12:32
Basis Matches the stem of 12:32.
Rejected In Korean one does not 이끌다 a sword. The verb for people and the verb for objects diverge, so joining the five places with one word is impossible. The impossibility is recorded as a loss.
Lost in translation
the five places of ἕλκω The Father draws (6:44), Jesus draws all (12:32), Peter draws a sword (18:10), the disciples haul a net (21:6, 11). One verb spans theology, violence and labour. English cannot use one verb for people and for objects, so this link does not survive here. It needs a language that uses one verb of persons and of things, and English is not one.
Survives in · this edition — 3 of the nine carry it (not this language)
11
εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Πέτρῳ· Βάλε τὴν ⸀μάχαιραν εἰς τὴν θήκην· τὸ ποτήριον ὃ δέδωκέν μοι ὁ πατὴρ οὐ μὴ πίω αὐτό;
So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into its sheath. The cup that the Father has given me — shall I not drink it?”
The cup is named once in this book, and there is no prayer that it pass.
pronoun its = the sword
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun it = the cup
12
Ἡ οὖν σπεῖρα καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνέλαβον τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸν
So the cohort and the tribune and the officers of the Jews seized Jesus and bound him,
Tribune renders χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos), commander of a thousand.
first here Jews Ἰουδαῖος Ioudaios
pronoun him = Jesus
13
καὶ ⸀ἤγαγον πρὸς Ἅνναν πρῶτον· ἦν γὰρ πενθερὸς τοῦ Καϊάφα, ὃς ἦν ἀρχιερεὺς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐκείνου·
and led him first to Annas; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
Only this book takes him to Annas first.
first here Annas Ἅννας Hannas
first here Caiaphas Καϊάφας Kaiaphas
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun he = Annas
pronoun who = Caiaphas
14
ἦν δὲ Καϊάφας ὁ συμβουλεύσας τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὅτι συμφέρει ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ⸀ἀποθανεῖν ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ.
Now it was Caiaphas who had counselled the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die for the people.
The writer points back to 11:50 rather than telling it again.
pronoun who = Caiaphas
15
Ἠκολούθει δὲ τῷ Ἰησοῦ Σίμων Πέτρος ⸀καὶ ἄλλος μαθητής. ὁ δὲ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος ἦν γνωστὸς τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ καὶ συνεισῆλθεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως,
And Simon Peter was following Jesus, and another disciple. That disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest;
Another disciple is left unnamed here and at 20:2.
pronoun he = the other disciple
16
ὁ δὲ Πέτρος εἱστήκει πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ ἔξω. ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ μαθητὴς ὁ ἄλλος ⸀ὁ γνωστὸς ⸂τοῦ ἀρχιερέως⸃ καὶ εἶπεν τῇ θυρωρῷ καὶ εἰσήγαγεν τὸν Πέτρον.
but Peter was standing at the door outside. So the other disciple, known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.
Peter is brought in by the other disciple — the denials follow from that.
17
λέγει οὖν ⸂τῷ Πέτρῳ ἡ παιδίσκη ἡ θυρωρός⸃· Μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν εἶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου; λέγει ἐκεῖνος· Οὐκ εἰμί.
So the servant girl who kept the door says to Peter, “Are you also one of this man's disciples?” He says, “I am not.”
I am not is the plain negative of the I am of verses 5, 6 and 8.
pronoun who = the servant girl
pronoun you = Peter
pronoun He = Peter
pronoun I = Peter
18
εἱστήκεισαν δὲ οἱ δοῦλοι καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται ἀνθρακιὰν πεποιηκότες, ὅτι ψῦχος ἦν, καὶ ἐθερμαίνοντο· ἦν δὲ ⸂καὶ ὁ Πέτρος μετ’ αὐτῶν⸃ ἑστὼς καὶ θερμαινόμενος.
The slaves and the officers were standing there, having made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were warming themselves; and Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.
Charcoal fire (ἀνθρακιά, anthrakia) stands in the four Gospels only here and at 21:9, where Peter is asked three times.
pronoun it = the weather
pronoun they = the slaves and officers
pronoun themselves = the slaves and officers
pronoun them = the slaves and officers
pronoun himself = Peter
19
Ὁ οὖν ἀρχιερεὺς ἠρώτησεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν περὶ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς αὐτοῦ.
So the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.
Two things are asked about — the disciples and the teaching. Only the second is answered.
pronoun his = Jesus — both times
20
ἀπεκρίθη ⸀αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς· Ἐγὼ παρρησίᾳ ⸀λελάληκα τῷ κόσμῳ· ἐγὼ πάντοτε ἐδίδαξα ἐν συναγωγῇ καὶ ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ, ὅπου ⸀πάντες οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι συνέρχονται, καὶ ἐν κρυπτῷ ἐλάλησα οὐδέν·
Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in a synagogue and in the the temple, where all the Jews come together, and in secret I said nothing.
In secret I said nothing — set against 7:4 and 7:10, where he went up secretly.
pronoun him = the high priest
pronoun I = Jesus
21
τί με ⸂ἐρωτᾷς; ἐρώτησον⸃ τοὺς ἀκηκοότας τί ἐλάλησα αὐτοῖς· ἴδε οὗτοι οἴδασιν ἃ εἶπον ἐγώ.
Why do you question me? Question those who have heard what I said to them; see, they know what I said.”
The answer refuses the questioning and points to witnesses.
pronoun you = the high priest
pronoun me = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun them = those who have heard
pronoun they = those who have heard
22
ταῦτα δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰπόντος εἷς ⸂παρεστηκὼς τῶν ὑπηρετῶν⸃ ἔδωκεν ῥάπισμα τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἰπών· Οὕτως ἀποκρίνῃ τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ;
When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by gave Jesus a blow, saying, “Do you answer the high priest so?”
Blow renders ῥάπισμα (rhapisma), a blow with the flat hand or a rod.
pronoun he = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
23
ἀπεκρίθη ⸀αὐτῷ Ἰησοῦς· Εἰ κακῶς ἐλάλησα, μαρτύρησον περὶ τοῦ κακοῦ· εἰ δὲ καλῶς, τί με δέρεις;
Jesus answered him, “If I spoke wrongly, bear witness about the wrong; but if rightly, why do you strike me?”
Bear witness is turned back on the striker — the book's own word.
pronoun him = the officer
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun you = the officer
pronoun me = Jesus
24
ἀπέστειλεν ⸀οὖν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἅννας δεδεμένον πρὸς Καϊάφαν τὸν ἀρχιερέα.
So Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
The hearing before Annas ends without a verdict being given.
pronoun him = Jesus
25
Ἦν δὲ Σίμων Πέτρος ἑστὼς καὶ θερμαινόμενος. εἶπον οὖν αὐτῷ· Μὴ καὶ σὺ ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ εἶ; ⸀ἠρνήσατο ἐκεῖνος καὶ εἶπεν· Οὐκ εἰμί.
Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “Are you also one of his disciples?” He denied it and said, “I am not.”
The second denial is set beside the fire of verse 18.
pronoun himself = Peter
pronoun they = those at the fire
pronoun him = Peter
pronoun his = Jesus
pronoun He = Peter
pronoun it = the charge
pronoun I = Peter
26
λέγει εἷς ἐκ τῶν δούλων τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, συγγενὴς ὢν οὗ ἀπέκοψεν Πέτρος τὸ ὠτίον· Οὐκ ἐγώ σε εἶδον ἐν τῷ κήπῳ μετ’ αὐτοῦ;
One of the slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter cut off, says, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?”
The third questioner is a relative of the man Peter struck — the writer joins verse 10 to this.
pronoun whose = the slave Peter struck
pronoun I = the relative
pronoun you = Peter
pronoun him = Jesus
27
πάλιν οὖν ⸀ἠρνήσατο Πέτρος· καὶ εὐθέως ἀλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν.
So Peter denied it again; and at once a cock crowed.
A cock crowed — this book has one crowing and no weeping.
pronoun it = the charge
28
Ἄγουσιν οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπὸ τοῦ Καϊάφα εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον· ἦν δὲ πρωΐ· καὶ αὐτοὶ οὐκ εἰσῆλθον εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον, ἵνα μὴ μιανθῶσιν ⸀ἀλλὰ φάγωσιν τὸ πάσχα.
So they lead Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium; and it was early. And they did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled but might eat the Passover.
Praetorium is a Latin word kept as sound. In this book the Passover meal is still ahead when Jesus is tried — the other three put the supper before it.
pronoun they = those who led him
pronoun it = the time of day
Why this rendering
John.18.28 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
πραιτώριον is the Latin praetorium written in Greek letters. It occurs three times in John — 18:28, 18:33 and 19:9. The author did not render it into Greek but took the Latin word in — a Roman word for a Roman building. μιανθῶσιν is the passive of μιαίνω, to be defiled in the ritual sense, and it occurs only here in John. And this verse fixes the timing of the Passover: they had not yet eaten it. That timing has long been discussed as reading differently from the Synoptics. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ἀλλὰ).
Rendering options · 2
the governor's headquarters
Basis Renders the sense.
Rejected It hides that the author took the Latin word in rather than rendering it into Greek. John also keeps Aramaic by transliteration (rabbi at 1:38, Messiah at 1:41, Siloam at 9:7) and glosses it, but here he does not even gloss it — he treats it as a word the reader already knows.
Adopted So they lead Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium; and it was early. And they did not enter the praetorium, so that they might not be defiled but might eat the Passover.
Basis Keeps a transliteration as a transliteration. The Vulgate has praetorium, as do KJV, NASB and ESV. It is the treatment given to ἀμήν and παράκλητος in GLOSSARY.
Lost in translation
that the author took in a Latin word Aramaic is transliterated and glossed (1:38, 1:41, 9:7); the Latin is transliterated and not glossed. That is, the Roman word was already ordinary for author and reader — and rendering it as headquarters erases the fact.
Survives in · King James 1769 / New American Standard (1995)† / English Standard Version† / Vulgata Clementina / Elberfelder 1871 / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
29
ἐξῆλθεν οὖν ὁ Πιλᾶτος ⸀ἔξω πρὸς αὐτοὺς καὶ ⸀φησίν· Τίνα κατηγορίαν φέρετε ⸀κατὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τούτου;
So Pilate went outside to them and says, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”
Pilate comes out to them because they will not come in.
first here Pilate Πιλᾶτος Pilatos
pronoun them = the Jews
pronoun you = the Jews
pronoun this man = Jesus
30
ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Εἰ μὴ ἦν οὗτος ⸂κακὸν ποιῶν⸃, οὐκ ἄν σοι παρεδώκαμεν αὐτόν.
They answered and said to him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have handed him over to you.”
No charge is named — only that he is doing evil.
pronoun They = the Jews
pronoun him = Pilate — “handed him over” is Jesus
pronoun this man = Jesus
pronoun we = the Jews
pronoun you = Pilate
31
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτοῖς ⸀ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Λάβετε αὐτὸν ὑμεῖς, καὶ κατὰ τὸν νόμον ὑμῶν κρίνατε αὐτόν. ⸀εἶπον αὐτῷ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι· Ἡμῖν οὐκ ἔξεστιν ἀποκτεῖναι οὐδένα·
So Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to kill anyone,”
It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death — the writer gives the reason the case goes to Rome.
pronoun them = the Jews
pronoun him = Jesus — “The Jews said to him” is Pilate
pronoun yourselves = the Jews
pronoun your = the Jews
pronoun us = the Jews
32
ἵνα ὁ λόγος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πληρωθῇ ὃν εἶπεν σημαίνων ποίῳ θανάτῳ ἤμελλεν ἀποθνῄσκειν.
so that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spoke, signifying by what death he was about to die.
The saying meant is 12:32–33 — lifted up names a Roman death, not stoning.
pronoun he = Jesus — both times
33
Εἰσῆλθεν οὖν ⸂πάλιν εἰς τὸ πραιτώριον⸃ ὁ Πιλᾶτος καὶ ἐφώνησεν τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων;
So Pilate entered the praetorium again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
King of the Jews is Pilate's phrase; the chief priests use it back at 19:21.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
34
⸀ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· ⸂Ἀπὸ σεαυτοῦ⸃ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις ἢ ἄλλοι ⸂εἶπόν σοι⸃ περὶ ἐμοῦ;
Jesus answered, “Do you say this of yourself, or did others tell you about me?”
The question is answered with a question about where the question came from.
pronoun you = Pilate
pronoun this = the question about kingship
pronoun yourself = Pilate
pronoun me = Jesus
35
ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Μήτι ἐγὼ Ἰουδαῖός εἰμι; τὸ ἔθνος τὸ σὸν καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς παρέδωκάν σε ἐμοί· τί ἐποίησας;
Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”
Am I a Jew? — Pilate refuses the frame of the question.
pronoun I = Pilate
pronoun Your = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus
pronoun me = Pilate
36
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς· Ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· εἰ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἦν ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή, οἱ ὑπηρέται ⸂οἱ ἐμοὶ ἠγωνίζοντο ἄν⸃, ἵνα μὴ παραδοθῶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· νῦν δὲ ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐντεῦθεν.
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my officers would be fighting so that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Not from this world says where the kingdom comes from, not where it is.
pronoun My = Jesus
pronoun my = Jesus
pronoun I = Jesus
Why this rendering
John.18.36 Hypothesis
Syntactic observation
The preposition is ἐκ, which marks source — out of — not belonging or location. And ἐντεῦθεν at the end of the sentence, from here, restates it: the author himself unfolds the sense as origin. Had belonging or location been meant, ἐν was available, and John uses it often. ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή sets the noun with the article repeated and recurs three times in this verse. βασιλεία occurs in John only at 3:3, 3:5 and here. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸂οἱ ἄν⸃,).
Rendering options · 2
My kingdom is not of this world
Basis Uses the settled rendering.
Rejected “Of this world” denies belonging and is commonly read as not being in the world. But ἐκ is source, and ἐντεῦθεν at the end confirms it: the question is where this kingdom comes from, not where it is. Only NET marks the source with from this world.
Adopted Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting so that I might not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Basis Renders ἐκ as source and ἐντεῦθεν as from here, so the author's own gloss stays in the sentence.
Lost in translation
that ἐκ marks source Denying origin and denying belonging are not the same statement — “it does not come from here” and “it is not here” differ. English of leans toward belonging; only NET and the Vulgate mark source.
Survives in · New English Translation† / Vulgata Clementina / this edition — 9 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
37
εἶπεν οὖν αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Οὐκοῦν βασιλεὺς εἶ σύ; ἀπεκρίθη ⸀ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς ⸀εἰμι. ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο γεγέννημαι καὶ εἰς τοῦτο ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκούει μου τῆς φωνῆς.
So Pilate said to him, “Then are you a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world: to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice.”
You say that I am a king — the Greek neither grants nor denies it outright.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun you = Jesus — “You say that I am a king” is Pilate speaking
pronoun I = Jesus
pronoun my = Jesus
Why this rendering
John.18.37 Observation
Syntactic observation
γεγέννημαι is the perfect passive of γεννάω — the verb of being born from above at 3:3–8 — used here of Jesus himself, and set beside ἐλήλυθα so that he has both been born and come. μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ takes the dative, so it is nearer to bearing witness to the truth than of it. In πᾶς ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας the ἐκ returns from v.36 — a person too is spoken of by what he comes out of. And in the next verse Pilate takes up ἀλήθεια without an article. SBLGNT marks a variant in this verse (⸀ὁ ⸀εἰμι.).
Rendering options · 2
Adopted to bear witness to the truth
Basis Uses the settled rendering.
to testify on truth's behalf
Basis Renders the dative more strictly.
Rejected It is awkward in Korean, and the link of γεννάω to chapter 3 matters more in this verse than the shade of the dative. The dative is recorded as a loss.
Lost in translation
that γεννάω is used of Jesus The verb by which a person must be born from above at 3:3–8 is used here of Jesus himself in the perfect passive. English does use one word in both, but no version marks the link.
Survives in · this edition — 5 of the nine carry it (this language among them)
38
λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Πιλᾶτος· Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια; Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν πάλιν ἐξῆλθεν πρὸς τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Ἐγὼ οὐδεμίαν ⸂εὑρίσκω ἐν αὐτῷ αἰτίαν⸃·
Pilate says to him, “What is truth?” And having said this he went out again to the Jews and says to them, “I find no charge in him.
What is truth? is left unanswered, and Pilate does not wait.
pronoun him = Jesus
pronoun this = the question
pronoun he = Pilate
pronoun them = the Jews
pronoun I = Pilate
39
ἔστιν δὲ συνήθεια ὑμῖν ἵνα ἕνα ⸂ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν⸃ ἐν τῷ πάσχα· βούλεσθε οὖν ⸄ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν⸅ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Ἰουδαίων;
But you have a custom that I release one man to you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”
A custom — the text gives no other record of it.
pronoun you = the Jews
pronoun I = Pilate
pronoun me = Pilate
40
ἐκραύγασαν οὖν ⸀πάλιν λέγοντες· Μὴ τοῦτον ἀλλὰ τὸν Βαραββᾶν. ἦν δὲ ὁ Βαραββᾶς λῃστής.
So they cried out again, saying, “Not this man, but Barabbas.” Now Barabbas was a robber.
Robber renders λῃστής (lēstēs), the word used of the two at Matthew 27:38 — not a word for a rebel.
first here Barabbas Βαραββᾶς Barabbas
pronoun they = the Jews
pronoun this man = Jesus