John 13

John 13:1

[a] depart] This word μεταβῆ, pass, refers to the passover mentioned in the beginning of the verse, to signify that that legal passover, or, the occasion of it, God’s passing over the house of Israel, and the Israelites passing or going out of Egypt, did note the passing of Christ out of this world (where he was a servant) into the land of liberty, that is, heaven. See note [b] Luke ix.

John 13:2

When he was at supper, or, in supper time, (see ver. 12,) (Judas having taken up that diabolical resolution of delivering up Christ to the Jews);

John 13:10

[b] washed] The Hebrews had their λούσεις and their βαπτισμούς, or νίψεις, the former, washing of the whole body, which they call טבילה, the other two, of the hands or feet, of one part alone, either by immersion, or pouring on of water, which they call קדוש, sanctifying. So in Joma, c. 3. §. 3, חמש טבילות ועשרה קדושין טובל כהן גדול, “the high priest on the day of expiation washes five washings, and ten sanctifications,” that is, “washes his whole body five times, at every changing of his vestments once, and his hands and feet ten times,” that is, “at every washing of his whole body twice.” The former were used by the priest (after the building of the temple) before the entering into the temple, (“no man,” saith Joma, c. 3. §. 3, “enters into the court of the temple to minister, though he be clean,” that is, though he be not under any legal pollution, “until he have washed all over,”) and so also by the proselytes at their initiation. (See note [a] Matt. iii.) The latter was of every day’s use; and to those our Saviour seems here to refer; and by the ὁ λελουμένος, he means him that hath been totally washed, that is, that hath been initiated and entered into Christ, hath undertaken his discipleship, and so renounced sincerely all the profaneness of his former life; and he that had done so is said to be καθαρὸς ὅλος, in the words following, whole clean, and he hath no need to be so washed again, that is, all over. For that ceremony of initiation was never repeated, say the Jewish writers. All that is needful to him is the βαπτισμοί, or νίψεις, the immersion, or pouring of water, and so rinsing of the hands and feet, the daily ministry of the word and grace of Christ, (thereby signified,) to cleanse and wash off and purify (more

John 13:15

For what I have now done is on purpose to shew you how you ought to behave yourselves in that authority in the church wherein ye shall succeed me. e nor you my apostles, that I mean to settle governors of the church, greater than I, from whom you have your commission, and by whom you are constituted.

John 13:17

And woe be to you, if you do not practise after this example.

John 13:18

But I expect not this obedience from you all; I know I have chose twelve apostles, and the scripture is fulfilled of one of them, that though he be so near to me, as to be entertained daily at my table with me, yet he will do me all the mischief he can.

John 13:19

This I tell you now (see note [k] Matt. xxiii.) by way of prediction, that when my suffering comes, and may be apt to make you waver in your belief of me, your knowing that I foretold you it, may assure you that I know things to come, and the secret purposes of men’s hearts before they shew themselves in act, and from thence conclude that I am the searcher of all hearts, and withal that I am the Messias, to whom those prophecies belong. e own garments, and was lain down, ἡμέτια αὐτοῦ, ἐνακεφέν. ἀπόστολος μελῶν. † the apostle greater,

John 13:20

As for the offices of duty, and task, and humility, which I assign you, ver. 14, and now exemplify them to you in myself, you shall not want the comfort and reward of them; for you shall be considered by me (and so shall the reception and entertainment that men shall give to you) as I myself am by my Father.

John 13:21

At this time, as he spake these words, Jesus was much troubled, not only in apprehension of the approaching danger, but especially he was grieved to think of it, that any disciple of his should be so wicked and so unhappy, and told them openly and plainly that one of the twelve should be hired and undertake to deliver him up to the Jews to be put to death by them.

‘much perplexed to think that one of them should be guilty of such a villainy, and not being able to guess who it should be.

John 13:23

And John, to whom Christ was very kind, the writer of this Gospel, was placed next to him at the supper.

’lying next to him, with his head in Jesus’ bosom, ver. 23, saith unto him—

John 13:26

He it is to whom I shall give the next piece of bread which I shall take out of the dish or platter, and having given him that mark to know him by, he presently puts his hand into the dish, and takes out a piece of bread, and gives it to Judas Iscariot.

[c] a sop] What ψωμίον signifies is clear by Hesychius, ψωμίον (ψωθίον is a false print) τὸ ὑποκάτω τοῦ ἄρτον, the lower side of the bread, and ψωμία (not ψωθία again) τὰ τοῦ ἄρτον ἀποθραύσματα, broken pieces of the loaf, crusts of bread. Such was it that was wont to be given about to each of the guests in the postcænium (the breaking of bread after supper) among the Jews, to signify that charity that should be among them; and so the cup of grace, or charity also, μετὰ τὸ δεῖπνῆσαι, after supper, saith St. Luke, ch. xxii. 20. And such was this here that Christ on purpose did to express his love to his disciples now at parting with them, ver. 1, and to engage them to the like among one another. That this was the postcænium there can be no doubt, if γενομένον δείπνον, ver. 2, be rendered supper being ended, for then there could be nothing after that but the postcænium. But although γενομένον being the aorist, med. importeth no more but it being come, or when supper was come, in supper time, yet it is apparent that after this he rose from supper to wash their feet, and accordingly it is said expressly, ver. 12, ἀναπεσὼν πάλιν, lying down again, which signifies that he was before lain down to meat. And therefore in reason this washing their feet, coming between the supper and the postcænium, that which here follows the washing and his second lying down, is the postcænium, wherein, as it is evident by the other evangelists, he instituted the Lord’s supper. See Matt. xxvi. 26, where it is the last thing that is done but the singing of the hymn before their going to the mount of Olives, ver. 30, and so Mark xiv. 28; and Luke saith expressly, ch. xxii. 20, that he took the cup after supper; which being supposed and the mention being here express of Christ’s giving the ψωμίον, or crust, to Judas, as it is necessarily consequent that Judas was present at the institution of the sacrament, and not only at the first part of the supper which that concluded, so it is not probable that the crust now mentioned to be given him should be dipped or moistened in the juice of the herbs, as it might be thought, if it had been at the former part of the supper. For the custom of giving about bread in the postcænium was surely to give a crust of dry bread, broken off from the loaf, or a loaf cut in a dish to that purpose, to give every one a piece; and the cup of wine following it, there was no use or occasion of moistening it; and besides, the first course and the dishes of that service were in all reason taken away to give place to this concluding course, as we know it is wherever the custom of the grace-cup is still retained; and if so, there was then no moist thing on the table but the wine to dip or wet it in, and that being in a cup, or pot, and not in a dish, (which is mentioned in Matthew and Mark at his pointing at the traditor,) there is no pretence of believing that the bread was dipped in that. Upon these grounds it seems not unreasonable to interpose a conjecture, that the word βάψας, or ἐμβάψας, may here be mistaken, and misapplied to ψωμίον, the piece of bread, which from thence is usually rendered a sop, supposing it to be βαττόμενον, dipped in wet, and so moistened,) when it may signify no more than his putting or dipping his hand into the dish. For the putting one’s hand into any hollow vessel, which is made hollow that it may contain liquids in it, may fitly be thus ex-

John 13:27

And upon his receiving that piece of bread, (together with Christ’s telling him distinctly of it, and of the horribleness of the sin and danger, Mark xiv. 21,) and his not yet relenting, the devil entered into him more forcibly than before, ver. 2, and Luke xxii. 3, hurrying him to a speedy execution of his designs, (see the paraphrase on Luke xxii. 3, 4,) which Jesus knowing, said to him accordingly, What thou doest, do quickly; intimating that he was now hastening to do it.

John 13:28

This speech they that were at meat with him understood not, unless perhaps John, to whom he had given the token, ver. 26.

’lying in Jesus’ bosom, ἀνακείμενον ἕν. ‘at the breast of Jesus, ἐκὶ τὸ στήθος. ‘having dipped, I shall deliver the piece, or crust of bread. And having dipped, he gave the crust, ἢ ἐγὼ βάψατ τὸ ψωμίον ἐπιδώσω. καὶ ἐμβάψατ τὸ ψωμίον, βίβωσιν. ‘crust, ψωμίον.

John 13:33

My beloved friends, whom I look on as children suddenly to be deprived of their parent, I am now within a very little time to part from you.

John 13:34

And being now to take my last leave, I give you this special new command, that from the manner and degree of my love to you expressed in venturing, nay, losing my life for you, ye also learn and practise the same degree of loving one another, that is, that all Christians abound one toward another in all charity, and venture their lives for the good of others, especially for the propagating the gospel, doing good to the souls of other men.

John 13:35

This is the badge by which I desire you should be known from all other men of other professions and religions, your living together in the strictest bands of love.

John 13:36

Peter not yet knowing what he meant, ver. 33, asketh him whither he meant to go, that they should not be able to follow him. Jesus answers him, that though he could not yet, he should ere long follow him, that the very death which Christ should now suffer should be his lot hereafter. ¹ venture, hazard my life for thy sake. ¹² purse, γλωσσόκομον. ¹³ crust, φωμίον.