John 13:25

13:18-30 Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when he spake of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of Christ. We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's mercies, and meet them with ingratitude. See the infidel, who only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away their authority and destroy their influence; the hypocrite, who professes to believe the Scriptures, but will not govern himself by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a thing of naught. Thus mankind, supported by God's providence, after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.

John 13:25 . That disciple, ἐκεῖνος , when thus appealed to, ἀναπεσὼν ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ , “having leant back towards the breast of Jesus” so as to speak more directly to Him and to be heard only by Him. On the difference between ἀνακείμενος and ἀναπεσών see Origen in Evang. Jo. , ii. 191, Brooke.

Lying (ἐπιπεσὼν) This word is, literally, to fall upon, and is so rendered in almost every instance in the New Testament. In Mark 3:10, it is applied to the multitudes pressing upon Christ. It occurs, however, nowhere else in John, and therefore some of the best authorities read ἀναπεσὼν, leaning back, a verb which John uses several times in the Gospel, as in John 13:12. So Rev. Whichever of the two is read, it points out the distinction, which the A.V. misses by the translation lying, between ἦν ἀνακείμενος (John 13:23), which describes the reclining position of John throughout the meal, and the sudden change of posture pictured by ἀναπεσὼν, leaning back. The distinction is enforced by the different preposition in each case: reclining in (ἐν) Jesus' bosom, and leaning back (ἀνά). Again, the words bosom and breast represent different words in the Greek; κόλπος representing more generally the bend formed by the front part of the reclining person, the lap, and στῆθος the breast proper. The verb ἀναπίπτω, to lean back, always in the New Testament describes a change of position. It is used of a rower bending back for a fresh stroke. Plato, in the well-known passage of the "Phaedrus," in which the soul is described under the figure of two horses and a charioteer, says that when the charioteer beholds the vision of love he is afraid, and falls backward (ἀνέπεσεν), so that he brings the steeds upon their haunches.

As he was (οὕτως) Inserted by the best texts, and not found in the A.V. Reclining as he was, he leaned back. The general attitude of reclining was maintained. Compare John 4:6 : "sat thus (οὕτως) on the well." According to the original institution, the Passover was to be eaten standing (Exodus 12:11). After the Captivity the custom was changed, and the guests reclined. The Rabbis insisted that at least a part of the Paschal meal should be eaten in that position, because it was the manner of slaves to eat standing, and the recumbent position showed that they had been delivered from bondage into freedom. Breast (στῆθος) From ἵστημι, to cause to stand. Hence, that which stands out. In later writings John was known as ὁ ἐπιστήθιος, the one on the breast, or the bosom friend.

John 13:25 . Ἐπιπεσών , throwing himself back [not as Engl. Vers. lying on ]) This was a new [unprecedented] instance of freedom, such as neither he nor any other disciple used on any other occasion [therefore it is specially referred to, as something extraordinary in]: ch. John 21:20 . John was lying in the bosom of the Lord: from that position he leaned back with loving familiarity to the breast of Jesus, by that very act hiding his purpose of asking the question: he then asked the question privately. Comp. John 13:28 , “Now no man at the table knew with what intent Jesus spake this unto Judas .”— ἐκεῖνος ) Many copies formerly added οὕτως . It is a good gloss [interpolated explanatory note]; comp. ch. John 4:6 , note.[334] [334] Jesus at the well, ἐκαθέζετο οὕτως . BCLXΔ add the οὕτως here, ch. John 13:25 . But AD abc Vulg. Orig. 4,437 c , support Beng. and Rec. Text in omitting it.—E. and T.

25 . lying on Jesus’ breast ] Our version does well in using different words from those used in John 13:23 , but the distinction used is inadequate. Moreover the same preposition, ‘on,’ is used in both cases; in the Greek the prepositions differ also. In John 13:23 we have the permanent posture; here a change, the same verb being used as in John 13:12 (see note). The meaning is leaning back on to Jesus’ breast . Comp John 21:20 , where our translators give a similarly inadequate rendering. “This is among the most striking of those vivid descriptive traits which distinguish the narrative of the Fourth Gospel generally, and which are especially remarkable in these last scenes of Jesus’ life, where the beloved disciple was himself an eye-witness and an actor. It is therefore to be regretted that these fine touches of the picture should be blurred in our English Bibles.” Lightfoot, On Revision , p. 73. Some good MSS. insert ‘thus’ before ‘on to Jesus’ breast’ (comp. John 4:6 ).

(25) He then lying on Jesus’ breast. —Several good authorities, including the Vatican and the Cambridge MSS., insert the word “thus.” “He then leaning thus . . . ,” describes the action just as it took place (comp. Note on John 4:6 ); but the balance of authority is against the insertion. The action is, however, exactly described in the original, for the words “lying” and “breast” are both different from those in John 13:23 . The English preserves this difference, but hardly conveys the full meaning. There the beloved disciple is described as reclining towards his Master’s bosom. Here he leans upon (or leans back upon, as many good authorities read), the Master’s breast, and asks Him the question, “Who is it?”

He then lying on Jesus' breast - This is a different word from the one rendered John 13:23 leaning. It means falling back or reclining on the bosom of Jesus. When Peter spake, John laid his head back on the bosom of Jesus, so that he could speak to him privately without being heard by others.

John 13:25-26 . Graphic representation. Raising himself from the κόλπος of Jesus to His breast, nearer to His ear, he draws close to Him, and asks (in a whisper). ἐγώ ] I, for my part . τὸ ψωμ .] which he meanwhile took into His hand. ἐπιδώσω ] shall give away . The morsel is to be thought of as a piece of bread or meat, which Jesus dips into a broth on the table (not into the Charoseth , see on Matthew 26:23 , since the meal, according to John, was not the paschal meal). The closing words of John 13:26 contain something of tragic solemnity.[131] By the designation of the traitor, it was not the curiosity of John, but his own love , which Jesus satisfied, and this by means of a token not of apparent , but of real and sorrowful goodwill towards Judas, in whom even now conscience might have been awakened and touched, by means of a token at the same time, such as most naturally suggested itself at table to the Lord as the head of the family, expressive of forbearance towards the traitor. This in answer to Weisse, who psychologically mishandles the entire representation as a fiction derived from John 13:18 , and finds the true occurrence only in Mark, whilst Strauss gives the relative preference to Luke ( Luke 22:21 ). [131] To this belongs also the circumstantial λαμβάνει καί after ψωμ . (see critical notes). Jesus has put the morsel in the broth ( βάψας ), and then takes it, etc.