Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 18:3

ὁ οὖν Ἰ. Judas therefore. It was because he knew that Jesus often went thither that he came hither to take Him. The details which follow are minute and accurate as of an eyewitness.

τὴν σπεῖραν. The band of soldiers: this is one part of the company; Roman soldiers sent to prevent ‘an uproar’ among the thousands of pilgrims assembled for the Passover (see on Matthew 26:5). Επεῖρα seems elsewhere in N.T. to mean ‘cohort,’ the tenth of a legion (Matthew 27:27; Mark 15:16; Acts 10:1; Acts 21:31; Acts 27:1), and with this Polybius (XI. xxi. 1; [xxiii. 1]) agrees. But Polybius sometimes (VI. xxiv. 5, XV. ix. 7, III. cxiii. 3) appears to use σπεῖρα for ‘maniple,’ the third part of a cohort and about 200 men. In any case only a portion of the cohort which formed the garrison of the fortress of Antonia can here be meant: but that the arrest of Jesus was expected to produce a crisis is shewn by the presence of the chief officer of the cohort (John 18:12). The Jewish hierarchy had no doubt communicated with Pilate, and his being ready to try the case at so early an hour as 5 A.M. may be accounted for in this way.

ἐκ τ. ἀρχ. κ. τ. Φ. From the Sanhedrin (see on John 7:32; John 7:45; John 11:47). These ὑπηρέται may have been either officers of justice appointed by the Sanhedrin, or a portion of the Levitical temple-police: that some of the latter were present is clear from Luke 22:4; Luke 22:52. This is a second part of the company. S. Luke (Luke 22:52) tells us that some of the chief priests themselves were there also. Thus there were (1) Roman soldiers, (2) Jewish officials, (3) chief priests. The φανοί and λαμπάδες were the common equipment for night duty, not rendered useless by the Paschal full moon. Dark woods or buildings might need searching. Φανός occurs here only in N.T. Both A.V. and R.V. vary between ‘torch,’ ‘light,’ and ‘lamp’ for λαμπάς (Matthew 25:1-8; Acts 20:8; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:10). Torches were fed with oil carried in a vessel for the purpose, and perhaps ‘torch’ would be best everywhere for λαμπάς, leaving ‘lamp’ for the translation of λύχνος (John 5:35; Matthew 5:15; Matthew 6:22; Luke 8:16, &c.). There is a suppressed irony in the details of this verse: ‘all this force against one; against one who intended no resistance; against One who with one word (John 18:6; Matthew 26:53) could have swept them all away.’

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 18:3

Old Testament

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