John 18:3

Judas then Better, Judas therefore; S. John's favourite particle, as in John 18:4; John 18:6; John 18:10; John 18:16; John 18:19; John 18:24; John 18:27; John 18:31; John 18:33; John 18:37; John 18:40. It was because Judas knew that Jesus often went thither that he came thither to take Him. "Our English version gives little idea of the exactness of the description which follows." S. p. 241.

a band of men Rather, the band of soldiers. This is one part of the company; Roman soldiers sent to prevent -an uproar" among the thousands of pilgrims assembled to keep the Passover (see on Matthew 26:5). The word for band, speira, 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 speirafor -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 chiefofficer 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.

officers from the chief priests and Pharisees i.e. from the Sanhedrin. These 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.

with lanterns and torches The ordinary equipment for night duty, which the Paschal full-moon would not render useless. It was possible that dark woods or buildings would have to be searched. The word for -lantern," phanos, occurs here only in N.T.; and here only is lampasrendered -torch;" elsewhere either -light" (Acts 20:8) or -lamp" (Matthew 25:1-8; Revelation 4:5; Revelation 8:10). -Torch" would perhaps be best in all cases, even in Matthew 25:1-8, leaving -lamp" free as the translation of luchnos(John 5:35; Matthew 5:15; Matthew 6:22; Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; Luke 11:33-34; Luke 11:36, &c.) for which -light" and -candle" are either inadequate or misleading. Torches were fed with oil carried in a vessel (Matthew 25:4) for the purpose.