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John 13:28

in John 13

But no one at the table knew why Jesus had said this to him.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

KJV

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

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This verse in John 13

Commentary

12 notes on this verse
The disciples however understand not the force of the saying, and this (it seems) in accordance with the Divine dispensation, as Christ did not unfold its meaning to them: since in other places indeed we find Him teaching them that He would be delivered into the hands of sinners, and that He would be crucified, and put to death, and would rise again on the third day; but ever charging them by no means to tell this to any man.

This site's exposition

no one at the table knew

on John 13:28-30

Judas kept the money bag, so the rest guessed at an errand for the feast or a gift for the poor. The morsel is barely in his hand when he goes out into the night. Everything from here to the garden is spoken to eleven men.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Tractates on John 62 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"Now no one of those at the table knew for what intent He spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the money-bag, that Jesus said unto him, Buy those things which we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor." The Lord, therefore, had also a money-box, where He kept the offerings of believers, and distributed to the necessities of His own, and to others who were in need. It was then that the custom of having church-money was first introduced, so that thereby we might understand that His precept about taking no thought for the morrow was not a command that no money should be kept by His saints, but that God should not be served for any such end, and that the doing of what is right should not be held in abeyance through the fear of want. For the apostle also has this foresight for the future, when he says: "If any believer hath widows, let him give them enough, that the church may not be burdened, that it may have enough for them that are widows indeed."

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Catena Aurea by Aquinas · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

(Hom. lxxii. 2.) That thou doest, do quickly, is not a command, or a recommendation, but a reproof, meant to show too that He was not going to offer any hindrance to His betrayal. Now no man at the table knew for what intent He spake this unto him. It is not easy to see, when the disciples had asked, Who is he, and He had replied, He it is to whom I shall give a sop, how it was that they did not understand Him; unless it was that He spoke too low to be heard; and that John lay upon His breast, when he asked the question, for that very reason, i. e. that the traitor might not be made known. For had Christ made him known, perhaps Peter would have killed him. So it was then, that none at the table knew what our Lord meant. But why not John? Because he could not conceive how a disciple could fall into such wickedness: he was far from such wickedness himself, and therefore did not suspect it of others. What they thought He meant we are told in what follows: For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast, or, that he should give something to the poor. (Hom. lxxii. 2.) None of the disciples contributed this money, but it is hinted that it was certain women, who, it is said, ministered to Him of their means. But how was it that He Who forbad scrip, and staff, and money, carried bags for the relief of the poor? It was to show thee, that even the very poor, those who are crucified to this world, ought to attend to this duty. He did many things in order to instruct us in our duty.

The Medieval Church3 voices

A commentator

Bonaventure

Commentary on John, Chapter 13 · Written in the 13th century.

proposed

But none of those reclining at table knew what he had said to him, not even John himself, who already knew his wickedness. Whence Chrysostom: "It was not of a kind and gentle mind to suspect evil of another," indeed on the contrary they interpreted …

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on John · Written before 1274.

proposed

What our Lord said was not clear to the disciples. John says, Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. We can understand from this that the words of Christ are so profound and so above human understanding that we …

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on John · Written before 1107.

proposed

And "none of those reclining at the table understood." It is worthy of investigation why no one recognized this, when the Lord, in response to the question about the betrayer, said that it is the one to whom I shall give the morsel. Evidently, the …
5 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

Now no man at the table,.... Not one of those who lay upon the couches at the table, excepting John, to whom the signal was given: knew for what intent he spake this unto him; and perhaps he might not know the meaning of his last words, that he spoke concerning the act of betraying him; nor did not imagine that the thing was so near and so speedily to be done, as it was.

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

No man at the table knew - This shows that Jesus had signified to John only who it was that should betray him. The bag - The traveling-bag in which they put their common property. See the notes at Joh 12:6. Have need of against the feast - The feast of the Passover. This feast continued seven days, and they supposed that Jesus had directed him to make preparation for their needs on those days.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

But already "Satan has entered into him," and though the Saviour's act might seem enough to recall him even yet, hell is now in his bosom, and he says within himself, "The die is cast; now let me go through with it; fear, begone!" (See on Mt 12:43). Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly--that is, Why linger here?
When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, "I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me." The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table at Jesus’ right in the place of honor. So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to.
When he had said these things, Jesus was greatly distressed in spirit, and testified, "I tell you the solemn truth, one of you will betray me." The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed to know which of them he was talking about. One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was at the table at Jesus’ right in the place of honor. So Simon Peter gestured to this disciple to ask Jesus who it was he was referring to. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned back against Jesus’ chest and asked him, "Lord, who is it?" Jesus replied, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I have dipped it in the dish." Then he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it to Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son. And after Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, "What you are about to do, do quickly." (Now none of those present at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. Some thought that, because Judas had the money box, Jesus was telling him to buy whatever they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor.) Judas took the piece of bread and went out immediately. Now it was night. The subject of the verses before us is a very painful one. They describe the last scene between our Lord Jesus Christ and the false Apostle Judas Iscariot. They contain the last words which passed between them before they parted forever in this world. They never seem to have met again on earth, excepting in the garden when our Lord was taken prisoner. Within a short time both the holy Master and the treacherous servant were dead. They will never meet again in the body until the trumpet sounds, and the dead are raised, and the judgment is set, and the books are opened. What an dreadful meeting will that be! Let us mark, firstly, in this passage, what trouble our Lord Jesus went through for the sake of our souls.

The words behind it

10 Greek words

Every Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Where this verse is studied

About John

Nicodemus Visiting Jesus, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1899. Public domain.
Nicodemus Visiting Jesus, Henry Ossawa Tanner, 1899. Public domain.
John: the study guide →Read John 13 →
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 62; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 13; Brooke Foss Westcott, The Gospel according to St. John; Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Gospel of John, Book 9; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John; John Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.

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