John 13:30
in John 13As soon as he had received the morsel, Judas went out into the night.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He then having received the sop went out straightway: and it was night.
KJV
He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.
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This verse in John 13
Commentary
22 notes on this verse(t. xxxii. 16.) Our Lord then said to Judas, That thou doest, do quickly, and the traitor this once obeyed his Master. For having received the sop, he started immediately on his work: He then having received the sop, went, immediately out. And indeed he did go out, not only from the house in which he was, but from Jesus altogether. It would seem that Satan, after he had entered into Judas, could not bear to be in the same place with Jesus: for there is no agreement between Jesus and Satan.
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.
This site's exposition
Judas went out into the night
Judas went out, and it was night. Origen reads the night as the darkness in the soul Satan had entered, and Augustine says Judas who went out was himself the night. Chrysostom reads the words plainly, a man so set on his plan he went out at that late hour.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"He then, having received the morsel of bread, went immediately out: and it was night." And he that went out was himself the night. "Therefore when" the night "was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified." The day therefore uttered speech unto the day, that is, Christ did so to His faithful disciples, that they might hear and love Him as His followers; and the night showed knowledge unto the night, that is, Judas did so to the unbelieving Jews, that they might come as His persecutors, and make Him their prisoner.
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.300-301 · Written before 253.
proposed
The Savior said to Judas, "What you are going to do, do quickly," and for once the betrayer obeys the teacher. For when he had received the morsel, he neither hesitated nor procrastinated, but as it is written, "he went out immediately" to do quickly the work of betrayal in accordance with Jesus' command. And "he went out" truly, for he not only went out of the house in which the supper was held, according to the simpler meaning, but he also went out from Jesus in a final sense, analogous to the statement "they went out from us."
A commentator
Origen of AlexandriaCOMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.313 · Written before 253.
proposed
"And it was night," has not been interjected in vain by the Evangelist. The perceptible night at that time was symbolic, being an image of the night that was in Judas's soul when Satan, the darkness that lies over the abyss, entered him.
And leaving the sheepfold, [Judas] hurried to the beasts of prey, leaving behind the lambs.
A commentator
Cyril of AlexandriaCommentary on the Gospel of John, Book 9 · Written before 444.
proposed
In haste he hurries away in obedience to the will of Satan, and like one stung and goaded on to madness he rushes from the house. He sees nothing that can overcome his love of gain, and, marvellous though it is, we shall find him in no way benefited by the gift from Christ, of course because of his irrepressible inclination for getting money. For, completely overpowered by his passion, and possessed heart and soul by the father of all iniquity, the wretched man henceforward cannot even discern whither he is rushing on. So with his soul sunk in a night of its own, and darkened by a gloom-bringing swarm of unholy thoughts, he falls headlong into the abyss of Hades as into a trap; and, according to the saying in Proverbs, he flees away as a stag smitten to the liver with a dart, or like a dog into chains, and knoweth not that he runneth with peril of his life. And it seems to me that the inspired Evangelist did not without a purpose say that, having received the sop, he straightway went out. For Satan is terribly wont to urge on those whom he has once captured, and who have once for all fallen into his power, to straightway accomplish their evil works; and, throwing aside all delay, to compel them even against their will to carry out his pleasure. He fears, perhaps, with his usual bitterness of spirit and continual maliciousness, lest perchance in the interval of postponement some change of mind should overtake the man, inducing him to repent and to form a good resolution, and causing him to lay aside his pleasure in sin as a drunkard might leave off drunkenness; and so drag out of his net a victim whom he had deemed already caught in its toils. For this reason I suppose the offender harasses ever those who have fallen into his power, urging them to make great haste and speed in doing whatever is pleasing to him. […]
14 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Hom. lxxii. 2.) It follows: And it was night, to show the impetuosity of Judas, in persisting in spite of the unseasonableness of the hour.
The Medieval Church4 voices
When therefore he had received the morsel, he went out immediately, so that he might swiftly fulfill it. And the time was fitting for the deed; and it was night; Job twenty-four: "The eye of the adulterer watches for darkness"; and above, chapter three: "He …
(ii. Mor. 11) By the time of the day is signified the end of the action. Judas went out in the night to accomplish his perfidy, for which he was never to be pardoned.
"It was night when he went out." The Evangelist did not note without purpose that "it was night," but in order to teach us that not even the time hindered Judas, but even at night he was occupied with treachery. It seems to me that …
Next (v 30), John shows that what was predicted came about. First, he mentions the action which was done; secondly, the time when it was done. What was done was done quickly, because after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out. Note that, as Origen …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
He went out - To the chief priests. But he returned afterward, and was with them when they ate the passover, Matt. xxvi, 20, though not at the Lord's Supper.
) to get his men ready that were to apprehend the Lord Jesus in the garden. But Dr. Lightfoot is clearly of opinion that this was done and said, even all that is recorded to the end of ch. xiv. , not at the passover supper, for it is here said (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
He then having, received the sop,....
The Nineteenth Century6 voices
He - went immediately out: and it was night - He set off to Jerusalem from Bethany, which was about two miles distant; and, under the conduct of the prince of darkness, and in the time of darkness, he did this work of darkness.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He then, having received the sop, went immediately out--severing himself for ever from that holy society with which he never had any spiritual sympathy. and it was night--but far blacker night in the soul of Judas than in the sky over his head.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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?
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
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.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
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.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It was night - It was in the evening, or early part of the night. What is recorded in the following chapters took place the same night.
The words behind it
10 Greek wordsEvery 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.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| λαβὼν | labon | Having received | G2983 → | 257 times |
| οὖν | oun | therefore | G3767 → | 497 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ψωμίον | psomion | morsel | G5596 → | 4 times |
| ἐκεῖνος | ekeinos | he | G1565 → | 260 times |
| ἐξῆλθεν | exelthen | went out | G1831 → | 216 times |
| εὐθύς· | euthus | immediately; | G2112 → | 87 times |
| ἦν | en | it was | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| δὲ | de | now | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| νύξ.¶ | nux | night. | G3571 → | 61 times |
λαβὼνHaving received
labonG2983 →257 times
οὖνtherefore
ounG3767 →497 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
ψωμίονmorsel
psomionG5596 →4 times
ἐκεῖνοςhe
ekeinosG1565 →260 times
ἐξῆλθενwent out
exelthenG1831 →216 times
εὐθύς·immediately;
euthusG2112 →87 times
ἦνit was
enG1510 →2333 times
δὲnow
deG1161 →2765 times
νύξ.¶night.
nuxG3571 →61 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:15“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:16
For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Isaiah 59:7–8
Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
- Proverbs 6:18
a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that run swiftly to evil,
- Proverbs 1:16
Through
Proverbs 4:16For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
it leads to
- Psalms 36:4
Even on his bed he plots wickedness; he sets himself on a path that is not good; he fails to reject evil.
- Micah 2:1
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands.
- Isaiah 57:20
But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck.
- Psalms 36:4
Through
Isaiah 59:7Their feet run to evil; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are sinful thoughts; ruin and destruction lie in their wake.
it leads to
- Proverbs 6:17
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
- Romans 3:15–17
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
- Proverbs 6:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
About John
This page draws on 21 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John; 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; Gregory the Dialogist, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.313; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 32.300-301; Romanos the Melodist, KONTAKION ON JUDAS 33.12; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.