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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - John 12:6 - 12:6
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Not because he cared for the poor (ouch hoti peri tōn ptōchōn emelen autōi). Literally, “not because it was a care to him concerning the poor” (impersonal imperfect of melei, it was a care). John often makes explanatory comments of this kind as in Joh 2:21.; Joh 7:22, Joh 7:39.
But because he was a thief (alle hoti kleptēs ēn). Clearly the disciples did not know then that Judas was a petty thief. That knowledge came later after he took the bribe of thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus (Mat 26:15), for the disciples did not suspect Judas of treachery (Joh 13:28.), let alone small speculations. There is no reason for thinking that John is unfair to Judas. “Temptation commonly comes through that for which we are naturally fitted” (Westcott). In this case Judas himself was “the poor beggar” who wanted this money.
And having the bag took away what was put therein (kai to glōssokomon echōn ta ballomena ebastazen). This is the correct text. This compound for the earlier glōssokomeion (from glōssa, tongue, and komeō, to tend) was originally a receptacle for the tongues or mouth-pieces of wind instruments. The shorter form is already in the Doric inscriptions and is common in the papyri for “money-box” as here. It occurs also in Josephus, Plutarch, etc. In N.T. only here and Joh 13:29 in same sense about Judas. Ballomena is present passive participle (repeatedly put in) of ballō, to cast or fling. The imperfect active (custom) of bastazō, old verb to pick up (Joh 10:31), to carry (Joh 19:17), but here and Joh 20:15 with the sense to bear away as in Polybius, Josephus, Diogenes Laertes, and often so in the papyri.