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15. ἠκολούθει. Was following; the descriptive imperfect. Some good authorities (א3 C) insert ὁ before ἄλλος, but the balance is decidedly against it. There is no very strong reason for rejecting the almost universal opinion that this ἄλλος μαθητής is S. John himself. It agrees with his habitual reserve about himself (Joh 1:40, Joh 13:23-25, Joh 19:26, Joh 20:2-8, Joh 21:20-24); with his being often found with S. Peter (Luk 22:8; Act 3:1; Act 4:13; Act 8:14); and with his knowledge of the high-priest’s servant’s name (Joh 18:10). Yet the opinion is not a certainty; the facts just mentioned would fit his brother S. James almost equally well; and the fact of S. John’s elsewhere designating himself as the μαθητὴς ὂν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς is slightly against the opinion. But on the other hand that designation would have no point here; the unnamed disciple is not receiving any mark of favour from Jesus. See Introduction, p. xxxiv.
γνωστὸς τ. ἀρχ. Comp. Luk 2:44; Luk 23:49. The nature of the acquaintance is not explained: in connexion with it we may remember the tradition that S. John himself wore the high-priestly badge in later life; p. xvii. Τῷ ἀρχ. is probably Caiaphas (Joh 18:13; Joh 18:24): deposed high-priests were thus designated sometimes (Luk 3:2; Act 4:6), but never by S. John. Possibly Annas lived in his son-in-law’s official residence; but if not, there is nothing improbable in his conducting a preliminary examination there. The αὐλή (Joh 10:1; Joh 10:16) is the court or open space in the centre or in front of the house (Luk 22:55): ἔξω (Joh 18:16) agrees better with an interior court.