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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - John 18:12 - 18:14
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Joh_18:12-14
12So the Roman cohort and the commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him, 13and led Him to Annas first; for he was father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. 14Now Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it was expedient for one man to die on behalf of the people.
Joh_18:12
NASB "the Roman cohort and the commander"
NKJV "the detachment of troops and the captain"
NRSV "the soldiers, their officer"
TEV "the Roman soldiers with their commanding officer"
NJB "the cohort and its tribune"
The names of Roman military units are taken from the number of the full complement of troops involved.
1. cohort - refers to a unit of up to 600 men (cf. Joh_18:3)
2. the commander - is from the number 1,000 (chiliarch, i.e., Act_21:31; Act_22:24; Act_23:10; Act_24:7)
These titles say nothing about how large or small the military unit was that arrested Jesus. In Palestine #2 simply meant the leader of a small group of soldiers.
▣ "bound Him" This does not imply they were especially afraid of Jesus, but it seems to have been the normal procedures (cf. Joh_18:24).
Joh_18:13 "led Him to Annas first" There is much discussion about the order of these trials before Annas and Caiaphas. The Synoptics never mention a meeting with Annas. Joh_18:24 seems to be a footnote in John, but it is an integral part of the Synoptic accounts of Jesus' trials (cf. Mat_26:57; Mar_14:53).
In the OT the high priesthood was for life and each person had to be of the lineage of Aaron. However, the Romans had turned this office into a political plum, purchased by a Levitical family. The high priest controlled and operated the merchandising in the Court of the Women. Jesus' cleansing of the Temple angered this family.
According to Flavius Josephus, Annas was the High Priest from a.d. 6-14. He was appointed by Quirinius, governor of Syria and removed by Valerius Gratus. His relatives (5 sons and 1 grandson) succeeded him. Caiaphas (a.d. 18-36), his son-in-law (cf. Joh_18:13), was his immediate successor. Annas was the real power behind the office. John depicts him as the first person to whom Jesus is taken (cf. Joh_18:13; Joh_18:19-22).
Joh_18:14 This is another editorial comment by John, as are Joh_18:15; Joh_18:18.
▣ "Caiaphas " John's major concern with Caiaphas was that he had unknowingly prophesied about Jesus' death (cf. Joh_11:50). He was Annas' son-in-law and was High Priest from a.d. 18-36. See note at Joh_11:49.