18:3a
So: The connector that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces what Judas did because he knew where Jesus was. It also indicates a return to the main story after the parenthetical information in 18:2.
Judas brought a band of soldiers: Judas led a group of soldiers to the garden in order to show them where Jesus was. These were probably Roman soldiers. In some languages you may want to make this explicit. For example:
Judas…taking with him a group of Roman soldiers (Good News Translation)
brought: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as brought is more literally “having taken…he came.” Judas told a group of soldiers to go with him to the garden. Then he went to the garden and brought them with him. Here are other ways to translate this verb:
came…guiding (New International Version)
-or-
led
-or-
went…taking with him (Good News Translation)
a band of soldiers: This phrase refers to a group of Roman soldiers called a cohort. John does not tell how many soldiers there were. Try to use a term that does not indicate the size of the group. For example:
a group of Roman soldiers (Good News Translation)
-or-
some Roman soldiers (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a detachment of soldiers (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the squad of soldiers (NET Bible)
18:3b
and officers: The Greek noun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as officers refers to those who assist or help others in an official capacity. The word is sometimes translated as “officials” or “servants.” From the other Gospels we learn that at least some of these men were the guards at the temple. See how you translated this term in 7:32. For example:
temple police (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
temple guards (Good News Translation)
from the chief priests and Pharisees: This phrase indicates that the chief priests and Pharisees sent police to go with Judas and the soldiers to arrest Jesus. In some languages it may be natural to supply a verb. For example:
⌊sent⌋ by the chief priests and the Pharisees
-or-
whom the chief priests and the Pharisees ⌊had told to go with him/Judas⌋
the chief priests and Pharisees: This phrase refers to the leaders of the Jewish nation. These leaders formed a council called the Sanhedrin. See how you translated this phrase in 11:47. For example:
the leading priests and the members of the Pharisee group
-or-
⌊the leaders of the Jews⌋ , the chief priests and the Pharisees
the chief priests: This phrase refers to the most important of the Jewish priests, the leading priests. These priests were usually not Pharisees but members of a different religious group, the Sadducees. They did sacrifices and were in charge of the religious rituals in the temple. See how you translated priests in 1:19 and chief priests in 7:45.
Pharisees: This phrase refers to a Jewish religious group or party. It was very important to them to obey all of the Jewish religious laws very carefully and exactly. See the notes on 1:24, where the Pharisees are first mentioned. Translate this as you did there and in 11:46.
18:3c
They arrived at the garden: The pronoun They refers to the soldiers and the police. They went armed to the garden where Jesus and his disciples were.
carrying lanterns, torches, and weapons: The men carried lanterns and torches to give them light because it was night. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a separate sentence. For example:
They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons. (New Century Version)
lanterns, torches: This phrase refers to two kinds of lights that the soldiers and police carried with them to the garden. The lanterns could have been made of burnt clay or metal with a place for oil and a wick. The wick, the string lit to give light, was made of flax (a plant) or other type of string. The torches were made from sticks with a rag tied to the end and dipped in oil. The exact details of the lights are not important. Translate these words using common words for lights that do not need batteries or other modern technology. In some languages it is more natural to translate lanterns and torches with the same word. For example:
They carried lights with them
-or-
They had fires to see with.
weapons: The soldiers and guards carried weapons to use if the disciples resisted Jesus’ arrest. They probably had swords, spears, and knives but John is not specific.
Here are some other ways to translate weapons :
• Use a verb. For example:
they were armed (Good News Translation)
• Indicate the purpose of the weapons. For example:
things for fighting with
-or-
tools to use in a fight
• Use a “weapon” common in your culture. For example:
They carried long knives with them.
General Comment on 18:3
In the Greek, 18:3 is not in the order that the events happened. In some languages it is more natural to translate using the order that the events happened. For example:
3b The chief priests and Pharisees sent some temple guards to go with Judas. 3a A group of Roman soldiers also came and Judas led them all to the garden. 3c They were armed and carried with them lanterns and torches.
General Comment on 18:3
In other languages it may be more natural to start with the information that Judas went to the garden. Then you can add the information about who went with him and what they carried. For example:
3c So Judas came there 3a with a group of soldiers 3a and some guards from the leading priests and the Pharisees. 3c They were carrying torches, lanterns, and weapons.
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