Section 13:1–20
Jesus washed his disciples’ feet
Beginning in this section, Jesus ate supper with the disciples for the last time. First he washed their feet as an example of loving service.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Jesus washed his disciples’ feet at the last supper
-or-
Jesus set an example by washing feet
-or-
Jesus served his disciples by washing their feet
Paragraph 13:1
This paragraph gives background information for the next event in the story. It tells the time of the event and describes Jesus’ thoughts.
13:1a
It was now just before the Passover Feast: This phrase introduces the next event in the story by indicating that it happened immediately before the Passover Feast.
Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast (New Century Version)
-or-
The Jewish people would soon celebrate Passover.
-or-
The Passover feast/celebration would begin very soon.
It was now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as now often introduces a new event. Introduce this next event in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
Then
just before the Passover Feast: This phrase indicates that Jesus knew that his hour had come before Passover began. The Passover would begin at sunset and the meal that is mentioned beginning in 13:2 is a Passover meal. So this verse begins just before the Passover began. For example:
It was just before the Passover Festival. (New International Version)
-or-
It was almost time for the Passover Feast. (New Century Version)
the Passover Feast: This phrase refers to a feast that the Jewish people celebrated each year. They remembered how God rescued their ancestors from being slaves in Egypt. God went to kill the first-born sons of the Egyptians so that they would allow the Jews to leave Egypt. The term Passover refers to the fact that God passed over (did not enter) the houses of the Jews. That means that he did not harm their sons.
See the story in Exodus 12. Translate this phrase as you did in 2:13 and 12:1. For example:
the Passover celebration (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the Death did not Harm Us Festival
-or-
the Rescue Feast
13:1b
and Jesus knew that His hour had come: Jesus knew that it was now the time he had been waiting for. It was the time for him to die for his people, as he had come into the world to do. See the notes on 2:4b. It may not be natural to translate the verb come literally. For example:
Jesus knew that it was time for him (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus understood that this was the time for him
knew: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knew is more literally “having known,” meaning that Jesus already knew. He did not just realize that his hour had come (see 12:23, 27). If your readers wrongly understand that Jesus just realized this, you may need to make it clear that he knew before. For example:
already knew
His hour had come: This clause here indicates that the time for Jesus to die had come. The next day, Jesus would be killed. He would not die in the next 60 minutes, as the word hour might imply. So in some languages it may be natural to use a more general word. For example:
his time had come (NET Bible Bible)
13:1c
to leave this world: This phrase indicates that Jesus would no longer live on earth with his disciples. Jesus would soon die and return to his Father. The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek word literally as leave. Here is another way to translate this phrase:
to depart from this world (New Revised Standard Version)
and return to the Father: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and return to the Father is more literally “to the Father.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the verb return. In some languages it may not be natural or necessary to supply a verb here. For example:
to depart from this world to the Father (NET Bible Bible)
This is where Jesus had been before. So in some languages it may be natural to say:
return to his Father
-or-
go back to the Father (God’s Word)
the Father: This phrase refers to God, Jesus’ Father. See the notes on “The Father loves the Son” in 3:35a. In some languages it may be natural to make it clearer whom this phrase refers to. For example:
his Father (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
his Father ⌊God⌋
General Comment on 13:1b–c
The “hour” mentioned in 13:1b refers to the time when Jesus was to leave the world (13:1c). Make this connection clear in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
Jesus knew that his hour had come and that he must leave this world and go the Father (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. (God’s Word)
13:1d
Having loved His own who were in the world: Jesus had loved his disciples during his ministry and he still loved them. The phrase Having loved implies that Jesus had always loved his own and that he continued to do so. For example:
He had always loved his own who were in the world… (Revised English Bible)
loved: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as loved here refers both to having a strong affection and to showing love in action. Jesus cared deeply for his disciples and he continued to act for their welfare and blessing.
His own who were in the world: This phrase refers to Jesus’ disciples, those who followed him on earth. They were His own in the sense that God had given them to him, and they loved and obeyed and followed him. Avoid translating this in a way that suggests they belonged to Jesus as his slaves. For example:
his followers in this world (Contemporary English Version)
13:1e
He loved them to the very end: There are two ways to interpret the phrase to the very end here:
(1) It means to the end of his life.
(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible Bible, NIV2011, NLT2004)
(2) It means “completely,” to the full extent. For example:
he now showed them the full extent of his love (New International Version (1984), New Living Translation (1996))
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is the interpretation followed by the great majority of English translations, and it suits the context well. Jesus understood that he had come to the end of his life on earth. Knowing this, he continued to love and show love to his followers. His death for them showed that.
General Comment on 13:1
In the Greek text John 13:1 forms one long sentence. Here is one translation that does the same:
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (English Standard Version)
In many languages it will be natural to break this sentence into two or three shorter sentences. For example:
Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from the world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them all the way to the end. (New Century Version)
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