Paragraph 13:18–20
Jesus told his disciples that one of them would oppose him. This would fulfill a passage in the Old Testament Scriptures.
13:18a
I am not speaking about all of you: This clause implies that Jesus was not speaking about Judas, who would betray him. He was not one of Jesus’ true servants, and what Jesus said about serving others did not refer to him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
What I am saying does not refer to all of you. (NET Bible)
-or-
I am not talking about all of you. (New Century Version)
-or-
I am not saying these things to all of you. (New Living Translation (2004))
13:18b
I know whom I have chosen: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I know whom I have chosen probably indicates that Jesus knew what each of the apostles was like. He had chosen them all (see 6:70) and he knew their true nature. Here is another way to translate this clause:
I know what kind of men you are whom I have chosen to be my apostles. (TRT)
whom I have chosen: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as whom is plural: “the people whom.” Jesus was referring to the twelve men whom he had chosen to be his disciples. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:
the people/men I have chosen ⌊to be disciples⌋
Because Jesus spoke to those whom he had chosen, it may be natural in some languages to supply a second-person pronoun. For example:
⌊you⌋
(plur.) whom I have chosen
13:18c
But this is to fulfill the Scripture: The Greek text more literally says, “But so that the scripture might be fulfilled….” It is not a complete sentence, and some information is left implied. Different translations and scholars complete the sentence in different ways. For example:
But this fulfills the Scripture that says (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
But what the Scriptures say must come true (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
But the Scripture will be fulfilled (English Standard Version)
But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here seems to connect a negative statement (13:18a) to a positive statement (13:18d). The idea is that Jesus was not talking about all his disciples but there was one who would oppose him. Here is a way to understand this word in context:
I do not speak about all of you (I know whom I have chosen). But, fulfilling scripture, ⌊there is⌋ one who shares my bread who will oppose me.
this is to fulfill the Scripture: This clause could indicate a purpose, but more likely indicates the result of Jesus choosing who he did. One of the disciples would betray Jesus and so the scripture (Psalm 41:9) would be fulfilled. See how you translated similar expressions in Matthew 26:54 and Mark 14:49. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
the scripture must come true that says (Good News Translation)
-or-
that the scripture may be fulfilled
the Scripture: Jesus was speaking of a particular verse of scripture (Psalm 41:9). Because it does not refer to all the Jewish scriptures, you might want to refer to a piece of scripture. For example:
a text of scripture (Revised English Bible)
-or-
what is written in scripture
13:18d
The one who shares My bread has lifted up his heel against Me: This is a quotation of Psalm 41:9. The expression The one who shares My bread means “the person who has eaten with me.” In Jewish culture eating together was a sign of friendship. This quotation refers to a close friend who became an enemy. If this is not clear, it may be necessary to make it explicit. For example:
The ⌊friend⌋ who shared my bread has opposed me
The one who shares My bread: There is a textual difficulty here:
(1) Some Greek manuscripts say “ate my bread.” For example:
The one who eats my bread (NET Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004), New International Version, New Century Version)
(2) Some Greek manuscripts say “ate bread with me.” For example:
eats bread with me (Revised English Bible)
(King James Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version)
The correct reading is uncertain and either could be correct. There is not much difference in the meaning. It is recommended that you follow the reading of your local or national Bible translation. However, a literal translation of interpretation (1) may give the wrong meaning, that this person took Jesus’ bread from him and ate it. It may be possible to say something like this instead:
He who shared my bread (New International Version)
bread: The word bread could also mean “food” in the original text in the Psalms. Bread was the main food in Israel at that time, so it could represent food in general. However, because Jesus gave a piece of bread to Judas, it is good to keep the specific mention of bread. If bread is not well known in your culture, you may want to use a general expression. That is especially true if your local translation of Psalm 41 does not mention bread, For example:
The man who ate at my table (New Century Version)
-or-
My friend who shared my meals
-or-
He who shares my table (New Jerusalem Bible)
has lifted up his heel against Me: This phrase is an idiom meaning something like “has acted to oppose me.” The exact meaning is uncertain, but it seems to imply insulting or abandoning someone. In some way a former friend has become an enemy. For example:
now opposes me
-or-
will be the one who becomes my enemy (Uma Back Translation)
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