John 13:29

Joh 13:29. Εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, against the feast) These things occurred a little before the feast, on the day before the Passover; nor however had they any thought, that the passion of the Lord was so near at hand. These incidents do not accord with the idea of their being on the very evening of the paschal supper.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joh 13:29 . τινὲς γὰρ ἐδόκουν . Some supposed that Judas being treasurer of the company had been sent to buy what they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor. That it was possible at so late an hour to make purchases appears from Mat 25:9-11 (Holtzmann).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 29. Buy those things that we have need of against the feast] Calmet's observation here has weight so it. "The disciples who thought that our Lord had said this to Judas, knew well that on the day of the passover there was neither buying nor selling in Jerusalem. This, therefore, did not happen on the paschal evening; for the feast, according to the common opinion, must have begun the preceding evening, and Jesus have eaten the passover with his disciples the night before his death; but it appears to me, by the whole text of St. John, that the passover did not begin till the time in which our Lord expired upon the cross. It was then that they were sacrificing the paschal lambs in the temple. It is therefore probable that the apostles believed that Judas went to purchase a lamb, and the other necessary things for the evening, and for the day of the Passover." On this subject the reader is requested to consult the observations at the end of Mt. 26, where the subject is considered at large. See Clarke on Mt 26:75

Give something to the poor.] It is well known that our Lord and his disciples lived on public charity; and yet they gave alms out of what they had thus received. From this we learn that even those who live on charity themselves are expected to divide a little with those who are in deeper distress and want.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

29. Or that he should give something to the poor. It is plain enough from other passages how great was Christ’s poverty, and yet, out of the little that he had, he gave something to the poor, in order to lay down a rule for us; for the Apostles would not have conjectured that he had spoken about the poor, if it had not been their usual custom to relieve the poor

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(29) Because Judas had the bag.—Comp. Notes on Joh_12:6.

Buy those things that we have need of against the feast.—Here, again, it will be better to postpone the consideration of details in the order of the events of this week, and to deal with the question as a whole. (Comp. Excursus F: The Day of the Crucifixion of our Lord.)

That he should give something to the poor.—Such gifts seem to have been made at all festivals. Their thought was probably of gifts to enable the poor to obtain the lamb and other requisites for keeping the Passover.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. For some of them] Shewing that they could not have understood.

had the bag] See on Joh_12:6.

against the feast] This agrees with Joh_13:1, that this meal precedes the Passover.

to the poor] Comp. Joh_12:5; Neh_8:10; Neh_8:12; Gal_2:10.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For some of them thought,.... This was the thought of some of the disciples, it may be of all of them but John;

because Judas had the bag: which was for the common supply of Christ and his disciples, and for the relief of the poor; See Gill on Joh 12:6.

That Jesus had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast; the feast of the passover, which was to be two days after; and shows, that this was not the passover which Christ now ate with his disciples:

or that he should give something to the poor; for whom Christ cared, and had a hearty concern, and for whom Judas had very little, notwithstanding his high pretensions.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

29 For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

Ver. 29. For some of them thought] An example of Christian simplicity. As bad men muse as they use, so good men measure others by themselves and so are often deceived, as here. "Charity thinketh no evil," 1Co 13:5.

Or that he should give something to the poor] Christ had not much, yet had somewhat for the poor; so must the poor day labourer, Eph 4:28, the necessitous widow, Mar 12:42.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. τινὲς γὰρ. The γάρ introduces a proof that they could not have understood. For γλωσσόκομον see on Joh 12:6. Εἱς τ. ἑορτήν agrees with Joh 13:1 in shewing that this meal precedes the Passover. For τ. πτωχοῖς comp. Joh 12:5; Neh 8:10; Neh 8:12; Gal 2:10. Note the change of construction from ἀγόρασον to ἵνα δῷ: comp. Joh 8:53, Joh 15:5.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29.] The first supposition agrees with ver. 1,—that it was πρὸ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα. Had it been the night of the passover, the next day being hallowed as a sabbath, nothing could have been bought. On the whole question see notes on Mat 26:17, and ch. 18:28. On the second supposition, see ch. 12:5. The gift to the poor might be, to help them to procure their paschal lamb.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

29. τινὲς γάρ κτλ. Jn. is apt thus to introduce with γάρ his own comments on the incidents or sayings which he records; see on 3:16.

The disciples did not know what the order “Do it more quickly” meant, and they held different views about it. Judas, being the treasurer (for τὸ γλωσσόκομον, see on 12:6), was naturally also the purveyor and the almoner of the little company. Some thought that he was bidden to hasten the purchase of what was needed for the Passover feast. This indicates again that the Passover was still to come, and that the Last Supper, for Jn., was not the Paschal meal (see on v. 1); for, had it been Passover night, nothing could have been bought. Another explanation was that Judas was told to give some alms to the poor, as he was accustomed to do (12:6), perhaps in order that aid might be given to a poor household to provide the Paschal lamb for the morrow.

In v. 29, ὁ is omitted before Ἰούδας and Ἰησοῦς by אB. See vv. 26, 27, and note on 1:29.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The bag. See on 12 6.

Buy [αγορασον] . An incidental argument in favor of this gathering of the disciples having taken place on the evening of the Paschal feast. Had it been on the previous evening, no one would have thought of Judas going out at night to buy provisions for the feast, when there was the whole of the next day for it, nor would they have thought of his going out to seek the poor at that hour. The 15th Nisan, the time of the Passover celebration, was indeed invested with the sanctity of a Sabbath; but provision and preparation of the needful food was expressly allowed on that day. The Rabbinical rules even provided for the procuring of the Paschal lamb on the Passover eve when that happened to fall on the Sabbath.

Against the feast [εις την εορτην] . Rev., better, for the feast. The Passover feast. The meal of which they had been partaking was the preliminary meal, at the close of which the Passover was celebrated; just as, subsequently, the Eucharist was celebrated at the close of the Agape, or love - feast. Notice the different word, eJorth, feast, instead of deipnon, supper, and the article with feast.

To the poor. Perhaps to help them procure their Paschal lamb.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.