The Jewish Annotated New Testament (227 page)

23
:
The quotation from Isa 40.3 reflects the Septuagint (LXX) version, in which “in the wilderness” modifies “voice,” rather than the Hebrew (MT) version, in which the phrase modifies “way of the Lord.”

24
:
Pharisees
were a group with spiritual authority. Rabbinic tradition, e.g.,
m. Avot
1.1, later portrays the Pharisees as the forerunners of the rabbis who developed Jewish law and practice after the destruction of the Temple. It is not apparent, however, that the author of this Gospel is aware of this tradition, as it uses the terms Pharisees and Jews interchangeably (1.19; 7.32,45; 11.45–57; 18.3,12).

25
:
Cleansing with water was an important means of ritual purification in biblical law (e.g., Ex 19.10; Lev 14.8). Although the language of purity and impurity is occasionally used in the discussion of moral issues, there are no sources that unambiguously point to the use of immersion in the “cleansing” from sin.

28
:
Bethany
, this Bethany is a town in the Transjordan, of which no trace now remains, and not the Judean town mentioned in Jn 11.18. While the name is open to a symbolic interpretation (lit., “house of response”), place names in John are generally factual even if they take on a degree of symbolic significance, e.g., Galilee as the place where Jesus is accepted, and Judea as the place where he is rejected (cf. Jn 4.1–2).

29
:
Lamb
, a possible allusion to the sacrificial Passover lamb (Ex 12).

31
:
Israel
refers to the people Israel, a positive designation in John meaning the “children of God” who know God through his son (see 1.18).

32
:
In contrast to the Synoptic Gospels, John does not describe Jesus’ actual baptism. The simile connecting
Spirit
and
dove
is present in all of the canonical Gospels. The positive symbolism attached to the dove is present in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Gen 8; Ps 68.13; Song 2.14; Isa 60.8) though not the direct association of dove and the Spirit of God.

34
:
Son of God
, Jesus is seen as God’s Son who resembles his father, does his will, and serves as his agent (e.g., 6.38). Although some have seen John’s use of this title against the background of non-Jewish Greek and Roman usage, it is likely that it has its origins in the Hebrew Bible and postbiblical literature, in which “son of God” can refer to Israel and the righteous more generally (e.g., Ex 4.22–23; Hos 11.1; Wis 2.13; 18.13; Sir 4.10;
Pss. Sol
. 13.9;
Jub
. 1.224–25).

1.35
–51: Call of the disciples. 37:
One disciple is Andrew (v. 40); the anonymous other is sometimes identified as the beloved disciple.

38
:
Rabbi
, originally meaning “my master,” became at an uncertain date the term for one qualified to pronounce on matters of Jewish law and practice. The Hebrew root of
rabbi
is “rav,” meaning “great” in biblical Hebrew, often a title denoting reverence. In Second Temple Judaism it did not refer to a religious functionary or clergyperson but primarily to a person whose authority was accepted by the speaker.
Teacher
is therefore not a literal translation but captures the general sense of the term. In Hebrew sources it does not appear before the Mishnah, though the Gospels of Matthew (e.g., 26.25), Mark (e.g., 9.5), and John use the term to refer to Jesus; Mt 3.7–8 refers more generically to “rabbis” and may be the earliest evidence of its usage to denote a classification of learned individuals.

41
:
Messiah
is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic, “meshiḥa” (“the anointed one”); the Gk translation is “Christos” (Christ). This term recurs in 4.25 and 4.29 but nowhere else in the NT.

42
:
Cephas
means “rock” in Aramaic; this disciple is also called Peter (Gk “Petros,” also “rock”); cf. Mt 16.18.

43
:
The narrative implies that Jesus was still in Bethany (cf. 1.28)

44
:
Bethsaida
, close to the Sea of Galilee. Although the Gospel implies that Bethsaida is in Galilee, it was in fact in Gaulanitis, across the border from Herod’s Galilee, in the territory controlled by Philip.

45
:
Philip’s words to Nathanael imply that he, and others, were waiting or searching for a messiah who would fulfill the Torah and prophecies in the scriptures. The reference may be to the “prophet like Moses” described in Deut 18.15–18, the son of man (“one like a human being,” Dan 7.13; 8.17), and/or Elijah (Mal 4.5). For
Jesus
as the
son of Joseph
, see also Jn 6.42 and Mt 1.23. This may reflect a historical detail as it is possible that Jesus was known as Joseph’s son within the Jewish community in which he lived. Despite the prominence of the “Son of God” title, and Jesus’ frequent references to himself as the Son, the Gospel does not refer or allude to the idea that Jesus’ mother was a virgin.

46
:
Nazareth
, approximately 15 mi (26 km) west of the Sea of Galilee.

47
:
Israelite
, the Israelite Nathanael recognizes Jesus as
the King of Israel
(v. 49).
No deceit
, an allusion to Jacob, also known as Israel (Gen 32.28–29) who deceitfully supplanted his twin brother, Esau, in receiving his father Isaac’s blessing (Gen 27.35)

48
:
Fig tree
, associated with abundance, as well as with the eschaton; “gathering figs” was an expression that in later sources means “studying,” apparently because the tree of knowledge in Gen 3 was believed to be a fig tree (
b. Ber
. 40a).

49
:
Son of God
…
King of Israel
, treated as synonymous expressions; Ps 2.6–7 uses adoption language in relating the king to God.

51
:
Very truly
, lit., “amen, amen” (Heb “amen,” “it is so,” “it is true”). A formula used for emphasis (cf. 3.3,5,11; 5.19,24ff.; 6.26,32,47,53; 8.34,51,58; 10.1,7; 12.24; 13.16,20ff.,38; 14.12; 16.20,23; 21.18).
Son of Man
, “Bar Enosh” in Aramaic (cf. Dan 7.13), a cosmic messianic figure associated strongly with apocalyptic eschatology (views of the end of times as including a violent battle).
Angels
…
ascending and descending
, an allusion to Jacob’s dream (Gen 28.12), implying that Jesus is the ladder connecting heaven and earth.

2.1
–12: Jesus’ first sign: wedding at Cana. 1:
Third day
may foreshadow the resurrection, just as the wedding may allude to the messianic banquet, the feast that will celebrate the inauguration of God’s rule.
Cana
, village in the Galilee, about 9 mi (15 km) north of Nazareth.
Mother of Jesus
, Jesus’ mother is never mentioned by name in this Gospel.

3
:
Jesus’ mother expects him to remedy the situation.

4
:
Woman
, an unusual address to one’s mother, but used in this Gospel to introduce a revelation to a woman (cf. 4.21; 19.26; 20.13,15).
Hour
, the hour of Jesus’ death and glorification.

6
:
Rites of purification
, ritual hand-washing that precedes the meal. This practice is later described in
b. Ber
. 53b;
b. Shabb
. 62b; its presence in John indicates that the ritual was already common in the first century. Since the jars needed to be filled (again), presumably the washing had already taken place. The size of the jars may indicate that there were many guests.

9
:
Bridegroom
, a double entendre referring to the bridegroom of the wedding and alluding to Jesus as the eschatological bridegroom (cf. 4.29).

11
:
First of his signs
, possible evidence for a “signs source” underlying the narrative (cf. 2.23; 3.2; 4.48,54; 6.14; 10.41; 12.18; 20.30).
Glory
, see 1.14n.

12
:
Capernaum
, a town on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Brothers
, see 7.3; 20.17; 21.23; Mk 6.3.

2.13
–25: Jesus’ sign of authority over the Temple
(see Mt 21.17; Mk 11.15–19; Lk 9.45–48). In the other Gospels, this incident occurs at the end of Jesus’ ministry; in John it is, in effect, his inaugural public appearance.

13
:
Passover
, the week-long spring festival celebrating the Exodus from Egypt and the barley harvest (Ex 12.1–18). Passover is closely associated with liberation from oppression and divine salvation, past and future.
Of the Jews
, a redundancy that may indicate the lack of acquaintance with Judaism on the part of at least some members of John’s audience.

14
:
Animals (unblemished and therefore acceptable for sacrifice) were sold at the Temple, and foreign currencies had to be exchanged for the official half-shekel for the Temple tax (Ex 30.11–16).

17
:
Ps 69.9; see Zech 14.21; Mal 3.1.

18
:
The Jews
, here, Temple authorities.
What sign
…, may be a challenge to Jesus’ authority.

19
:
Destroy this temple
…, alludes to the tradition of Temple critique (4.21; see Jer 7.1–15; Ezek 10.18–19; Acts 7.48) and continues the theme of Jesus’ authority over the Temple.

20
:
Forty-six years
, according to Josephus, (
Ant
. 15.11.1) construction began in the eighteenth year of the rule of Herod the Great (20/19 BCE) and concluded under Herod Agrippa II in 64 CE.

22
:
The word
, Jesus’ own prophecies are treated as of equal authority to scripture.

23
:
His name
, the expression of his true being and power.

24
:
Entrust himself
, rely upon others to vouch for his authority.