John 18:3

Syriac Peshitta (NT Only)

ܗܽܘ ܗܳܟ݂ܺܝܠ ܝܺܗܽܘܕ݂ܳܐ ܕ݁ܒ݂ܰܪ ܐܶܣܦ݁ܺܝܪ ܘܡܶܢ ܠܘܳܬ݂ ܪܰܒ݁ܰܝ ܟ݁ܳܗܢܶܐ ܘܰܦ݂ܪܺܝܫܶܐ ܕ݁ܒ݂ܰܪ ܕ݁ܰܚܫܶܐ ܘܶܐܬ݂ܳܐ ܠܬ݂ܰܡܳܢ ܥܰܡ ܢܰܦ݂ܛܺܪܶܐ ܘܠܰܡܦ݁ܺܝܕ݂ܶܐ ܘܙܰܝܢܳܐ ܀

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Judas: John 13:2, John 13:27-30, Matthew 26:47, Matthew 26:55, Mark 14:43, Mark 14:44, Mark 14:48, Luke 22:47-53, Acts 1:16

a band: John 18:12,*Gr: Psalms 3:1, Psalms 3:2, Psalms 22:12

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 23:23 - take knowledge 2 Kings 6:14 - sent he thither horses Psalms 27:2 - they Psalms 55:10 - Day Psalms 55:12 - then I Matthew 2:4 - the chief Matthew 27:3 - Judas Matthew 27:27 - band John 7:32 - sent John 19:11 - he Acts 4:1 - the priests

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Judas then having received a band of men,.... From the captain of this band, who in John 18:12; is called a "Chiliarch", that is, a commander of a thousand men, one might conclude there were so many in this band; but it seems, that such an officer might have two bands under his command; and if this was, the case, there were at least five hundred men in this company; a large number indeed, to take an unarmed person; and yet, as if this was not sufficient, it is added,

and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees; servants that belong to each of these, and who seem to be a considerable number also; for these are said to be "a great multitude"; Matthew 26:47; nay, not only so, but the chief priests, captains of the temple, and elders of the people, were themselves among them, Luke 22:52; to see that the men did their work, and did not return without him; as these officers, when sent by them once before, did:

cometh thither with lanterns, and torches, and weapons: פנס, which is no other than the Greek word here used for a lantern, the Jews tell us u, was an earthen vessel, in which a candle was put and covered, that the wind might not put it out, and it had holes in the sides of it, through which light was let out; their לפיד, or "lamp", here rendered "torch", they say w, was also an earthen vessel in the form of a reed, at the top of which was a proper receptacle, in which they burnt old rags dipped in oil: now though it was full moon, being the time of the passover, they brought these along with them to discover him by the light of, and find him out with them, if he should hide himself among the trees, or in any of the more shady places in the garden; and they took warlike instruments, as swords, spears, and staves, as if they had a thief or a murderer to apprehend, or a little army of men to encounter with; whereas there were only Christ, and his eleven disciples; and these in no condition, nor had any design, to defend themselves in an hostile manner.

u Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Celim, c. 2. sect. 4. w Ib. in sect. 8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A band - See the notes at Matthew 26:47; Matthew 27:27. John passes over the agony of Jesus in the garden, probably because it was so fully described by the other evangelists.

Lanterns ... - This was the time of the full moon, but it might have been cloudy, and their taking lights with them shows their determination to find him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 18:3. A band — την σπειραν, The band or troop. Some think that the spira was the same as the Roman cohort, and was the tenth part of a legion, which consisted sometimes of 4200, and sometimes of 5000 foot. But Raphelius, on Matthew 27:27, has clearly proved, from Polybius, that the spira was no more than a tenth of the fourth part of a legion. And as the number of the legion was uncertain, and their divisions not at all equal, no person can tell how many the band or spira contained. See many curious particulars in Raphelius on this point, vol. i. p. 351, edit. 1747. This band was probably those Roman soldiers given by the governor for the defense of the temple; and the officers were those who belonged to the Sanhedrin.

With lanterns and torches — With these they had intended to search the corners and caverns, provided Christ had hidden himself; for they could not have needed them for any other purpose, it being now the fourteenth day of the moon's age, in the month Nisan, and consequently she appeared full and bright. The weapons mentioned here were probably no other than clubs, staves, and instruments of that kind, as we may gather from Matthew 26:55; Mark 14:48; Luke 22:52. The swords mentioned by the other evangelists were probably those of the Roman soldiers; the clubs and staves belonged to the chief priest's officers.