John 12:6 kjv
This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
John 12:6 nkjv
This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.
John 12:6 niv
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
John 12:6 esv
He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.
John 12:6 nlt
Not that he cared for the poor ? he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples' money, he often stole some for himself.
John 12 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 21:32 | "If an ox gores a male or female slave, the owner shall pay thirty shekels..." | Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. |
| Deut 15:7-11 | "If among you, one of your brothers should become poor...you shall open your hand to him..." | Contrast to Judas's false concern for poor. |
| Ps 41:9 | "Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me." | Prophecy of betrayal by a trusted one. |
| Prov 15:27 | "Whoever is greedy for unjust gain troubles his own household..." | Warning against greed. |
| Prov 28:22 | "A man with a stingy eye hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him." | Judas's pursuit of money. |
| Isa 56:11 | "...they are greedy dogs; they never have enough...They are shepherds who have no understanding..." | Describes corrupt leaders driven by greed. |
| Jer 22:17 | "But you have eyes and heart only for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood..." | Critique of rulers pursuing selfish gain. |
| Ezek 33:31 | "...their heart is set on their gain." | False piety with underlying covetousness. |
| Mic 7:3 | "Both hands are engaged in evil to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe..." | General societal corruption for gain. |
| Matt 23:27-28 | "Woe to you...you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness." | Hypocrisy; Judas's outward facade. |
| Matt 26:14-16 | "Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, 'What will you give me...?'" | Judas's covetousness leading to betrayal. |
| Mk 14:10-11 | "Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him..." | Judas's plot driven by money. |
| Lk 22:3-6 | "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot...He went away and conferred with the chief priests..." | Satanic influence on Judas's covetousness. |
| Lk 12:15 | "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." | Direct warning against greed. |
| Lk 16:13 | "No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." | God vs. money: Judas chose money. |
| Jn 6:70-71 | "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil.' He spoke of Judas..." | Jesus's foreknowledge of Judas's nature. |
| Jn 13:18 | "I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’" | Jesus foreknows Judas's betrayal. |
| Acts 1:16-20 | "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas..." | Fulfillment of prophecy concerning Judas. |
| Rom 1:29 | "...full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice. They are gossips..." | Covetousness listed among sins. |
| 1 Cor 5:10-11 | "...not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world...nor the greedy..." | Believers should not associate with the greedy. |
| Eph 5:3, 5 | "But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you...For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." | Covetousness equates to idolatry. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." | Covetousness is idolatry. |
| 1 Tim 3:3 | (Regarding overseers) "...not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money." | Leaders should not be lovers of money. |
| 1 Tim 6:10 | "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and eagerly pursuing it some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." | The "root" of Judas's evil. |
| 2 Pet 2:3 | "And in their greed these false teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories..." | False teachers motivated by greed. |
John 12 verses
John 12 6 Meaning
John 12:6 exposes Judas Iscariot's true motive behind his protest against Mary's anointing of Jesus with expensive oil. While he presented himself as caring for the poor, his real intent was born of greed and habitual theft; he embezzled money from the common purse entrusted to him. This verse uncovers Judas's deep-seated hypocrisy and avarice, foreshadowing his ultimate betrayal.
John 12 6 Context
John 12:6 is situated within the narrative of Jesus's anointing at Bethany, just six days before the Passover, marking the final week leading to His crucifixion. Mary of Bethany expresses her deep devotion to Jesus by anointing His feet with an expensive perfumed oil. Judas Iscariot then interjects, feigning concern that the costly oil should have been sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor. John's immediate parenthetical statement in verse 6 interrupts the dialogue to explicitly clarify Judas's sinister motive, starkly contrasting Judas's deceptive concern with Mary's genuine worship and love for Jesus. This revelation establishes Judas's character for the reader as fundamentally corrupt by greed, explaining his eventual act of betrayal. Historically and culturally, concern for the poor was a highly valued religious act in Jewish society, making Judas's hypocrisy all the more insidious as he weaponized this expectation for his own dishonest gain.
John 12 6 Word analysis
- This he said: Refers directly to Judas Iscariot's statement in the preceding verse (John 12:5) where he questions the 'waste' of the costly ointment, suggesting it could have been sold for charity.
- not that he cared: The Greek is οὐχ ὅτι αὐτῷ ἔμελεν (ouch hoti autō emelen). The word ἔμελεν (emelen, imperfect of μέλει melei) means 'it was a concern' or 'it mattered to him'. John's direct negation powerfully exposes the deceit behind Judas's words. His outwardly pious statement masked an utter lack of genuine concern for the needy.
- for the poor: This was the outward pretext Judas used. It appealed to a legitimate religious and ethical concern, making his objection appear righteous to onlookers. However, it served only as a veil for his true intentions.
- but because: The Greek ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι (all' hoti) acts as a strong adversative, unequivocally stating the true, antithetical reason behind Judas's words, directly contradicting his feigned virtue.
- he was a thief: The Greek κλέπτης ἦν (kleptēs ēn). Κλέπτης (kleptēs) denotes a stealthy pilferer, embezzler, or secret thief, as opposed to λῃστής (lēstēs) which refers to an open robber or bandit. The imperfect tense ἦν (ēn, "was") implies that being a thief was not a singular act but his continuous and habitual character. This is a severe, inspired judgment on Judas.
- and had the money box: The Greek is καὶ τὸ γλωσσόκομον ἔχων (kai to glossokomon echōn). Γλωσσόκομον (glossokomon) literally means a "tongue-box," originally for musical instruments' reeds or mouthpieces. By this time, it was a common term for a cash box, treasury, or common purse. Judas, despite his corrupt character, was entrusted with the common funds of the disciples, a position of significant trust that he abused.
- and he used to take: The Greek is καὶ τὰ βαλλόμενα ἐβάσταζεν (kai ta ballomena ebastazen). The verb ἐβάσταζεν (ebastazen), from βαστάζω (bastazō), in the imperfect tense, denotes repeated or habitual action. It means "to carry away," "to appropriate," or "to embezzle." This confirms that Judas's thievery was not a one-off mistake but an ongoing practice of secretly siphoning funds from the common purse.
- what was put into it: The Greek τὰ βαλλόμενα (ta ballomena) means "the things being put in" or "the things cast in." This refers to contributions made by disciples and supporters to sustain Jesus and His twelve apostles during their ministry journeys.
- "not that he cared...but because he was a thief": This phrase group serves as a powerful theological indictment, contrasting the appearance of concern with the underlying reality of deep-seated sin. It highlights spiritual hypocrisy where religious outwardness conceals moral corruption.
- "he had the money box, and he used to take what was put into it": This phrase group links Judas's specific responsibility as treasurer directly to his abuse of that trust. The detail of "used to take" emphasizes the habitual nature of his embezzlement, indicating a persistent, unrepented sin of avarice that ultimately positioned him for the greater betrayal. It reveals how covetousness can subtly grow, corrupting integrity over time.
John 12 6 Bonus section
- John's Unique Insight: This verse offers an unparalleled psychological insight into Judas Iscariot that is not explicitly detailed in the synoptic Gospels. John, writing from a perspective informed by the Holy Spirit and subsequent events, is able to reveal Judas's true character and motive, confirming what Jesus Himself already knew (John 6:70-71).
- Divine Sovereignty and Human Choice: While Judas's betrayal fulfilled prophecy, this verse emphasizes his active choice in yielding to his avarice. He was a thief by habit, indicating a personal embrace of sin, rather than a mere pawn of fate. God works even through the choices of wicked individuals, yet does not absolve them of responsibility.
- A Warning Against Self-Deception: Judas's words outwardly mirrored genuine biblical concerns (Deut 15:7), but his heart was far from God. This is a potent warning against spiritual self-deception and the deceptive nature of sin, which often cloaks itself in piety.
- The Foreshadowing of Betrayal: Judas's "taking" from the money box foreshadows his far greater act of "taking" a reward for betraying Jesus. His earlier, smaller acts of unfaithfulness set a pattern that led to the ultimate betrayal.
John 12 6 Commentary
John 12:6 serves as a stark, divinely inspired exposition of Judas Iscariot's true nature, piercing through his public facade of spiritual concern. It reveals that Judas's objection to Mary's costly act of worship stemmed not from genuine charity, but from his personal avarice and a habitual practice of embezzling funds entrusted to him. This verse paints a vivid picture of hypocrisy, where a seemingly noble cause—caring for the poor—is exploited as a cover for a deep-rooted sin. It underscores the profound danger of covetousness, demonstrating how a love for money can corrupt one's heart, blind spiritual perception, betray sacred trust, and ultimately lead to profound moral failure. Judas's character, defined by this pre-existing greed, provides crucial context for understanding his eventual betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. It stands as a timeless warning against prioritizing material gain over devotion to God and genuine care for others.