John 13:21 kjv
When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
John 13:21 nkjv
When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me."
John 13:21 niv
After he had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, "Very truly I tell you, one of you is going to betray me."
John 13:21 esv
After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
John 13:21 nlt
Now Jesus was deeply troubled, and he exclaimed, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me!"
John 13 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 11:33 | "...Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled." | Jesus' internal turmoil over Lazarus's death. |
| Jn 12:27 | "Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'?" | Jesus' distress contemplating His impending crucifixion. |
| Mt 26:38 | "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death." | Jesus' agony in Gethsemane before arrest. |
| Mk 14:34 | "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death." | Parallel account of Gethsemane agony. |
| Heb 5:7 | "In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears..." | Christ's human suffering and fervent prayers. |
| Ps 41:9 | "Even my close friend, whom I trusted... has turned against me." | Old Testament prophecy of betrayal by a trusted companion. |
| Jn 13:18 | "I am not speaking of all of you... that the Scripture may be fulfilled: 'He who eats my bread has lifted his heel against me.'" | Jesus' direct quotation of Ps 41:9 regarding the betrayal. |
| Zech 11:12-13 | "...30 pieces of silver… a magnificent price at which they valued Me!" | Prophecy regarding the price of betrayal. |
| Acts 1:16 | "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled... concerning Judas." | New Testament affirmation of Judas's role fulfilling prophecy. |
| Acts 1:20 | "For it is written in the Book of Psalms: 'May his place be deserted...' and 'May another take his place of leadership.'" | Further prophetic fulfillment concerning Judas's fate and successor. |
| Jn 6:64 | "For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him." | Jesus' divine omniscience concerning Judas. |
| Jn 6:70-71 | "...One of you is a devil... He meant Judas Iscariot..." | Jesus' early awareness of Judas's spiritual state. |
| Mk 14:18 | "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me." | Synoptic parallel account of the betrayal prophecy. |
| Mt 26:21 | "Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me." | Another synoptic parallel. |
| Lk 22:21-23 | "But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table." | Luke's account, emphasizing intimacy and treachery. |
| Jer 17:10 | "I the Lord search the heart and test the mind..." | God's ultimate knowledge of human hearts. |
| Acts 2:23 | "This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified..." | The sovereignty of God in Christ's suffering and crucifixion. |
| Acts 4:27-28 | "Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met… to do what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." | God's sovereignty over the actions of men to fulfill His purpose. |
| Isa 53:10 | "Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer..." | God's predetermined plan for the Messiah's suffering. |
| Jn 13:26-27 | "Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread...' ...Satan entered into him." | Immediate narrative showing the identification of the betrayer and Satan's influence. |
| Jn 13:30 | "As soon as Judas had taken the bread, he went out. And it was night." | The departure of Judas into spiritual darkness. |
| Lk 22:3 | "Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot..." | Explicit statement of Satanic influence on Judas. |
John 13 verses
John 13 21 Meaning
Jesus reveals His profound internal agony and spiritual distress concerning the imminent betrayal by one of His closest disciples. This solemn declaration underscores His omniscience, His deep sorrow over the gravity of human sin, and the certainty of divine prophecy concerning His Passion. It highlights the deeply personal pain of treachery from within His trusted circle, demonstrating both His full humanity in feeling such pain and His divine knowledge of all events before they unfold.
John 13 21 Context
John 13 takes place during the Last Supper, marking a critical transition from Jesus' public ministry to His intimate discourse with His disciples and preparation for His Passion. Just prior to this verse, Jesus performs the deeply symbolic and humble act of washing His disciples' feet, setting an example of servant leadership (Jn 13:1-17). He then speaks of the blessing of those who practice this, yet immediately notes that not all are clean, directly alluding to Judas (Jn 13:10-11). He also makes a direct reference to Psalm 41:9 about the one who ate His bread betraying Him (Jn 13:18). This verse (Jn 13:21) dramatically shifts the atmosphere from instruction and fellowship to a solemn, distressing revelation. It prepares the remaining disciples for the immense spiritual weight of the betrayal and clarifies the certainty of events leading to Jesus' crucifixion, ensuring they understand nothing happens outside of God's foreknown plan.
John 13 21 Word analysis
- When Jesus had said this: Refers to Jesus' recent teaching on humility, service, and His foreknowledge that one among them would betray Him, fulfilling Scripture (Jn 13:12-20). This highlights that the ensuing revelation is a considered and deliberate disclosure, not a sudden reaction.
- He was troubled: Greek: etarakthē (ἐταράχθη). This verb denotes deep inward agitation, distress, or turmoil, not merely sadness. It reveals a profound spiritual and emotional agony. This same word describes Jesus's profound emotion at Lazarus's tomb (Jn 11:33) and His inner struggle facing the cross (Jn 12:27), signifying spiritual rather than physical distress.
- in spirit: Greek: tō pneumati (τῷ πνεύματι). This refers to Jesus' inner being, His core essence, whether soul or innermost consciousness. The agony was not superficial but permeated His deepest self, reflecting immense sorrow over human sin, particularly Judas's hardened heart, and the weight of His impending suffering.
- and testified: Greek: emartyresen (ἐμαρτύρησεν). This means "bore witness" or "solemnly declared." It indicates that Jesus' statement was a weighty, formal proclamation, an attestation of undeniable truth delivered with divine authority. It signifies that the following revelation is absolute and certain.
- and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you': Greek: amēn amēn legō humin (ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν). This double "Amen" (Verily, verily) is a signature emphatic declaration unique to Jesus in John's Gospel. It stresses the absolute truth, certainty, and solemnity of what He is about to say, demanding immediate and serious attention from His listeners. It signifies a profound truth uttered from divine authority.
- one of you: This phrase directly identifies a betrayer from within the chosen Twelve. It emphasizes the profound pain and shocking nature of the betrayal—that it comes from a close, trusted associate, rather than an external enemy.
- will betray Me: Greek: paradōsei me (παραδώσει με). Meaning "to hand over" or "to deliver up." In this context, it explicitly means to deliver over treacherously to authorities. This points directly to the perfidious act of handing Jesus over to those who sought to kill Him, marking the ultimate act of spiritual disloyalty and sin.
- He was troubled in spirit: This phrase captures Jesus' authentic humanity and the profound spiritual weight He bore. It reflects His deep sorrow and grief over Judas's unrepentant heart and the imminent act of betrayal, not merely the personal pain it would cause Him, but its grave spiritual implications.
- and testified and said, 'Truly, truly, I say to you': This combination of powerful verbs and the double "Amen" underscores the absolute certainty and divine authority of Jesus' pronouncement. It signifies that this is a definitive, foreordained revelation, intended to prepare the disciples and demonstrate Jesus' perfect foreknowledge of all events, even the darkest human treachery.
John 13 21 Bonus section
- Jesus' foreknowledge of Judas's actions (Jn 6:64, 70-71) signifies that His being "troubled" was not due to surprise, but due to the spiritual pain of confronting hardened rebellion against divine light and love, even within a close companion.
- The phrase "troubled in spirit" foreshadows Jesus' later agony in Gethsemane (Mt 26:38, Mk 14:34), where His spiritual distress over the cup of suffering and the weight of sin intensified. This highlights a consistent pattern of Jesus facing His mission with full human emotion, yet divine resolve.
- The act of identifying the betrayer in this manner fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, especially Psalm 41:9, solidifying the disciples' faith in Jesus' Messianic claims despite the impending dark events. It validated the Scripture's truth and Jesus' authority.
John 13 21 Commentary
John 13:21 unveils a moment of profound spiritual and emotional depth for Jesus. His "troubled in spirit" signifies not weakness, but a divine and human agony over the presence of deep sin and unrepentance within His intimate circle, leading to a betrayal pivotal for God's redemptive plan. His solemn declaration, emphasized by the "Truly, truly," highlights His omniscience and underscores that nothing in His path to the cross was unforeseen or outside God's sovereign will. This announcement, exposing the traitor within their fellowship, purges the disciples, enabling the subsequent, intimate teachings to His faithful followers.