John 13:26 kjv
Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
John 13:26 nkjv
Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.
John 13:26 niv
Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish." Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13:26 esv
Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it." So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13:26 nlt
Jesus responded, "It is the one to whom I give the bread I dip in the bowl." And when he had dipped it, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot.
John 13 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 41:9 | Even my close friend, whom I trusted, he who shared my bread, has lifted his heel against me. | Prophetic fulfillment of betrayal by a trusted friend sharing a meal. |
| Zech 11:12-13 | So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver as my wages... cast it to the potter in the house of the Lord. | Prophetic payment for the betrayal and its consequence. |
| Mt 26:21 | "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." | Jesus' general prediction of betrayal. |
| Mt 26:22 | And they were greatly distressed... each began to say to him, "Is it I, Lord?" | Disciples' consternation and self-examination. |
| Mt 26:23 | "He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me." | Synoptic parallel to the specific act of identification. |
| Mk 14:18 | As they were reclining and eating, Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me." | Mark's account of the betrayal prediction. |
| Mk 14:19 | They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one by one, "Is it I?" | Disciples' reaction in Mark. |
| Mk 14:20 | "It is one of the twelve, one who dips with me into the dish." | Mark's specific identification method. |
| Lk 22:21 | "But behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table." | Luke's broader, less specific identification of the betrayer. |
| Jn 6:64 | For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray him. | Jesus' pre-existing knowledge of Judas's character and future actions. |
| Jn 13:11 | For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, "You are not all clean." | Reiterates Jesus' foreknowledge in the context of foot-washing. |
| Jn 13:18 | "I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen... so that the Scripture may be fulfilled: ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’" | Fulfillment of Ps 41:9 explicitly stated by Jesus. |
| Jn 13:21 | When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, "Truly, truly, one of you will betray me." | Jesus' emotional distress preceding the identification. |
| Jn 13:25 | So leaning back against Jesus’ breast, he said to him, "Lord, who is it?" | Peter prompting John to ask about the betrayer's identity. |
| Jn 13:27 | Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. | The immediate spiritual consequence of receiving the bread for Judas. |
| Acts 1:16 | "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas." | Peter reflecting on Judas's predetermined role in prophecy. |
| 1 Cor 11:23 | For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread. | Sets the timing of Jesus' action within the betrayal narrative. |
| Ru 2:14 | And at mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine." | An example of sharing dipped bread as an act of kindness/honor. |
| Mt 26:24 | "The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed!" | Emphasizes both divine plan and human culpability in the betrayal. |
| Rev 1:8 | "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty." | Highlights Jesus' absolute sovereignty and foreknowledge. |
John 13 verses
John 13 26 Meaning
This verse identifies Judas Iscariot as the specific individual who would betray Jesus, marking him by a deliberate act of giving him a dipped piece of bread during the Last Supper. It highlights Jesus' omniscience and His intentional, even mournful, revelation of the betrayer, demonstrating divine foreknowledge amidst human treachery.
John 13 26 Context
John 13 opens with Jesus, knowing His hour had come, washing His disciples' feet, teaching humility and servant leadership. Following this profound act, He becomes "troubled in spirit" (Jn 13:21) and announces that one of His own disciples will betray Him, sending shockwaves through the group. Peter, perplexed, motions to John (who is reclining next to Jesus) to ask who the betrayer is. Verse 26 directly follows this private query, as Jesus provides a specific sign to identify the one who would hand Him over. The setting is the intimate Passover meal, the Last Supper, moments before Jesus' arrest. The cultural practice of dipping bread and giving it was a gesture of favor, hospitality, or honor among Jews. Therefore, Jesus' action here carries a heavy ironic and tragic weight, offering a final gesture of intimacy and invitation, yet simultaneously pinpointing the individual whose heart had already turned to darkness.
John 13 26 Word analysis
- Jesus answered: Signals a direct response to a whispered question (Jn 13:25) and Jesus' deliberate act of revealing what He already knew (Jn 6:64, 13:11, 13:18).
- "It is he": Points to a specific person. This is not a guess but a definitive identification rooted in divine knowledge.
- to whom I will give: A direct, intentional action of Jesus. It is not an accident or a general sign but a purposeful bestowing.
- this piece of bread: Greek: τὸν ψωμίον (ton psōmion), meaning a "morsel" or "sop" of bread. It often refers to a piece of bread dipped into a common dish of sauce or broth, a typical part of a meal in that culture. The act was a common custom of fellowship and honor.
- when I have dipped it: Greek: βάψας (bapsas), an aorist active participle, indicating a completed action. Jesus Himself performs the dipping. The act of sharing food, especially a morsel directly from one's hand, symbolized close fellowship, trust, and even intimacy. Giving it to the betrayer makes the act tragically ironic.
- So when he had dipped the piece of bread: Confirms that Jesus immediately carried out the specific sign He had announced. This eliminates any doubt about the fulfillment of His prediction.
- he gave it: Greek: ἔδωκεν (edōken), "he gave." A direct and decisive act of presentation.
- to Judas: The specific name of the betrayer.
- the son of Simon Iscariot: This full designation distinguishes him clearly from any other Judas among the disciples or people. "Iscariot" is often interpreted as "man of Kerioth" (a town in Judah) or possibly linked to "sicarii" (dagger-men, a Jewish political group), though the former is more widely accepted, signifying his origin. This highlights his individual identity and responsibility.
John 13 26 Bonus section
The act of dipping and giving the morsel, known as the charoset sop in some interpretations of the Passover meal customs, often served as a sign of affection or special honor given by the head of the table. In this light, Jesus offering the sop to Judas accentuates the depth of the treachery, as Judas betrayed not merely a master, but one who showed him kindness and trust even in His final hour. It's a striking picture of love extended even to an enemy, tragically rejected. This scene also stands in stark contrast to the Passover tradition where a symbolic "bread of affliction" (matzah) is eaten, serving as a reminder of redemption; here, a morsel becomes an instrument of betrayal leading to the ultimate redemption through Jesus' sacrifice.
John 13 26 Commentary
John 13:26 reveals the chilling specificity of Jesus' knowledge and the unfolding of divine prophecy. By identifying Judas with the giving of a dipped morsel of bread, Jesus does something profound and layered. Culturally, sharing a sop of bread was an act of honor and hospitality, often extended to a guest of high regard or a favored friend (cf. Ru 2:14). Jesus, in this act, extends a final gesture of fellowship and perhaps a last, silent plea for repentance to Judas, even as He definitively exposes him. The tension lies in the contrast between this act of intimacy and the betrayal it marks. For the other disciples, it provides a concrete answer to their anxious questions. For Judas, it's a moment of exposure, sealing his fate as foretold. It underscores that Judas’s betrayal was not an unforeseen event that caught Jesus off guard but a known and anticipated part of the divine plan for redemption, despite Judas's culpability. This verse is not merely an identification; it is a display of Christ's sovereignty, where His knowledge of events does not negate human responsibility but encompasses it within God's greater purposes.