John 13:28 kjv
Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.
John 13:28 nkjv
But no one at the table knew for what reason He said this to him.
John 13:28 niv
But no one at the meal understood why Jesus said this to him.
John 13:28 esv
Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him.
John 13:28 nlt
None of the others at the table knew what Jesus meant.
John 13 28 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| John 13:27 | After he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him... | Satan entered Judas immediately after Jesus gave the command. |
| John 13:29 | Some thought, because Judas had the moneybag, that Jesus was telling him... to give something to the poor. | The disciples' explicit misunderstanding. |
| John 13:30 | So, after receiving the morsel, he immediately went out. | Judas's swift departure for the betrayal. |
| Matt 26:20-25 | Jesus sat at table with the twelve... "one of you will betray me." | Synoptic parallel: Jesus identifies the betrayer at the Last Supper. |
| Mark 14:17-21 | While they were reclining at table... "One of you will betray me." | Synoptic parallel: Foretelling of betrayal. |
| Luke 22:21-23 | The hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table... | Synoptic parallel: Betrayer is at the table; disciples are confused. |
| John 6:70-71 | Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a devil." | Jesus knew from the beginning who would betray Him. |
| John 12:16 | His disciples did not understand these things at first... | Disciples often did not fully grasp Jesus' words until after His glorification. |
| John 16:17-19 | Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying..." | Another instance of the disciples' confusion about Jesus' words. |
| Luke 9:45 | But they did not understand this saying... | Divine veiling of truths from the disciples at times. |
| Mark 9:32 | But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him. | Disciples' fear and lack of understanding regarding Jesus' suffering. |
| Luke 18:34 | But they understood none of these things... hidden from them. | Direct statement of their inability to grasp prophecies about His death. |
| Ps 41:9 | Even my close friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me. | Prophetic background for the betrayal by a trusted associate. |
| John 13:18 | "...that the Scripture might be fulfilled..." | Jesus explicitly links Judas's betrayal to Ps 41:9. |
| Acts 1:16 | Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand... concerning Judas. | Confirmation that Judas's actions fulfilled prophecy. |
| Matt 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! | Divine decree combined with moral accountability for the betrayer. |
| John 13:1 | He loved them to the end. | Despite the betrayal, Jesus' divine love persists to the very end. |
| John 17:12 | "...and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled." | Jesus acknowledges Judas as destined for destruction and fulfilling prophecy. |
| 1 Cor 2:8 | For if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. | Illustrates human lack of understanding in key moments of God's plan. |
| Acts 2:23 | ...this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God... | God's sovereign control over Jesus' passion, including betrayal. |
| Rom 11:33 | Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments... | Reflects the incomprehensibility of God's ways to human understanding. |
| Isa 55:8-9 | For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways... | God's superior and often unfathomable wisdom compared to human limited insight. |
John 13 verses
John 13 28 Meaning
John 13:28 reveals that the other disciples at the Last Supper did not comprehend the true nature or purpose of Jesus' command to Judas, "What you are going to do, do quickly" (John 13:27). This ignorance underscores the profound isolation of Christ in His final hours, the hidden nature of divine timing, and the specific role Judas played in the unfolding of God's plan, unknown to all but Jesus and Judas himself.
John 13 28 Context
This verse is situated immediately after Jesus identifies His betrayer by giving a piece of bread, dipped in the dish, to Judas Iscariot. This act, traditionally a sign of honor or close friendship in Jewish culture at a shared meal, becomes the precise identifier of the one who would betray Him. The preceding verses of John 13 detail Jesus washing the disciples' feet, teaching about servant leadership and cleansing, and then revealing that one of them would betray Him. The disciples' subsequent questioning and their lack of understanding in verse 28 highlights the stark reality that while Jesus was fully aware of the imminent betrayal and orchestrating its divine timing, His closest followers remained completely oblivious to the dramatic turn of events taking place at the table, just moments before Judas's departure to carry out the act.
John 13 28 Word analysis
Now (δέ - de): A conjunction indicating a natural progression or transition in the narrative, linking the act of receiving the morsel with the disciples' lack of understanding.
no one (οὐδείς - oudeis): Emphasizes complete unanimity in their ignorance. Not even one among the remaining eleven grasped the gravity or meaning of Jesus' command.
at the table (τῶν ἀνακειμένων - tōn anakeimenōn): Lit. "of those reclining." Refers to all the disciples present, stressing that everyone there, apart from Jesus and Judas, was oblivious. It highlights their close proximity yet vast spiritual distance from the truth.
knew (ἔγνω - egnō): From ginōskō, meaning to come to know, perceive, understand. The imperfect tense indicates an ongoing state of unawareness during and after the specific exchange. They did not grasp the meaning or implications.
why (πρὸς τί - pros ti): "For what purpose?" Points to their inability to discern the intent behind Jesus' words to Judas. They had no idea about the gravity or urgency behind "Do quickly what you are going to do."
He said this (εἶπεν τοῦτο - eipen touto): Refers directly to Jesus' preceding urgent command to Judas (John 13:27), signifying a specific utterance whose context was missed.
to him (αὐτῷ - autō): Directly to Judas, emphasizing the personal and veiled nature of this interaction between Jesus and His betrayer, excluding the rest.
"Now no one at the table knew": This phrase underlines the profound secrecy surrounding the event, divinely orchestrated by Jesus and Satan working through Judas, yet completely hidden from the other disciples. It highlights Christ's control and sovereign knowledge over His passion, contrasting it with human bewilderment.
"why He said this to him": This specific query points to the disciples' misunderstanding not just of the words, but of the intent and consequences of Jesus' terse command. Their interpretations, mentioned in the next verse (John 13:29), show they believed it to be a mundane instruction, rather than an initiation of the final act of betrayal.
John 13 28 Bonus section
The subtle irony woven into this verse is profound: Judas, the betrayer, is the only disciple privy to the true meaning of Jesus' words, even if motivated by his own sin and Satan's influence. Meanwhile, the loyal disciples, though present, remain in the dark, believing Judas to be performing an honorable or mundane task. This points to how often spiritual realities and divine operations are veiled to human perception, even for those within God's close circle, until the appropriate time. It highlights the mystery of God's ways (Isa 55:8-9; Rom 11:33) and the limited nature of human comprehension concerning divine decrees, especially when involving suffering and apparent defeat.
John 13 28 Commentary
John 13:28 is a critical bridge in the narrative of Jesus' passion, starkly illustrating the chasm between divine foresight and human limited understanding. Despite being with Jesus for years, hearing His prophecies, and witnessing His miracles, the disciples remained utterly blind to the immediate unfolding of His betrayal. Their collective ignorance serves multiple purposes: it highlights the solitary path Jesus walked toward the cross, underscoring that His suffering was borne in isolation even from His closest friends. It also emphasizes Jesus' divine control; even in the moment of Judas's assent to betrayal, it is Jesus who issues a command, not Judas taking initiative. The world's redemption pivoted on this seemingly mundane and misinterpreted exchange. It demonstrates that God's plan is often revealed incrementally or concealed until its fulfillment, revealing its full meaning in hindsight, which for the disciples came after the resurrection. This shows the quiet sovereignty of Christ, working even through dark acts, where those around are left to wonder.