John 13:23

John 13:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
• New International Version (NIV)One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus' side,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

Context of John 13:23

21When Jesus had said this, he was troubled in his spirit and testified, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” 22The disciples started looking at one another — uncertain which one he was speaking about. One of his disciples, the one Jesus loved, was reclining close beside Jesus. 24Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was he was talking about. 25So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”

John 13:23 word by word

Ἦν ἀνακείμενος εἷς ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Nowδέde · thenG1161
• there wasεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• leaningἀνάκειμαιanakeimai · to reclineG345
• onἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• Jesus’ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Jesus’ἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• bosomκόλποςkolpos · bosomG2859
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520
• of hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• disciplesμαθητήςmathētēs · discipleG3101
• whomὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• lovedἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25

Cross-references for John 13:23

• John 13:25So he leaned back against Jesus and asked him, “Lord, who is it?”
• John 1:18No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side — he has revealed him.
• John 21:20So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?”
• 2 Samuel 12:3but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him.
• John 11:3So the sisters sent a message to him: “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
• John 19:26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.”
• John 20:2So she went running to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said to them, “They’ve taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him!”
• John 21:7The disciple, the one Jesus loved, said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tied his outer clothing around him (for he had taken it off) and plunged into the sea.
• Revelation 1:16He had seven stars in his right hand; a sharp double-edged sword came from his mouth, and his face was shining like the sun at full strength.

Commentaries on John 13:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom - The Jews of those days, at their suppers, reclined, supported by their left arm, on couches placed round the table, as the Greeks and Romans did. On each couch there were two or three persons; and the head of one of them came near to the bosom of him who reclined above him on the same couch. The person here mentioned was John, the writer of this history, who, being more tenderly loved by Christ than the rest, had…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Leaning on Jesus‘ bosom - This does not mean that he was at that time actually lying on his bosom, but that he occupied a situation next to him at the table, so that his head naturally fell back on his bosom when he spoke to him. See the notes at Matthew 23:6. Whom Jesus loved - This was doubtless John himself. The evangelists are not accustomed to mention their own names when any mark of favor or any good deed is recorded. They did not seek publicity or…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-30Verses 18-30 Our Lord had often spoken of his own sufferings and death, without such trouble of spirit as he now discovered when he spake of Judas. The sins of Christians are the grief of Christ. We are not to confine our attention to Judas. The prophecy of his treachery may apply to all who partake of God's mercies, and meet them with ingratitude. See the infidel, who only looks at the Scriptures with a desire to do away their authority and destroy their…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23The disciple whom Jesus loved is appears: at the cross (19:26–27), at the tomb (20:2–9), and and at the resurrection (21:1, 20–23). He also wrote the Gospel of John (21:24–25). Some scholars believe that Lazarus was in fact the disciple whom Jesus loved (see 11:3, 5, 36). The person referred to here was among the 12 apostles, so most people identify the disciple whom Jesus loved as the apostle John. was reclining at His side: They were likely reclining at…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2623-26. there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved--Thus modestly does our Evangelist denote himself, as reclining next to Jesus at the table. Peter ... beckoned to him to ask who it should be of whom he spake--reclining probably at the corresponding place on the other side of Jesus.Read the comment

Topics related to John 13:23

• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• John
• Judas (Jude)

In the dictionaries

• Jesus
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Aside
• Clean
• Commandment
• Example
• Bosom
• Jesus Christ
• John, Gospel of
• Love

Commentaries on John 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Catena Aurea
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• John Lightfoot Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings