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

21After saying this, Jesus was deeply troubled. He declared, “I can guarantee this truth: One of you is going to betray me!” 22The disciples began looking at each other and wondering which one of them Jesus meant. One disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, was near him at the table. 24Simon Peter motioned to that disciple and said, “Ask Jesus whom he’s talking about!” 25Leaning close to Jesus, that disciple asked, “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 13:25Leaning close to Jesus, that disciple asked, “Lord, who is it?”
• John 1:18No one has ever seen God. God’s only Son, the one who is closest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.
• John 21:20Peter turned around and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved. That disciple was following them. He was the one who leaned against Jesus’ chest at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”
• 2 Samuel 12:3but the poor man had only one little female lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up in his home with his children. She would eat his food and drink from his cup. She rested in his arms and was like a daughter.
• John 11:3So the sisters sent a messenger to tell Jesus, “Lord, your close friend is sick.”
• John 19:26Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there. He said to his mother, “Look, here’s your son!”
• John 20:2So she ran to Simon Peter and the other disciple, whom Jesus loved. She told them, “They have removed the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they’ve put him.”
• John 21:7The disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put back on the clothes that he had taken off and jumped into the sea.
• Revelation 1:16In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp, two-edged sword. His face was like the sun when it shines in all its brightness.

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