67Jesus therefore said to the Twelve, "You do not want to go away too, do you?" [6:68] Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom will we go? You have declarations of eternal life. [6:69] And we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God." [6:70] Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a slanderer." [6:71] Now he was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot — for this one was about to betray him, being one of the Twelve.
JHN 6:67-71
Peterʼs Confession of Faith
In the world it was spoken into
In this exchange, Jesus addresses the Twelve in a moment of crisis, using the particle to frame a question that expects a negative answer, reflecting the cultural expectation of loyalty within a teacher-disciple relationship. Peter’s response, 'to whom will we go?' underscores the honor-shame dynamic of 1st-century Mediterranean society, where abandoning a teacher would bring disgrace. Peter’s declaration that Jesus has ' of eternal life' highlights the Jewish understanding of divine words as life-giving and authoritative, rooted in the Torah’s teachings. By calling Jesus 'the Holy One of God,' Peter invokes the Jewish concept of , denoting sacredness and divine consecration, aligning Jesus with God’s holiness. Jesus’s mention of Judas as a '' draws on the term’s 1st-century semantic field, where it often referred to an accuser or slanderer, emphasizing betrayal’s destructive nature. This exchange reflects the tension between loyalty and betrayal, a recurring theme in Jewish and Greco-Roman narratives of discipleship and trust.
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How other translations render this
JHN 6:67
- KJV
- Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
- BSB
- So Jesus asked the Twelve, “Do you want to leave too?”
- Koinōnos
- Jesus therefore said to the Twelve, "You do not want to go away too, do you?
JHN 6:68
- KJV
- Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
- BSB
- Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
- Koinōnos
- Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom will we go? You have declarations of eternal life.
JHN 6:69
- KJV
- And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
- BSB
- We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”
- Koinōnos
- And we have believed and have come to know that you are the Holy One of God.
JHN 6:70
- KJV
- Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?
- BSB
- Jesus answered them, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!”
- Koinōnos
- Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet one of you is a slanderer.
JHN 6:71
- KJV
- He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.
- BSB
- He was speaking about Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. For although Judas was one of the Twelve, he was later to betray Jesus.
- Koinōnos
- Now he was speaking of Judas, son of Simon Iscariot — for this one was about to betray him, being one of the Twelve.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
JHN 6:67
- Surely not:The phrase translated 'Surely not' indicates a strong negative expectation or a rhetorical question that anticipates a negative answer, suggesting the speaker believes the action is unthinkable.
JHN 6:68
- will we go?:The word translated 'will we go?' refers to a spoken word or declaration, emphasizing the content and impact of what is said, rather than just the act of speaking.
JHN 6:69
- Christ:The word translated 'Christ' here carries the sense of being set apart or consecrated for a divine purpose, often in a religious or sacred context.
JHN 6:70
- a devil:The term translated 'a devil' originally meant a slanderer or accuser, someone who maliciously attacks another's reputation, before it became associated with a supernatural evil being.