John 13:29

For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(29) Because Judas had the bag.—Comp. Notes on John 12:6.

Buy those things that we have need of against the feast.—Here, again, it will be better to postpone the consideration of details in the order of the events of this week, and to deal with the question as a whole. (Comp. Excursus F: The Day of the Crucifixion of our Lord.)

That he should give something to the poor.—Such gifts seem to have been made at all festivals. Their thought was probably of gifts to enable the poor to obtain the lamb and other requisites for keeping the Passover.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:18-30 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 influence; the hypocrite, who professes to believe the Scriptures, but will not govern himself by them; and the apostate, who turns aside from Christ for a thing of naught. Thus mankind, supported by God's providence, after eating bread with Him, lift up the heel against Him! Judas went out as one weary of Jesus and his apostles. Those whose deeds are evil, love darkness rather than light.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

No man at the table knew - This shows that Jesus had signified to John only who it was that should betray him.

The bag - The traveling-bag in which they put their common property. See the notes at John 12:6.

Have need of against the feast - The feast of the Passover. This feast continued seven days, and they supposed that Jesus had directed him to make preparation for their needs on those days.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

28, 29. no man … knew for what intent he spake this unto him … some thought … Jesus … said … But what we need … or, … give … to the poor—a very important statement, as showing how carefully. Jesus had kept the secret, and Judas his hypocrisy, to the last.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "John 13:28"\

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

For some of them thought,.... This was the thought of some of the disciples, it may be of all of them but John;

because Judas had the bag: which was for the common supply of Christ and his disciples, and for the relief of the poor; See Gill on John 12:6.

That Jesus had said unto him, buy those things that we have need of against the feast; the feast of the passover, which was to be two days after; and shows, that this was not the passover which Christ now ate with his disciples:

or that he should give something to the poor; for whom Christ cared, and had a hearty concern, and for whom Judas had very little, notwithstanding his high pretensions.

Geneva Study Bible

For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

John 13:29. τινὲς γὰρ ἐδόκουν. Some supposed that Judas being treasurer of the company had been sent to buy what they needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor. That it was possible at so late an hour to make purchases appears from Matthew 25:9-11 (Holtzmann).

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

29. For some of them] Shewing that they could not have understood.

had the bag] See on John 12:6.

against the feast] This agrees with John 13:1, that this meal precedes the Passover.

to the poor] Comp. John 12:5; Nehemiah 8:10; Nehemiah 8:12; Galatians 2:10.

Bengel's Gnomen

John 13:29. Εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, against the feast) These things occurred a little before the feast, on the day before the Passover; nor however had they any thought, that the passion of the Lord was so near at hand. These incidents do not accord with the idea of their being on the very evening of the paschal supper.

John 13:29

Vincent's Word Studies

The bag

See on John 12:6.

Buy (ἀγόρασον)

An incidental argument in favor of this gathering of the disciples having taken place on the evening of the Paschal feast. Had it been on the previous evening, no one would have thought of Judas going out at night to buy provisions for the feast, when there was the whole of the next day for it, nor would they have thought of his going out to seek the poor at that hour. The 15th Nisan, the time of the Passover celebration, was indeed invested with the sanctity of a Sabbath; but provision and preparation of the needful food was expressly allowed on that day. The Rabbinical rules even provided for the procuring of the Paschal lamb on the Passover eve when that happened to fall on the Sabbath.

Against the feast (εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν)

Rev., better, for the feast. The Passover feast. The meal of which they had been partaking was the preliminary meal, at the close of which the Passover was celebrated; just as, subsequently, the Eucharist was celebrated at the close of the Agape, or love-feast. Notice the different word, ἑορτή, feast, instead of δεῖπνον, supper, and the article with feast.

To the poor

Perhaps to help them procure their Paschal lamb.