This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
JOHN 12:6KJVWhat does John 12:6 mean?
John 12:6 explains that Judas Iscariot did not truly care about the poor when he objected to the use of expensive ointment on Jesus, but was actually motivated by his own dishonesty, since he was in charge of the group's money bag and would steal from it. The verse reveals Judas's real intentions behind his words.
In this scene, John the Gospel writer is giving background information to the reader about Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’s disciples. Judas had just criticized Mary for anointing Jesus with costly perfume, claiming the money could have helped the poor. John clarifies that Judas’s concern was not genuine, but rather a cover for his habit of stealing from the shared funds he managed for the disciples.
The Greek behind John 12:6
- ὁ γλωσσόκομον (ho glōssokomon, "the bag"): This word refers to a money box or bag, often used for keeping communal funds. The detail that Judas "had the bag" shows he was trusted with the group's finances, which makes his theft more serious.
- ἐβάσταζεν (ebastazen, "bare"): This verb often means "to carry," but here it is understood as "to take for oneself" or "to pilfer." The Greek suggests Judas was secretly taking money from the bag for his own use, not just carrying it.
Why John 12:6 matters
- John 12:6 clears up any misunderstanding about Judas’s motives, showing that his criticism was not about genuine care for the poor but about self-interest and deceit.
- The verse highlights a contrast between outward appearances and inward reality, preparing the reader for Judas’s later betrayal of Jesus.
- By mentioning Judas’s role as treasurer and his theft, John sets the stage for understanding the deeper issues of trust and betrayal among Jesus’s closest followers.