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Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples.
John 18:2 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
  • BSB Now Judas His betrayer also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
  • NKJV And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples.
  • NASB Now Judas, who was betraying Him, also knew the place, because Jesus had often met there with His disciples.
  • NLT Judas, the betrayer, knew this place, because Jesus had often gone there with his disciples.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Judas knew the garden because Jesus often met there with his disciples. The betrayer uses Jesus' familiar place of prayer against him.

Overview

John notes that Judas had inside knowledge of this customary meeting place. The detail underscores the treachery of the betrayal: Judas exploits intimacy and trust. It also shows that Jesus was not caught off guard or hiding; he went openly to a known place, willingly placing himself where he could be found and arrested.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 3

  • Luke 22:39He came out, and went, as his custom was, to the Mount of Olives. His disciples also followed him.
  • Luke 21:37Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.
  • Mark 11:11–12Jesus entered into the temple in Jerusalem. When he had looked around at everything, it being now evening, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on John 18:2YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.

How John 18:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.