John 18:12
Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him,
Original Language Analysis
Ἡ
G3588
Ἡ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
1 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
σπεῖρα
the band
G4686
σπεῖρα
the band
Strong's:
G4686
Word #:
3 of 17
a coil (spira, "spire"), i.e., (figuratively) a mass of men (a roman military cohort; also (by analogy) a squad of levitical janitors)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
4 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ὁ
G3588
ὁ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
χιλίαρχος
the captain
G5506
χιλίαρχος
the captain
Strong's:
G5506
Word #:
6 of 17
the commander of a thousand soldiers ("chiliarch"; i.e., colonel
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
7 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
οἱ
G3588
οἱ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
8 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
ὑπηρέται
officers
G5257
ὑπηρέται
officers
Strong's:
G5257
Word #:
9 of 17
an under-oarsman, i.e., (generally) subordinate (assistant, sexton, constable)
τῶν
G3588
τῶν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
10 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
συνέλαβον
took
G4815
συνέλαβον
took
Strong's:
G4815
Word #:
12 of 17
to clasp, i.e., seize (arrest, capture); specially, to conceive (literally or figuratively); by implication, to aid
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
13 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
Ἰησοῦν
Jesus
G2424
Ἰησοῦν
Jesus
Strong's:
G2424
Word #:
14 of 17
jesus (i.e., jehoshua), the name of our lord and two (three) other israelites
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
15 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Cross References
Matthew 26:57And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.John 18:3Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.Acts 21:37And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek?Acts 21:31And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.Mark 14:53And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.Mark 15:1And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.Matthew 27:2And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.Genesis 22:9And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.Luke 22:54Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.Judges 16:21But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.
Historical Context
Roman and Jewish authorities rarely cooperated so closely, as occupation created natural tension. However, both saw Jesus as a mutual threat—to Roman order (potential insurrectionist king) and Jewish religious power (blasphemer claiming deity). Pilate later acknowledged he found no fault in Jesus (18:38), suggesting Roman involvement was a concession to Jewish pressure. Binding prisoners was standard procedure for transport, preventing escape and demonstrating the prisoner's subjugation. For Jesus's followers, seeing their Master bound while He had just displayed supernatural power must have been cognitively dissonant—until they later understood He went willingly to the cross as the sin-bearing Lamb of God.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the massive arresting force reveal about human fear of Christ and His message?
- How does Jesus's voluntary submission to binding demonstrate the nature of His sacrifice?
- What theological significance do you see in the collaboration between Roman and Jewish authorities to arrest Jesus?
Related Resources
Explore related topics, people, and study resources to deepen your understanding of this passage.
Analysis & Commentary
The arrest proceeds with overwhelming force: "Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him" (Ἡ οὖν σπεῖρα καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ οἱ ὑπηρέται τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνέλαβον τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτόν/Hē oun speira kai ho chiliarchos kai hoi hypēretai tōn Ioudaiōn synelabon ton Iēsoun kai edēsan auton). The σπεῖρα (speira, "band") refers to a Roman cohort—potentially 600 soldiers. The χιλίαρχος (chiliarchos, "captain") was a military tribune, a high-ranking officer commanding a cohort.
The ὑπηρέται (hypēretai, "officers") were Jewish temple police, subordinate to the Sanhedrin. This collaboration between Roman military and Jewish religious authorities was unusual but reflected the high-stakes threat Jesus represented to both powers. The verb συλλαμβάνω (syllambanō, "took, seized, arrested") means to capture or apprehend—they treated Jesus as a dangerous criminal.
"And bound him" (ἔδησαν αὐτόν/edēsan auton)—the binding with ropes or chains fulfilled Isaiah 53:7, "as a sheep before her shearers is silent." Jesus, who had just demonstrated power to cast hundreds to the ground (v.6), now submits to binding without resistance. The One who claimed "all authority in heaven and earth" (Matthew 28:18) allows Himself to be treated as a powerless prisoner. This voluntary restraint demonstrates that the cross was not forced upon Christ—He actively laid down His life (John 10:18).