The Meaning of John 18:11 Explained

John 18:11

KJV: Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

YLT: Jesus, therefore, said to Peter, 'Put the sword into the sheath; the cup that the Father hath given to me, may I not drink it?'

Darby: Jesus therefore said to Peter, Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?

ASV: Jesus therefore said unto Peter, Put up the sword into the sheath: the cup which the Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  said  Jesus  unto Peter,  Put up  thy  sword  into  the sheath:  the cup  which  my Father  hath given  me,  shall I  not  drink  it? 

What does John 18:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Jesus" response, as John recorded it, focuses the reader"s attention on Jesus. The Cross was necessary, and Jesus had committed Himself to enduring it. Peter"s brave though misdirected act showed that He still failed to realize that Jesus" death was necessary. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous. Therefore Jesus rebuked Peter even though this disciple showed remarkable loyalty to His teacher. The cup to which He referred was the symbol of His lot in life (cf. Matthew 20:22-23), which in this case involved bearing God"s wrath (cf. Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Isaiah 51:22; Jeremiah 25:15; Ezekiel 23:31-33; Matthew 26:42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; Revelation 14:10; Revelation 16:19).
"Peter had a sword in his hand, but our Lord had a cup in His hand. Peter was resisting God"s will but the Saviour was accepting God"s will." [1]
John"s account focuses on Jesus" presentation of Himself to His enemies. This was an essential step in His voluntary self-sacrifice for the sins of humankind. It was not surrender as such since that word implies that the person surrendering is guilty. It was not a request for arrest either since that would have removed some of the guilt for His death from His captors.

Context Summary

John 18:1-11 - Jesus Accepts His Suffering
Our Lord went forth from the city and across the brook Cedron to Gethsemane, but not for the purpose of concealment, as John 18:2 clearly shows. How characteristic it was that He should meet the band and ask that He should be taken, while the disciples should be permitted to escape! Was not this what He was ever doing-meeting peril, temptation, and death, that the great company whom He was bringing to glory might be saved? What meekness and majesty are here! Meekness-that He should subject Himself to the binding thong; majesty-that He should be able to use the unspeakable name of God-I AM, for the word "He"is not in the Greek.
The cup probably referred to the anguish caused to His holy nature in being numbered with the transgressors, and bearing the sin of many. There was much in it from which His spirit recoiled, but He chose to do the will of God, however the flesh might start and shrink. Let us ever take the cups of life's pain and sorrow direct from the hand of God, not seeing Judas, but the Father.
Joseph told his brethren that it was not they who had sent him to Egypt, but God. David would not have Shimei silenced, because he felt that God had allowed him to utter his anathema. Here our Lord reposes absolutely on the Father, who loved Him before the world was made. [source]

Chapter Summary: John 18

1  Judas betrays Jesus
6  The officers fall to the ground
10  Peter cuts off Malchus' ear
12  Jesus is taken, and led unto Annas and Caiaphas
15  Peter's denial
19  Jesus examined before Caiaphas
25  Peter's second and third denial
28  Jesus arraigned before Pilate
36  His kingdom
40  The Jews prefer Barabbas

Greek Commentary for John 18:11

Into the sheath [εις την τηκην]
Old word from τιτημι — tithēmi to put for box or sheath, only here in N.T. In Matthew 26:52 Christ‘s warning is given. The cup Metaphor for Christ‘s death, used already in reply to request of James and John (Mark 10:39; Matthew 20:22) and in the agony in Gethsemane before Judas came (Mark 14:36; Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42), which is not given by John. The case of το ποτηριον — to potērion is the suspended nominative for note αυτο — auto (it) referring to it. Shall I not drink? Second aorist active subjunctive of πινω — pinō with the double negative ου μη — ou mē in a question expecting the affirmative answer. Abbott takes it as an exclamation and compares John 6:37; Mark 14:25. [source]
Thy sword []
Omit thy, and read, the sword. [source]
Sheath [θήκην]
Only here in the New Testament. From τίθημι , to put. That into which the sword is put. [source]
The cup []
Compare Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42. Peculiar to John. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for John 18:11

Matthew 27:34 Wine mingled with gall [οινον μετα χολης μεμιγμενον]
Late MSS. read vinegar (οχος — oxos) instead of wine and Mark (Mark 15:23) has myrrh instead of gall. The myrrh gave the sour wine a better flavour and like the bitter gall had a narcotic and stupefying effect. Both elements may have been in the drink which Jesus tasted and refused to drink. Women provided the drink to deaden the sense of pain and the soldiers may have added the gall to make it disagreeable. Jesus desired to drink to the full the cup from his Father‘s hand (John 18:11). [source]
1 Peter 2:14 As sent by him [ως δι αυτου πεμπομενοις]
Present passive participle of πεμπω — pempō Δι αυτου — Di' autou is “by God,” as Jesus made plain to Pilate; even Pilate received his authority ultimately “from above” (John 18:11).For vengeance on evil-doers (εις εκδικησιν κακοποιων — eis ekdikēsin kakopoiōn). Objective genitive with εκδικησιν — ekdikēsin for which see Luke 18:7.For praise to them that do well Objective genitive again, αγατοποιος — agathopoios a late word (Plutarch, Sirach) from αγατον — agathon and ποιεω — poieō here only in N.T. Found in a magical papyrus. [source]

What do the individual words in John 18:11 mean?

Said therefore - Jesus - to Peter Put the sword into sheath The cup which has given Me the Father no not shall I drink it
εἶπεν οὖν Ἰησοῦς τῷ Πέτρῳ Βάλε τὴν μάχαιραν εἰς θήκην τὸ ποτήριον δέδωκέν μοι Πατήρ οὐ μὴ πίω αὐτό

εἶπεν  Said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
τῷ  - 
Parse: Article, Dative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Πέτρῳ  to  Peter 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: Πέτρος  
Sense: one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.
Βάλε  Put 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: βάλλω 
Sense: to throw or let go of a thing without caring where it falls.
μάχαιραν  sword 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: μάχαιρα  
Sense: a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
θήκην  sheath 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: θήκη  
Sense: that which a thing is put or laid away, a receptacle, repository, chest, box.
ποτήριον  cup 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Singular
Root: ποτήριον  
Sense: a cup, a drinking vessel.
δέδωκέν  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Perfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
μοι  Me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
Πατήρ  Father 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: προπάτωρ 
Sense: generator or male ancestor.
οὐ  no 
Parse: Adverb
Root: οὐ  
Sense: no, not; in direct questions expecting an affirmative answer.
πίω  shall  I  drink 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Subjunctive Active, 1st Person Singular
Root: πίνω  
Sense: to drink.