John 12:4

4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained,

John 12:4 Meaning and Commentary

John 12:4

Then saith one of his disciples
Who had no true love for his master, was an hypocrite, and a covetous person:

Judas Iscariot;
so called, to distinguish him from another Judas, an apostle; (See Gill on Matthew 10:4).

Simon's [son];
this is omitted in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions; (See Gill on John 13:2);

which should betray him;
and so he did; this was pre-determined by God, foretold in prophecy, and foreknown by Christ; and is observed here, to show the temper and character of the man.

John 12:4 In-Context

2 Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table.

3 Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus' feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume.

4 Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained,

5 "This perfume was worth a year's wages! Why wasn't it sold and the money given to the poor?" (

6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)