SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:6
Mas dijo esto, no por el cuidado que l tenía de los pobres, sino porque era ladrn, y tenía la bolsa, y sustraía de lo que se echaba en ella .
Clarke's Bible Commentary - John 12:6
Verse 6. Not that HE cared for the poor] There should be a particular emphasis laid on the word he, as the evangelist studies to show the most determined detestation to his conduct. And bare what was put therein.] Or rather, as some eminent critics contend, And stole what was put in it. This seems the proper meaning of ebastazen; and in this sense it is used, chap. xx. 15: If thou hast STOLEN him away-ei su ebastasav auton. In the same sense the word is used by Josephus, Ant. b. xii. c. 5, s 4; where speaking of the pillage of the temple by Antiochus, he says, ta skeuh tou qeou bastasai, He carried off, or STOLE, also the vessels of the Lord. See also Ant. b. viii. c. 2, s. 2, where the harlot says before Solomon, concerning her child, bastasasa de toumon ek twn gonatwn prov authn metaferei-She STOLE away my child out of my bosom, and removed it to herself. And Ibid. b. ix. c. 4, s. 5, speaking of the ten lepers that went into the Syrian camp, he says, finding the Syrians fled, They entered into the camp, and ate, and drank; and, having STOLEN away (ebastasan) garments, and much gold, they hid them without the camp. See the objections to this translation answered by Kypke, and the translation itself vindicated. See also Pearce in loc., Wakefield, Toup. Em. ad Suid. p. iii. p. 203. If stealing were not intended by the evangelist, the word itself must be considered as superfluous; for, when we are told that he had the bag, we need not be informed that he had what was in it. But the apostle says he was a thief; and because he was a thief, and had the common purse in his power, therefore he stole as much as he conveniently could, without subjecting himself to detection. And, as he saw that the death of Christ was at hand, he wished to secure a provision for himself, before he left the company of the apostles. I see that several copies of the old Itala version understood the word in this sense, and therefore have translated the word by auferebat, exportabat-took away, carried away. Jerome, who professed to mend this version, has in this place (as well as in many others) marred is, by rendering ebastazen, by portabat.
The glwssokomon, which we translate bag, meant originally the little box, or sheath, in which the tongues or reeds used for pipes were carried; and thus it is interpreted by Pollux in his Onomasticon; and this is agreeable to the etymology of the word. The Greek word is used in Hebrew letters by the Talmudists to signify a purse, scrip, chest, coffer, &c. As our Lord and his disciples lived on charity, a bag or scrip was provided to carry those pious donations by which they were supported. And Judas was steward and treasurer to this holy company.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 6. This he said, not that he cared for the poor , etc.] He had no affection for them, and was unconcerned about them, and took no care of them to feed and clothe them; he was no ways solicitous for their support, refreshment, and more comfortable living: but because he was a thief ; to his master, and purloined the money he was intrusted with by him, and put it to his own use: and had the bag, and bare what put therein ; the word rendered a bag, is adopted by the Rabbinical Jews, into their language; and is sometimes read Gloskema, and at other times Dloskema, and is used by them for different things; sometimes for a bier, or coffin, in which the dead was buried, which sense can have no place here; sometimes for a chest, or coffer f539 ; and so the Septuagint use the Greek word, in ( 2 Chronicles 24:8,10,11), for the chest into which the people put their collection; and it may be so interpreted here, and so Nonnus renders it; it may signify the chest or coffer, which Judas had the care of, the keys of which were in his hands, and whatever were to be put into it, he bore, or carried thither: and it is also used by the Jewish writers, for a purse f540 ; it is asked, what is Dloskema? says Rabbah bar Samuel, ybsd aqylj , the purse of old men; or such as ancient men use; and this is the signification of it here: it may be the same with the Loculi of the Romans, and so the Vulgate Latin renders it here; which were different from a chest, or coffer, being moveable, and to be carried about, and which were carried by servants, as well as the purse f541 . Judas had the purse, into which was put whatsoever was ministered to Christ, for the common supply of him and his disciples, and for the relief of the poor.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Christ had formerly blamed Martha for being troubled with much serving But she did not leave off serving, as some, who when found fault with for going too far in one way, peevishly run too far another way; sh still served, but within hearing of Christ's gracious words. Mary gav a token of love to Christ, who had given real tokens of his love to he and her family. God's Anointed should be our Anointed. Has God poure on him the oil of gladness above his fellows, let us pour on him the ointment of our best affections. In Judas a foul sin is gilded ove with a plausible pretence. We must not think that those do n acceptable service, who do it not in our way. The reigning love of money is heart-theft. The grace of Christ puts kind comments on piou words and actions, makes the best of what is amiss, and the most of what is good. Opportunities are to be improved; and those first an most vigorously, which are likely to be the shortest. To consult to hinder the further effect of the miracle, by putting Lazarus to death is such wickedness, malice, and folly, as cannot be explained, excep by the desperate enmity of the human heart against God. They resolve that the man should die whom the Lord had raised to life. The succes of the gospel often makes wicked men so angry, that they speak and ac as if they hoped to obtain a victory over the Almighty himself.
Greek Textus Receptus
ειπεν 2036 5627 V-2AAI-3S δε 1161 CONJ τουτο 5124 D-ASN ουχ 3756 PRT-N οτι 3754 CONJ περι 4012 PREP των 3588 T-GPM πτωχων 4434 A-GPM εμελεν 3199 5707 V-IAI-3S αυτω 846 P-DSM {VAR1: αλλ 235 CONJ } {VAR2: αλλα 235 CONJ } οτι 3754 CONJ κλεπτης 2812 N-NSM ην 2258 5713 V-IXI-3S και 2532 CONJ το 3588 T-ASN γλωσσοκομον 1101 N-ASN ειχεν 2192 5707 V-IAI-3S και 2532 CONJ τα 3588 T-APN βαλλομενα 906 5746 V-PPP-APN εβασταζεν 941 5707 V-IAI-3S
Vincent's NT Word Studies
6. And had the bag, and bare what was put therein (kai to glwssokomon eice, kai ta ballomena ejbastazen). The best texts read ecwn, having, and omit the second kai and. The rendering would then be, and having the bag bare, etc.The bag (glwssokomon). Only here and xiii. 29. Originally a box for keeping the mouth-pieces of wind instruments. From glwssa, tongue, and komew, to tend. The word was also used for a coffin. Josephus applies it to the coffer in which the golden mice and emerods were preserved (1 Samuel vi. 11). In the Septuagint, of the chest which Joash had provided for receiving contributions for the repairing of the Lord's house (2 Chronicles xxiv. 8). Rev. gives box, in margin.
Bare (ebastazen). Carried away or purloined. This meaning is rather imparted by the context than residing in the verb itself, i.e., according to New Testament usage (see on x. 21). Unquestionably it has this meaning in later Greek, frequently in Josephus. 39 Render, therefore, as Rev., took away. The rendering of the A.V. is tautological.
