John 10:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon.

NIV: and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade.

NASB: it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of Solomon.

CSB: Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon's Colonnade.

NLT: He was in the Temple, walking through the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade.

KJV: And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

NKJV: And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.

This incident happens a few months after the extended narrative found in chapters 7, 8, 9, and the first half of chapter 10. Those events occurred at the Feast of Booths, held in the fall. Now John describes a separate visit, by Jesus, to Jerusalem, for the Feast of Dedication, which is celebrated in early winter. Though not one of the required feasts given by Moses, this celebration has become one of the most famous in Judaism, going by the more familiar name of Hanukkah.

The colonnade of Solomon is a portico: a roofed outdoor hallway lined with columns. This is on the east side of the temple. The walkway itself was elevated from the surrounding land, and partly walled in. That arrangement is important to the story, given the way Jesus is approached by His critics. Because of the layout, a person walking along this portico had the temple on one side, and either a solid wall or a sheer drop on the other.

According to the next verse, Jesus is "gathered around" by religious leaders. The Greek term used is ekyklōsan, which literally means "to surround, encircle, or encompass." It's a term often used to describe the act of siege. In other words, hostile religious leaders are about to "corner" Jesus as He walks in the temple.

John 10:22–42 happens a few months after the controversy described in chapter 9 through the first half of chapter 10. Here, Jesus is cornered, in an overt threat, by the same religious leaders He has been castigating for years. He echoes the metaphors of sheep and shepherd He employed after giving sight to a blind man. Jesus points out that His teachings and miracles are all consistent with predictions of the Messiah, but these men refuse to accept Him. This culminates in another attempt on Jesus' life, which He somehow avoids. This represents the last time Jesus will publicly teach prior to His crucifixion.

This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry, using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him, declares Himself the only means of salvation, and again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They once again try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in some way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.

Starting in chapter 7, the gospel of John describes Jesus' preaching at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Through chapters 7 and 8, He debates with critics and attempts to explain spiritual truths. On the way out of the city, Jesus gives sight to a man born blind, as shown in chapter 9. That begins an extended debate which continues in this chapter. Jesus gives analogies of His mission using shepherding as a theme. Months later, He repeats those ideas when cornered by an aggressive mob in the temple. This sets the stage for His grandest miracle, the raising of Lazarus, seen in chapter 11.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.