Bible Strands
John 13:25
Leaning back against Jesus, he asked, “Lord, who is it?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The disciple leans against Jesus and asks, “Lord, who is it?” This occurs during the meal, immediately after Simon Peter signals him to inquire about the betrayer.
The words — ἀναπεσὼν (anapesōn) means “having leaned,” and στῆθος (stēthos) means “breast.” The Greek describes a reclining posture with the upper body resting on Jesus, indicating close physical proximity.
The thread — John 21:20 explicitly identifies this reclining figure as the disciple whom Jesus loved. The posture functions as a recurring physical identifier for that disciple throughout the Gospel.
Why it lands — The text places the questioner in direct physical contact with Jesus before the betrayer is named. It requires the reader to track how proximity in the narrative precedes access to Jesus’s private declarations.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?
Cross-references
- John 21:20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them. He was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper to ask, “Lord, who is going to betray You?”
- Genesis 44:4 They had not gone far from the city when Joseph told his steward, “Pursue the men at once, and when you overtake them, ask, ‘Why have you repaid good with evil?
- Esther 7:5 Then King Xerxes spoke up and asked Queen Esther, “Who is this, and where is the one who would devise such a scheme?”