independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The High Priestly Prayer 17:1–26
v. 1a — the narrative frame: the eyes lifted to heaven
1
Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς,independent — the hinge from discourse (chs. 14–16) to prayer — constative aorist summing the farewell speech
καὶ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸνparticipial — attendant-circumstance aorist — forward-leaning on εἶπεν; the Johannine prayer posture (cf. 11:41)
εἶπεν·independent — the single frame — the whole prayer, vv. 1b–26, hangs on this one εἶπεν
vv. 1b–8 — the first movement: for himself — glorify your Son
Πάτερ, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα·content — the first vocative — intensive perfect: the appointed hour (2:4; 7:30; 12:23) is now present reality
δόξασόν σου τὸν υἱόν,content — the opening petition — the cross as the locus of glorification (12:28; 13:31–32)
ἵνα ὁ υἱὸς δοξάσῃ σέ,purpose — mutual glorification — the double δοξάζω keys the whole prayer
2
καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός,comparative — the petition grounded in the Father's prior gift — καθώς here nearly causal
ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.purpose — neuter πᾶν ὅ — the given ones as a corporate whole, distributed by masculine αὐτοῖς
3
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή,content — parenthetical definition — evangelist's gloss (Bultmann, Schnackenburg) or Jesus' own words (Carson); αὕτη cataphoric
ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεὸν καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.content — epexegetical ἵνα, not telic — life IS the knowing; present subjunctive: ongoing acquaintance; the double name in Jesus' own mouth is unique
4
ἐγώ σε ἐδόξασα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς,content — the ground of the petition — the aorist proleptic, spoken from the standpoint of the finished work
τὸ ἔργον τελειώσαςparticipial — τελειώσας — the verb of 19:30 (τετέλεσται) already sounding in the prayer
ὃ δέδωκάς μοιrelative — the perfect — the Father's permanent commissioning gift
ἵνα ποιήσω·purpose — the gift's content — the assigned task itself (cf. 4:34)
5
καὶ νῦν δόξασόν με σύ, πάτερ, παρὰ σεαυτῷ τῇ δόξῃcontent — καὶ νῦν — the pivot from finished mission to petition; emphatic σύ; the movement's climax
ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί.relative — attracted ᾗ; the imperfect of continuous pre-incarnate possession — the Gospel's clearest pre-existence claim outside the Prologue
6
Ἐφανέρωσά σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποιςcontent — the disciples characterized — the name manifested is the Father's own identity (vv. 11, 12, 26)
οὓς ἔδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου.relative — the electing gift — drawn out of the world (cf. 15:19)
σοὶ ἦσανcontent — predicate dative of possession, fronted — the prior belonging
καὶ ἐμοὶ αὐτοὺς ἔδωκας,content — the mutuality of possession — δίδωμι, the structural backbone of the prayer
καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετήρηκαν.content — intensive perfect τετήρηκαν — τηρέω, the keyword of the coming intercession (vv. 11, 12, 15)
7
νῦν ἔγνωκανcontent — perfect — the disciples' arrival at settled recognition
ὅτι πάντα ὅσα δέδωκάς μοι παρὰ σοῦ εἰσιν·content — the content of their knowledge — all the Son has derives from the Father
8
ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς,cause — causal ὅτι — how they know: the chain of transmission, Father → Son → disciples; ῥήματα, the particular sayings
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβονcause — coordinate within the ground — the first of three verbs of reception (cf. 1:12)
καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶςcause — ingressive aorist — they came to know, and ἀληθῶς: genuinely
ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον,content — the Son's divine origin — ἐξῆλθον παρὰ σοῦ (cf. 16:27–30)
καὶ ἐπίστευσανcause — the climactic third verb — ingressive: faith-commitment achieved
ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας.content — the Johannine confession — the σύ με ἀπέστειλας refrain (vv. 3, 8, 18, 21, 23, 25)
vv. 9–19 — the second movement: for the disciples — keep them, sanctify them
9
Ἐγὼ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐρωτῶ·content — the intercession proper opens — progressive present: the asking happening now; ἐρωτάω, the Son's petition-verb (14:16; 16:26)
οὐ περὶ τοῦ κόσμου ἐρωτῶcontent — the delimitation — this prayer's scope, not a denial of 3:16
ἀλλὰ περὶ ὧν δέδωκάς μοι,content — the positive object, verb elided — ὧν attracted into the case of its suppressed antecedent
ὅτι σοί εἰσιν,cause — the ground of the intercession — the belonging of v. 6 restated
10
καὶ τὰ ἐμὰ πάντα σά ἐστινcontent — the mutual-possession formula — everything of the one belongs to the other (16:15)
καὶ τὰ σὰ ἐμά,content — the chiasm's verbless second half — the reciprocity stated in both directions
καὶ δεδόξασμαι ἐν αὐτοῖς.content — perfect passive — the Son already glorified in the disciples; the opening petition anticipated
11
καὶ οὐκέτι εἰμὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ,content — futuristic present — the departure spoken as already accomplished
καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ εἰσίν,content — the adversative καί — the exposure that occasions the petition
κἀγὼ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι.content — the return to the Father — certain and imminent
Πάτερ ἅγιε, τήρησον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σουcontent — Πάτερ ἅγιε — unique in the NT; the first great petition: τήρησον, the movement's keyword
ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι,relative — neuter ᾧ (P66 ℵ B, NA28) against Byzantine οὕς — the NAME is the thing given, the harder reading kept
ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς.purpose — the unity-purpose — neuter ἕν, qualitative oneness; the seed of vv. 20–23
12
ὅτε ἤμην μετ' αὐτῶν,conditional — fronted ὅτε-temporal — forward-leaning on ἐτήρουν (typed cnd; no temporal key); the earthly companionship now closing
ἐγὼ ἐτήρουν αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί σουcontent — continuous imperfect — the Son has been doing what he now asks the Father to do
ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι,relative — the neuter relative again, as at v. 11 — the given name
καὶ ἐφύλαξα,content — φυλάσσω — the intensive synonym of τηρέω; the keeping summed as a completed whole
καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀπώλετοcontent — the promise of 6:39 kept — ἀπόλλυμι, the losing that did not happen
εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας,phrase modifier — the εἰ μή exception — Judas named by his destiny; the Semitic genitive of characterization (cf. 2 Thess 2:3)
ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ.purpose — the fulfillment formula — Ps 41:9, cited at 13:18; the apostasy inside the providential plan
13
νῦν δὲ πρὸς σὲ ἔρχομαι,content — νῦν δέ — resuming v. 11 after the retrospect
καὶ ταῦτα λαλῶ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳcontent — the prayer prayed aloud — spoken in the world for the disciples' hearing
ἵνα ἔχωσιν τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐμὴν πεπληρωμένην ἐν αὐτοῖς.purpose — τὴν χαρὰν τὴν ἐμήν — the complete-joy theme (15:11; 16:24); perfect participle: joy in its finished fullness
14
ἐγὼ δέδωκα αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον σου,content — the abiding transmission — perfect δέδωκα
καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἐμίσησεν αὐτούς,content — the gift's corollary — the hatred predicted at 15:18–19
ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμουcause — the ground of the hatred — ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου: origin and belonging denied
καθὼς ἐγὼ οὐκ εἰμὶ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου.comparative — the disciples' alienation mirrors the Son's own (8:23)
15
οὐκ ἐρωτῶcontent — the double-ἵνα antithesis begins — what the petition is NOT, then what it is
ἵνα ἄρῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου,content — the denied petition — removal would abrogate the mission (20:21)
ἀλλ' ἵνα τηρήσῃς αὐτοὺς ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ.content — the actual petition — τηρέω ἐκ; τοῦ πονηροῦ read masculine: the evil one, Satan (1 John 5:19), not abstract evil
16
ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσίν,content — the refrain of v. 14 repeated verbatim, fronted — framing the sanctification petition
καθὼς ἐγὼ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰμί.comparative — the mirroring comparison, again — the anaphoric double beat
17
ἁγίασον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ·content — the second great petition — ἁγιάζω, consecration for mission; ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ instrumental
ὁ λόγος ὁ σὸς ἀλήθειά ἐστιν.content — the instrument named — emphatic attributive ὁ σός; anarthrous predicate ἀλήθεια, qualitative: the word IS truth (14:6)
18
καθὼς ἐμὲ ἀπέστειλας εἰς τὸν κόσμον,comparative — fronted καθώς — forward-leaning on ἀπέστειλα below; the mission parallel exact: same verb, same direction
κἀγὼ ἀπέστειλα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν κόσμον·content — proleptic aorist — the sending of 20:21 spoken as done; the Johannine basis of the apostolate
19
καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐγὼ ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτόν,content — the movement's climax — ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτόν, the unique reflexive, read sacrificially: the ὑπέρ of self-offering (10:11; 18:1 follows)
ἵνα ὦσιν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἡγιασμένοι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.purpose — the derived consecration — perfect participle: an abiding state; anarthrous ἐν ἀληθείᾳ against v. 17's articular
vv. 20–26 — the third movement: for those who will believe — that they all may be one
20
Οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον,content — the widening — from the Eleven to the whole church yet to come
ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ,phrase modifier — futuristic present participle — every future believer; διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν: the apostolic word as the instrument
21
ἵνα πάντες ἓν ὦσιν,content — the central petition of the chapter — neuter ἕν: qualitative oneness (10:30), not numerical merger
καθὼς σύ, πάτερ, ἐν ἐμοί, κἀγὼ ἐν σοί,comparative — the verbless model — the mutual indwelling of Father and Son (10:38; 14:10–11) as the unity's measure
ἵνα καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ὦσιν,purpose — the second ἵνα — believers drawn inside the divine fellowship itself
ἵνα ὁ κόσμος πιστεύσῃpurpose — the third ἵνα — the unity's missiological goal: the world that hates (v. 14) is the intended believer
ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας.content — the confession again — the deepest indentation of the prayer: unity → indwelling → the world's faith
22
κἀγὼ τὴν δόξαν ἣν δέδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς,content — the chain of gift mirrors the chain of mission — this δόξα the revelatory glory of the earthly work, not the pre-cosmic glory of v. 5
ἵνα ὦσιν ἓνpurpose — the shared glory as the unity's basis
καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν·comparative — the verbless measure again — ἡμεῖς ἕν, the divine oneness
23
ἐγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ σὺ ἐν ἐμοί,content — the perichoretic chain, verbless — the Father's indwelling runs through the Son into the disciples
ἵνα ὦσιν τετελειωμένοι εἰς ἕν,purpose — τετελειωμένοι — the perfecting verb of v. 4 and 19:30; unity as completed achievement
ἵνα γινώσκῃ ὁ κόσμοςpurpose — the missiological goal deepened — from believing (v. 21) to knowing
ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλαςcontent — the sending confessed once more
καὶ ἠγάπησας αὐτοὺςcontent — the astonishing coordinate content — the Father's love for the disciples set beside the sending
καθὼς ἐμὲ ἠγάπησας.comparative — the prayer's boldest καθώς — the disciples loved with the very love given the eternal Son
24
Πάτερ, ὃ δέδωκάς μοι, θέλωcontent — casus pendens — neuter ὅ, the given ones as a whole, resumed by κἀκεῖνοι; θέλω, stronger than ἐρωτῶ: the Son's will speaking
ἵνα ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγὼ κἀκεῖνοι ὦσιν μετ' ἐμοῦ,content — the eschatological petition — ὅπου εἰμὶ ἐγώ echoes 14:3; co-presence as the goal
ἵνα θεωρῶσιν τὴν δόξαν τὴν ἐμήν,purpose — θεωρέω — the beatific vision (1 John 3:2); the seeing that co-presence is for
ἣν δέδωκάς μοιrelative — the eternally given glory — here the pre-cosmic δόξα of v. 5 returns
ὅτι ἠγάπησάς με πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.cause — the ground of everything — the pre-temporal love within the Godhead (πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, cf. Eph 1:4)
25
Πάτερ δίκαιε, καὶ ὁ κόσμος σε οὐκ ἔγνω,content — Πάτερ δίκαιε — unique in the NT; concessive καί; the world's not-knowing its defining mark (1:10)
ἐγὼ δέ σε ἔγνων,content — the three-part contrast's center — the Son's knowledge, the source of all revelation
καὶ οὗτοι ἔγνωσανcontent — the disciples between the world's ignorance and the Son's perfect knowledge
ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας·content — the confessional refrain, its final occurrence
26
καὶ ἐγνώρισα αὐτοῖς τὸ ὄνομά σουcontent — the aorist — the earthly revelation completed
καὶ γνωρίσω,content — the future — revelation continuing through the Paraclete (16:13–15); aorist and future embracing the whole arc
ἵνα ἡ ἀγάπη ἣν ἠγάπησάς με ἐν αὐτοῖς ᾖpurpose — the final purpose — the cognate ἀγάπη…ἠγάπησας, a Hebraism of emphasis; the eternal love (v. 24) indwelling the disciples
κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς.purpose — the prayer's last word, verb elided — the Son himself the indwelling gift; the whole High Priestly Prayer ends in union
Analysis. John 17 is one frame and one prayer. The narrative opening — Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς, the lifted eyes, εἶπεν — is the chapter's only depth-0 material; everything else, twenty-six verses of it, hangs from that single εἶπεν as one coordinate catena of blue cnt lines: the longest recorded prayer of Jesus, shaped on the page as the unbroken speech it is. Three movements are marked, each opened by a vocative (Πάτερ v. 1b, Πάτερ ἅγιε v. 11, Πάτερ v. 24 with Πάτερ δίκαιε v. 25 closing): for himself (vv. 1b–8), for the disciples (vv. 9–19), for those who will believe (vv. 20–26). Against the constant speech column the prayer's own grammar indents — the ἵνα purposes step inward (chaining five deep at v. 21, where unity begets indwelling begets the world's believing), the καθώς comparisons hang cmp with the Father-Son relation as the constant measure (vv. 2, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21–23), and the ὅτι grounds hang cau (vv. 8, 9, 14, 24). The cruxes are taken openly. The v. 3 ἵνα is read as epexegetical — defining eternal life as knowing, not stating its purpose — the tag conceding the old debate over whether the verse is the evangelist's gloss or Jesus' own solemn self-reference. At vv. 11–12 the neuter ᾧ δέδωκάς μοι (P66 ℵ B, NA28) is kept against the Byzantine οὕς: the name, not the disciples, is the thing given. τοῦ πονηροῦ at v. 15 is glossed masculine — the evil one, not abstract evil. The v. 19 ἁγιάζω ἐμαυτόν is tagged sacrificially: the ὑπέρ of self-offering, the passion hours away. The unity of vv. 21–23 is left as the text gives it — modeled on the Father-Son indwelling and aimed at the world's believing, resolved into neither ecumenical program nor mere sentiment. The v. 24 θέλω is flagged as stronger than ἐρωτῶ — the Son's will speaking. The prayer ends where the Gospel aims: κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς — and I in them.