Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
Not because he cared for the poor (oux oti peri twn ptwxwn emelen autw). Literally, "not because it was a care to him concerning the poor" (impersonal imperfect of melei, it was a care). John often makes explanatory comments of this kind as in John 2:21 f.; John 7:22, John 7:39.
But because he was a thief (alle oti klepthv hn). Clearly the disciples did not know then that Judas was a petty thief. That knowledge came later after he took the bribe of thirty pieces of silver for betraying Jesus (Matthew 26:15), for the disciples did not suspect Judas of treachery (John 13:28 f.), let alone small peculations. There is no reason for thinking that John is unfair to Judas. "Temptation commonly comes through that for which we are naturally fitted" (Westcott). In this case Judas himself was "the poor beggar" who wanted this money.
And having the bag took away what was put therein (kai to glwssokomon exwn ta ballomena ebastazen). This is the correct text. This compound for the earlier glwssokomeion (from glwssa, tongue, and komew, to tend) was originally a receptacle for the tongues or mouth-pieces of wind instruments. The shorter form is already in the Doric inscriptions and is common in the papyri for "money-box" as here. It occurs also in Josephus, Plutarch, etc. In N.T. only here and John 13:29 in same sense about Judas. Ballomena is present passive participle (repeatedly put in) of ballw, to cast or fling. The imperfect active (custom) of bastazw, old verb to pick up (John 10:31), to carry (John 19:17), but here and John 20:15 with the sense to bear away as in Polybius, Josephus, Diogenes Laertes, and often so in the papyri.
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing John 12:6:
Luke 7:37
Luke 22:4
John 10:1
John 10:31
John 11:2
John 11:5
John 12:2
John 12:2
John 13:29
John 16:12
Philippians 3:12
Revelation 2:2
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