[3.] Wonderful insensibility! How could it be that he was neither softened nor shamed; but rendered yet more shameless, “went out.” The “do quickly,” is not the expression of one commanding, nor advising, but of one reproaching, and showing him that He desired to correct him, but that since he was incorrigible, He let him go. And this, the Evangelist saith, “no man of those that sat at the table knew.” Some one may perhaps find here a considerable difficulty, if, when the disciples had asked, “Who is it?” and He had answered, “He to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it,” they did not even so understand; unless indeed He spake it secretly, so that no man should hear. For John on this very account, leaning by His breast, asked Him almost close to His ear, so that the traitor might not be made manifest; and Christ answered in like manner, so that not even then did He discover him. And though He spake emphatically, “Friend, that thou doest, do quickly,” even so they understood not. But he spake thus to show that the things were true which had been said by Him to the Jews concerning His death. For He had said to them, “I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again”: and, “No man taketh it from Me.” ( c. x. 18.) As long then as He would retain it, no man was able (to take it); but when He resigned it, then the action became easy. All this He implied when He said, “That thou doest, do quickly.” Yet not even then did He expose him, for perhaps the others might have torn him in pieces, or Peter might have killed him. On this account “no man at the table knew.” Not even John? Not even he: for he could not have expected that a disciple would arrive at such a pitch of wickedness. For since they were far from such iniquity themselves, they could not suspect such things concerning others. As before He had told them, “I speak not of you all” ( ver. 18 ), yet did not reveal the person; so here, they thought that it was said concerning some other matter.