What Does Luke 22:3 Mean?

Then the Adversary entered Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was counted among the twelve.

Luke 22:3 · SDV

Key words are shown with the Hebrew or Greek and what each word meant.

Selah Decoded Version The Selah Decoded Version renders what the Hebrew and Greek words meant to the people who first heard them.

This verse in the King James

King James wording

King James Version

Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve.

THE KEY

The breach begins inside the circle: the one counted among the Twelve is the one the Adversary enters.

THE MEANING

The Adversary enters Judas while he is still counted among the Twelve. The verse holds inward invasion and outward belonging in the same frame: the breach is within the circle. Being part of that circle does not make Judas unreachable by the force entering him.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

Belonging to a faithful circle makes a person unreachable by destructive influence.

THE ROOT

εἰσῆλθεν

eisēlthen

GROWS FROM

εἰς

The Greek preposition ⁨εἰς⁩ (eis) means “into”; here it supplies the inward direction of the compound verb.

“entered” in this verse is eisēlthen. The form ⁨εἰσῆλθεν⁩ is from ⁨εἰσέρχομαι⁩, “to enter,” with ⁨εἰς⁩ (eis, “into”) joined to a form of ⁨ἔρχομαι⁩ (erchomai, “come or go”). The Greek makes the direction explicit: the Adversary moves into Judas. That inward entry takes place while Judas remains among the counted Twelve.

ALSO GROWS

eiserchomai: to enter, come in

εἰσέρχομαι

This is the compound verb behind ⁨εἰσῆλθεν⁩; its ⁨εἰς⁩ (eis, “into”) element marks movement inward.

eisodos: entrance, entry

εἴσοδος

Its opening ⁨εἰσ-⁩ (eis-, “into”) names the way in, echoing the verse’s emphasis on entry.

eisagō: to lead or bring in

εἰσάγω

Its ⁨εἰσ-⁩ (eis-, “into”) element marks bringing something inside, sharing the verse’s inward direction.

THE PATTERN

Destructive intent reaches the inner threshold before it appears in an outward act.

If you do well, will you not be lifted up? And if you do not do well, falling short crouches at the door. Its reaching is toward you, and you shall rule over it.

Genesis 4:7 · SDVThe danger waits at the door before Cain’s next act, showing the inward struggle at the threshold.

As supper was ending, the Slanderer had already cast into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to hand him over;

John 13:2 · SDVThe verse places the intention to betray in Judas’s heart before the betrayal is carried out.

But Peter said, Ananias, why has the Adversary filled your heart to lie to the Set-Apart Breath, and to draw aside from the price of the ground?

Acts 5:3 · SDVThe inward filling of Ananias’s heart is joined to the lie and withholding that follow.

THE THREAD

And after the morsel, the Adversary entered into him. Then Jesus said to him, What you do, do quickly.

John 13:27 · SDV

John uses the same Greek form, ⁨εἰσῆλθεν⁩ (eisēlthen, “entered”), for the Adversary’s entry into Judas. Luke names the inward breach; John places that same entry beside the action that follows.

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