John 13:28 (ASV)

Passage

Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

Nearby Context

John 13:26 Jesus therefore answereth, He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop, and give it him. So when he had dipped the sop, he taketh and giveth it to Judas, [the son] of Simon Iscariot.

John 13:27 And after the sop, then entered Satan into him. Jesus therefore saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly.

John 13:28 Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

John 13:29 For some thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus said unto him, Buy what things we have need of for the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

John 13:30 He then having received the sop went out straightway: and it was night.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "table", "knew", "intent", and "spake". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "table" and "knew", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 27's "And after the sop then entered Satan..." into verse 29's "For some thought because Judas had the...", so "table" and "knew" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "table" and "knew" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.