Malchus Μάλχος
High priest's servant whose ear was cut off by Peter.
Who is Malchus in the Bible?
Malchus was the servant of the high priest whose ear was cut off by Simon Peter during Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, as recorded in John 18:10. When Judas led the crowd to apprehend Jesus, Peter drew his sword in defense and struck Malchus, severing his right ear. Rather than condemning the violence, Jesus rebuked Peter and healed Malchus' ear, demonstrating his extraordinary compassion and commitment to love even toward those coming to arrest him. This act of healing was significant as it showed Jesus' power and mercy in the midst of his own suffering, and it appears only in Luke's Gospel account, with Luke being careful to note that Jesus touched the ear and healed it.
Biography
Malchus was a servant of the high priest during the time of Jesus' arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. When the crowd, led by Judas Iscariot, came to arrest Jesus, Simon Peter drew his sword and struck Malchus, cutting off his right ear. Jesus rebuked Peter for his violent act and healed Malchus' ear, demonstrating his compassion and willingness to show love even to his enemies (Jhn.18.10).
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentJohn 1 verse
- John 18:10
"Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus."
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Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Named | Greek | Μάλχος | Málchos | Malchus, an Israelite |
Malchus
re Mt 26:51; Mr 14:47; Lu 22:50; Joh 18:10). It is noteworthy that Luke "the physician" alone gives an account of the healing of the wound (Lu 22:51). As Jesus "touched his ear, and healed him," the ear was not entirely severed from the head. The words of Jesus, "Suffer ye thus far," may have been addressed either to the disciples, i.e. "Suffer ye that I thus far show kindness to my captors," or to those about to bind him, i.e. asking a short respite to heal Malchus. They were not addressed directly to Peter, as the Greek form is plural, whereas in Mt 26:52; Joh 18:11, where, immediately after the smiting of Malchus, Jesus does address Peter, the singular form is used; nor do the words of Jesus there refer to the healing but to the action of his disciple. A kinsman of Malchus, also a servant of the high priest, was one of those who put the questions which made Peter deny Jesus (Joh 18:26).
C. M. Kerr
(1) zakhar, zakhar, zakhur (the root means "to stand out," "to be prominent," here a physiological differentiation of the sex, as neqebhah, "female," which see);
(2) 'ish literally, "man";
(3) by ci