Malchus (; , ) was the
servant
A domestic worker is a person who works within a residence and performs a variety of household services for an individual, from providing cleaning and household maintenance, or cooking, laundry and ironing, or care for children and elderly ...
of the
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
High Priest
The term "high priest" usually refers either to an individual who holds the office of ruler-priest, or to one who is the head of a religious organisation.
Ancient Egypt
In ancient Egypt, a high priest was the chief priest of any of the many god ...
Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD) was the High Priest of Israel during the first century. In the New Testament, the Gospels of Gospel of Matthew, Matthew, Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John indicate he was an organizer of ...
who participated in the
arrest
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be question ...
of
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
as written in the
four gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message was reported. In this sense ...
. According to the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
, one of the
disciples,
Simon Peter, being armed with a
sword
A sword is an edged and bladed weapons, edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter ...
, cut off the servant's ear in an attempt to prevent the
arrest of Jesus.
Biblical accounts
That a disciple cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest is related in all four
canonical gospels
Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the second century AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message was reported. In this sen ...
, in , , , and , but Simon Peter and Malchus are named only in the
Gospel of John
The Gospel of John () is the fourth of the New Testament's four canonical Gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "Book of Signs, signs" culminating in the raising of Lazarus (foreshadowing the ...
. Also,
Luke is the only gospel that says Jesus healed the servant. This was Jesus' last recorded miracle prior to his resurrection.
The relevant passages in the Gospels of John and Luke,
KJV
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by ...
, read:
James F. McGrath suggests that this account reflects an event that did happen, in that early Christians would hardly have invented a story portraying themselves as violent.
Later in Chapter 18, John records that a relative of Malchus witnessed Peter's assault in the Garden of Gethsemane, and identified Peter as a follower of Christ. Peter
denied this.
Other accounts
4th century church father Jerome cites a post-resurrection appearance of Jesus to Malchus, quoting a passage from the lost "
gospel according to the Hebrews." "And when the Lord had given the linen cloth to the servant of the priest, he went to James and appeared to him."
Literature and arts
Thornton Wilder wrote a short play entitled, "The Servant's Name Was Malchus"; it appears in the collection ''The Angel That Troubled the Waters and Other Plays''.
''
The Fire Gospel'', a 2008 novel by
Michel Faber
Michel Faber (born 13 April 1960) is a Dutch-born writer of English-language fiction, including his 2002 novel ''The Crimson Petal and the White'', and '' Under the Skin'' (2000) which was adapted for film by Jonathan Glazer, starring Scarlett ...
, centers on the discovery of the fictional
lost gospel of Malchus.
Malchus is portrayed by
Paul Brightwell in the 2013 TV miniseries ''
The Bible''.
In the 2004
Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...
film ''
The Passion of the Christ'', Malchus is represented as an armed member of the temple guard. In this depiction, Jesus
heals Malchus' wounded ear, leaving the latter to stay behind sitting dumbfounded in a state of disbelief, suggesting a possible conversion to Christianity.
Isak Dinesen in ''The Deluge at Norderney'' (the first of ''
Seven Gothic Tales'') relates a story about Simon Peter wherein he uses the memory of cutting off Malchus' ear "to control his temper".
The book ''Touch'' by John Ferguson portrays Malchus as a Roman soldier sent by Pilate to spy on the Sanhedrin. Malchus is then sent by Caiaphas to spy on Jesus and his followers.
See also
*
Sword of Saint Peter
Notes
External links
*
{{Authority control
Servants
People in the canonical gospels
Supernatural healing
Saint Peter
Caiaphas
Ancient slaves
Miracles of Jesus