Albert Barnes Commentary John 17:12

"While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled." — John 17:12 (ASV)

While I was with them in the world. While I was engaged with them among other people—surrounded by the people and the temptations of the world. Jesus had now finished His work among the people of the world and was performing His last ministries with His disciples.

I kept them. By My example, instructions, and miracles. I preserved them from apostasy.

In Your name. In the knowledge and worship of You (John 17:6–11).

Those that You gave Me. The word "gave" is evidently used by the Savior to denote not only giving them to Him to be His real followers, but also as apostles. It is here used, probably, in the sense of giving them as apostles. God had so ordered it by His providence that they had been given to Him to be His apostles and followers; but the terms "You gave Me" do not necessarily prove that they were true believers.

Of Judas, Jesus knew that he was a deceiver and a devil (John 6:70): Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? Judas is there represented as having been chosen by the Savior for the apostleship, and this is equivalent to saying that he was given to Him for this work. Yet, at the same time, Jesus knew his character and understood that he had never been renewed. None of them. None of those chosen to the apostolic office.

But the son of perdition. (See Barnes on Matthew 1:1).

The term son was given by the Hebrews to those who possessed the character described by the word or name following. Thus, sons of Belial—those who possessed his character; children of wisdom—those who were wise (Matthew 11:19). Thus Judas is called a son of perdition because he had the character of a destroyer. He was a traitor and a murderer. And this shows that He who knew the heart regarded his character as that of a wicked man—one whose appropriate name was that of a son of perdition.

That the Scripture might be fulfilled. (See Barnes on John 13:18).

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