The Kidron Valley
A Study of John 18:1
Take a sneak peek into how I sometimes see Scripture. The sermon I was listening to this weekend was on the Gospel According to John. During it, I noticed a particular phrase in a verse. A phrase that screamed out to me. Remember, there are differences between the Synoptics and John’s Gospels that should not be dismissed under the guise of different witnesses. But rather, especially with John, why are there these differences? Often, in John’s Gospel, the differences are intentional and paint a picture that either points to the deity or royalty of Jesus. Chapter 18 is a highly declarative statement of Jesus’ royalty, and it further shows that Jesus is in control of the situation as he decides the location of His arrest.
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples to the other side of the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, into which He entered with His disciples” (John 18:1, LSB).
Jesus crossing the Kidron Valley must be significant because the other Synoptics state where Jesus goes, which would be the Mount of Olives and the Garden of Gethsemane. Instead, John doesn’t mention the garden or the Mount, choosing instead to highlight the valley. What is also significant is that there are no other mentions in the New Testament of the Kidron Valley. Not even John brings it up. Though a single reference or use of a term does not simply make something significant, it should make us more careful in its interpretation. When we ponder John’s inclusion of this specific geographical location, we should ask why. Is it to prove that he is familiar with the area, and then should be a trusted witness? Or maybe he is utilizing wordplay (John likes puns)? Or is he expressing a theological point? I lean that he is making a theological point.
Could he be using this as an apologetic piece, proving that he is an eyewitness? Maybe. But listing geographical locations is not strong evidence of reliability. While they are good for archaeological defenses many generations later, for John to say that he is reliable because he knows it’s called the Kidron Valley is like saying that I witnessed the moon landings because I said Apollo 11 landed at Tranquility Base. Instead, what makes John a trustworthy witness is that he names the slave, Malchus (John 18:10), who can attest to these events. Therefore, his naming of Kidron Valley as a relation to be a trusted witness is weak compared to his later declaration.
Could he be using this as wordplay? Kidron, τοῦ Κεδρών, from the manuscripts, could be translated as one of the three: “of the cedars,” “of the cedar,” or “of Kidron.” While it could possibly be the first two options, the valley itself does not possess cedar trees, and the word kedros is not the word used in this passage. Therefore, this reading would be unusual for the original readers, and there appears to be no distinct messaging that John would relate to Jesus and a cedar tree at this moment. Therefore, without any other reference, it is best read that this is “of Kidron” and that John is using a proper noun.[1] Likewise, the hypothesis that Kidron means “dark” and that this opens up the Passion of Christ is a stretch because the etymology of this word is not Hebrew, but another Semitic language. It most likely derives from Phoenician or Canaanite origins.[2]
Is John making a theological point? Well, since Kidron is not used in any of the other gospels nor anywhere else in the New Testament, not a natural Greek word, and could easily have been replaced by saying “east” or “Mount of Olives,” it says to me that John is expressing something. John’s original audience, being the early church and the first generation of Christians, was probably not familiar with the Hebrew Old Testament. But they are becoming familiar with the Greek Old Testament or the Septuagint. In the Septuagint, we find 11 references to the Kidron Valley. Instead of highlighting each one, think about this picture.
When Absalom rebelled against his father, King David, it was the Kidron Valley that David passed through barefoot and weeping (2 Sam 15:23-30). Here, the anointed and rightful king is driven away from the city of God by those who are usurping the throne. Later, in the Kidron, is where King Asa will burn the horrid or obscene image of his mother (1 Kgs 15:13; 2 Chr 15:16). It is where all the impure objects of idol-worship that were kept in the temple were later burned during reforms by King Hezekiah (2 Chr 29:16) and King Josiah (2 Kgs 23:4-6). It is across the Kidron Valley that Ezekiel has his vision of the waters rushing down the valley and becoming a deep river that could not be passed(Ezek 47:5-6). And lastly, Jeremiah will declare the Kidron Valley as the marker of what will be made holy (Jer 31:40).
What is the theological picture, then, of the Kidron Valley? John points to these dark periods of rebellion, false worship, and spiritual barrenness and ties them directly to the beginning of Jesus’ arrest. But in each of these conditions, there is a greater redemption. David would eventually return to Jerusalem and retake his throne; those who betrayed him would be served justice. Though idol-worship was prominent, what follows is the reforms of the land and the king’s heart towards true worship of God. The deep rivers of Ezekiel’s vision point to a split in the land, where one side is completely healed, and the river is the source of life, while the other remains damaged. And Jeremiah’s marker states that not only will all the abuses of religion be overturned, but they will be made holy and stand forever.
Therefore, as I see it, John’s inclusion of the Kidron Valley is a declaration of the king, the Son of David, fulfilling many prophetic visions and retaking the crown. He will reform the hearts of people into true worship, destroying the false idols and false practices, restoring the barren lands with the eternal fountain of life, by which all will be separated into those who may be healed and restored and those who may be counted among the betrayers and be served justice. It is the consistent theme of John. There is a light among the darkness that cannot be snuffed out. Rather, this light is indestructible.
While it is possible that I over-analyzed this, I continue to find it interesting that the two valleys that surround Jerusalem are the Kidron Valley and the Hinnom Valley. The latter, being known as Gehenna and associated with hell, while the former being the path of God (some may conclude that the eschatological return of Christ will be through the east as well). As John frequently dissects the world into two (i.e., light and dark, wide and narrow paths, etc.), this illustration continues to work.
Was this exercise edifying for your future studies? Let me know.
[1] Bruce Manning Metzger, United Bible Societies, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Second Edition a Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament (4th Rev. Ed.) (London; New York: United Bible Societies, 1994), 214.
[2] B. F. Westcott and F. J. A. Hort, Introduction to the New Testament in the Original Greek: Appendix (New York: Harper and Brothers, 1882), 90.