The Greek idiom heis kath' heis means 'one by one' or 'one at a time.' It appears in Mark 14:19 at the Last Supper when Jesus announces that one of the Twelve will betray him. Each disciple's individual reckoning before Jesus is captured in this phrase β no one hid behind the group.
The heis kath' heis scene at the Last Supper is one of the most psychologically penetrating in the Gospels. Eleven out of twelve asked 'Is it I?' (Mark 14:19) β a question that reflects not certainty of innocence but honest self-examination. Each man looked inward. Judas eventually asked too (Matthew 26:25) β but having already decided. The individual accountability captured by heis kath' heis anticipates the final judgment where 'each of us will give an account of ourselves to God' (Romans 14:12). There is no hiding in the crowd before the one who sees each heart.