17:3a
Now this is eternal life, that they may know You: These clauses explain what the eternal life that Jesus will give is like and what it means. Having eternal life means knowing God. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:
this is ⌊the meaning of⌋ eternal life–knowing you
-or-
this is ⌊what it means to have⌋ eternal life: they will know you
-or-
And eternal life means to know you (Good News Translation)
Now this: The pronoun this here refers forward, to the idea of knowing God and Jesus Christ. And so knowing God and Jesus Christ is what eternal life really is. That is what eternal life is like—knowing and worshiping God and enjoying his presence forever.
eternal life: This phrase here is defined as a quality of life, not just as a life that does not end. See how you translated the phrase in 17:2. For example:
Really living is…
-or-
⌊The really important thing about⌋ eternal life is…
-or-
⌊good⌋ life forever
that they may know You: The phrase know You here means “have a close relationship with God.” This type of knowledge here implies love for God, and faith and trust in God.
the only true God: This phrase indicates that there is only one God. The many idols and other things that people believe are gods and worship are not truly gods at all. They do not have divine power and do not have the divine nature of the true God. In some languages it is more natural to translate this phrase with an additional clause or sentence. For example:
the only one who is really God (TH)
-or-
that they may know you. You are true and you are the only true God there is.
true: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as true in this context means “real” or “genuine,” the opposite of “false.” See how you translated this word in 1 John 5:20 and 1 Thessalonians 1:9.
17:3b
and Jesus Christ: This phrase here means that eternal life also includes knowing Jesus Christ. Because Jesus was speaking, in some languages it is more natural to include a first-person pronoun. See the General Comment on 17:1–3. For example:
and knowing ⌊me⌋ , Jesus Christ,
Jesus Christ: The word Christ is a title. The Jews used it to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. But here the title Christ is used as one of Jesus’ names. See how you translated the phrase Jesus Christ in 1:17.
The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” which means “the anointed one.” In Old Testament times, kings and priests were anointed with oil (oil was put on their head). That was done to show that God had chosen and appointed them as leaders.
Here are some ways to translate Christ :
• Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:
Messiah
-or-
Promised Deliverer
-or-
the Rescuer-King whom God appointed
• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:
Christ, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the Savior whom God promised to send
-or-
the Christ who comes from God
• Transliterate Christ and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:
the Christ
-or-
the Kirisita
If you do not indicate the meaning of Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain it. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. For example:
The word/title “Christ” refers to the king and savior whom God had promised to send. The word means “anointed,” which means to pour oil on someone to show that God chose him for a special purpose.
See also Christ Messiah, in Key Biblical Terms.
whom You have sent: This clause gives more information about Jesus Christ. In some languages it is more natural to make this clause a separate sentence. For example.
And you sent him/me into the world.
General Comment on 17:1–3
In these verses Jesus referred to himself in the third person, as “your Son,” “the Son,” “him,” and “Jesus Christ.” In some languages a literal translation may cause readers to think that Jesus was talking about someone else. In those languages it may be necessary to include first person pronouns. For example:
⌊me,⌋ your Son
-or-
⌊me⌋
-or-
so that ⌊I⌋ might glorify you
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