Most translations have a full stop at the end of verse 8, in keeping with the structure of the Greek. However, it is important that a translation should indicate the meaning of the original in whatever form is most natural for the receptor language. Good News Translation continues the first part of this verse as the last part of the sentence begun in the previous verse. It translates the Greek noun “steward” (verse 9) by the pronoun “he,” since it is more natural in English to have a pronoun, and not a noun, referring back to a pronoun. In this way, the repetition of a long descriptive phrase (the man in charge of the feast) is avoided. The same thing is true of the clause he called the bridegroom, where the pronoun he again translates the Greek noun “steward.”
John does not indicate the amount of the water which now had turned into wine. He may mean either the one jar from which the water was drawn or all six jars. Those who believe that the water was drawn from the well assume that only the water taken to the man in charge of the feast was turned to wine. It is best not to be explicit unless the receptor language demands it, in which case it is suggested that the meaning be “the water from the jar containing the water that had turned into wine.”
The parenthetical explanation in this verse seems almost overly obvious, and hence it may be useful, in fact even necessary, to qualify it by such an introductory expression as “naturally,” for example, “but naturally the servants knew.”
The water which now had turned into wine may require some modification in certain languages, since it may be necessary to specify the agent, for example, “the water which Jesus had caused to become wine.” If the agent is not specified, it might be suggested that the water had become wine in some yet unexplained manner.
It is not possible in some languages to translate literally where this wine had come from, since one cannot speak of “wine coming.” It is necessary in such instances to say “where the servants had gotten this wine” or “from where they had dipped out this wine.”
Because the sentence beginning in the middle of verse 9 continues until almost the end of verse 10, it may be useful to break the sentence after the parenthesis (but, of course, the servants who had drawn out the water knew). Therefore, one may begin the next sentence as “Because of this, he called the bridegroom….”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .