This verse serves to introduce a new participant into the Gospel of John. Nicodemus is identified by name, by his relationship to his nation, and by his affiliations within the religious structure of his nation. In Greek, the introduction of these last two elements is in reverse order from the order in English, but in English it is easier to go from the more general (Jewish leader) to the particular (who belonged to the party of the Pharisees). The fact that Nicodemus was a Jewish leader probably means that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest governing body of the Jewish people. This body was presided over by the High Priest, and most of its 70 members were Sadducees, but there were some Pharisees among its members.

In this context, a Jewish leader would not refer to a government official; it is best translated “an important man among the Jews.” The local equivalent in some receptor languages is “an elder among the Jews” or “a Jewish counselor,” referring to the position of the leading men in a society, who give their advice to a chief or king. Nicodemus is mentioned only in the Gospel of John; he appears again in 7.50 and in 19.39. Nicodemus is actually a Greek name, but it was not an unusual name among Jews.

In some languages it may be important to identify the nature of the party of the Pharisees by calling it “a religious group called Pharisees.” In any publication of a Gospel or New Testament, it is essential that such a term as Pharisees be properly identified in a glossary, so that some of the distinctive views and types of behavior characteristic of the Pharisees of biblical times may be understood.

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 .