The tense of the verb translated got better suggests a definite change in the boy’s condition. When his son got better may be rendered “when his son began to recover” or “when his son began to get well again.”

The question asked by the official is often expressed as direct discourse; for example, “He asked them, ‘When did my son begin to recover?’ ”

It was one o’clock yesterday afternoon is literally “it was the seventh hour yesterday.” As indicated earlier (4.6), John calculated the hours of the day from about 6.00 a.m., and so “the seventh hour” would be about one o’clock in the afternoon. Most modern English translations are essentially the same.

The fever left him is the same expression used in Matthew 8.15 and Mark 1.31. It is impossible in some languages to say that the fever left him, for a fever cannot be spoken of as “coming” or “going.” However, in many instances one can say “he had no more fever” or “he grew cool again” or “he was no longer hot.”

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 .