These verses repeat the arguments of 32-35. The death referred to in verse 49 is physical death, while the death referred to in verse 50 is spiritual death.

A literal translation of verse 49 may lead to serious misunderstanding, for it may suggest that the ancestors died precisely because they ate manna in the desert. The fact that eating manna did not contribute to their deaths must be expressed in some languages as a concessive relation, for example, “Even though your ancestors ate manna in the desert, they died.” This translation provides a useful basis for the contrast which begins with verse 50.

Good News Translation restructures verse 50, which in Greek reads literally “this is the bread which comes down from heaven in order that one may eat of it and not die.” Since it is obvious that a contrast is intended between verses 49 and 50, Good News Translation introduces verse 50 with but. Moreover, in Greek the demonstrative adjective “this” is used in this context to indicate the qualitative significance of the bread, and so Good News Translation translates “this” by such a kind that. Finally, the Greek pronoun “one” is indefinite and all inclusive, so Good News Translation translates whoever, while most translations have “a man.”

To make the contrast between verses 49 and 50 clear and to point out the conditional element involved in the clause whoever eats it, one may restructure verse 50 as follows: “But in contrast with manna, the bread which comes down from heaven is of such a kind that if anyone eats it he will not die” or “… all who eat it will not die.”

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 .