On Jewish authorities see Appendix I.

In the question Where is he about to go so that we shall not find him? the pronouns he and we are emphatic and contrasting, just as I and you in the preceding verse.

The Greek cities where our people live is more literally “the Dispersion among the Greeks.” In New Testament times “the Dispersion” was a technical term used in reference to the Jews who lived outside Palestine; accordingly, “of the Greeks” is taken in Good News Translation to mean “among the Greeks” (see Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible). The technical term “Dispersion” is avoided in this translation, since it is of zero meaning for most English readers. However, it is possible to understand this phrase in a somewhat different way. That is, “the Greeks” may be taken to refer to a group larger than those persons of Greek nationality; it may refer to all persons in the Roman world who were influenced by Greek culture and so could be loosely referred to as “Greeks.” If so, the Jewish authorities are considering the possibility that Jesus will become one of the Jews of the Dispersion, living among the Gentiles and teaching them. The entire question may be translated to read “Will he go to the cities outside our country where the Gentiles live and teach them?” The word “Greek” occurs in John’s Gospel only here and in 12.20. In each case it is better not to limit the term to mean only persons of Greek nationality. In 12.20 the meaning is more nearly “non-Jews” or “Gentiles.”

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 .