The Greek reads “he said,” which Good News Translation renders Jesus said (so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). New English Bible makes this fact explicit in another manner: “These words were spoken by Jesus.” Although the reader would probably understand that “he” refers to Jesus, it is more natural to introduce this paragraph with the noun Jesus than with the pronoun “he,” since it is a summary verse and departs from the topic discussed in 12-19.
In the room where the offering boxes were placed (so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) appears in most translations as “in the treasury.” The Jewish historian Josephus uses this word “treasury” (in the plural) to describe a number of small rooms in the Temple where valuables were stored. It is not likely that Jesus was teaching in one of these “storage rooms.” There were, however, some thirteen offering boxes in the Temple. It is not known exactly where they were located, but quite possibly they were in the court of the women, since women seemed to have had access to them (see Mark 12.41-42). In some languages the verb were placed may be taken to mean “were stored,” thus indicating a storage room. Therefore, it may be better to translate “near the place where the offering boxes were located” or simply “near the offering boxes.” This translation is supported by the Greek text, since the Greek preposition that Good News Translation translates in may have the less precise meaning of “near” (New American Bible “at the temple treasury”).
As he taught in the Temple may be rendered “as he taught the people in the Temple” or “as he was there in the Temple teaching the people.” The more specific indication, in the room where the offering boxes were placed, may be interpreted as an explanation and rendered “He was there in the room where the offering boxes were placed.”
Offering boxes may be rendered “boxes where people placed their offerings to God” or “boxes in which people put money as gifts to God.”
His hour had not come translates the same phrase used in 7.30 (see also 2.4).
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 .