Even then may be rendered “There were in fact” or “Actually there were.” This verse serves to emphasize what is to follow and suggests a certain amount of contrast with what has preceded.

Many Jewish authorities is literally “many authorities.” The reference is to the Jewish leaders. “The leading men” of Jerusalem Bible seems to imply that a number of leading citizens believed in Jesus, whereas the emphasis is that a number of the Jewish authorities believed in Jesus (note, for example, New American Bible “There were many, even among the Sanhedrin, who believed in him”). Goodspeed translates “… even among the members of the Council, many came to believe in him.” It is quite likely that authorities in this context is to be understood specifically as members of the Jewish Council (see 3.1; 7.26,48).

The expression because of the Pharisees may require further expansion in some languages, for example, “because of fear of the Pharisees” or “because they feared what the Pharisees might do to them.”

In Jesus is literally “in him.” It is necessary to make the pronominal reference explicit; otherwise it may be taken as referring back to Isaiah in verse 41, since he is the last person mentioned by name.

Talk about it openly is the verb spoke out clearly (1.20; see also 9.22). Goodspeed translates “would not acknowledge it” (New English Bible “would not acknowledge him”); Phillips has “would not admit it” (Jerusalem Bible “did not admit it”; New American Bible “refused to admit it”). It may be necessary in some languages to say “would not say to others that they believed in Jesus.”

Be expelled from the synagogue is the same expression used in 9.22.

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 .