This verse extends Jesus’ prayer from concern for his immediate disciples to concern for those who will believe because of their message. The verb (Greek erōtao; Good News Translation pray) used here was also used in verse 9.

In some languages the contrast expressed in English by not only … but also is rendered by an expression of “also,” for example, “I pray for them, and I also pray for those others who believe in me because of what my followers have said.”

Believe, as Good News Translation indicates, translates a verb (participle) in the present tense in Greek. If the time perspective is that of the Last Supper, then the force of the verb here is future (Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, Phillips “will believe”; Goodspeed “come to believe”). The use of the present tense with a future force is not unnatural, and it may convey emphasis. On the other hand, it may be that the present tense reflects the time of writing, when there were others who did believe because of the disciples’ witness.

Because of their message is literally “through their word” (Greek logos). Goodspeed and Phillips translate “through their message”; Moffatt “by their spoken word”; New American Bible “through their word”; New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible “through their words.”

The order of the Greek permits the phrase in me to be connected with because of their message; that is, “who believe because of their message about me,” but this possibility is not followed in any modern translation. In any case, it may be necessary in some languages to translate fully, “who believe in me because of their message about me” or “… because of what they will say about me.”

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 .