After Jesus had said this prayer (so also Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) is more literally “Jesus having said these things.” New American Bible translates “After this discourse,” while most other translations have either “these things” or “these words.” These introductory words are intended to form a close link between the discourse and prayer at the Last Supper and the events that follow.

Instead of using such a noun expression as this prayer in the clause After Jesus had said this prayer it may be more appropriate in some languages to use a verb meaning “to pray,” for example, “After Jesus had prayed to his Father in this way” or “After Jesus had prayed this way.”

Although Good News Translation uses two verbs (left … went across) the Greek text has only one verb, followed by a preposition (Note, for example, New American Bible “went out … across”). However, several translations have two verbs (Jerusalem Bible “left … crossed”; New American Bible “went out … crossed”). Here again the basic rule for the translator is to render in a way that sounds natural in the receptor language.

Instead of he left with his disciples some languages require a double subject, for example, “he and his disciples left together.” This would mean that both “he and his disciples” are the subjects of the verb left as well as went across.

Brook is rendered “valley” in most translations. Moffatt and New English Bible translate “ravine” and Barclay “gully.” The Greek word (cheimarros) is actually an adjective, meaning “winter-flowing.” When used as a noun it can refer either to the stream itself (brook) or to the place where the stream flows (“valley”). The Kidron Brook contains water only in the rainy (winter) season. In Greek the word Kidron is preceded by the singular article (tou) and has the accent on the final syllable. Some Greek manuscripts have the accent on the first syllable of this word and a plural article (tōn) so that the meaning is “of the Cedars” (see Goodspeed). This reading is not widely accepted, and the reading of the UBS Greek text is generally preferred. It is certainly not necessary to suggest that Jesus and his disciples “forded” the Kidron Brook, that is to say, walked across through the water. The brook is relatively small, and they probably crossed it by a bridge.

In Greek There was a garden in that place is actually a subordinate clause, “where there was a garden.” The word translated garden refers to a place where flowers or vegetables are planted, and sometimes trees also. Both (Mark 14.32) and (Matthew 26.36) use a more generic word (Greek chōrion meaning “a piece of land,” “a place”) which they qualify by the name Gethsemane. On the other hand, Luke states that Jesus and his disciples went to the Mount of Olives (22.39) The word Gethsemane means either “oil valley” or “oil press.” Thus if one takes all the Gospel information together, the place suggested is an olive grove on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, directly across the Kidron Brook from Jerusalem.

Jesus and his disciples went in is more literally “he went in and his disciples,” a construction in Greek similar to that discussed in 2.2.

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 .