Translation commentary – Page 2

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:45

12:45

And whoever sees Me sees the One who sent Me: Jesus was saying that he was one with God, which is similar to what he said in 12:44. Seeing Jesus was the same as seeing God. As in 12:44a, the word whoever refers to anyone and everyone who sees Jesus. Use the subject that is most natural in your language. For example:

and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
And everyone who has seen me has seen the one who sent me. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. (New Living Translation (2004))

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SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:46

12:46a

I have come into the world as a light: In this clause, Jesus clearly compared himself to light, as he did in 8:12b, 9:5b, and 12:35a,b. He came into the world to be its light. The Greek text emphasizes the word I.

This clause contains a simile. Jesus was like light in that he showed people the truth, especially about God and salvation. In some languages a literal translation of this simile may be difficult to understand. Here are some other ways to translate this simile:

• Make the simile clearer. For example:

I have come into the world to be like a light for you/it.

• Make the point of similarity explicit. For example:

I have come into the world like a light, ⌊to show/reveal God/truth to you⌋

12:46b

so that: This phrase introduces Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world to be its light.

no one who believes in Me should remain in darkness: In some languages it may be natural to use the subject “everyone” and a negative verb. For example:

everyone who believes in me should not remain in the darkness (New Revised Standard Version)

believes in Me: This phrase includes the idea of believing the facts about who Jesus was and what he did. But it also includes the idea of trusting Jesus instead of trusting oneself or someone else. Both ideas are very closely related. If someone believes the facts about Jesus, it should result in trusting him. See how you translated similar phrases in 1:12b, 3:16b, and 12:44a. Here are other ways to translate this idea:

has faith in me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
put their trust in me (New Living Translation (2004))

should remain in darkness: The phrase remain in darkness is a figure of speech, a metaphor. The word darkness represents evil. Jesus came so that those who believe in him would no longer continue to live in evil. Those who remain in evil are like those who remain in darkness in the following ways:

(a) They live in fear.

(b) They do not know the truth, how things truly are.

See how you translated the idea of darkness in 8:12c and 12:35d. For example:

in the dark (God’s Word)
-or-
in dark places
-or-
in a dark world

In some languages this figure of speech may be hard to understand. Here are other ways to translate it:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

they should not remain in what is like darkness
-or-
they should not live as though they were in the dark

• Make the meaning of the metaphor more explicit. For example:

they should not live in ⌊spiritual⌋ darkness
-or-
they need not live in the darkness ⌊of evil⌋

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:47

12:47a

As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him: The Greek text emphasizes the word I, which refers to Jesus. For example:

It is not I who am the judge of those who hear my words and do not keep them.
-or-
I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. (Contemporary English Version)

anyone who hears My words and does not keep them: The word anyone refers to any person who has rejected Jesus. Use the noun or pronoun that is natural in your language. It may be singular or plural. For example:

those who hear me but don’t obey me (New Living Translation (2004))

My words: This phrase refers to Jesus’ message or teachings. For example:

my teachings (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
my message (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
what I say

and: This word introduces something that is not expected. You would expect that someone who heard Jesus’ words would obey them. However, here Jesus spoke about those who did not obey. Translate this word in a way that is natural in your language to indicate something not expected. For example:

but (New Living Translation (2004))

does not keep them: This phrase indicates that this individual does not obey Jesus’ words. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

does not obey them (New Century Version)

I do not judge him: These words indicate that Jesus himself is not the one who condemns these people. This was not his purpose in coming into the world. Jesus referred to the future as well as the present, and in some languages it may be natural to use future tense. For example:

I will not judge (Good News Translation)
-or-
I don’t condemn (God’s Word)

General Comment on 12:47a

In some languages it may be natural to follow the Greek text and reorder the clauses in 12:47a. For example:

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully, it is not I who shall judge such a person. (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
If anyone hears my message and does not obey it, I will not judge him. (Good News Translation)

12:47b

For: This word means “because” and is an introduction to the reason why he is not the judge. For example:

because (New Century Version)

I have not come to judge the world: The reason why Jesus came into the world was not to judge the people of the world. There was a different reason. See the General Comment on 12:47b–c for another way to order this information. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

I did not come to judge the world (New Century Version)
-or-
I didn’t come to condemn the world (God’s Word)

judge: The word judge in this context means “condemn and punish.” See Key Biblical Terms Judge, Judgement B.3.

the world: The phrase the world here refers to the people of the world. For example:

the people of this world (Contemporary English Version)

12:47c

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (12:47b) to a positive statement (12:47c). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

I did not come to judge the people of the world; rather I came to save them.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

I did not come to judge the world. I came to save the world.

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. (New Living Translation (2004))

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

to save the world: In some languages it may be natural to use a pronoun rather than repeating the noun world from 12:47b. However, that may lose some of the emphasis on the world. For example:

but to save it (Good News Translation)

save: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save here means “rescue or free from sin.” The result is that Jesus will not judge or condemn a person that he has saved. That means that he will not punish that person.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:48

12:48a

There is a judge: The phrase means someone will judge anyone who rejects Jesus. There is someone who will judge that person. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

there is a judge for that person
-or-
there is one who will judge those people

In some languages it is more natural to use judge as a verb. For example:

someone will judge that person
-or-
will be judged (New Living Translation (2004))

the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The phrase the one who refers to anyone and everyone who rejects Jesus. It does not refer to just one person. For example:

anyone who rejects me and does not accept my words (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Those who reject me by not accepting what I say (God’s Word)

rejects Me and does not receive My words: The verbs rejects and does not receive refer to the same attitude in two different ways. They do not refer to two different things. It may be natural to use just one verb. For example:

all who reject me and my message (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
everyone who rejects me and my teachings (Contemporary English Version)

rejects Me: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rejects means to ignore or refuse to accept. The one who rejects Jesus is someone who will not believe him and what he says.

does not receive My words: This phrase means to not accept what Jesus says as true, and therefore not follow it as a guide. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

does not accept my words (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
do not accept my teaching as true

General Comment on 12:48a

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of the information in this clause and mention the judge first. For example:

There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words. (New International Version)

12:48b

The word that I have spoken will judge him: This clause is a figure of speech. In it, Jesus’ word (what Jesus said) acts like a person that could be a judge. It refers to the time when God will judge people as to whether they received Jesus’ word. There are several ways to translate this figure of speech:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

the word I have spoken will be his judge on the last day (Revised English Bible)

• Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:

my word will act like it was his judge

• Make the meaning explicit. For example:

⌊God⌋ will judge him for ⌊rejecting⌋ my word

on the last day: The phrase the last day refers to the day God ends the world and judges its people. You may want to make that clear. For example:

on the day of judgment (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:49

12:49a

In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction that means that means “because.” It introduces the reason why Jesus’ word will judge those who reject it. It is because God was the original source of what Jesus said. Here is another way to translate this word:

Because
-or-
This is true, because (Good News Translation)

I have not spoken on My own: This clause means that Jesus was not talking based on his own authority. He did not make up his own thoughts and say them. See how you translated the phrase “on my own” in 7:17. The Greek text emphasizes the words I and My own to contrast with “the Father who sent me” in the next clause. For example:

I do not speak on my own authority (Revised English Bible)
-or-
my teachings are not from my own thinking (Yakan Back Translation)

12:49b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (12:49a) to a positive statement (12:49b). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. (NET Bible Bible)

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it. (God’s Word)

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

The things I taught were not from myself. The Father who sent me told me what to say and what to teach. (New Century Version)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

Because the Father who sent me has commanded me about what to say and what to speak. I was not the one who decided what to say.

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it: This clause says that God had given Jesus his message. The authority on which he spoke was not his own but God’s. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak (Good News Translation)

the Father who sent Me: The words who sent Me tell something about the Father. They do not imply that Jesus had more than one Father, one who sent him and another one who did not. In some languages a literal translation may imply that Jesus had more than one Father. To avoid this wrong meaning, it may be necessary to translate this information as a separate clause. For example:

The Father sent me ⌊into this world⌋ and told me what to say.

The Greek text emphasizes the phrase the Father who sent Me. This emphasis indicates a strong contrast with Jesus (“I” and “my own” are also emphasized in 12:49a). Jesus was not the source of his words, but it was his Father instead. Indicate this emphasis and contrast in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

but it is my Father who sent me who commanded me

the Father: The phrase the Father refers to God. In some languages it is necessary to say whose Father Jesus referred to. For example:

⌊my⌋ Father
-or-

⌊God my⌋ Father

has commanded Me: In some languages it may be more natural to use a noun form rather than the verb commanded. For example:

has himself given me a commandment (New Revised Standard Version)

what to say and how to say it: The phrases what to say and how to say it mean the same thing. Saying it twice emphasizes the idea: God told Jesus exactly what to say, or possibly everything that he should say. For example:

exactly what to say
-or-
just what I should say
-or-
about all that I should say

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:50

12:50a

And I know that His command leads to eternal life: This sentence indicates that God’s command (see 12:49b) results in eternal life. God’s command brings eternal life to those who follow it. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:

And I know that this command brings eternal life. (Good News Translation)
-or-
And I know that eternal life comes from what the Father commands. (New Century Version)
-or-
what he has commanded causes people to live forever (TH)

His command: This phrase refers to the commandment that God gave to Jesus in 12:49b.

eternal life: This phrase refers to living forever with God, life with God that never ends. See how you translated this phrase in 12:25. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

unending life
-or-
life that never ends
-or-
living forever ⌊with God⌋

12:50b

So: This word introduces what Jesus did because he knew that the Father’s command brings life (12:50a).

I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say: The phrase I speak exactly refers to what Jesus had been telling the people. Jesus had said just what the Father had told him to say. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:

That is why I tell you exactly what the Father has told me. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
so I say whatever the Father tells me to say (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
So whatever I say is what the Father told me to say. (New Century Version)

the Father: This phrase refers to God. See the note on 12:49b and translate it here as you did there.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 13:1

Section 13:1–20

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet

Beginning in this section, Jesus ate supper with the disciples for the last time. First he washed their feet as an example of loving service.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus washed his disciples’ feet at the last supper
-or-
Jesus set an example by washing feet
-or-
Jesus served his disciples by washing their feet

Paragraph 13:1

This paragraph gives background information for the next event in the story. It tells the time of the event and describes Jesus’ thoughts.

13:1a

It was now just before the Passover Feast: This phrase introduces the next event in the story by indicating that it happened immediately before the Passover Feast.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast (New Century Version)
-or-
The Jewish people would soon celebrate Passover.
-or-
The Passover feast/celebration would begin very soon.

It was now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as now often introduces a new event. Introduce this next event in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

Then

just before the Passover Feast: This phrase indicates that Jesus knew that his hour had come before Passover began. The Passover would begin at sunset and the meal that is mentioned beginning in 13:2 is a Passover meal. So this verse begins just before the Passover began. For example:

It was just before the Passover Festival. (New International Version)
-or-
It was almost time for the Passover Feast. (New Century Version)

the Passover Feast: This phrase refers to a feast that the Jewish people celebrated each year. They remembered how God rescued their ancestors from being slaves in Egypt. God went to kill the first-born sons of the Egyptians so that they would allow the Jews to leave Egypt. The term Passover refers to the fact that God passed over (did not enter) the houses of the Jews. That means that he did not harm their sons.

See the story in Exodus 12. Translate this phrase as you did in 2:13 and 12:1. For example:

the Passover celebration (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the Death did not Harm Us Festival
-or-
the Rescue Feast

13:1b

and Jesus knew that His hour had come: Jesus knew that it was now the time he had been waiting for. It was the time for him to die for his people, as he had come into the world to do. See the notes on 2:4b. It may not be natural to translate the verb come literally. For example:

Jesus knew that it was time for him (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus understood that this was the time for him

knew: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knew is more literally “having known,” meaning that Jesus already knew. He did not just realize that his hour had come (see 12:23, 27). If your readers wrongly understand that Jesus just realized this, you may need to make it clear that he knew before. For example:

already knew

His hour had come: This clause here indicates that the time for Jesus to die had come. The next day, Jesus would be killed. He would not die in the next 60 minutes, as the word hour might imply. So in some languages it may be natural to use a more general word. For example:

his time had come (NET Bible Bible)

13:1c

to leave this world: This phrase indicates that Jesus would no longer live on earth with his disciples. Jesus would soon die and return to his Father. The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek word literally as leave. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

to depart from this world (New Revised Standard Version)

and return to the Father: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and return to the Father is more literally “to the Father.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the verb return. In some languages it may not be natural or necessary to supply a verb here. For example:

to depart from this world to the Father (NET Bible Bible)

This is where Jesus had been before. So in some languages it may be natural to say:

return to his Father
-or-
go back to the Father (God’s Word)

the Father: This phrase refers to God, Jesus’ Father. See the notes on “The Father loves the Son” in 3:35a. In some languages it may be natural to make it clearer whom this phrase refers to. For example:

his Father (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
his Father ⌊God⌋

General Comment on 13:1b–c

The “hour” mentioned in 13:1b refers to the time when Jesus was to leave the world (13:1c). Make this connection clear in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

Jesus knew that his hour had come and that he must leave this world and go the Father (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from this world to the Father (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. (God’s Word)

13:1d

Having loved His own who were in the world: Jesus had loved his disciples during his ministry and he still loved them. The phrase Having loved implies that Jesus had always loved his own and that he continued to do so. For example:

He had always loved his own who were in the world… (Revised English Bible)

loved: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as loved here refers both to having a strong affection and to showing love in action. Jesus cared deeply for his disciples and he continued to act for their welfare and blessing.

His own who were in the world: This phrase refers to Jesus’ disciples, those who followed him on earth. They were His own in the sense that God had given them to him, and they loved and obeyed and followed him. Avoid translating this in a way that suggests they belonged to Jesus as his slaves. For example:

his followers in this world (Contemporary English Version)

13:1e

He loved them to the very end: There are two ways to interpret the phrase to the very end here:

(1) It means to the end of his life.

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Revised English Bible, NET Bible Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible Bible, NIV2011, NLT2004)

(2) It means “completely,” to the full extent. For example:

he now showed them the full extent of his love (New International Version (1984), New Living Translation (1996))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This is the interpretation followed by the great majority of English translations, and it suits the context well. Jesus understood that he had come to the end of his life on earth. Knowing this, he continued to love and show love to his followers. His death for them showed that.

General Comment on 13:1

In the Greek text John 13:1 forms one long sentence. Here is one translation that does the same:

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. (English Standard Version)

In many languages it will be natural to break this sentence into two or three shorter sentences. For example:

Just before the Passover feast, Jesus knew that his time had come to depart from the world to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now loved them to the very end. (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
It was almost time for the Jewish Passover Feast. Jesus knew that it was time for him to leave this world and go back to the Father. He had always loved those who were his own in the world, and he loved them all the way to the end. (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 12:38

12:38a

This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: In the Greek text this is a purpose clause: This happened in order to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy. The word This refers back to the fact that the Jews in general did not believe in Jesus. Isaiah had predicted that people would not be willing to believe in Jesus, and this actually happened. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

so that the word of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
for the prophet Isaiah’s words had to be fulfilled (Revised English Bible)
-or-
This happened so that what the prophet Isaiah had said would come true (Contemporary English Version)

to fulfill: The verb fulfill in this context means “complete a prophecy” so that what was prophesied happens. The things that Isaiah said did actually take place. For example:

would come true (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
In this way the words of the prophet Isaiah came true (God’s Word)

the word of Isaiah the prophet: This phrase here introduces a quotation from the book of Isaiah, Isaiah 53:1. This quotation consists of many individual words, so in some languages it may be natural to make that clear. For example:

the words of the prophet Isaiah (God’s Word)
-or-
what Isaiah the prophet had said (New Century Version)

Isaiah: The prophet Isaiah lived seven hundred years before Jesus was born. He wrote the book of the Old Testament that is called by his name. He is also mentioned in 1:23d.

prophet: A prophet was a man who spoke to the people as God’s representative. He told people what God revealed to him. Here are some ways to translate prophet :

God’s representative
-or-
a man who speaks God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speaker

It is good to use a general term that does not refer only to predicting the future. Although prophets did predict the future, they also gave people other messages from God. They especially told them to stop sinning and to obey God.

Try to choose a term for prophet that is different from other words which are similar in meaning. Those words include “angel,” “apostle,” and “preacher.”

See how you translated this word in 1:21d and 1:23d, and see Key Biblical Terms prophet 1a.

12:38b

12:38b consists of a quotation of Isaiah 53:1. This clause is also quoted in Romans 10:16. In both John and Romans, the word “Lord” introduces words spoken to God. The word “Lord” is not included in the original Hebrew text of the book of Isaiah. However, it is included in the Greek translation of Isaiah. John was quoting from the Greek translation of Isaiah, and you should translate his quotation as it is written. Do not try to make it match Isaiah 53:1 in your Bible.

Lord: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord introduces words spoken to God. This Greek word is a form of address showing respect, meaning “master.” Translate this the same way as you translate other uses of Lord when used to address God (e.g., Acts 10:14, Psalm 115:1). For example:

All-Powerful God
-or-
Ruler

In some languages people may not naturally use a word that means “master” to refer to God. If speakers of your language do not understand that Lord here refers to God, here are other ways to translate it:

• Use your word for God.

• Use your word for God and indicate that he is the Lord. For example:

God the Lord

If you include the word for God in your translation of Lord, you may want to include a footnote to give the literal Greek meaning. For example:

Here the Greek text is more literally “Lord.”

who has believed our message: This question is a quotation from Isaiah 53:1. It is a rhetorical question. It is used to emphasize a negative statement: people in general had not believed God’s message. Isaiah was emphasizing how few people had accepted the message. Most people had rejected it.

There are at least two ways to translate this statement:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

who believed what we told them? (New Century Version)

• Use a statement. For example:

So few people have believed our message!

Translate this emphasis in a way that is most natural in your language.

our message: This phrase refers to the message the prophets told. The pronoun our is probably inclusive, because Isaiah was speaking to God, who had given him the message. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the message we told (Good News Translation)

12:38c

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed: This is a second rhetorical question. It continues the quotation from Isaiah 53:1. It is used to emphasize a negative statement that people in general had not seen the arm of the Lord. This is a figure of speech indicating that not many people believed that they were seeing God’s power at work.

There are two ways to translate this negative statement:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

To whom has the Lord’s power been revealed? (God’s Word)
-or-
Who saw the Lord’s power in this? (New Century Version)

• Use a statement. For example:

Not many people has the arm of the Lord been revealed to.
-or-
Very few people have seen/understood how powerful the Lord is.

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

has the arm of the Lord been revealed: The verb has…been revealed is passive. It means that God has revealed his arm, meaning his power. There are at least two ways to translate this:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

to whom has the power of the Lord been revealed? (Revised English Bible)

• Use an active verb. For example:

To whom will the Lord reveal his saving power? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
And who has seen your mighty strength? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
To whom will the Lord reveal how powerful he is?

Translate this verb using the verb form most natural in your language here. God did reveal his power, but only some could understand that Jesus’ miracles were evidence of God’s power. For example:

and who has seen in it a revelation of the Lord’s arm? (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Who saw the Lord’s power in this? (New Century Version)

the arm of the Lord: This phrase is a figurative way of saying “God’s power/strength.” In this context it refers to the miracles that Jesus did by God’s power. It is a figure of speech that emphasizes that God acts in strength and power. In some languages a literal translation may indicate that God has physical arms and that people can see them. In those languages it is necessary to speak explicitly of God’s power. For example:

the power of the Lord (Revised English Bible)

Because Isaiah was addressing the Lord himself, in some languages it may be natural to use a second-person pronoun, “your.” For example:

your mighty strength (Contemporary English Version)

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Category: Translation commentary