17:5a–b

Jesus asked God to restore to him the glory and honor that he always had before he became a man. In eternity past, before the world began, he lived with God and shared God’s glory. Now he prayed that he might return to his Father and enjoy again the glory of his Father. See the General Comment on 17:5a–b for suggestions on how to rearrange the information in this verse.

In the Greek text there are two forms of the word meaning “glory”: “glorify me…with the glory I had.” However, in some languages it is not natural or possible to say that someone “glorifies” someone “with glory.” It may be possible to avoid this problem either by combining 17:5a–b, or by separating them into two clauses. For example:

Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Now, Father, bring me back the glory that I had with you before the world was created. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
And, now, Father, give me glory with you; give me the glory I had with you before the world was made. (New Century Version)

17:5a

And now: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek phrase literally as And now. The phrase introduces Jesus repeating what he asked for in 17:1 with more emphasis. The word now here refers to the immediate future. At that time Jesus would glorify the Father by finishing the work the Father gave him (see 17:4). Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

Now (New Jerusalem Bible)

Father: This word is one that a child would use when speaking to his father. It indicates affection and respect. See the note and how you translated the word in 17:1.

glorify Me: In the Greek the clause that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as glorify Me makes the subject “you” (singular) explicit. This emphasizes the contrast with the subject “I” in 17:4a (“I glorified you”). Consider if in your language there is a polite way to emphasize the subject of a request. For example:

Would/Will you ⌊please⌋ now glorify me!
-or-

⌊I pray that⌋ you would glorify me.

glorify: Here this verb refers to causing Christ to live in divine glory and majesty. Jesus had lived in humility and poverty as a man. Now he asked to be restored to his former status and the honor that he deserved. See Key Biblical Terms Glory, Glorious, Glorify C. 3. Here are other ways to translate this word:

give me glory (New Century Version)
-or-
honour me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

in Your presence: This phrase means “where you are.” Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

with you (New Century Version)
-or-
when I am with you
-or-
when I return to you

17:5b

with the glory I had with You before the world existed: This expression tells about the glory that Jesus prayed for. He asked God to restore the glory that he had before the world began. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

give me the glory I had with you before the world was made (New Century Version)
-or-
bring me again the honor I shared with you before the creation of the world
-or-
as I was honored in your presence before the world began

I had with You: This clause means “that I always had/enjoyed when I was with you in heaven.” Jesus lived with God in heaven and shared his glory.

before the world existed: This clause means “before the earth was created.” This phrase refers to eternity past (going forever back in time), before God created the universe. Express this clause in the way that is natural in your language. For example:

before the earth was created (NET Bible)
-or-
before there was a world at all

General Comment on 17:5a–b

In some languages it is more natural to rearrange parts of the sentence, putting the information in chronological order. For example:

5b Father, before the earth was created/established, I was in your presence in glory. 5a Now, as I return to you, please let me have/receive this glory again.
-or-

5b Before the world existed, I was honored as I lived in your presence. 5a Father, please give me again this honor.

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