16:32a
Look: The Greek text begins with a word that means “pay attention” or “here is something important.” While the Berean Standard Bible translates this literally as Look, most translations do not translate that word here, but leave it implicit. It may be natural to translate this word with an expression emphasizing what someone would say next. For example:
Listen (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Listen to me (New Century Version)
Another way to translate this word is with a word indicating contrast. Yes, the disciples may believe (16:31), but their faith will not be strong enough when Jesus is arrested (16:32). For example:
Jesus asked, “Do you finally believe? But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when you will be scattered, each one going his own way, leaving me alone.” (New Living Translation (2004))
an hour is coming and has already come: These clauses mean “very, very soon.” Here it refers to something that would happen in four or five hours, when Jesus would be arrested. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:
The time will come and is already here (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
a time is coming when you will be scattered, each to your own home. That time is now here. (New Century Version)
16:32b
when you will be scattered: This clause means “when all of you will go away in different directions.” It refers to the time when the disciples would run away from the soldiers arresting Jesus, leaving him alone. See how you translated the word “scatters” in 10:12 where a wolf scatters the sheep. Here, it is not explicit who or what would scatter the disciples. In some languages it may be natural to translate this clause without using a passive verb. For example:
when something will cause you to run away in different directions
-or-
when you will all run away
when: This word often indicates purpose or result. It may be more natural for you to translate it that way here. For example:
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered (New American Standard Bible)
each to his own home: This phrase here indicates that the disciples would run to places where they would be safe. Their actual homes were in Galilee but they were staying in Jerusalem. It is recommended that you translate this literally. The point is that the disciples would escape to safe places, leaving Jesus to face his enemies. In some languages it may be natural to start a new sentence here:
Each of you will go back home (Contemporary English Version)
16:32c
you will leave Me all alone: This clause indicates that the disciples would all abandon Jesus. This was fulfilled when Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane (Mark 14:50). In some languages it is more natural to begin a new sentence here. For example:
You will leave me all alone. (New International Version)
16:32d
Yet I am not alone: This clause indicates that even though the disciples would abandon him, Jesus would not be alone. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
But I am not really alone. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Actually, I am never alone.
-or-
However, I am not alone.
Yet: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Yet here introduces something that is the opposite of what one expects. When the disciples would abandon Jesus, one would expect Jesus to be alone. However, the opposite is true. Here is another way to translate this conjunction:
But (Contemporary English Version)
I am not alone: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as I am not alone tells a general truth. Jesus was never alone, even when all other people abandoned him.
because the Father is with Me: This clause tells the reason that Jesus would not be alone. The reason is that God the Father is always with him. He would remain with Jesus even if all the disciples left him. In some languages it may be natural to use the personal pronoun “my” with Father here. For example:
because my Father is always with me (TH)
-or-
because my Father never leaves me
General Comment on 16:32d
In some languages it is more natural to put the clause “because the Father is with me” before “Yet I am not alone.” For example:
But the Father will be with me, and I won’t be alone. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Actually my Father is always with me so I am never alone.
-or-
But because my Father never leaves me, I am never all alone.
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