2:17a

His disciples remembered that it is written: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as it is written here introduces a quotation from the Old Testament. This is a quotation from Psalm 69:9. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

His disciples remembered that the scripture says (Good News Translation)
-or-
Then his disciples remembered this prophesy from the Scriptures (New Living Translation (2004))

2:17b

Zeal for Your house will consume Me: This clause is a quotation from Psalm 69:9. It seems that Psalm 69 is a prophecy about the Messiah, who is speaking. The Messiah says that he is fully devoted to the temple; his devotion (being devoted, zeal) will overcome him and even cause his death. The disciples remembered these words but may not have understood their full meaning at that time.

Zeal for Your house: In this quotation the Messiah is speaking to God. He expresses his strong devotion to the temple, God’s house on earth. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

My devotion to your house (Good News Translation)
-or-
My strong love for your Temple (New Century Version)
-or-
My love for your house (Contemporary English Version)

Zeal: The Greek noun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Zeal here refers to a strong positive emotion of love, caring, and devotion. In some languages it may be necessary to translate this noun using a verb. For example:

I am completely devoted to your house
-or-
I love your house so much that

Your house: This phrase here refers to the temple in Jerusalem. It was God’s house in the sense that it was the place where God was present in a special way.

will consume Me: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as consume means “burn up,” that is, “destroy.” This probably mainly refers to Jesus’ death. However, at the time the disciples would not have understood it in this way. It would be good to translate this verb with an idiom that expresses the effect of an intense emotion.

Here are other ways that English translations have translated this phrase:

My devotion to your house, O God, burns in me like a fire (Good News Translation)
-or-

I am eaten up with zeal for your house (New Jerusalem Bible)

Me: The pronoun Me in the psalm refers to the Messiah, and in John refers to Jesus, who is the Messiah. The reference should not be made explicit in the quotation itself. However, you may want to explain in a footnote that in Psalm 69:9 the Messiah is speaking to God.

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