6:30a–b
So they asked Him: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So here introduces a result. Here, the result is the people’s response to what Jesus had just said. Some English translations do not translate this word. Do what is natural in your language to introduce a result or a response.
What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You?: This is a rhetorical question. The people used it to challenge Jesus. The people challenged him to show them a miracle. They had just seen the miracle of feeding the five thousand (5000), but they wanted to see a different miracle. Or possibly they were hungry again and just hoped that Jesus would provide another meal.
There are at least two ways to translate this challenge:
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
What miracle will you perform so that we may see it and believe you? (Good News Translation)
• Use a statement. Make it clear that the purpose of the sign was that the people would believe. For example:
Give us (excl.) a sign so that we will believe you (sing.).
-or-
Show us a sign so that we can believe you.
then: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then is more literally “therefore.” It introduces what the people thought Jesus should do if he wanted them to believe on him. Some English translations do not explicitly translate this word. If it is more natural in your language, you may leave it implicit, or you may use another word. For example:
So
so that we may see it and believe You?: The phrase so that in this context introduces the purpose of doing a miracle.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
so that when we see it, we can believe you
believe You: Here the phrase is not “believe in you” as was the idea in 6:29. Although Jesus spoke about believing in him, the people just spoke about believing him (what he said). Perhaps they did not understand that God wanted them to trust in Jesus, not just believe what he said.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
believe what you say
-or-
believe that you are from God
6:30c
What will You do?: The people were asking what new miracle Jesus would do for them. It was an unfriendly question that continued the challenge in 6:30a–b.
Here are other ways to translate this question:
What can you do? (New Living Translation (2004))
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