Paragraph 8:19–20
The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus to tell them where his Father was. Jesus told them that if they knew him, they would know his Father. This implied that he was himself God.
8:19a
In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction that is often translated “therefore.” The English word “then” can have that meaning as well. Some English translations use the word “then” and some others use “therefore” or “so.” Other translations like the Berean Standard Bible do not translate this conjunction. The conjunction introduces the Pharisees’ response to what Jesus said about his Father. Introduce the Pharisees’ response in the way that is natural in your language.
Where is Your Father?: This is a rhetorical question. The Pharisees used it to challenge Jesus without showing respect. The leaders were challenging Jesus to show them his second witness. They did not believe that Jesus’ Father was God. They thought on a human level and wondered about Jesus’ physical father. Perhaps they knew that his mother Mary was not married when she became pregnant with Jesus. They also implied that Jesus’ father was not around.
There are two ways to translate this rebuke:
• Use a rhetorical question as in the Berean Standard Bible.
• Use a statement. For example:
Show us your father!
-or-
We can/do not see your father!
Translate this challenge in the way that is most natural in your language. You may want to translate it in a way that shows that they were mocking Jesus. For example:
And your father is where?
they asked Him: The pronoun they refers to the Pharisees and the pronoun Him refers to Jesus. In some languages it may be natural to make one or both of the pronouns explicit. For example:
the Pharisees said to Jesus
8:19b
You do not know Me or My Father: Of course the people Jesus spoke to knew who Jesus was and they knew who God was. But they did not know or understand very well either Jesus or God his Father. In some languages it may therefore be natural to translate this clause like this:
You do not ⌊truly/really⌋ know either me or my Father.
You: The pronoun You is plural because it refers to the religious leaders.
My Father: The phrase My Father is referring to Jesus’ father, God himself.
Jesus answered: In the Greek, the quote introducer Jesus answered comes before what Jesus said. Place it where it is most natural in your language. For example:
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.” (New Revised Standard Version)
8:19c
If you knew Me, you would know My Father as well: Jesus implied that he was God. Anyone who knows him knows God. Someone who does not know him does not know God. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:
Knowing me means knowing my Father as well.
-or-
To truly know me means that you know my Father too.
If you knew Me: This clause refers to a condition that was not fulfilled. It indicates that the religious leaders did not really know Jesus. These leaders said they knew where Jesus came from, but they did not realize that he came from God. Translate this clause in a way that makes it clear that this is not a fulfilled condition. The religious leaders did not truly know Jesus. For example:
If you ⌊really⌋ knew me
-or-
If you had known me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
you would know My Father as well: This clause refers to something that was not true. The condition in the previous clause was not fulfilled and so the consequence did not happen. Indicate this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
you would have known him (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
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