8:51a

Truly, truly, I tell you: This expression introduces important information Jesus wanted to emphasize. See also the notes on 3:3a and 3:5a. The expression here is the same as there, except that here the pronoun you is plural. Here is another way to translate this expression:

I tell you the truth (New International Version)

8:51b

if anyone keeps My word: This expression refers to someone who accepts and does what Jesus says. For example:

Whoever obeys what I say (God’s Word)
-or-
if anyone follows my teaching

he will never see death: This expression means that this person will never die. The statement is emphasized and can be more literally translated as “will never see death forever.” Jesus was referring to spiritual death, the eternal death that means that one is separated from God. But his listeners did not understand this, and you should not make this explicit. For example:

will never die (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 8:51

In some languages it may be natural to use the second-person pronoun as the subject. For example:

if you obey my words, you will never die (Contemporary English Version)

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