Good News Translation introduces this verse with so (Greek oun) to indicate the relation between the report of the events to the Pharisees and their action in calling together the Council. (On oun, see under 2.18).

Good News Translation inverts the Greek order “the chief priests and the Pharisees,” since John’s readers already know about the Pharisees, but in this narrative the existence of the chief priests is new information for them. Since in verse 46 the Pharisees in question may be identified as “some Pharisees,” it is possible in verse 47 to translate “so these Pharisees and the chief priests.” In some languages “the Pharisees” would suggest that all the Pharisees were involved.

The chief priests may be expressed in many languages as “the leaders among the priests.”

Met with is more literally “called a meeting of” (see Moffatt, Goodspeed, New American Bible). Jerusalem Bible translates simply “called a meeting,” without stating who were called. There is a question in many commentators’ minds as to whether this meeting was a formal or informal gathering of the Jewish Council. This uncertainty may be why Jerusalem Bible omits an explicit mention of the Council, assuming that it was an informal gathering. Only here in John’s Gospel does the Greek word translated Council appear. It was the supreme religious court of the Jewish people, composed of seventy leaders and presided over by the High Priest. Most of its members were Sadducees, but some Pharisees were members (see the note on 3.1). The Council may be rendered in some languages “the gathering of the leaders.” In others the Council is literally “the gathering of the old men,” but not all members of this council were necessarily old men. In many languages such a phrase as “old men” may refer primarily to status rather than to age.

The question raised by the Pharisees and the chief priests (What shall we do?) may be understood in either of two ways. Most translations prefer to take this question in a deliberative sense, as Good News Translation does. But it is possible to take the question as rhetorical (New English Bible and Jerusalem Bible “What action are we taking?”; see also Luther, Zürcher Bibel, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée). If so, the expected answer is “Nothing” (New American Bible alternative rendering “Why are we doing nothing?”).

In some languages such a verb as said must be changed into a verb for “questioning” if what follows is in fact a question, for example, “and they asked one another, ‘What shall we do?’ ”

Look at all the miracles this man is performing! is literally “because this man is doing many signs.” As elsewhere Good News Translation takes “sign” in the sense of miracle. (See the comment on 2.11).

In some languages one cannot employ such an expression as “look at” unless it is actually possible to see something going on. An equivalent would be “Think about all the miracles this man is doing” or “Remember all the miracles this man has done.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .