If we let him go on in this way may be rendered “If we permit him to go on doing these things” or “If we allow him to keep on doing miracles.”

Everyone (Moffatt, Goodspeed, Phillips, Jerusalem Bible “everybody”) is in Greek a plural form. New American Bible translates “the whole world” and New English Bible “the whole populace.” Though the Pharisees and the chief priests may have had the Jewish people specifically in mind, as New English Bible and other versions indicate, it seems better in light of John’s theology not to limit this reference to the Jewish people.

The Roman authorities is literally “the Romans,” and the verb translated will take action is literally “will come.” Here Good News Translation simply uses a specific term in place of the more generic Greek term.

Our Temple (so also New English Bible; New American Bible “our sanctuary”; Jerusalem Bible note “… or more probably the holiest of all places, the Temple”) is literally “our place,” and is rendered in most translations “our holy place.” The reference may be to the city of Jerusalem; but, as the Jerusalem Bible note indicates, it is more probably a reference to the Temple itself.

Our nation may be understood in the sense of “our people.” It is interesting to note that the members of the Council identified their own power with the welfare of the nation as a whole.

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 .