Right, as used here, means “authority” (Revised Standard Version), not “power.” The same noun is used in 1.12, and the thought of this verse is similar to that in verse 22. In some languages it is difficult to speak about “giving a right to,” but the meaning may be expressed as “My Father has said to me, ‘You are now able to judge’ ” or “ ‘… You may now judge.’ ”

In Greek the phrase the Son of Man is literally “Son of Man” (La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Luther). Only here in the New Testament is this term used without the definite article (“the”) before either noun. Because of its absence some commentators conclude that the meaning in the present passage is simply “man.” However, it seems unlikely that, in a passage where the theme of judgment is primary, the reference would be to “man” in general and not to the Son of Man, especially since the right to judge is an essential characteristic of the Son of Man. The writer may even be reflecting the use in Daniel 7.13, where also the phrase is used without the definite article before either noun.

For a discussion of some of the translational difficulties involved in the expression Son of Man, see 1.51. As elsewhere, it may be necessary to indicate clearly that the title Son of Man refers to Jesus. The final clause of verse 26 may thus be translated “because I am the Son of Man.” Otherwise, the reader in some languages will simply assume that Jesus is speaking about someone else.

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 .