Keep is literally “have remaining” (Revised Standard Version “have … abiding”). The verb “to remain” is frequently used by John to describe the believers’ relationship with Christ and Christ’s relationship with the Father.

His message is literally “his word,” but in the New Testament the singular “word” is often used in the sense of message. The phrase in your hearts (so also Phillips, New American Bible) is literally “in you” (New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible). The first half of verse 38 is rendered in New English Bible “But his word has found no home in you” and in Jerusalem Bible “and his word finds no home in you.” For many readers of English, the idea of a word finding a home in someone may be too figurative to be comprehended easily, because a translation of this nature shifts the focus of action away from the people to the word itself. Phillips avoids this difficulty by translating “Nor do you really believe his word in your hearts.”

Though a literal translation of the first part of verse 38 (“you do not have his word remaining in you”) is relatively meaningless in many languages, it is also difficult to speak of “keeping his message in you hearts” or “his word finding no home in you.” The closest equivalent in some languages may be “you do not accept his message” or “you do not welcome his message.” The meaning may sometimes be expressed by a negation of permission, for example, “you do not let his message stay in your hearts” or “… in your minds.”

Although Good News Translation and Jerusalem Bible translate the first verb in the next clause as believe in, there is some doubt as to its meaning in the present context. Many translators prefer the meaning of “believe the one.” That is, in the present verse the focus is not on whether people have or do not have faith in Jesus, but whether they are willing to accept what he says as true. The meaning of “believe” therefore comes closer to fitting the context than believe in. The meaning of “believe,” in contrast with believe in (usually translated as “trust” or “place confidence in”), may be rendered “you do not believe me that I am the one he sent.”

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 .