Jesus’ words indicate how false was the presupposition of his brothers stated in verse 4. He cannot “commend” himself to the world, because the world of men stands in opposition to God and God’s purpose.

The world cannot hate you may be rendered “People in the world cannot hate you.” However, the possible implications in the rendering of cannot may lead to misunderstanding. It is not that people in the world are incapable of hating the brothers of Jesus, but that they have no basis for hating them. One may say, for example, “People in the world cannot find any reason for hating you” or “… have no reason for hating you.”

I keep telling it that its ways are bad may more literally be translated “I keep testifying concerning it that its deeds are bad.” In this sentence I is emphatic, while the verb tense denotes continuous or progressive action. The verb “to testify” or “to witness” has already been discussed (see 1.7). Jerusalem Bible translates this clause “because I give evidence that its ways are evil,” while New English Bible has “for exposing the wickedness of its ways.”

Though it is often possible to speak of the world in a collective sense, in many languages it is necessary to speak about “people in the world.” Therefore one must say “because I keep telling them that their ways are bad” or “… they behave badly” or “… what they do is evil.”

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 .