SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2020

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 1:28

1:28a

All this happened: The pronoun this refers to the events of 1:19–27.

at Bethany beyond the Jordan: Scholars do not know where the Bethany mentioned here was. John may have referred to a very small settlement, or he may have referred to the region of Betanea in the northeastern part of the country. Because this is not certain, it is better not to include information such as “the town of…” or “the region of….”

beyond the Jordan: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as beyond refers to being on the other side of the Jordan. The Jordan is a river that runs north-south. The main events in this story all take place on the west side of the Jordan, where Jerusalem is found. You may want to make clear which side of the river John refers to. For example:

on the east side of the Jordan River (New International Version)

1:28b

where John was baptizing: The verb was baptizing indicates that John baptized people there regularly over a period of time.

General Comment on 1:28a–b

In some languages it may be natural to combine the information in 1:28a and b. For example:

John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany. (Contemporary English Version)

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SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2:9

2:9a

and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine: The most important information in this clause is that the water had become wine. This is also the most important part of the story. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as an independent clause. For example:

The master of the banquet tasted the water—and it had been changed into wine!

that had been turned into wine: There are several ways to translate this clause. For example:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

that had been changed into wine
-or-
that had been turned into wine (New International Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

that Jesus had changed into wine
-or-
the water that was now wine (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate this clause in a way that is natural in your language for describing an important action.

The text does not say exactly when the water turned into wine. You should not supply this information.

2:9b

He did not know where it was from: The steward did not know that this wine was originally water that Jesus had transformed. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

He did not know where the wine came from (New Century Version)
-or-
not knowing its source (Revised English Bible)
-or-
He did not realize where it had come from (New International Version)

2:9c

but the servants who had drawn the water knew: This is parenthetical information. Although the Berean Standard Bible does not indicate this, the New Revised Standard Version shows this by using parentheses. You should indicate that this is a parenthetical comment in a way that is natural in your language. For example, you might want to use dashes instead of parentheses:

—though the servants who had drawn the water knew— (New Jerusalem Bible)

General Comment on 2:9b–c

2:9c is in contrast to 2:9b. The man in charge of the feast did not know where the wine had come from. The servants did know. Indicate this contrast in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

but the servants who had brought the water knew (New Century Version)

2:9d

Then he called the bridegroom aside: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called here means “sent for” or “asked to come.” The man in charge of the feast asked the bridegroom to come and talk to him.

Here is another way to translate this clause:

he called the bridegroom over (New Living Translation (2004))

bridegroom: The term bridegroom refers to the man who marries the bride in a wedding ceremony.

General Comment on 2:9a–d

In some languages it may be natural to change the order of the clauses of verse 9. For example:

9c And the servants who had taken/dipped the water ⌊out of the pots/jars⌋ knew where the wine had come from, 9b but the man in charge did not know. 9a Therefore when he tasted the water that Jesus had changed into wine, 9d he called the bridegroom…

General Comment on 2:9a–d

In the Greek, as in the Berean Standard Bible, this is one long sentence. In some languages it may be more natural to break this into two or more sentences. For example:

The person in charge tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it had come from, although the servers who had poured the water knew. The person in charge called the groom…. (God’s Word)

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 3:16

Paragraph 3:16–18

God sent his Son into the world to save people from being condemned.

3:16

People often memorize this verse, learning it so that they can remember it exactly. Your translation of this verse should be clear and natural. It should also sound good when it is spoken aloud, and it should be easy to memorize. The sentences should be neither too long nor too short. Also, the words should be fairly simple and not easily confused with other words. Ask a few people of different ages to memorize it to see if there are any problems.

It is not clear where Jesus’ speech ends and John begins to comment (if he did this at all). Most English translations indicate that Jesus’ speech continues through verse 21. However New International Version, NET Bible, and God’s Word indicate that 3:16 begins John’s comments. And Good News Translation indicates that Jesus’ speech ends at the end of 3:13 and John’s comments begin in 3:14. Wherever Jesus’ speech ends, it is all God’s Word. It is probably best to follow most English translations and continue the quotation of Jesus’ speech through verse 21. However, if the major language translation in your area begins John’s comments here, you may want to follow that example.

3:16a

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here means “because” and introduces an explanation of what Jesus had said in 3:15. People may receive eternal life because God loved the people of the world and acted to save them. Some translations leave this word implicit.

Here are other ways to translate this word:

That is because
-or-
Yes, (English Easy-to-Read Version)

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son: This expression indicates that God’s love for the world’s people influenced him to give his Son to save them. God sent his Son into the world to save its people because he cared very much for them. Giving his Son was the way in which God showed his great love.

so loved…that: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as so can indicate both the way something is done and how much it is done. The way that God showed his great love for the world was by sending his Son. Some English translations indicate the way God showed his love and some indicate how much he loved. For example:

For God loved the world so much that (Good News Translation)
-or-
God loved the world this way: (God’s Word)
-or-
God loved the people on earth very much. Therefore…

Introduce what God did for the world in a way that is most natural in your language. Emphasize that God acted because he loved the world. By giving his Son he showed his great love.

loved: In many languages there are different words for “love.” Try to choose a word that refers to love that is unselfish. Love like this means that the one loving will lose something when he shows love. The love here is the love of someone who is stronger and greater toward someone who is weaker. You may be able to use a word that refers to the way a parent loves a child. Nowhere else in the New Testament does it say that God loves the world.

In some languages, the past tense word loved may imply that God no longer loves the world. If that is true in your language, you may want to use a present tense verb. For example:

God loves the people who live on earth very much
-or-
Because God’s love for the people of this world is great
-or-
God loves the people everywhere in the world

world: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as world here refers to the people in the world. For example:

God loved the people of this world (Contemporary English Version)

He gave: God gave his Son when he caused him to be born as a human so that he would die for us. God handed him over to be a sacrifice for sins. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

he sent

His one and only Son: This phrase here means “God’s unique Son.” God calls himself the Father of all, but Jesus is uniquely his Son. He is God’s Son in a way in which no one else is.

The title Son indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship that resulted in Mary becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus.

For more information, see the note on “the Son of God” at 1:34.

If you have indicated that Jesus is talking here, it is important that people understand that he is talking about himself. You may need to make it explicit that Jesus spoke about himself. For example:

he sent me, his only son

one and only: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as only also appears in 1:18b. See the note there and refer to your translation of that verse. Here is another way to translate this word:

one and only (New Century Version)

3:16b

that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life: This is a purpose clause. It expresses God’s purpose in giving his Son. The pronoun Him refers to God’s only Son, Jesus.

believes in Him: This phrase includes the idea of believing the facts about who Jesus was and what he did. But it also includes the idea of trusting Jesus instead of trusting oneself or someone else. Both ideas are very closely related. If someone believes the facts about Jesus, it should result in trusting him. See how you translated this idea in 1:7b, 1:12b, and 3:15. The pronoun Him refers to Jesus.

Here are other ways to translate this idea here:

has faith in him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
trusts in him

perish: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perish here refers to suffering eternal death, spiritual death. Spiritual death is when a person is separated from God forever and punished.

Here are other ways to translate this word:

be separated from God
-or-
be separated from God to be punished
-or-
lose his life forever
-or-
be punished forever

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (“may not perish”) to a positive statement (“may have eternal life”). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

may not be lost, but have eternal life (New Century Version)

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

he will not be separated from God for punishment; rather/instead he will have life that does not end

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

will not be eternally separated from God. He will have eternal life.

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

will have eternal life and never really die (Contemporary English Version)

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

have eternal life: This verb phrase means the same thing as the previous verb phrase, “shall not perish.” It is expressed in a positive rather than a negative way. This repeating emphasizes what Jesus was saying. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

may live eternally
-or-
will live forever ⌊with God⌋

eternal life: This phrase refers to life with God that never ends. See how you translated this phrase in 3:15.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 4:12

4:12a

Are You greater than our father Jacob: This is the first part of a rhetorical question. It expects a negative answer. It shows surprise and is possibly a rebuke to Jesus. The woman thought that Jesus was not as great as their ancestor Jacob and therefore he could not supply better water.

There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question to express this surprise:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

Are you a greater man than our father Jacob…? (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
do you (sing.) think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob…? (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a statement. For example:

You (sing.) cannot be as great as our (incl.) ancestor Jacob.

Translate this rhetorical question in a way that is the most natural in your language.

greater: In some languages it is not natural to use a comparison. In those languages you will need to imply a comparison in a way that is natural. For example:

Our ancestor Jacob was important/great. You are not important/great.

than our father Jacob: The phrase our father Jacob refers to Jacob, the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham. He lived about two thousand years before this event. Jacob was an ancestor of both the Jews and the Samaritans.

our: This pronoun is inclusive because both the Jews and the Samaritans descended from Jacob.

4:12b

who gave us this well: Jacob gave the well to the people in the sense that he provided it for them. He either dug it or ordered his servants to dig the well. It may be more natural in your language to start a new sentence here. For example:

Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us. (Contemporary English Version)

4:12c

and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock?: This phrase indicates that Jacob and his extended family and livestock all drank water from this well.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock (English Standard Version)

This phrase implies that Jacob and his family were satisfied with the well, and that its water was good and plentiful. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed? (New Living Translation (2004))

from it: Jacob and his family drank water from the well, but not directly from the well itself, which was deep. So it may be natural to translate this phrase in a way that makes this clearer. For example:

that is where he and his children ⌊drew water⌋ which they and their livestock drank

his sons: This phrase here refers to Jacob’s family members. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

his family (Contemporary English Version)

his livestock: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as livestock refers to all kinds of tame or farm animals. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

his animals (God’s Word)

General Comment on 4:12a–c

In some languages it may be natural to reorder the information in this verse. For example:

12b Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, 12c and his family and animals got water from it. 12a Are you greater than Jacob? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

12b It was our ancestor Jacob who gave us this well; 12c he and his sons and his flocks all drank from it. 12a You don’t claim to be greater than Jacob, do you? (Good News Translation)

4:13–14

Jesus did not directly answer the woman’s question about who was greater. Instead he implied that his water was better. His water was not like the water that came from the well. People who drank his water would not become thirsty again.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 4:44

4:44

Now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Now here introduces some background information. In some languages it is more natural to leave this word untranslated or use parentheses. For example:

(Jesus had said before that a prophet is not respected in his own country.) (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus said previously that there is no prophet whom others in his town respect.

It is hard to know the connection between this verse and verse 43. Scholars give many suggestions about this connection. A big question is why Jesus would go to Galilee if they would not honor him there. In 4:1–3, we saw that Jesus left Judea because he was popular there. He wanted to avoid conflict with the Pharisees. Perhaps that was his motive here. Or perhaps he wanted to prove that a prophet has no honor in his country. Or perhaps, because he had received honor in Judea, he now needed to minister in Galilee.

He Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown: This is an indirect quotation of something Jesus had said earlier (see notes on Matthew 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24). In some languages it may be natural to use direct speech. For example:

Jesus had said, “A prophet has no honor in his own country.”

As Jesus was referring to prophets in general, it may be natural to use the plural form. For example:

Jesus had said, “Prophets are honored everywhere, except in their own country.” (New Century Version)

had testified: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as had testified indicates that Jesus had told the truth about something that he knew from personal experience. It is a form of the same word that is translated as “testimony” in 4:39b. See the note there. Here are other ways to translate this verb here:

had said (Good News Translation)
-or-
declared that (Revised English Bible)

a prophet: A prophet is a person who receives a message directly from God. He then tells people what God revealed to him.

Here are some ways to translate prophet :

a messenger from God
-or-
a man/person who speaks God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speaker

Consider how you will translate words that are similar in meaning, such as “angel,” “apostle,” and “preacher.” See Key Biblical Terms Prophet 1(a) and see how you translated this word in 1:21d and 4:19b.

has no honor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as honor means “honor,” “respect,” or “status.” In some languages it may be more natural to use a verb, either active or passive. For example:

no one honors
-or-
is not respected (GNB)

his own hometown: It is difficult to know whether his own hometown refers here to Galilee or to Judea. It is best to translate this phrase literally.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 5:22

5:22a

Furthermore: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Furthermore is often translated as “for” or “because.” Some English translations (New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, Revised Standard Version, TLV, God’s Word) do not translate this conjunction. In translations that do translate this conjunction, there are two ways to interpret it.

(1) It gives a reason or explanation for why the Son gives life to whomever (anyone) he wants. For example:

For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son (English Standard Version)

(English Standard Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

(2) It introduces another area where God is going to do new things through Jesus. For example:

Moreover (New International Version)
-or-
Again (Revised English Bible)
-or-
In addition (New Living Translation (2004))

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible, New Living Translation (2004), NET Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), because that is the most common meaning of the conjunction. Also, it makes sense in this context. The English Standard Version has been used as the Source Line in the Display.

the Father judges no one: The word judges means “decides and declares whether someone is good or bad.” It can be either positive or negative, either “approves” or “condemns.”

5:22b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects the negative statement in 5:22a (“For the Father judges no one”) with the positive statement in 5:22b (“has given all judgment to the Son”). Verse 5:22a tells what God does not do, while 5:22b tells what he has done instead. This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. For example:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

The Father doesn’t judge anyone, but he has made his Son the judge of everyone. (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

In addition, the Father judges no one. Instead, he has given the Son absolute authority to judge (New Living Translation (2004))

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

Nor does the Father himself judge anyone. He has given his Son the full right to judge (Good News Translation)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

God has given ⌊me,⌋ the Son, the entire job of judging people. He will not judge people himself.

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

has assigned all judgment to the Son: The phrase assigned all judgment means “appointed the whole task of judging.” God had given to Jesus the responsibility of judging all people. And Jesus again referred to himself in the third person as the Son.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

he has given the Son absolute authority to judge (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
he has appointed me as his Son to be the judge of everyone

the Son: See the note in 5:19b and how you translated this term there.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:7

6:7a

Philip answered: Philip replied to Jesus. Translate this speech introducer in a natural way in your language.

Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek phrase literally as Two hundred denarii. A denarius was a silver coin. It was the average day’s wage for a common worker. So the Greek expression refers to the amount of money that it took a worker more than six months to earn.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Two hundred silver coins worth of bread would not be enough (NET Bible)
-or-
It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread (New International Version)

6:7b

for each of them to have a small piece: This phrase means “for each person to be able to eat a small amount.” It implies that nobody would be satisfied. It may be natural to say:

for everyone to receive ⌊even⌋ a small amount
-or-
for each person to have only a little piece (New Century Version)
-or-
for each one to have a bite! (New International Version)

General Comment on 6:7a–b

In some languages it may be natural to change the order of this verse. For example:

7a Philip answered, 7b “For everyone to have even a little, 7a it would take more than two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread.” (Good News Translation)

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:39

6:39a

And this is the will of Him who sent Me: This clause introduces an explanation of what God the Father wanted him to do. See how you translated “will” in 6:38b.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Here is what the One who sent me wants me to do (New Century Version)
-or-
And this is the will of God (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and he wants (Contemporary English Version)

6:39b

that I shall lose none of those He has given Me: This clause indicates that God wanted Jesus to protect every one of his people. Jesus pleases his Father by protecting them all. The Greek here is more literally “that everything that he has given me, I should not lose it.” The word “everything” is the same word that was used in 6:37a. Here again it refers to all people that the Father has given to Jesus. For example:

that none of the ones he has given me will be lost (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
that I should not lose any of all those he has given me (Good News Translation)
-or-
I must not lose even one whom God gave me (New Century Version)

lose: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lose here refers to allowing something or someone to perish (die forever).

Here are other ways to translate this word:

fail to save/preserve any of those he has given me
-or-

permit/allow none of those that he has given me to die

6:39c

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but connects the negative statement in 6:39b to the positive statement in 6:39c. This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. For example:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible. For example:

And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day. (Good News Translation)
-or-
I must not lose anyone God has given me. But I must raise them up on the last day. (English Easy-to-Read Version)

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

and he wants to make certain that none of the ones he has given me will be lost. Instead, he wants me to raise them to life on the last day. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The will of my Father who sent me is that I will not allow any of those that he delivered to me to be lost. Rather, I will cause them to be brought back to life on the last day.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

The one who sent me doesn’t want me to lose any of those he gave me. He wants me to bring them back to life on the last day. (God’s Word)
-or-
He does not want me to lose any of the people that he has given to me. Not even one of them. He wants me to raise all of them up to life on the last day. (Easy English Bible)

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

He wants me to raise everyone whom he has given me on the last day and not lose anyone.

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

raise them up at the last day: The word raise here refers to making people alive again after they died physically (see 5:28–29). Jesus will cause all his people to live again.

them: The pronoun them refers to all those whom God has given to Jesus.

the last day: This phrase refers to the end of the world and the time when Jesus will judge everyone (see Matthew 7.22, 25.31–46). But it is also the day when Jesus will raise his people, which is what Jesus was talking about here.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2020

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 1:28

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2:9

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 3:16

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 4:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 4:44

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 5:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 6:39

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