SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2020 – Page 3

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 20:9

20:9a–b

For they still did not understand from the Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead: The two disciples did not understand that their scriptures, our Old Testament, taught that the Messiah would rise from the dead. This is a parenthetical statement. It is not part of the main story but a comment by the author. Some English translations therefore place this sentence in parentheses. For example:

(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) (New International Version)

20:9a

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For here means “because” and introduces a parenthetical statement. In some languages it may be natural to leave it untranslated, as the New International Version has done. Introduce the following parenthetical information in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

because

they still did not understand from the Scripture: This parenthetical statement explains why the disciple only believed after he saw the empty tomb and the grave cloths. It was because the disciples did not realize that their scriptures said that the Messiah must rise from the dead. At that time they did not know that this was what the Scriptures meant. They knew what the Scriptures said, but they did not understand its full meaning.

they still did not understand: There are two ways to interpret the expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they still did not understand :

(1) It means that the disciples still did not understand. They did not understand until some future time. For example:

At that time Peter and the other disciple did not know (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They still did not understand the scripture (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version. Contemporary English Version, God’s Word, New Century Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, Good News Translation)

(2) It means that the disciples did not understand until this point. At this time they began to understand. For example:

for until then they still hadn’t understood (New Living Translation (2004))

(New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)

If you must choose between the interpretations, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It is followed by most important English translations and also has the support of commentaries. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as a positive statement. For example:

for only later did they understand the scripture

they: This pronoun here refers to two men, Peter and John. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

Peter and the other disciple (Contemporary English Version)

still: The word still means “up to that time.” It implies that later the situation changed and the disciples did understand.

did not understand: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as understand is more literally “know.” Here in this context it refers to knowing the meaning of something. The disciples knew what the Scriptures said, but they did not realize that it was speaking about Jesus’ resurrection.

the Scripture: This phrase here probably refers to the Jewish word of God as a whole, which is our Old Testament. The author may have been thinking of passages such as Isaiah 53:10–11, Psalm 16:9–11, and Hosea 6:2. See how you translated this word in 2:22 and 10:35. Here are some ways to translate this word:

what is written in God’s Word
-or-
what God’s book says
-or-
what the prophets wrote long ago

20:9b

that Jesus had to rise from the dead: This clause indicates what the disciples did not understand from scripture. They did not understand that it was necessary for Jesus to rise from the dead. It was necessary because God had decided and declared that it would happen. It was God’s will and purpose. See how you translated the similar idea, that Jesus must die on the cross, in 3:14. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

when it said that Jesus had to come back to life (God’s Word)
-or-
which showed that he must rise from the dead (Revised English Bible)
-or-
that he was certainly/surely going to live again

rise from the dead: This phrase means “become alive again after dying.” See how you translated this phrase in 2:22, Mark 9:9, and Luke 2:46. For example:

rise from death (Good News Translation)
-or-
rise to life (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
return to life

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SIL Translator’s Notes on John 21:10

21:10

Jesus told them: The pronoun them refers to Jesus’ seven disciples who went fishing.

Bring some of the fish you have just caught: This is a second-person plural command to the disciples. Jesus implied that he wanted to cook some more fish and serve them for breakfast.

Bring: In some languages it may be natural to say where the disciples were to bring the fish. For example:

Bring me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
Bring here

you have just caught: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as just is more literally “now.” The disciples had caught the fish only a few minutes before. In some languages the verb tense may indicate recent action and it may not be necessary to translate this word explicitly.

you: This pronoun is plural and refers to the seven disciples.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 7:6

Paragraph 7:6–9

Jesus told his brothers that this was not the right time for him to go to Jerusalem.

7:6a

Therefore Jesus told them: In the Greek text this expression connects to the previous sentence with a conjunction that is often translated “therefore.” It introduces Jesus’ response to his brothers. Jesus explained to them why he did not want to go to Jerusalem at that time. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

So Jesus replied (NET Bible Bible)

Although your time is always at hand: This clause could indicate that Jesus’ brothers could go to the festival any time they wanted. Or it could indicate that in general it did not matter when they did things.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

for you any time is the right time (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Any time is right for you. (Good News Translation)

your: The pronoun your refers to Jesus’ brothers and is plural.

7:6b

My time has not yet come: This clause indicates that this was not the right time for Jesus to act. See the note on the similar phrase “My hour has not yet come” at 2:4b. Jesus rejected his brothers’ suggestion that he should go to Judea at that time and show himself to the world.

The words My time could refer to his time to go to Judea, his time to die, or his time to reveal that he was the Messiah. The text does not explain what Jesus meant by My time, so it is recommended that you do not explain it either.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

My time has not yet arrived (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
It is not yet the right time for me. (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

My time: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as time here refers to a moment in time, the correct moment for an action, an opportunity.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

The right time for me (NIV93)

has not yet come: In some languages it is not possible to talk of time as “coming.” Instead it may be possible to say:

is not now
-or-
is not yet here (New International Version (2011))

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 7:38

7:38a

Whoever believes in Me: This refers to anyone and everyone who believes on Jesus Christ. For example:

If anyone believes in me (New Century Version)

believes in Me: 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 similar phrases in 1:12b, 7:5, and 7:31a. Here are other ways to translate this idea:

Have faith in me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
trusts in me

7:38b

as the Scripture has said: This clause probably refers to Isaiah 58:11, which says, “You will be like…a spring whose waters never fail” (New International Version). But it is not an exact quotation, and several OT passages talk about God giving water to his people. Those passages include Ezekiel 47:1–12 and Zechariah 14:8.

Here are other ways to translate this clause:

As the scripture says (Good News Translation)
-or-
according to God’s written word

7:38c

Streams of living water will flow from within him: This is a further development of the metaphor in 7:37c. Refer to the story of the woman at the well, 4:10–15, to see how Christ used this metaphor earlier. Here, as there, it refers to the Holy Spirit as the one who brings true and plentiful life. It is good to keep the metaphor because Scripture uses it in other places.

Here are other ways to translate this sentence:

Rivers of living water will flow from his heart. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
You will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
in his heart will be ⌊that which gives life which will be like⌋ water that flows from a spring

Streams of living water will flow: This expression indicates that the living water will flow and be plentiful. In some languages it may be natural to leave the idea of Streams implicit. Instead, you can indicate that the water is plentiful in the verb flow or in an adjective. For example:

shall flow/rush plentiful life-giving water
-or-
water flowing (Contemporary English Version)

Streams of living water: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as living in this context means “life-giving,” something that gives life. See also 4:14c and the notes there, and the note on living water at 4:10d. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

streams of life-giving water (Good News Translation)

from within him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from within him is more literally “out of his stomach.” The pronoun “his” in the Greek probably refers to whoever believes in Jesus (7:38a). The New International Version uses a plural pronoun here because there are many who believe in Jesus. However, the Greek text has a singular pronoun to refer to “the one believing in me.” The Berean Standard Bible, like nearly all English translations, uses a singular pronoun.

The most probable Scripture that this refers to is Isaiah 58:11. There the pronoun is “you” (“You will be like…a spring”). See the previous note at 7:38b.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

From his heart (New Jerusalem Bible)

within him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as within him is more literally “his stomach.” At that time, people saw the stomach as the center of one’s feelings and desires. Today, most English speakers see the heart that way, so some English translations translated the phrase as “his heart.” Other English translations just refer to inside a person without saying a specific body part. For example:

there will flow what gives true life, coming from inside him, like a spring of water
-or-
you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you (Contemporary English Version)

Translate this word in a way that is natural in your language. You may mention a specific body part that people see as the center or source of feelings and desires. Or you may just refer to the water coming from inside a person.

General Comment on 7:38a–c

This verse can be difficult to understand because the phrase “as the Scripture has said” interrupts the flow of the sentence. It separates the subject (“Whoever believes in me”) from what Jesus said about him. It may be clearer to change the order of the sentence. For example:

38b Scripture says this about 38c the one who believes in me. 38a ‘Rivers of water that give life will flow from his heart.’

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 8:17

8:17

Even in your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid: This clause indicates that Moses’ law required at least two witnesses to prove a charge (accusation). See Deuteronomy 19:15. One witness was not sufficient to prove that someone was guilty.

Even in your own Law it is written: In some languages it may be natural to make your own Law the subject of the clause. For example:

Your own law says that (New Century Version)
-or-
Your law requires (Contemporary English Version)

in your own Law: The phrase your own Law refers to the Jewish law, the law of Moses. The pronoun your is emphasized, and you may want to emphasize the word in your translation.

it is written: This phrase introduces a quotation from the Old Testament. It implies that the following statement has authority. All Jews agreed that what was written in Scripture had authority.

the testimony of two men is valid: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as valid is more literally “true,” as in 8:13b and 8:14a. This clause indicates that when two people agree about something in their testimony, it should be accepted. That means that people should believe that it is true and reliable. One witness was not sufficient. The testimony of one person might be true, but it was not accepted as legal proof. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

the witness of two people is reliable
-or-
if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
when two witnesses say the same thing, you must accept what they say (New Century Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 8:49

8:49a

I do not have a demon: Jesus denied what his accusers said in 8:48. They said that a demon caused him to speak as he did. Jesus said that what they accused was false. Translate this clause as one that clearly denied the insult in 8:48. For example:

I have no demon (Good News Translation)
-or-
I am not possessed by a demon (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
No…I have no demon in me (New Living Translation (2004))

Jesus replied: The Berean Standard Bible places the words Jesus replied after the quotation of his words. Place this quote introducer where it is natural in your language. For example:

Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon” (New Revised Standard Version)

8:49b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (8:49a) to a positive statement (8:49b). 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.

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

I do not have a demon, rather/instead I honor my father.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

I don’t have a demon in me. I honor my Father (Contemporary English Version)

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

I honor My Father: The word honor here indicates that Jesus respected and obeyed God, who was his Father.

8:49c

and: This conjunction connects and contrasts what Jesus did and what his opponents did. In some languages it may be natural to translate it in a way that makes the contrast more explicit. For example:

I honor my Father, but you dishonor me. (Good News Translation)
-or-
I honor my Father—and yet you dishonor me (NET Bible Bible)

Nearly all English translations that use “but” in 8:49b use and here and leave the contrast here implied. You should translate this conjunction in the way that is most natural in your language.

you dishonor Me: The word dishonor here means to say evil things about someone so that others will not respect that person. Jesus’ opponents tried to make others hate him by saying that he was possessed or controlled by a demon. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

you refuse to honor me (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you are trying to dishonour me (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
you are saying evil/shameful things about me

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 9:22

9:22a

His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews: These clauses begin the author’s explanation of why the man’s parents answered the way that they did. It gives background or parenthetical information. The man’s parents were afraid of what the Jewish leaders would do if they said that Jesus had healed their son. Some English translations put 9:22–23 in parentheses to indicate that it is background information and not part of the main story. You should indicate this in a way that is natural in your language.

the Jews: The phrase the Jews here refers to the Jewish leaders who were against Jesus. It does not refer to all Jews because the parents of the man were themselves Jews.

9:22b

For the Jews had already determined that anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ would be put out of the synagogue: These clauses explain why the parents were afraid. The Jewish religious leaders had already decided to reject or expel (throw out) anyone who said that Jesus was the Messiah. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:

for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue (NIV93)
-or-
who had already agreed that anyone who said he believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue (Good News Translation)
-or-
because they had already made an agreement that if anyone said that Jesus was the Messiah they would remove him from the synagogue

the Jews: The words the Jews here refer to the Jewish religious leaders. These were the people in charge of the synagogue worship. Because these people were just mentioned in 9:22a, it may not be necessary to say this explicitly again. For example:

they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue (New Living Translation (2004))

anyone who confessed Jesus as the Christ: This phrase refers to those who declared that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

if anyone said that Jesus was the Messiah, he
-or-
anyone who said Jesus was the Messiah (Contemporary English Version)

the Christ: This phrase is a title that Jewish people used for the savior that God had promised to send. Christ is the Greek word that means “anointed one.” The title refers to the man God had appointed to save Israel from their enemies. See how you translated this in John 1:20 and 4:25, and see Christ, Messiah in Key Biblical Terms.

would be put out of the synagogue: This expression here indicates that people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah would be punished by the synagogue. Scholars disagree about whether this was a temporary and limited punishment (banned from being a leader) or something more serious. If more serious, they might not even allow that person to worship in the synagogue. The verb phrase would be put out is passive. It means “would be thrown out” or “would be expelled.” There are at least two ways to translate this verb phrase:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

should be banned from the synagogue (Revised English Bible)
-or-
would be expelled from the synagogue (Good News Translation)

• Use an active verb. The religious leaders themselves would put such people out of the synagogue. For example:

The Jews had already agreed to put anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ out of the synagogue. (God’s Word)

Translate this expression using the verb form that is most natural in your language. The idea is that if anyone believed that Jesus was the Messiah, their privileges at the synagogue were limited or removed. In your translation, avoid implying that these people were in the synagogue building and would be forced to leave.

the synagogue: In every town and village in Israel, people met together regularly for religious purposes. The building where the Jews gathered was called the synagogue. The organization of the people who met there was also called the synagogue. The main activities that took place in their meetings were reading and teaching the Scriptures, praying, and worshiping God.

People who said they believed in Jesus were forbidden to join in at least some of these activities in any synagogue. So in this context the phrase the synagogue refers to Jewish religious activities in general, not to one specific building. In some languages it may be necessary to use a plural form to make this clear. For example:

their synagogues
-or-
their religious community
-or-
Jewish gatherings/meetings

See also how you translated the word synagogue in 6:59.

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 10:13

10:13a–b

The man runs away because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep: The Greek text is more literally “because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.” The word because introduces the reason why the hired man runs away (flees) (10:12a–b). So the Berean Standard Bible begins a new sentence here and supplies the words The man runs away. In many languages it may be natural to supply a similar clause. In the following examples the words that were supplied are underlined:

He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. (English Standard Version)
-or-

The man runs away because he is a hired man and cares nothing for the sheep. (Revised English Bible)
-or-

The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. (New Living Translation (2004))

because he is a hired servant and is unconcerned for the sheep: The word because introduces the reason the man ran away: he does not care about protecting the sheep. He is not concerned about their safety. He only took care of the sheep because he wanted his wages. You may want to make this implied information explicit. For example:

The hired hand is concerned about what he’s going to get paid and not about the sheep. (God’s Word)

is unconcerned for the sheep: The English phrase is unconcerned for is confusing here because it has more than one possible sense. In some contexts it would mean that the hired man did not feed or look after the sheep. But that was his job, and that is not what the Greek phrase means. What the Greek means is that the hired man was not concerned about the sheep. They were not important to him, so when danger came he abandoned them. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

cares nothing for the sheep (New International Version)
-or-
is not concerned about the sheep (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
the sheep do not really matter to him
-or-
the sheep are not important to him

General Comment on 10:13a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 10:13a–b. For example:

Because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep, he runs away. (NET Bible Bible)

General Comment on 10:12–13

Jesus was talking about hired workers in general. So in some languages it may be natural to use plural forms, as the Contemporary English Version has done. The Contemporary English Version translation also provides a model for how to break up this long sentence into several shorter sentences:

Hired workers are not like the shepherd. They don’t own the sheep, and when they see a wolf coming, they run off and leave the sheep. Then the wolf attacks and scatters the flock. Hired workers run away because they don’t care about the sheep. (Contemporary English Version)

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on John 2020

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 20:9

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 21:10

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 7:6

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 7:38

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 8:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 8:49

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 9:22

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 10:13

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