Translation commentary on John 10:34

Jesus answered is literally “Jesus answered them.” In Greek this verse is in the form of a rhetorical question which expects the answer “yes” (Revised Standard Version “Is it not written in your law…?”). A capital “L” is used by Good News Translation in its spelling of the word Law, for the reference is to the Jewish Scriptures. As mentioned in the preceding verse, the quotation is from Psalm 82.6, and John follows the Septuagint exactly (literally “I said, ‘You are gods’ ”). Good News Translation makes the pronoun “I” explicit as a reference to God (God said), since in the Psalm it is God who is speaking. This enables the person who reads this passage to himself, or who hears the passage read aloud, to know immediately that God is the one who said this in the Scripture. That is, since in this context Jesus is the one speaking, it may sound as if Jesus himself said this in their Law unless one introduces God in place of the pronoun “I” in the statement “I said.”

As noted elsewhere, the expression It is written in your own Law may be difficult to express in some languages. One may sometimes say “The following words are in your laws” or “These are the words written in your Law.”

You are gods: see comments at verse 33.

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 10:34

Paragraph 10:34–39

Jesus defended himself against being accused of blasphemy. He said that he was the one God had chosen and sent into the world. He also said that God was in him and he was in God. The people again tried to seize him, and he again escaped from them.

10:34a–b

Is it not written in your Law: ‘I have said you are gods’?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used it to emphasize that their law does say that they were gods. There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

In your Scriptures doesn’t God say, “You are gods”? (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a statement. For example:

It is written in your law that God said, ‘I said, you are gods.’ (New Century Version)

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

10:34a

written in your Law: The verb written is passive. In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb. For example:

your Scriptures say (God’s Word)

in your Law: This phrase here refer to the Old Testament as a whole. It does not refer specifically to the Books of the Law (Genesis through Deuteronomy). The quotation here comes from Psalm 82:6. Because Psalms is not one of the Books of the Law, you can use a more general word. For example:

your Scriptures (God’s Word)

10:34b

I have said: The pronoun I refers to God. In many languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

It is written in your law that God said, “I said, you are gods.” (New Century Version)

you are gods: The pronoun you is plural. Scholars have different interpretations about whom the pronoun refers to:

• Some say that it refers to humans who are acting as judges as representatives of God.

• Others say that it refers to the people of Israel as a whole.

Because scholars do not agree about the interpretation, it is best to translate the clause literally.

gods: This word is used figuratively, indicating that in some way these people were like gods. They had received a great honor because God spoke to them and gave them his Law. Consider how you can help your readers understand that the term gods is being used figuratively. For example:

I call you gods
-or-
I speak to you as gods
-or-
I declare you to be ⌊like/as⌋ gods

General Comment on 10:34a–b

These verse parts involve a quotation (you are gods) inside a quotation (I said…) inside another quotation (Is it not written in your law…). There are various ways to make this series of quotations clearer and simpler. For example, one or more of the quotations may be translated as indirect rather than direct. Consider what is most natural in your language. For example:

It is written in your own Law that God said, ‘You are gods.’ (Good News Translation)
-or-
Your own scriptures record/report that God said, ‘You (plur.) are gods.’

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