complete verse (John 11:50)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 11:50:

  • Uma: “You do not know what is good for the people. It is better that one person should die in the place of the people, so that our town will not be totally destroyed.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You do not understand that it is for our good hep if just one person dies instead of/as a substitute for the people so that not the whole tribe will be destroyed.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Evidently you don’t understand that it is necessary that there is one person who dies as a substitute for all the Jews so that the situation of us Jews is not destroyed.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “You ought to understand that it-is-better if one person dies in order that his countrymen live than that all of us inhabitants die.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Your minds/thinking can’t reach far enough. Of course what is much better for us is, only one person needs to die, like a substitute for all of us, rather than a whole countryful be made to suffer.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Don’t you realize how it is? It is better for us that only one person die for the people and not that all the people of our land be lost.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 11:50

For you (so most translations) has by far the strongest manuscript support, and this reading is followed by the UBS Committee on the Greek text. Only Phillips (“for us”) seems to follow an alternative reading. It is better for you may be rendered “you will be better off” or “it will be to your advantage” or, idiomatically, “you will get the bigger part” or “you will be above others.”

New American Bible is wrong in placing for the people in brackets, as if its presence in the text were doubtful. No Greek manuscript evidence favours its omission; only the evidence of some of the early Church Fathers. However, New American Bible note is possibly correct, in suggesting that the preposition rendered for should be understood with the meaning “instead of.” In verse 51 the preposition for in the phrase for the people has its usual meaning, “for the sake of.”

Nation in this verse is the same word translated Jewish people in verse 51, and both these terms are synonymous with the word translated people in this verse. Technically one could say that nation refers to the Jewish people as a political unit, while the word people refers to them in their relation to God. However, this distinction is rather artificial in this passage.

The rhetorical question in verse 50 may be transformed into a statement in languages in which such a question might be misleading. For example, one may say “You should realize that it is better….”

Instead of having the whole nation destroyed may be treated as a causative, for example, “instead of causing the whole nation to be destroyed” or “instead of causing the Romans to destroy the whole nation.” In some languages, however, it may be better to treat this expression as one which allows, rather than causes, something to happen, for example, “instead of allowing the whole nation to be destroyed.”

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 11:50

11:50a

You do not realize that: The words You do not realize introduce something that Caiaphas thought that the council members should know but did not. For example:

You haven’t even considered this: (God’s Word)
-or-
You fail to see that (New Jerusalem Bible)

11:50b

it is better for you: This clause introduces something that Caiaphas thought would benefit the Jewish council. Here is another way to translate this clause:

it is to your advantage (New Jerusalem Bible)

that one man die for the people: This expression indicates that Caiaphas thought that Jesus should be killed in order to save the people of Israel. He implied that if Jesus died, the people of Israel would not die. The Romans would not come and destroy the nation. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

that ⌊this⌋ one man should die for the benefit of ⌊our (incl.)⌋ people
-or-
that one man should be put to death to save the people

11:50c

than that the whole nation perish: This expression indicates the bad thing that Caiaphas thought would happen if Jesus did not die. That bad thing was that the nation of Israel would be destroyed. Caiaphas expected that the Romans would destroy the whole nation, that is, its leadership, rights, institutions, and independence. The nation of Israel would cease to exist as a nation. Here are other ways to translate this expression:

rather than causing the destruction of the whole nation
-or-
so that the whole country will not be destroyed
-or-
instead of having the whole nation destroyed (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 11:50b–c

11:50b–c compares two possibilities. Consider how it is most natural in your language to make such a comparison. For example:

it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed (Good News Translation)
-or-
it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish (English Standard Version)
-or-
It is good for you that this one man should die for the people. It is not good that the whole nation should perish/die.

General Comment on 11:50a–c

Verse 11:50 is a strong statement. In some languages it may be natural to express this as a rhetorical question. For example:

Don’t you realize that it is better for you to have one man die for the people, instead of having the whole nation destroyed? (Good News Translation)

11:51–52

11:51–52 is a parenthetical comment by the author. It is not part of the main story but a comment on what Caiaphas said in 11:50.

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