Translation commentary on John 12:27

Now my heart is troubled (so also Goodspeed) is more literally “Now my soul is troubled.” The word “soul” is the same word translated life in verse 25, and so the translation here could read “Now I am troubled.” However, for English readers heart expresses more of the emotional overtones involved, and that is the reason for Good News Translation rendering. The verb troubled is used of the stirring of the water in 5.4. Now my heart is troubled may be expressed idiomatically in some languages, for example, “Now my liver is moving within me” or “Now my spleen is swollen.” However, one may also employ such an expression as “Now what shall I think?” This type of rendering often goes well with the expression that follows—and what shall I say? In other languages it may be more satisfactory to use such an expression as “Now what shall I do?” For languages in which the form of a question might be misunderstood, it is always possible to say “Now I do not know what to think, I do not know what to say, I could say, ‘Father, do not let this hour come upon me.’ ”

Father, do not let this hour come upon me may be punctuated either with a question mark, as in Good News Translation, or as a statement, as in some other translations. Good News Translation takes this sentence as a deliberative question and so introduces it with Shall I say and then concludes it with a question mark. That is, Good News Translation understands it as a thought that Jesus considered but dismissed from his mind. Support for this interpretation is found by the way these words are introduced in Greek (and what shall I say?).

However, some translations understand this sentence to be a genuine petition, and so make it a statement. Note, for example, Goodspeed “Now my heart is troubled; what can I say? Father, save me from this trial! And yet it was for this very purpose that I have come to this trial.” In the final analysis the meaning is essentially the same, though there is some difference of emphasis. If the clause in question is taken to be a question, then in the mind of Jesus the answer all along is “No.” But if it is taken as a genuine petition, then Jesus is seen asking the Father to save him from this hour, but then changing his mind as he realizes that it was for this hour of suffering that he came into the world. All in all, no final decision can be made in favor of one position or the other.

It would be an unusual language in which one could translate literally do not let this hour come upon me. In the first place, it would be unusual to speak of an hour “coming.” In the second place, a term such as “hour” would rarely suggest a time of trial or difficulty. In some languages one may say “do not permit this testing of me to come” or “do not allow me to be tested in this way.” In some languages an equivalent of “trial” may be “suffering.” Accordingly, one may translate “do not make me suffer as I know I will have to.”

But that is why I came—so that I might go through this hour of suffering is literally “But because of this I came to this hour.” Good News Translation makes explicit the meaning of “this hour” by rendering this hour of suffering. Though the Greek text does not indicate the point to which Jesus had come, it may, however, be necessary in some languages to say “this is why I came to earth”; otherwise, the context might suggest that Jesus was only speaking of his immediate entry into Jerusalem. Similarly, it may be necessary to translate so that I might go through this hour of suffering in such a manner that this clause will refer not to what has passed but to what is going to take place, for example, “in order to suffer as I will.”

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 12:27

Section 12:27–36b

Jesus talked about his death

Jesus spoke about his coming death. He said that he was disturbed by what was going to happen, but that was why he came to earth. He prayed that his Father God would reveal his glory in Jesus’ death. God answered that had already revealed his glory and that he would do it again.

Jesus said that the time had now come for God to judge the world and drive out Satan. And Jesus’ death would attract people to him. But the people there were confused because they did not think that the Messiah would die. Jesus told them to believe in the light, which was himself.

Here are some other possible titles for this section:

Jesus’ death will attract people to himself
-or-
What Jesus’ death would do

Paragraph 12:27–28a

12:27a

Now: This word in this context is a time word, referring to the time when Jesus spoke.

My soul is troubled: The phrase My soul refers to Jesus himself. In some languages it is more natural to use a different body part, such as “my heart.” Or it may be natural to use the pronoun “I.” For example:

I am very troubled. (New Century Version)

Translate this clause in a way that is natural in your language.

troubled: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as troubled means “in distress, upset, confused.” Jesus felt distress because he knew he would soon die a painful death that would cause him shame. He knew that it would be very difficult and he did not know how he should pray. Here are other ways to translate this word:

in distress
-or-
painful

12:27b

and what shall I say?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used to express uncertainty (state of being uncertain). Jesus expressed that he was uncertain about what or how he should pray to God. There are two ways to translate this uncertainty:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

what am I to say? (New Living Translation (2004))

• Use a statement: For example:

I don’t know what to say. (Contemporary English Version)

Translate this uncertainty in a way that is most natural in your language.

12:27c

‘Father, save Me from this hour’?: This expression is a short way of saying “Should I say, ‘Father save me from this hour’?” This is a rhetorical question. Jesus was suggesting a possibility that he knew was not good. He was suggesting the possibility that he ask God to save him from being crucified. He already understood that he would not and must not pray that prayer.

There are two ways to translate this rhetorical question:

• Use a rhetorical question. For example:

Shall I say, ‘Father, do not let this hour come upon me’? (Good News Translation)

• Use a statement. For example:

But I must not ask my Father to keep me from this time of suffering. (Contemporary English Version)

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

Father: Jesus addressed God as his heavenly Father.

save Me from this hour: This clause means “keep me from having to experience this time of suffering.” Jesus knew that the time when he would suffer and die was now very close. However, it would not happen in the next 60 minutes. It may therefore be natural to translate this phrase using a more general word than hour. For example:

save me from this time ⌊of suffering⌋ (God’s Word)

General Comment on 12:27b–c

In some languages it may be natural to combine the two questions in 12:27b–c into one. For example:

27a Now I am very troubled. 27b–c Should I say, ‘Father, save me from this time’? (New Century Version)
-or-

27a Now my soul is deeply troubled. 27b–c Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? (New Living Translation (2004))

12:27d

No: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as No is more literally “but.” This conjunction introduces a contrast to the idea that Jesus might ask God to save him from suffering and dying. Here are other ways to translate this word:

But (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
No, but (NET Bible Bible)

it is for this purpose that I have come to this hour: This clause explains why Jesus’ answer to his own question must be, “No.” The phrase this purpose seems to point back to 12:23–24. Jesus came to this time of his life on earth in order to be glorified and give life to others. In some languages it may be necessary to make it explicit that this purpose refers to glorifying Jesus or giving life to others. For example:

I came to this time so I could ⌊give life to many people⌋
-or-
I came to this time of my death to ⌊give life to many others⌋

Some English translations either say or imply that Jesus is talking about coming to the earth rather than to this hour. That is not what the Greek says and it is recommended that you not follow those translations. Also, some translations say that the reason for Jesus coming was to suffer. But Jesus is really talking about the reason for his suffering here. That reason is either to be glorified or to give life to others, as seen in 12:23–24.

for this purpose: This phrase introduces the reason Jesus came to this hour. As seen in the above note, it points back to 12:23–24. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

that is why I came (Good News Translation)

this hour: The word hour does not literally mean “60 minutes.” Here it means “time” in a general way (not a specific time like 2:30 p.m.). The phrase this hour refers to Jesus’ time of suffering, his death on the cross for man’s sin. In some languages it may help to make this explicit. For example:

this hour of suffering (Good News Translation)

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