judge vs. condemn

The Greek terms krino and katakrino/katadikazo that are translated as “judge” and “condemn” respectively in English are translated with only one term in Kutu (tagusa). (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also do not condemn.

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (John 12:47)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:47:

  • Uma: “‘People who hear my words and do not follow them, it is not I who condemn them. Because it is not my intention to come to this world in order to condemn men. I came in order to free them from their condemnation/punishment.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If there is a person who hears my teaching but does not follow/obey it, it is not I who will judge him. For I have not come to judge the people in the world, but I have come to save them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if there is a person who has heard my teachings and he does not obey them, I do not judge him worthy of punishment because I did not come here to the earth in order to punish mankind, but rather so that I might set mankind free from punishment.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘As for the one who hears my words but he doesn’t believe/obey, I am not the one who will judge him. Because I didn’t come to this world to judge people but rather to save them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And whoever has heard my word, but he will not indeed follow/obey it, he will be sentenced to judgment, but it is not I who judges him. Because it is not my purpose in coming here that I will judge this world, but on the contrary I will save people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But there are those who hear what I say and do not pay attention. I do not sentence them because I did not come to sentence the people here in this world. Rather I came to save them.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on John 12:47

My message is literally “my words” (Greek rema), the same noun used in 8.47 (of God’s words). Most translations render “my words.” But my message may also be rendered in some instances “what I have said” or “what I say.”

Does not obey it may be rendered “does not do what I have said” or “does not obey what I have told him to do.”

In some places the Gospel of John indicates that Jesus does not judge (see 3.17; 8.15), while in other passages it indicates that Jesus is the judge (see 5.22 and 27; compare 8.16 and 26). The apparent contradiction may be resolved by the observation that Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world was to save it, not to judge it. However, the inevitable outcome of his coming into the world means judgment, because some refuse to accept him.

I will not judge him may perhaps be best understood in this context in terms of “condemn him,” since the emphasis here is upon a type of judgment which results in condemnation.

As noted elsewhere, certain receptor languages require the positive before the negative statement. Therefore, one may translate the last sentence of verse 47 “I came into the world in order to save people. I did not come in order to condemn them.”

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 12:47

12:47a

As for anyone who hears My words and does not keep them, I do not judge him: The Greek text emphasizes the word I, which refers to Jesus. For example:

It is not I who am the judge of those who hear my words and do not keep them.
-or-
I am not the one who will judge those who refuse to obey my teachings. (Contemporary English Version)

anyone who hears My words and does not keep them: The word anyone refers to any person who has rejected Jesus. Use the noun or pronoun that is natural in your language. It may be singular or plural. For example:

those who hear me but don’t obey me (New Living Translation (2004))

My words: This phrase refers to Jesus’ message or teachings. For example:

my teachings (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
my message (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
what I say

and: This word introduces something that is not expected. You would expect that someone who heard Jesus’ words would obey them. However, here Jesus spoke about those who did not obey. Translate this word in a way that is natural in your language to indicate something not expected. For example:

but (New Living Translation (2004))

does not keep them: This phrase indicates that this individual does not obey Jesus’ words. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

does not obey them (New Century Version)

I do not judge him: These words indicate that Jesus himself is not the one who condemns these people. This was not his purpose in coming into the world. Jesus referred to the future as well as the present, and in some languages it may be natural to use future tense. For example:

I will not judge (Good News Translation)
-or-
I don’t condemn (God’s Word)

General Comment on 12:47a

In some languages it may be natural to follow the Greek text and reorder the clauses in 12:47a. For example:

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them faithfully, it is not I who shall judge such a person. (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
If anyone hears my message and does not obey it, I will not judge him. (Good News Translation)

12:47b

For: This word means “because” and is an introduction to the reason why he is not the judge. For example:

because (New Century Version)

I have not come to judge the world: The reason why Jesus came into the world was not to judge the people of the world. There was a different reason. See the General Comment on 12:47b–c for another way to order this information. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

I did not come to judge the world (New Century Version)
-or-
I didn’t come to condemn the world (God’s Word)

judge: The word judge in this context means “condemn and punish.” See Key Biblical Terms Judge, Judgement B.3.

the world: The phrase the world here refers to the people of the world. For example:

the people of this world (Contemporary English Version)

12:47c

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (12:47b) to a positive statement (12:47c). 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 did not come to judge the people of the world; rather I came to save them.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

I did not come to judge the world. I came to save the world.

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

I came to save the people of this world, not to be their judge. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. (New Living Translation (2004))

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

to save the world: In some languages it may be natural to use a pronoun rather than repeating the noun world from 12:47b. However, that may lose some of the emphasis on the world. For example:

but to save it (Good News Translation)

save: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as save here means “rescue or free from sin.” The result is that Jesus will not judge or condemn a person that he has saved. That means that he will not punish that person.

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