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.

complete verse (John 12:48)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:48:

  • Uma: “People who refuse/deny me and do not receive my words, there will be that which condemns them. My words which I speak, that is what will condemn them on Kiama Day.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “In the last day, there is (something/someone) that judges those who do not accept me and the ones who do not follow/obey my teachings. That is what will judge them/what they will be judged by, the things I have taught to them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The person who does not receive me and does not fulfill my teaching, he will be judged worthy of punishment later on the last day. And the reason that he will be punished are my teachings which he has not received.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But there is however one who will judge the person who rejects me who doesn’t receive what I say. Because these-very -things that I have been saying will condemn him at the last day.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There is one who will judge all who reject me and don’t believe/obey the things I have said. These words of mine which I have spoken, those are what will judge him there at the end of the world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who does not respect me and does not respect what I say will be sentenced. The word which I speak will cause the person to be sentenced at the last day because he didn’t believe.” (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 12:48

Whoever rejects me is a participial construction in Greek, similar to whoever believes in me in verse 44, whoever sees me in verse 45, and everyone who believes in me in verse 46. And does not accept my message is literally “(the one) not receiving my words (rema).” The word rejects appears only here in the Gospel of John. Whoever rejects me may be rendered “whoever refuses to have anything to do with me” or, idiomatically, “whoever pushes me aside” or “whoever scoffs at me.” Does not accept my message is essentially equivalent to “does not do what I have said.”

Here Good News Translation changes the Greek verb phrase “will judge him” to a noun phrase will be his judge.

The words translates a singular masculine noun. Therefore, it may be an appropriate reference to a preceding participle rendered in Good News Translation one who will judge him. In the English translation the connection is lost. If one uses the Good News Translation text as a basis for translation, certain seeming contradictions may result in some receptor languages, for it will not be possible to see a connection between one who will judge him and the words. The first phrase will evidently refer to a person, while the second will suggest only what was spoken. One could translate “has something which will judge him,” and this clause may be followed by “what will judge him are the words I have spoken; they will judge him on the last day.” In these contexts, “to judge” may be understood in the sense of “to condemn” or “to pass sentence on.”

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 .