Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:49:
Uma: “Because I do not speak from my own will. I say and I speak what was given/commanded to me by my Father, because he is the one who sent me here.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For my teachings are not from my own thinking, but from my Father who sent me. All that I am teaching, he is the one who tells me to teach it.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For my teaching, they do not just come from my own thinking, because my Father God sent me and he commanded me to teach what I teach.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because I have not said these-things on my own but rather my Father who sent me is the one who has commanded what I say and likewise also the way I say-it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because there is nothing I am saying which I am just doing by myself, but on the contrary the Father who sent me to come here, he is the one who says what I will speak and what I will explain/make clear.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Because I am not speaking just my own word. My Father who sent me ordered me as to what word I teach you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, the Greek that is translated as “commandment” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-meiji (お命じ), combining “command” (meiji) with the respectful prefix o-.
Other uses of honorifics in this verse include:
The usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix. When the referent is God or a person or persons to be honored, the honorific prefix go- (御 or ご) can be used, as in go-jishin (ご自身), a combination of “onseself” (jishin) and the honorific prefix go-. This can also be used for other reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, yourself etc.)
The choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms). The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where 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.
The usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, tsukawas-are-ru (遣わされる) or “send” is used.
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
This is true does not appear as part of the Greek text; it is used as a literary device in English, to contrast Jesus’ words in 48 with those in 49.
For the meaning of the phrase on my own authority, see comments at 7.17.
Has commanded me is literally “has given me a command.” The change from a noun phrase to a verb phrase is to attain a more natural equivalent in English.
In some languages there is no way to distinguish effectively between say and speak. The two expressions may be used in the Greek text simply as a means of emphasis, equivalent essentially to “just what I must say.”
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 .
In Greek this verse begins with a conjunction that means that means “because.” It introduces the reason why Jesus’ word will judge those who reject it. It is because God was the original source of what Jesus said. Here is another way to translate this word:
Because
-or-
This is true, because (Good News Translation)
I have not spoken on My own: This clause means that Jesus was not talking based on his own authority. He did not make up his own thoughts and say them. See how you translated the phrase “on my own” in 7:17. The Greek text emphasizes the words I and My own to contrast with “the Father who sent me” in the next clause. For example:
I do not speak on my own authority (Revised English Bible)
-or-
my teachings are not from my own thinking (Yakan Back Translation)
12:49b
but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (12:49a) to a positive statement (12:49b). 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.
For I have not spoken from my own authority, but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak. (NET Bible Bible)
• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:
I have not spoken on my own. Instead, the Father who sent me told me what I should say and how I should say it. (God’s Word)
• Do not use a conjunction. For example:
The things I taught were not from myself. The Father who sent me told me what to say and what to teach. (New Century Version)
• Change the order of the clauses. For example:
Because the Father who sent me has commanded me about what to say and what to speak. I was not the one who decided what to say.
You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.
the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it: This clause says that God had given Jesus his message. The authority on which he spoke was not his own but God’s. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
the Father himself who sent me has commanded me what I should say and what I should speak (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
the Father who sent me has commanded me what I must say and speak (Good News Translation)
the Father who sent Me: The words who sent Me tell something about the Father. They do not imply that Jesus had more than one Father, one who sent him and another one who did not. In some languages a literal translation may imply that Jesus had more than one Father. To avoid this wrong meaning, it may be necessary to translate this information as a separate clause. For example:
The Father sent me ⌊into this world⌋ and told me what to say.
The Greek text emphasizes the phrase the Fatherwho sent Me. This emphasis indicates a strong contrast with Jesus (“I” and “my own” are also emphasized in 12:49a). Jesus was not the source of his words, but it was his Father instead. Indicate this emphasis and contrast in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
but it is my Father who sent me who commanded me
the Father: The phrase the Father refers to God. In some languages it is necessary to say whose Father Jesus referred to. For example:
⌊my⌋ Father
-or-
⌊God my⌋ Father
has commanded Me: In some languages it may be more natural to use a noun form rather than the verb commanded. For example:
has himself given me a commandment (New Revised Standard Version)
what to say and how to say it: The phrases what to say and how to say it mean the same thing. Saying it twice emphasizes the idea: God told Jesus exactly what to say, or possibly everything that he should say. For example:
exactly what to say
-or-
just what I should say
-or-
about all that I should say
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