rhetorical questions (John 13:6)

During the translation of the New Testament into Huixtán Tzotzil, translation consultant Marion Cowan found that questions where the answer is obvious, affirmative rhetorical questions, as well questions raising objections tended to cause confusion among the readers. So these are rendered as simple or emphatic statements.

Accordingly, John 13:6 reads “Lord, I don’t want you to wash my feet.”

Source: Marion Cowan in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 123ff.

Peter

Following is a Armenian Orthodox icon of Peter (found in the Ghazanchetsots Cathedral in Shusha, Azerbaijan).

Orthodox Icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )

Following is a hand colored stencil print on momigami of Peter by Sadao Watanabe (1970):

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “key” (referring to Matthew 16:19). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Peter” or “Cephas” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Swiss-German Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “rock,” referring to the meaning of the Greek word for “Peter.”


“Peter” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

See also Peter – rock.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Peter .

complete verse (John 13:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 13:6:

  • Uma: “When he came to Simon Petrus, Petrus said: ‘Lord, are you (sing.) going to wash my feet?’ [Implies ‘You should not be the one doing this.’]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When he came to Simon Petros, Petros said to him, ‘You, Sir, you are going to wash my feet?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when it was already Simon, the one titled Peter, Peter said, ‘Are you going to wash my feet?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When he arrived then at Simon Pedro, he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, you (sing.) shouldn’t be the one to wash my feet.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When he reached Simon Pedro, Simon Pedro said, ‘Lord/Chief, why like that, that you are the one who will wash my feet?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When he was about to wash Peter’s feet, Peter said, ‘Lord. Are you going to wash even my feet?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 13:6

Some argue that Simon Peter was the first to have his feet washed and others that he was the last. On the basis of Jesus’ reply in verse 10 (All of you are clean—all except one), the evidence seems to favor Simon Peter’s being the last. In Greek who said to him begins a new sentence, but Good News Translation makes it into a subordinate clause (note Revised Standard Version “He came to Simon Peter; and Peter said to him….”).

Are you going to wash…? (so also Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) is literally “are you washing…?” But in the present context the verb seems to suggest an action not yet initiated, rather than an action in progress. In the Greek text both pronouns (you … my) are emphatic.

Since the words of Simon Peter are a question directed to Jesus, it is often better to indicate this fact by the choice of the preceding verb, for example, “who asked him, Are you going to wash my feet?”

In most languages any form of direct address such as Lord must appear at the beginning, rather than at the end of the question, for example, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Since what Peter is asking about is Jesus’ intent, rather than about a future action, it may be more satisfactory to translate “Do you intend to wash my feet?” or “Is it your plan to wash my feet?”

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 .