Honorary "rare" construct denoting God ("give")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, atae-rare-ru (与えられる) or “give” is used.

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

Translation commentary on John 13:26

The words translated he is the man appear in an emphatic position in the Greek sentence, as in Good News Translation, though the position in Good News Translation is different from that in the Greek sentence. In the UBS Greek text there are three verbs in this sentence. They appear in the order “dipped … took … gave” in New English Bible, New American Bible, Goodspeed, Zürcher Bibel, and Luther, and as took … dipped … gave in Good News Translation, Phillips, and Moffatt. It is possible that took was not an original part of the Greek text, and so the UBS Greek text has this verb in brackets. It may have been added by scribes, to recall Jesus’ action at the last supper in taking bread (see Matt 26.26; Mark 14.22; Luke 22.19; 1 Cor 11.23). However, it is possible that it was omitted in some manuscripts as unnecessary, since in the Greek sentence order it comes after the verb dipped. It is omitted in Jerusalem Bible and Revised Standard Version, without a note, and in La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, with a note. As indicated, Good News Translation includes this verb, though placing it first in the sentence to achieve a more logical order.

The Greek word that Good News Translation renders a piece of bread (psōmion) is so rendered in several other translations. Revised Standard Version translates “the morsel,” while New American Bible translates “the bit of food” in its first use and “a morsel” in its second use in the sentence. The Greek word literally means “a (small) piece of bread.”

Although the Greek text simply reads “I will dip the bread,” Good News Translation supplies the words in the sauce, and some other translations supply the words “in the dish.” It is not possible to say of what sauce consisted. Some have suggested that it was a kind of gravy, others insist that it was wine, and still others believe that it consisted of various herbs mixed with olive oil. The action itself is an expression of hospitality (see Ruth 2.14).

There is some textual support for the reading “Judas Iscariot, son of Simon,” but the manuscript evidence is heavily in favor of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, and this reading is followed by most modern translators.

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 13:26

13:26a–b

It is the one to whom I give this morsel after I have dipped it: The Jewish people at this time did not normally eat with knives, forks, and spoons. Their custom was to break off pieces of bread and then dip them into a stew or sauce (liquid food). Jesus told John that he would answer his question by following this custom and then handing the bread to the betrayer.

this morsel: The word morsel refers to a piece of a loaf of bread. In some languages it may be most natural to say simply:

some bread

I have dipped it: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dipped it is more literally “dipped.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the reference to it, which refers to the “morsel” that is put into a plate or bowl that contains a stew or sauce (liquid food) of some kind. In some languages it may be natural to say this. For example:

dipped it in the sauce (God’s Word)

General Comment on 13:26a–b

In some languages it may be natural to rearrange this sentence, saying what would happen in chronological order. For example:

I will dip this piece of bread in the stew/sauce and then give it to the ⌊right⌋ person/man.

13:26c–d

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as Then introduces what Jesus then did as a result of what he just said. Some English versions use a connector like “So” to indicate this.

He dipped the morsel and gave it: There is a textual problem here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts include a word meaning “took.” For example:

So when He had dipped the morsel, He took and gave it… (New American Standard Bible)

(New American Standard Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition, Good News Translation, New Century Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts say that Jesus dipped the bread and gave it to Judas. For example:

he dipped the piece of bread in the dish and gave it… (NET Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, King James Version, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, New International Version)

The UBS Handbook Greek New Testament committee thinks that option (1) is the original text, although they are not very sure. Most English translations follow option (2), partly because it is more natural in English. Others include the word “took,” but put it before the action of dipping. For example:

So he took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it… (Good News Translation)

The meaning is nearly the same in all these English translations. So translate these clauses in the way that is most natural in your language.

He dipped the morsel: This clause is more literally “having dipped.” Jesus dipped the piece of bread into the stew or sauce. In some languages it may be natural to make the object (the morsel) explicit, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. In other languages it may be natural to say what he dipped the bread in. For example:

when he had dipped it ⌊in the sauce/stew⌋

Judas son of Simon Iscariot: There is a textual problem here:

(1) Many Greek manuscripts say “Judas son of Simon Iscariot.” These manuscripts are followed by most English translations. For example:

Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, English Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Translation, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, NIV2011)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts say “Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.” These manuscripts are followed by a few English translations. For example:

Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son (NET Bible)

(New International Version (1984), King James Version, NET Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most translations and the UBS Handbook Greek New Testament.

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