Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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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 are (され) 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, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

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

Translation commentary on John 13:29

Since Judas was in charge of the money bag, some of the disciples thought is literally “But some thought, that since Judas was in charge of the money bag.” Good News Translation simply inverts the order of the two clauses and makes explicit the disciples, represented in the Greek text by “some.”

Money bag is the same word used in 12.6. It is not necessary to introduce in translation such a phrase as money bag, since “to be in charge of the money bag” was simply a way of indicating that Judas handled the joint funds of the group. A literal translation of “in charge of the money bag” may suggest that the disciples were rich.

In the Greek sentence structure to go and … for the festival is in direct discourse, while to give … to the poor is in indirect discourse. It is more natural in English to use the same type of discourse for both. Accordingly, Good News Translation and several other translations change the Greek direct discourse to indirect.

The last part of verse 29 is difficult to translate, since there are several layers of embedding; that is, one clause is included within another. The principle subject-predicate construction is some of the disciples thought, and all that follows is the object of that verb of thinking, that is, what the disciples thought. On the next level there is the subject-predicate expression Jesus had told him, and what follows is the content of what Jesus said. In some languages it may be necessary to place both expressions in the form of direct discourse, for example, “Some of the disciples thought, Jesus has told him, You must go and buy what we need for the Festival….” It may, however, be possible to combine indirect and direct discourse, for example, “Some of the disciples thought that Jesus had told him, Go and buy what we need for the Festival….”

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 13:29

13:29

Since Judas kept the money bag, some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast, or to give something to the poor: This verse describes two wrong ideas that some of the disciples had. In some languages it may be natural to translate this using two sentences. For example:

Judas had the moneybag. So some thought that Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the festival or to give something to the poor. (God’s Word)
-or-
Some of them supposed/guessed that Jesus wanted him to buy things that they needed to celebrate the feast, and if not that, Jesus wanted him to give some money to the poor. The reason that they thought that was because Judas was the one who kept the money.

13:29a

Since Judas kept the money bag: This clause indicates why the disciples thought what they did. It gives the basis for their wrong ideas. For example:

because Judas was in charge of the money (Contemporary English Version)

Judas kept the money bag: This clause indicates that Judas kept all the money for Jesus and the disciples. It was his responsibility to look after it and spend it when necessary. See the note about “the common purse” at 12:6b and how you translated the phrase there. Here is another way to translate this clause:

Judas was the one who was in charge of their money

13:29b

some thought that: This phrase here introduces two ideas that were not true. Some of the disciples wrongly thought of two things that Jesus might have told Judas. They thought that either he told him to buy food or to give money to the poor. Use a verb that can be used to indicate a false or wrong idea/thought. For example:

Some supposed that (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Some assumed that

General Comment on 13:29a–b

In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 13:29a–b. You would first say what the others thought and then that Judas was in charge of the money. For example:

29b Some thought that, 29a because Judas had the common purse… (New Revised Standard Version)

13:29c

Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast: One of the ideas that some disciples had about what Jesus told Judas was to get supplies for the Passover festival. Much food was needed for Passover.

to buy what was needed for the feast: While the Berean Standard Bible translates this clause as a passive statement, it is active in Greek, and in some languages it may be more natural to translate it as active. For example:

to buy whatever they needed for the feast (NET Bible)

what was needed: This phrase refers mainly to food that the group would need for the feast. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the necessary supplies/food
-or-
whatever is necessary

for the feast: The phrase the feast here could refer to the Passover Feast. See 13:1a. Or it could refer to the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Because of that, it is better not to say which festival this phrase refers to.

General Comment on 13:29c

The Berean Standard Bible has translated what the disciples thought Jesus said as an indirect quotation. In some languages it may be natural to use a direct quotation like in the Greek text. For example:

Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival” (New Revised Standard Version)

13:29d

or: The word or here introduces a second wrong idea. Apparently, the group of disciples (“Some” in 13:29a) came up with more than one possibility of what Judas went to do. It could be that some of the disciples thought one thing and some another, but that is not as likely.

to give something to the poor: Often people gave money to the poor at Passover time. In fact, it was commanded that people do it on the first night of Passover. Use an expression that is natural for giving charity to people who do not have enough to eat or wear.

something: The word something here refers to some money.

the poor: This phrase refers to poor people, those without enough money to buy enough food and clothes.. See how you translated this in 12:8. For example:

those in need
-or-
poor people

General Comment on 13:29d

Here the Berean Standard Bible has translated what the disciples supposed Jesus had said as an indirect quotation. In some languages it may be more natural to use a direct quotation. For example:

or ⌊that he had said,⌋ “Give some money to the poor.”

General Comment on 13:29c–d

In the Greek text, the first thing the disciples thought Jesus said is a direct quotation. The second thing they thought he might have said is an indirect quotation. The Berean Standard Bible has translated the first and the second ideas as indirect quotations. In some languages it may be natural to use a direct quotation for both ideas, or an indirect quotation for both ideas. For example:

that Jesus was saying “Go buy what we need for the festival” or “Give some money to the poor”
-or-
that Jesus had told him to go and buy what they needed for the festival, or to give something to the poor (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 13:29

In some languages it may be more natural to say what the disciples thought first, and then why they thought that. For example:

29a Some of the disciples thought that 29c Jesus was telling him to buy what they needed for the Feast, 29d or to give something to the poor. 29b ⌊They thought this⌋ because Judas was in charge of their money.

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