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

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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, kotae-rare-ru (答えられる) or “answer” is used.

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

Translation commentary on John 14:23

Jesus answered him is literally “Jesus answered and said to him,” once again reflecting John’s Semitic style, in which “said” is equivalent to quotation marks in English.

Whoever loves me is literally “If anyone loves me,” but the Greek construction is equivalent to an indefinite relative pronoun in English.

Obey my teaching is literally “keep my word.” The Greek “word” has a wide area of meaning. In the present context the specific reference is to the command of love (see comments at verse 15). Obey my teaching may be rendered “do what I have told him to do.”

My Father and I will come to him is literally “we will come to him.” It may not be necessary in the present context to mark explicitly the reference of the pronoun “we,” but Good News Translation does so.

And live with him is literally “and will make a dwelling (Greek monē) with him.” The word “dwelling” is the same word translated rooms by Good News Translation in 14.2. Good News Translation renders in this way in the present context, because it is much more natural in English to say “live with” than “make a dwelling with.”

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 14:23

14:23a

Jesus replied: This quote introducer introduces a long direct quotation, 14:23–31.

Jesus did not directly answer Judas’ question. Instead he implied his answer. Jesus would not reveal himself to unbelievers because they do not obey him. Therefore the Father and Son do not live inside them.

If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word means that the result of love for Christ is obedience to him. This is a general rule. Express it in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

Those who love me will do what I say. (God’s Word)
-or-
If anyone loves me, they will obey me. (Contemporary English Version)

If anyone loves Me: This clause refers to anyone and everyone who loves Jesus. Express this in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

All who love me (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
If people love me (New Century Version)

he will keep My word: This phrase refers to obeying the things Jesus said. See how you translated “keep my commandments” in 14:21.

14:23b

My Father will love him: This clause means that God the Father will love all people who love God the Son, Jesus.

14:23c

We will come to him and make Our home with him: This clause indicates that Jesus and his Father would live with those who love him. God the Father and God the Son will have a personal, close, and permanent relationship with these people. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

we will come and make our home with each of them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
my Father and I will come to him and live with him (Good News Translation)
-or-
we will come to them and live in them (Contemporary English Version)

We: This pronoun is exclusive here. It refers to God the Father and God the Son (and not the disciples). For example:

my Father and I

make Our home with him: This phrase is a figure of speech. It indicates that God and Jesus will form a permanent and close relationship with those who love Jesus. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as home is the singular form of the word translated as “dwelling places” in 14:2.

with him: God will live inside each person who loves him. Consider how you referred to these people in 14:23a and choose the singular or plural, whichever is suitable here. For example:

with each of them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
with him (NET Bible)

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