Following are a number of back-translations of John 14:31:
Uma: “But this must happen, so that all people know that I love my Father and I always follow all that he commands me. Stand-up, and let’s go.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But all mankind shall know that I love my Father, therefore I persevere doing all as my Father has commanded to me. Na, stand up now, let us (incl.) go,’ said Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, what I am going to do now is what my Father God commanded me to do. I will carry this out so that mankind will know that my Father is big in my breath. Now get going, because we are leaving here.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “but I permit what will happen so that all people will come-to-know that I love my Father and am careful/thorough to obey all that he has commanded me. All-right, let’s go.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But so that it will be comprehended by the people here under the heavens that I hold the Father very dear, I will really fulfill what he sent me here to do. Stand up now and we’ll be going now.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “But it is necessary for what is to be, in order that the people will know that I love the Father. And I do what he ordered me to do. Get up now and let’s leave here.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the disciples).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
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. )
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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. 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. )
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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 choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / 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.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 morphemes rare (られ) or are (され) are 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, meiji-rare-ru (命じられる) or “order/command” is used.
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®).
In Greek this verse reads literally “but in order that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I am doing.” Good News Translation and most other translations restructure this verse slightly; some do so rather radically. Note, for example, Revised Standard Version “but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father.”
As in many other instances, the world must often be translated “the people of the world.” Similarly, I love the Father must often be translated “I love my Father.” It is possible that in some languages the use of the possessive pronoun my with Father may be misunderstood as referring to Jesus’ earthly father. However, in view of the many other contexts in which it has been used, it seems unlikely that it will cause any serious misunderstanding.
That is why I do everything as he commands me may be rendered “that is why I do everything in just the way he tells me to do it.”
Come, let us go from this place is very close to Mark 14.42 (Get up, let us go), words spoken in Gethsemane immediately before the arrest of Jesus. From this place may be best translated in some languages “from this room” or “from this building.” As observed in the introduction to this section, these words should be taken literally, not spiritually.
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 .
But I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me, so that the world may know that I love the Father: English translations have interpreted these clauses and the connectors in different ways:
(1) Many English translations include a purpose clause, the reason that Jesus obeyed his Father. He obeyed so that the world may know that he loved his Father. For example:
but I am doing just what the Father commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father (NET Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, NET Bible, English Standard Version, King James Version, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))
(2) A few English translations include a purpose but say that it is that the world must know that Jesus loved his Father. For example:
but the world must know that I love the Father; that is why I do everything as he commands me (Good News Translation)
(Good News Translation, New Century Version)
(3) A few English translations do not include a purpose clause. They also say that there are two things that the world must know. For example:
but the world must recognize that I love the Father and that I act just as the Father commanded (New Jerusalem Bible)
(Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word)
(4) At least one translation says that the purpose clause tells the purpose that the ruler of this world came. (Other interpretations say that it is the purpose that Jesus obeyed.) This translation also says that there are two things that the world may learn. For example:
but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me (New International Version)
(New International Version)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) and most English translations.
14:31a
But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But here connects a negative statement (14:30c) to a positive statement (14:31a). The idea here is that Jesus will die not because Satan has power over him but because he obeys his Father. 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 and most English translations.
He has no power over me, but I will do what the Father requires of me (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use a conjunction other than “but.” This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:
He has no authority over me. Rather, ⌊I will go to my death because⌋ I do as my Father commanded me
• Do not use a conjunction. For example:
But he has no power over me. I obey my Father (Contemporary English Version)
You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.
I do exactly what the Father has commanded Me: The expression refers to Jesus being willing to die. He would die because he wanted to obey the Father, not because Satan had any power over him. Here are other ways to translate this expression:
I obey my Father (Contemporary English Version) -or-
I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. (New American Standard Bible)
14:31b
so that the world may know that I love the Father: Jesus showed his love for his Father by obeying him even when it meant that he died on the cross. Here are other ways to translate this expression:
so that the people of the world will understand that I love the Father -or-
in order that all the people will know that I love my Father
the world: This phrase here refers to the people of the world. For example:
everyone in the world (Contemporary English Version) -or-
all people
General Comment on 14:31a–b
In some languages it may be natural to reverse the order of 14:31a–b. For example:
31b but so that the world may know that I love the Father, 31a I do exactly as the Father commanded Me (New American Standard Bible)
14:31c
Get up! Let us go on from here: This sentence means “We should leave ⌊this room/place⌋ now.” However, Jesus continued talking for three more chapters before they left in 18:1. Here are other ways to translate this sentence:
Come now, let us go. (New Century Version) -or-
Get up! We have to leave. (God’s Word)
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