Translation commentary on John 15:1

On the use of I am in the Gospel of John, see comments at 4.26; for the first use of I am with a predicate, see 6.35.

The adjective real first appears in 1.9 in the phrase “real light” (see comments there).

In the Old Testament Israel is sometimes spoken of as a vine, and sometimes as a vineyard, and that is perhaps the background of the imagery used in this verse. In these Old Testament passages two emphases are made: (1) Israel’s pure and favored origin, and (2) Israel’s degenerate nature. See, for example, such passages as Psalm 80.8-16; Isaiah 5.1-7; Jeremiah 2.21; Ezekiel 15.1-8; 19.10-14; Hosea 10.1. Similar uses of the vine imagery are found in Jewish rabbinical literature, as well as in the New Testament (Matt 21.33-46). The portrayal of Jesus as the real vine is made in order to contrast him with Israel, which God planted like “a real vine” (the Septuagint of Jer 2.21 speaks of Israel as the real vine, the same words used here), but which became degenerate and worthless. In this way John again focuses attention on Jesus as the fulfillment of the Jewish faith. Although in the papyri the word here rendered vine is sometimes used with the meaning of “vineyard,” in this passage the meaning vine is clear.

There are several serious complications in translating vine. Some translators make the mistake of selecting a term which indicates merely a vining plant; for example, in one language the term selected identified a sweet potato vine, and in another the term identified a kind of rattan vine which grows in the jungle but does not produce edible fruit. In yet another language the term for vine simply meant a squash vine. Obviously what is necessary is an expression which will identify a plant which produces fruit and continues year after year. The only equivalent in some languages is “a tree that produces good fruit.” In others there is a borrowed term for “grapes.” when grapes are known but not the vine which produces then. This term may be the best choice, and if it is used, a descriptive term may be added, for example, “grape tree,” where “tree” identifies any woody plant.

Another translational problem involves finding an adequate term for real. The meaning here is not that the vine actually exists, but that it is the genuine vine, in contrast with a false one. This concept of genuineness may be expressed in some languages by terms related to the meaning of “trustworthy”; that is, the real vine is literally “the vine that can be trusted,” in the sense that it can be trusted to produce good fruit, rather than bad fruit or no fruit at all.

This is the only “I am” passage in the Gospel of John where the equation is extended to include another; here Jesus is the real vine, and his Father is the gardener. The translations vary in the choice of gardener or “vinedresser” (New American Bible “vinegrower”). Elsewhere in the New Testament the word is used in 2 Timothy 2.6; James 5.7; and in the parable of the tenants in the vineyard (Matt 21.33-36; Mark 12.1-12; Luke 20.9-19). In the passages in 2 Timothy and James, Good News Translation renders it by “farmer.” while in the parable of the tenants in the vineyard it is translated “tenant.” In some languages the equivalent of gardener is simply “one who takes care of the vine,” or, in some cases, “one who takes care of the ground around the vine,” since in many languages the focus is upon care of the ground, not upon care of the plant itself.

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 15:1

Section 15:1–17 Jesus is the true vine

Jesus compared himself to a vine, his Father to a vine grower, and his followers to the vine’s branches. The Father would remove branches that did not produce fruit and prune (cut shorter) those branches that did. Jesus told his disciples to remain in him, the vine, and his love so that they could produce much fruit. Their prayers would also be answered. If they remained in his love, they would keep his commandments and Jesus and they would have joy.

Jesus’ commandment was that they should love one another as he had loved them. Then they would be his friends. Jesus already called them friends because he told them everything that the Father told him. They did not choose Jesus, but he chose them. He appointed them to produce fruit that would last so that the Father would give them whatever they asked for.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus the true vine
-or-
The vine and the branches

Paragraph 15:1–4

Jesus continued to teach his followers how they should live after he went back to his Father. He used an extended metaphor of a grapevine plant (Jesus) and its branches (his followers). Jesus used the metaphor to illustrate the need to stay close to Christ and depend on him for strength and life.

15:1a–b

I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard: This is the beginning of an extended metaphor. Jesus compared himself to the central stem of a grapevine, his followers to its branches, and his Father, God, to the farmer.

Grapevines grow in a field called a vineyard. They produce grapes, a small sweet fruit common in ancient Israel. People used the grapes to make wine. The vines that grapes grow on have wood trunks (main branches) like bushes or trees. But the plant is like a vine and, without supports, both the trunk and branches grow along the ground. The vinegrower takes care of the vines, supporting them and pruning them (cutting them shorter).

Jesus’ listeners were familiar with this metaphor of grapes. Many places in the Bible speak about vineyards in literal and figurative ways. You may want to look at these other contexts as you decide how to translate these words. Other passages that refer to vineyards include Isaiah 5:1–7, Genesis 9:20, Matthew 20:1, 21:33–41, Mark 12:1–9, and Luke 20:9. And here are some passages that refer to grapes: Genesis 40:10–11, Isaiah 5:2, and Matthew 7:16.

15:1a

I am the true vine: Jesus compared himself to a plant that produces grapes from its branches. Here are some ways that Jesus is like a vine:

(a) Jesus is the source of life for his followers. In a similar way, the vine is the source of life for its branches.

(b) Jesus enables his followers to produce good things from their lives. In a similar way, the vine feeds the branches so that they can produce good fruit.

(c) God sent Jesus to achieve his purposes. In a similar way, a farmer plants a vine to achieve his purpose of producing grapes.

In some languages a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. But you will probably want to translate the adjective true outside the simile. For example:

I am like a vine—the true vine.
-or-
I am like a vine. Yes, I am the real/genuine vine.

• Indicate something of the meaning, how Jesus is like a vine. For example:

I am the true ⌊source of life⌋ ⌊for you⌋ like a vine is ⌊the source of life⌋ for its branches.

• The metaphor of a grapevine is used in many places in the Bible. So it is recommended that you not use a substitute from your own culture. Include a footnote if you need to explain what a grapevine is. Or you may also want to include an illustration.

I am: This is the last of seven “I am” statements in John. (See also 15:5. The other statements are in 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; and 14:6.) They are all metaphors that Jesus used to describe himself. Some see a reference to Jesus’ being God because “I am” is the name that God used for himself in Exodus 3:14. The Greek text emphasizes the word I. Here are some ways to show this emphasis:

I, myself, am…
-or-
It is I who am…

the true vine: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the true vine indicates that Jesus was the real or genuine vine. In the Old Testament a vine is used as a metaphor for Israel (for example, Psalm 80:8–16). This vine failed to produce good fruit for God and was destroyed. It proved to be a false vine.

Jesus is the new vine, the perfect or ideal vine, the true or real vine. He is true because he enables his followers to produce good things (fruit), not because he is really a plant. See how you translated the word true in the metaphors in 1:9 (“true light”) and 6:32 (“true bread”). Here are some of the ways that the phrase the true vine can be translated:

the real/genuine vine
-or-
God’s true vine
-or-
the good/perfect vine

vine: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as vine means “grapevine.” A grapevine is a climbing plant that produces long tendrils (growths that are like threads) from a central stem. These tendrils wrap around something nearby to support the plant. Here is another way to translate this word:

grapevine (New Living Translation (2004))