Sung version of John 21

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®).

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Translation commentary on John 21:13

In Greek this verse has no translational marker, but Good News Translation supplies so for the English reader. Compare Jerusalem Bible (“Jesus then stepped forward”) and New English Bible (“Jesus now came up”).

The verb went over (New American Bible “came over”; New English Bible “came up”) need not imply that Jesus was standing at a distance from the fire. It seems better to take it with the verb took which follows (Goodspeed “Jesus went and got the bread”; Barclay “Jesus went and took the loaf”).

He did the same with the fish translates a noun phrase in Greek (Revised Standard Version “and so with the fish”).

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 21:13

21:13a

Jesus came: This clause indicates that Jesus approached the disciples. Some translations leave the word came implied and just say that Jesus took the bread and gave it to them. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus went over (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus came near (Otomi Back Translation)

and took the bread: Jesus picked up the bread from where it was lying in order to give it to the disciples. Bread was the Jews’ main food, so it was served first. See how you translated bread in 21:9. For example:

Jesus took the bread in his hands (Contemporary English Version)

and gave it to them: Jesus gave each disciple some bread. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

and gave some of it to his disciples (Contemporary English Version)

21:13b

and He did the same with the fish: The phrase did the same indicates that Jesus also served each disciple some fish. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

and gave them all fish as well (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
along with the fish (New Century Version)

General Comment on 21:13a–b

In some languages it may be natural to combine 21:13a–b, using just one verb. For example:

Then Jesus served them the bread and the fish. (New Living Translation (2004))

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