The Greek that is often translated in English as “truly, truly, I tell you” or similar is translated in the Russian BTI translation (publ. 2015) as Поверьте Мне (Pover’te Mne) or “trust me.” (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)
See also Amen.
Feed my Sheep
The following is the stained glass window “Feed My Sheep”, designed by Walter Crane and installed in 1891 in Christ Church, Streatham, London.:
Source: Victorian Web
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum
complete verse (John 21:18)
Following are a number of back-translations of John 21:18:
- Uma: “These my words are very true: While you (sing.) are still young, you (sing.) yourself tie the sarong on your (sing.) waist, and you (sing.) go wherever you (sing.) want. But when you (sing.) are old later, you (sing.) will offer you (sing.) hands to be tied by other people, and you (sing.) will be carried going to where you (sing.) do not want.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Truly I tell you,’ said Isa, ‘when you were young you clothed yourself, and you went wherever you wanted to. But when you are old already, you will stretch out your hands (lit. cause-to-armspan) and someone else will clothe you and bring you to a place where you don’t want to go.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It is true what I say to you that long ago when you were still young, you were the one to put your belt on your body and wherever you wanted to go you just went, but when you are old you will have to stretch out your hands and someone else will tie up your body and will take you where you don’t want to go.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Then he went-on to say, ‘This that I tell you (sing.) is true. During your (sing.) young-manhood, you (sing.) yourself fastened-on your (sing.) belt and you (sing.) went wherever-you-wanted. But when you (sing.) get-old however, you (sing.) will stretch-out (lit. span) your (sing.) arms, and they will bind you (sing.) so they will then take you (sing.) where you (sing.) don’t want to go.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “This is absolutely the truth which I am saying to you, that when you were still young, you used to tie on your own bolo-belt and go wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will raise-and-stretch-out your hands/arms and someone else will tie a belt round you, and take you where you don’t want to go.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Truly I tell you that when you were young, you could tie on your belt and you went where you wanted to go. But the day will come when you are old and you will stretch out your arms so another will tie you and take you where you do not want to go.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Sung version of John 21
Translation commentary on John 21:18
I am telling you the truth is the same formula that was first used in 1.51 (see there), except that you is singular in 21.18.
The verbs rendered you used to get ready and go are in the imperfect tense in Greek, expressing customary action in the past. New American Bible renders “as a young man you fastened your belt and went about as you pleased,” and New American Bible has “when you were young you fastened your belt about you and walked where you chose.” The Greek verb rendered “fastened your belt” expresses the action of putting a girdle around one’s loose, flowing robes before going out into the street or embarking on a journey. Since this practice is unknown to the English reader, Good News Translation renders you used to get ready.
The second part of this verse is more difficult. On the basis of verse 19 it is clear that the reference is to Peter’s death as a Christian martyr. Since the earliest tradition is that Peter was crucified, a number of commentators take you will stretch out your hands as an explicit reference to his crucifixion. Someone else will tie you up would then refer to the binding of a prisoner to lead him off to crucifixion. If this interpretation is valid, the fact that the stretching out of the hands is mentioned first, even though the tying up would be first in chronological order, is explained by the fact that the reference to crucifixion was the central point of the saying. New American Bible says in a note that this verse is “A figurative reference to the crucifixion of Peter.”
Some have argued that verse 18b cannot refer to Peter’s martyrdom, since the verb rendered tie … up (the same verb translated get ready in the first half of the verse) is never used in Greek of tying up a prisoner. If verse 18b cannot refer to Peter’s martyrdom, then, it is suggested, the contrast in the verse is between the alertness of Peter’s youth and the helplessness of his old age; as a young man he was able to get himself ready to go wherever he wished, but when he grows old, he will have to stretch out his hands for someone else to help him dress, and he will be taken where he does not want to go. This interpretation, however, cannot be reconciled with the Gospel writer’s explanation in the following verse: In saying this, Jesus was indicating the way in which Peter would die and bring glory to God.
An intermediate position would be to admit on the basis of verse 19 that verse 18b refers to Peter’s martyrdom but to leave open the question whether an explicit reference to crucifixion is intended by you will stretch out your hands. In an interpretation of verse 18b as a reference to martyrdom the use of zōnnumi (“fasten one’s belt”) to refer to tying up a prisoner would be an extension of its original meaning, allowable for the sake of the parallelism with verse 18a.
A number of translators (Revised Standard Version, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Moffatt, Goodspeed, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Luther, Zürcher Bibel, Phillips) keep the literal sense of “gird” or “dress” in verse 18b. However, others translate on the basis of the context: New American Bible “tie … fast”; New English Bible “bind … fast”; Barclay “bind.”
In some manuscripts the plural “others” is used instead of the singular (someone else). This change may have been made so that the prediction of Peter’s arrest corresponds with the arrest of Jesus, where the plural is used (18.12). A plural may be preferable in 21.18 on translational grounds, but it may be better in some languages to use a passive construction: “you will be taken where you don’t want to go.” One may also say “people will lead you off where you do not want to go” or “… will cause you to go where you do not want to go.”
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 21:18
21:18
This verse includes a play on words involving two different idioms that both use the word “tie.” The meaning of the verse is that when Peter was young he tied up his robe to go wherever he wanted. But when he became old, people would tie his arms to a beam that would become part of a cross. Then they would take him to a place where they would crucify him. See the General Comment following the notes on 21:18.
21:18a
Truly, truly, I tell you: This clause indicates that an important statement will follow. See how you translated it in 3:3 and 3:5.
you: This pronoun is singular and refers to Peter.
21:18b
when you were young: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when you were young refers to an earlier time, when Peter was younger. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
when you were younger (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
when you were a young man (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
in your youth
you dressed yourself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you dressed yourself refers to tying something. It usually referred to the way that a man tied his robe at the waist to prepare to work or travel. People in Jesus’ time did not have leather belts like ones that people wear today. They did not have metal buckles to connect the ends of the belt. They used something like a rope to tie their clothes. Refer to the action of tying one’s clothes in a way that is natural in your language. Or you can use a more general statement. For example:
you tied your clothes around you (NET Bible)
-or-
you used to fasten your own belt (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
you got ready yourself
and walked where you wanted: Peter had always been free to go where he wanted to go. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
and walk wherever you wished (New American Standard Bible)
21:18c
but when you are old: This refers to a time that was still future when Jesus spoke. Peter was not yet old. Use an expression that is natural in your language for referring to a future time that is many years later. For example:
but when you are an old man (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
but after you become old
-or-
but in your old age
you will stretch out your hands: This clause probably refers to a person being prepared for crucifixion. Soldiers stretched out the arms of the condemned man on the shorter beam of the cross and tied them there. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
you will hold out your hands (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you will put out your hands (New Century Version)
your hands: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hands refers to both hands and arms.
21:18d
and someone else will dress you: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dress is more literally “tie.” It is the same word that John used in 21:18b. There are two ways to interpret this expression here:
(1) It refers to a soldier tying Peter’s arms to one beam of the cross. Then Peter would carry the beam to the place where they would crucify him. For example:
someone else will bind you (Good News Translation)
(Revised English Bible, NET Bible, Good News Translation, New Century Version)
(2) It refers to someone tying Peter’s clothes. For example:
Then others will wrap your belt around you (Contemporary English Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, Contemporary English Version, English Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004))
A few other translations are ambiguous. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The previous clause referred to Peter being crucified. So this clause probably also refers to crucifixion even though the Greek word usually refers to getting dressed. But do not refer explicitly to crucifixion in your translation. Instead, just refer to Peter being tied up. Because the Berean Standard Bible follows interpretation (2), the Display uses the NET Bible as the Source Line.
someone else: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as someone else is more literally “another.” Use the expression that is natural in your language to refer to other people. Here the other person or people tying Peter up would be Roman soldiers.
21:18e
and lead you where you do not want to go: This expression refers to how soldiers would force Peter to carry the shorter beam of the cross. They forced him to carry it to the place where they would crucify him. Here are other ways to translate this expression:
and bring you where you do not want to go (NET Bible)
where you do not want to go: In some languages it may be natural to translate this with a positive expression. For example:
a place that you want to avoid
General Comment on 21:18
This is a difficult prophecy to translate because it has a play on words involving two different idioms. Both idioms use the word “tie,” but in different ways. There is lots of implicit information in these two idioms. Jesus indicated that when Peter was young he tied up his robe to go wherever he wanted to go. But when he became old, people would tie his arms to one beam of a cross. Then they would lead him out to crucify him.
It is good if you can keep the play on words. However, it is more important that your readers understand the meaning. So if there is no word like “tie” that can be used in both sentences, you may want to include a footnote. In the footnote you can explain the play on words by showing how one word connects the two sentences. For example:
Listen carefully to what I am telling you. When you were a young man you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will have to stretch your arms out so that someone can tie ⌊your arms to a cross⌋ . Then he will force you to go where you do not want to go.
Footnote: The Greek says, “Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to tie yourself and to go wherever you wanted. But when you are old, you will stretch out your arms, and someone else will tie you. And they will take you where you do not want to go.”
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