complete verse (John 6:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:18:

  • Uma: “While they were on-boat, a big wind came and struck them, with the result that the waves were big on the lake.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Not long after (they left) the wind was strong and the waves were big.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The wind began to blow then and the waves in the water were very big.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When that was so, a swift wind arrived (immediacy/vividness particle) and the waves also became-strong (i/v particle).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Suddenly/unexpectedly the wind grew strong, what else but the lake became very rough.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “A strong wind began to blow and the waves got big.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

sea / lake

The various Greek, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 6:18

By then (Revised Standard Version “now”; Moffatt “by this time”; New English Bible “already”) is connected in the Greek text with the statement night came on (verse 17). However, Good News Translation prefers to connect the adverbial expression with a strong wind was blowing. Verses 17 and 18 are joined by the Greek conjunction te, which is rare in John’s Gospel. Some scholars understand it to be a strong connective (New American Bible “moreover”). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch restructures as follows, making the connective unnecessary: “17 … It was night and Jesus still had not come to them. 18 The weather was stormy and high waves were on the water.”

A strong wind was blowing and stirring up the water is literally “the lake (sea) was being stirred up, there was blowing a strong wind.” Good News Translation changes the passive construction of the Greek into a more natural active expression in English. New English Bible translates “A strong wind was blowing and the sea grew rough.” This condition is expressed in some languages as “there were many big waves” or “the waves had become large” or “the water was foaming.”

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 6:18

6:18

A strong wind was blowing, and the sea grew agitated: The Berean Standard Bible translates the result (rough sea) before the cause (strong wind). In some languages it may be natural to translate the cause before the result. For example:

a strong wind was blowing and the sea grew rough (Revised English Bible)
-or-
By then a strong wind was blowing and stirring up the water (Good News Translation)
-or-
It was very windy and so there were high/big waves on the lake.

A strong wind was blowing: This clause tells why the sea became rough. The wind created waves on the lake.

the sea grew agitated: This clause indicates that the surface of the lake became very disturbed or rough. Big waves appeared, making it difficult for the disciples to sail the boat.

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