Translation commentary on John 6:25

The people is literally “they.”

According to verse 24, the place on the other side of the lake is Capernaum. It was located on the northern shore, slightly to the west. However, in verse 22 the other side of the lake indicates the place where the crowd had eaten bread blessed by Jesus and from which they have just come. If translated literally in both verses, the phrase could be misunderstood as designating one particular side of the lake, although in fact two different places on the lake are meant. To make this clear, it may be necessary to say in verse 25 “on the other side of the lake from where they had just been” or “on the side of the lake to which they had just come.”

Teacher is literally “Rabbi,” the term discussed in 1.38.

One might expect the question of the crowd to be: “how did you get here?” However, if one considers that they did not see Jesus go across the lake by boat, and did not know how he could have arrived in Capernaum except by walking around the lake, their question becomes meaningful.

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 6:25

Paragraph 6:25–27

These verses form the beginning of Jesus’ teaching about the bread of life.

6:25a

When they found Him on the other side of the sea: This clause indicates that the people arrived on the opposite shore and looked for Jesus. They saw him there. In many languages it will be natural to make it explicit that it was Jesus whom the people found. For example:

When the people found Jesus on the other side of the lake (Good News Translation)

they found Him: Jesus was not lost, but the people did not know where he was. Use an expression that is suitable in your language. For example:

they learned the place where he was
-or-
And when they arrived on the other side of the lake, they saw him

It is implied that the people went to the place where Jesus was. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

they found where Jesus was ⌊and went to him⌋

the other side of the sea: This phrase here refers to the area where Capernaum was, northwest of the Sea of Galilee. It is not the same as “the other side of the sea” in 6:22a. So it may be helpful to make it clear which side is referred to. For example:

the west side of the lake (Contemporary English Version)

6:25b

they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”: This is a real question. It expresses surprise as well as asking for information. The people were surprised to see Jesus because they knew that Jesus did not get in the boat with his disciples. So they did not expect to see him there. They surely wanted to know how Jesus got there, but they did not ask that. Instead, they asked him when he got there.

You may want to indicate some surprise in your translation. But we do not know that they thought a miracle had happened. They probably thought that he had walked around the lake. Here are other ways to translate this question:

and asked, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
“Teacher! When did you arrive?” they asked Jesus.

Rabbi: Rabbi means “teacher” or “my great one.” See how you translated it in 1:38.

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