Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:37:
Uma: “All people who were given to me by my Father, will definitely come to me. And whoever comes to me, I will definitely receive him and not put him out.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “All that my Father has given to me, certainly follow me. And all who follow me, I will not drive away,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “All the people whom my Father God will give me, they will be able to follow me. And the one who follows me, I will accept him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Whoever my Father entrusts to me, they will come to me, and the one who comes to me, I will absolutely not cause-to-leave.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As many as the Father is giving to me will submit to me. There really is no-one at all I will drive out, who submits to me.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Those people whom the Father delivered over to me follow me. Those who follow me will never be told, ‘Don’t follow me.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being discussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. Here, ataete (与えて) or “give” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).”
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®).
Everyone whom is a strange expression in Greek. It is actually a neuter singular form, and it is rendered “all that” in a number of translations (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible, La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Zürcher Bibel). The use of the neuter singular where a masculine plural would be expected is a stylistic feature of the Gospel of John (see verses 39; 17.2,24; and note also 1 John 5.4). Agreement is not unanimous as to the exact force of this unusual form, though the opinion of the best scholars is that it gives greater collective force to the expression. Even though the neuter “all that” represents more accurately the form of the Greek, it is clearer in English to use a personal form, everyone whom (compare Moffatt “all those”).
In Greek my Father is the absolute form, “the Father.” In such a context it carries the force of my Father or “our Father,” depending on the reference. Here the meaning my Father is obvious.
The first sentence in verse 37 combines two important concepts: (1) the initiative of God in giving certain persons to his Son and (2) the initiative of the individuals in coming to Jesus. In most languages a verb meaning “gives” is probably the most neutral expression which can be employed for the former concept. However, in some instances terms meaning, for example, “assigns to me” or “declares as belonging to me” may be more satisfactory. It may also be necessary to select a more specific expression than will come to me, for example, “will adhere to me” or “will become one of my followers” or “will join himself to me.”
Although the expression everyone whom is a neuter singular form in Greek, anyone who (New English Bible “the man who”; Jerusalem Bible “whoever”) is in Greek a masculine singular form, indicating clearly that the reference is to persons.
Never translates a Greek construction which expresses strong negation. This same construction is used in Mark 14.25.
Turn away translates a very strong expression in Greek, literally “throw out.” The same verb is used in Matthew 8.12; 22.13; 25.30. The Greek verb which is translated by turn away has two different meanings, depending on whether the person who is the object of the verb has or has not already been admitted to the company of the person who is the subject. In the former situation the verb means “refuse to accept” or “say ‘no’ to.” In the latter it means “cause to go out” or “expel.” In this verse it is the former situation: Jesus will not refuse to accept anyone who comes to him, seeking acceptance.
If possible to do so, the translation should maintain the contrast between the present tense gives of this verse and the perfect tense has given of verse 39.
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 .
Everyone the Father gives Me will come to Me: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Everyone here refers to people as a group, to anyone and everyone. See the General Comment following 6:37b.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me (Good News Translation) -or-
those the Father has given me will come to me (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me. (New Century Version)
6:37b
and the one who comes to Me I will never drive away: This clause means that Jesus will welcome all those who come to him.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
The one who comes to me I will never send away. (NET Bible) -or-
I will never turn away anyone who comes to me. (Good News Translation)
I will never drive away: This phrase means “I will never refuse to accept.” In some languages it may be more natural to translate this with a positive statement. For example:
I will always accept them (New Century Version)
General Comment on 6:37a–b
The phrase “Everything that” in 6:37a and the phrase “anyone who” in 6:37b refer to the same people. Make sure that this is clear in your translation. In some languages you may need to make this clear. For example:
However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. (New Living Translation (2004))
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