Translation commentary on John 6:40

What my Father wants is that is literally “this is the will of my Father, that” which represents a Greek clause structure similar to the one in the preceding verse. Good News Translation not only restructures the clause; it also transforms the noun phrase “the will of my Father” into a verb phrase, what my Father wants. Again, the reason for this restructuring is to achieve a more natural expression in English.

Both verses 39 and 40 stipulate the will of God; verse 40 simply amplifies what is already in verse 39.

To see the Son and to believe in him are parallel in meaning, as are the phrases comes to me and believes in me of verse 35. In 12.45 Jesus says “Whoever sees me, also sees him who sent me.”

The Greek verb which is translated see in this verse includes an element of concentration. Here it is clear that understanding, and not mere vision, is meant, since eternal life is promised to all who see the Son. Earlier in the chapter, however, the same Greek verb was used of a seeing which did not lead to understanding: The disciples … saw Jesus walking on the water…, and they were terrified (6.19).

The switch from the third person reference to the Son to the first person I should be noted; in the final sentence the I is emphatic. Though in some languages it is possible to preserve the shift from third person to first person, in others it cannot be done without considerable confusion. In fact, it may be necessary to use the first person reference throughout this passage. Therefore, what my Father wants may be restructured as “he wants everyone who recognizes me as God’s Son and believes in me to have eternal life.”

In Greek them is singular (“him”). Good News Translation translates as plural, in keeping with the first part of the verse, where the Greek “everyone who” becomes all who.

The concept of eternal life has been discussed (see 1.4; 3.15).

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 .