(1) Possible items in general, taking normal or “neutral” pronoun forms
(2) Edible items, to which are linked “edible” pronoun forms
(3) Drinkable items, to which are linked “drinkable” pronoun forms
(4) Body parts and kinship, taking “familiar” pronoun suffixed forms.
The Greek terms that are translated as “body (or: flesh)” and “blood” used in John 6:52-56 “as symbols of Christ’s sacrifice are not treated by either version as edible and drinkable objects, even though they are said in the text to be eaten and drunk. The apparent reason is that the passage is taken to be about the institution of a memorial and not about the actions of eating and drinking themselves. Hence the translators use the familiar pronoun for the body part (lewequ ‘my body’) and the neutral pronoun for the blood part (noqu dra ‘my blood’).”
Following are a number of back-translations of John 6:56:
Uma: “The people who eat my body and drink my blood, they stay in-harmony [lit., mutual-life] with me, and I with them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains with me and I remain with him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He who eats my body and drinks my blood never leaves me, and I also never leave him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The one who eats my body and drinks my blood, he is in me continually, and I also, I am in him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That one who eats my flesh and drinks my blood, it’s like we (excl.) are now one body.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is in fellowship with me.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Martu Wangka: “If a person eats my body, and drinks my blood, as a result of that, we two will sit together as relatives.” (The idea of sitting together as relatives is good.) (Source: Carl Gross)
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.”
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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.
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®).
Verses 55 and 56 are not joined together by any connecting particle. The use of the present tense throughout should be noted: eats … drinks … lives … live.
Lives in me and I live in him is literally “remains in me and I in him”; the thought is similar to 15.4. The verb “to remain” is one of John’s most important terms, and he uses it of the relationship between the Father and the Son (14.10), as well as of the believer’s relationship with the Son (6.56; 15.4). In 1.32-33 the Spirit descends and remains on Jesus. See also such key verses as 5.38; 8.31; 15.7,9-10. Here the meaning is “lives in fellowship/union with me and I live in fellowship/union with him.” This concept of fellowship or union with Christ is expressed in some languages as “share with,” while in others one may speak of “being one together with.”
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 .
Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood: This phrase refers to those who believe in Jesus. Because church groups understand what Jesus said in different ways, it is recommended that you continue to translate literally. See how you translated the same phrase in 6:54a.
6:56b
remains in Me, and I in him: This expression is a short way of saying “they remain in me, and I remain in them.” The word remains means “stays.” In this context it refers to staying in a trusting relationship with Jesus.
Here are other ways to translate this expression:
continues to stay in me and I continue to stay in him -or-
live in me, and I live in them (God’s Word) -or-
you are one with me, and I am one with you (Contemporary English Version)
General Comment on 6:56a–b
The subject of 6:56 is everyone who believes in Jesus. It is possible to use either a singular or a plural third person form or a second person form. Consider which is most natural in your language. For example:
Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood live in me, and I live in them. (Good News Translation) -or-
If you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you are one with me, and I am one with you. (Contemporary English Version)
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