Translation commentary on John 8:42

It is obvious that Jesus’ words If God really were your Father are intended to affirm that God is not their father. They are not Abraham’s true children, because they do not do the same works that Abraham did; and they are not God’s true children, because they do not love the one who has come from God. This contrary-to-fact condition, If God really were your Father, you would love me, must be expressed in some languages by negative supplementary statements, for example, “If God is your father, but he isn’t, you will love me, but you do not.” In this type of context, the receptor language’s equivalent of love is likely to be a term which would reflect love between members of a family. If such a term is not appropriate, an expression indicating “deep appreciation for” may be satisfactory.

I came from God (Jerusalem Bible “I have come here from God”; Phillips “For I came from God”) is best taken as a reference to the coming of Jesus into the world, since the verb came is in the aorist tense, pointing to a specific moment in time. Some theologians see in Jesus’ words a statement regarding the internal life of the Trinity and this idea seems to be the basis for New English Bible (“God is the source of my being”). However, this interpretation reads too much into the passage. It fails to take account of the aorist tense, often used in John’s Gospel to refer to the mission of the Son, either of his coming into the world or of God’s sending him into the world.

I came from God and now I am here actually expresses one idea, and so Moffatt translates “for I came here from God.” Even though the two verbs (came … am here) are closely related in meaning, most translations, like Good News Translation, render them separately, rather than combine them, as Moffatt does. I came refers to the Son’s initial moment of coming into the world, and I am here focuses attention on his presence with his hearers at the moment that he is speaking. The latter verb is used in pagan sources to describe the arrival of a divine prophet, or even the manifestation of a god himself.

On my own authority (see 5.30) is emphatic, and it is set in opposition to the pronoun he (Greek literally “that one”), which is also in the emphatic position.

I did not come on my own authority may be rendered in some languages “The decision for me to come was not mine” or “I was not the one who decided that I should come.” Under such circumstances the final clause but he sent me may be rendered “but my Father was the one who sent me.”

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 8:42

Paragraph 8:42–47

Jesus said that he came from God and spoke the truth. His opponents were from the devil, who was a murderer and a liar. The fact that they did not accept Jesus proved that they were not from God.

8:42a

If God were your Father: The conjunction If introduces a condition that was not fulfilled. It indicates that the idea is not true. God was not their Father. For example:

If God were really your Father (New Century Version)

you would love Me: This clause refers to something that did not happen. These people did not love Jesus. This showed that God was not their Father.

General Comment on 8:42a

In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the clauses in 8:42a. For example:

“You would love me if in fact God were your Father,” Jesus replied.

8:42b

for: The word for here introduces the reason that they would love Jesus if they were God’s children.

I have come here from God: This clause means that God sent Jesus into the world. This is why those who love God as their Father love Jesus also. In some languages it may be possible to put the emphasis on God. For example:

it is from God that I have come

General Comment on 8:42b

In the Greek, this verse part is more literally, “for I have come from God and am here.” In some languages, it may be natural to combine the two clauses in 8:42b, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. In other languages, it may be natural to follow the Greek and use two clauses. For example:

for I came from God. Here I am. (CEB)
-or-
I came from God and now I am here with you. (Easy English Bible)

8:42c

I have not come on My own: This clause means that Jesus did not decide to come to earth by himself. For example:

I have not come by my own decision
-or-
I did not come by my own authority (New Century Version)

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here connects a negative statement (“I have not come on My own”) to a positive statement (“He sent Me”). This kind of sentence emphasizes the positive statement. (The emphasis on “on my own” and “he” adds to the emphasis on the positive statement.) Languages have different ways to indicate this type of emphasis. Here are some ways to show the emphasis:

• Use the conjunction but as in the Berean Standard Bible.

• Use a conjunction other than but. This is a common way in English to show this type of emphasis. For example:

I did not come here by my own decision, rather/instead he is the one who sent me.

• Do not use a conjunction. For example:

I am not here on my own. He sent me.

• Change the order of the clauses. For example:

He decided to send me; I am not here because I decided to come.

You should translate this emphasis in the way that is most natural in your language.

He sent Me: The word He refers to God. In some languages it is natural to make this explicit. For example:

God sent me (New Century Version)

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