Yohanes 1:5

1:5 And the light shines on ¹  in the darkness, ²  but ³  the darkness has not mastered it. ⁴ 

Yohanes 1:10

1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created ⁵  by him, but ⁶  the world did not recognize ⁷  him.

Yohanes 2:4

2:4 Jesus replied, ⁸  “Woman, ⁹  why are you saying this to me? ¹⁰  My time ¹¹  has not yet come.”

Yohanes 2:19

2:19 Jesus replied, ¹²  “Destroy ¹³  this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.”

Yohanes 3:10

3:10 Jesus answered, ¹⁴  “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? ¹⁵ 

Yohanes 3:32

3:32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.

Yohanes 4:24

4:24 God is spirit, ¹⁶  and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Yohanes 4:28

4:28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ¹⁷ 

Yohanes 5:21

5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, ¹⁸  so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. ¹⁹ 

Yohanes 7:34

7:34 You will look for me ²⁰  but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

Yohanes 8:3

8:3 The experts in the law ²¹  and the Pharisees ²²  brought a woman who had been caught committing adultery. They made her stand in front of them

Yohanes 8:56

8:56 Your father Abraham was overjoyed ²³  to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.” ²⁴ 

Yohanes 9:28

9:28 They ²⁵  heaped insults ²⁶  on him, saying, ²⁷  “You are his disciple! ²⁸  We are disciples of Moses!

Yohanes 9:37

9:37 Jesus told him, “You have seen him; he ²⁹  is the one speaking with you.” ³⁰ 

Yohanes 10:14

10:14 “I am the good shepherd. I ³¹  know my own ³²  and my own know me –

Yohanes 11:26

11:26 and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. ³³  Do you believe this?”

Yohanes 11:34

11:34 He asked, ³⁴  “Where have you laid him?” ³⁵  They replied, ³⁶  “Lord, come and see.”

Yohanes 11:52

11:52 and not for the Jewish nation ³⁷  only, ³⁸  but to gather together ³⁹  into one the children of God who are scattered.) ⁴⁰ 

Yohanes 12:28

12:28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, ⁴¹  “I have glorified it, ⁴²  and I will glorify it ⁴³  again.”

Yohanes 13:4

13:4 he got up from the meal, removed ⁴⁴  his outer clothes, ⁴⁵  took a towel and tied it around himself. ⁴⁶ 

Yohanes 13:9

13:9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, wash ⁴⁷  not only my feet, but also my hands and my head!”

Yohanes 13:13

13:13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and do so correctly, ⁴⁸  for that is what I am. ⁴⁹ 

Yohanes 14:7

14:7 If you have known me, you will know my Father too. ⁵⁰  And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

Yohanes 19:2

19:2 The soldiers ⁵¹  braided ⁵²  a crown of thorns ⁵³  and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. ⁵⁴ 

Yohanes 19:34

19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced ⁵⁵  his side with a spear, and blood and water ⁵⁶  flowed out immediately.

Yohanes 21:9

21:9 When they got out on the beach, ⁵⁷  they saw a charcoal fire ready ⁵⁸  with a fish placed on it, and bread.

[1:5]  ¹ tn To this point the author has used past tenses (imperfects, aorists); now he switches to a present. The light continually shines (thus the translation, “shines on”). Even as the author writes, it is shining. The present here most likely has gnomic force (though it is possible to take it as a historical present); it expresses the timeless truth that the light of the world (cf. 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) never ceases to shine.

[1:5]  sn The light shines on. The question of whether John has in mind here the preincarnate Christ or the incarnate Christ is probably too specific. The incarnation is not really introduced until v. 9, but here the point is more general: It is of the very nature of light, that it shines.

[1:5]  ² sn The author now introduces what will become a major theme of John’s Gospel: the opposition of light and darkness. The antithesis is a natural one, widespread in antiquity. Gen 1 gives considerable emphasis to it in the account of the creation, and so do the writings of Qumran. It is the major theme of one of the most important extra-biblical documents found at Qumran, the so-called War Scroll, properly titled The War of the Sons of Light with the Sons of Darkness. Connections between John and Qumran are still an area of scholarly debate and a consensus has not yet emerged. See T. A. Hoffman, “1 John and the Qumran Scrolls,” BTB 8 (1978): 117-25.

[1:5]  ³ tn Grk “and,” but the context clearly indicates a contrast, so this has been translated as an adversative use of καί (kai).

[1:5]  ⁴ tn Or “comprehended it,” or “overcome it.” The verb κατέλαβεν (katelaben) is not easy to translate. “To seize” or “to grasp” is possible, but this also permits “to grasp with the mind” in the sense of “to comprehend” (esp. in the middle voice). This is probably another Johannine double meaning – one does not usually think of darkness as trying to “understand” light. For it to mean this, “darkness” must be understood as meaning “certain people,” or perhaps “humanity” at large, darkened in understanding. But in John’s usage, darkness is not normally used of people or a group of people. Rather it usually signifies the evil environment or ‘sphere’ in which people find themselves: “They loved darkness rather than light” (John 3:19). Those who follow Jesus do not walk in darkness (8:12). They are to walk while they have light, lest the darkness “overtake/overcome” them (12:35, same verb as here). For John, with his set of symbols and imagery, darkness is not something which seeks to “understand (comprehend)” the light, but represents the forces of evil which seek to “overcome (conquer)” it. The English verb “to master” may be used in both sorts of contexts, as “he mastered his lesson” and “he mastered his opponent.”

[1:10]  ⁵ tn Or “was made”; Grk “came into existence.”

[1:10]  ⁶ tn Grk “and,” but in context this is an adversative use of καί (kai) and is thus translated “but.”

[1:10]  ⁷ tn Or “know.”

[2:4]  ⁸ tn Grk “and Jesus said to her.”

[2:4]  ⁹ sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? It probably indicates that a new relationship existed between Jesus and his mother once he had embarked on his public ministry. He was no longer or primarily only her son, but the “Son of Man.” This is also suggested by the use of the same term in 19:26 in the scene at the cross, where the beloved disciple is “given” to Mary as her “new” son.

[2:4]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Woman, what to me and to you?” (an idiom). The phrase τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι (ti emoi kai soi, gunai) is Semitic in origin. The equivalent Hebrew expression in the Old Testament had two basic meanings: (1) When one person was unjustly bothering another, the injured party could say “What to me and to you?” meaning, “What have I done to you that you should do this to me?” (Judg 11:12, 2 Chr 35:21, 1 Kgs 17:18). (2) When someone was asked to get involved in a matter he felt was no business of his, he could say to the one asking him, “What to me and to you?” meaning, “That is your business, how am I involved?” (2 Kgs 3:13, Hos 14:8). Option (1) implies hostility, while option (2) implies merely disengagement. Mere disengagement is almost certainly to be understood here as better fitting the context (although some of the Greek Fathers took the remark as a rebuke to Mary, such a rebuke is unlikely).

[2:4]  ¹¹ tn Grk “my hour” (referring to the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and return to the Father).

[2:4]  sn The Greek word translated time (ὥρα, Jwra) occurs in John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28, 29; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:25; and 17:1. It is a reference to the special period in Jesus’ life when he was to leave this world and return to the Father (13:1); the hour when the Son of man is glorified (17:1). This is accomplished through his suffering, death, resurrection (and ascension – though this last is not emphasized by John). John 7:30 and 8:20 imply that Jesus’ arrest and death are included. John 12:23 and 17:1, referring to the glorification of the Son, imply that the resurrection and ascension are included as part of the “hour.” In John 2:4 Jesus’ remark to his mother indicates that the time for this self-manifestation has not yet arrived; his identity as Messiah is not yet to be publicly revealed.

[2:19]  ¹² tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[2:19]  ¹³ tn The imperative here is really more than a simple conditional imperative (= “if you destroy”); its semantic force here is more like the ironical imperative found in the prophets (Amos 4:4, Isa 8:9) = “Go ahead and do this and see what happens.”

[3:10]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Jesus answered and said to him.”

[3:10]  ¹⁵ sn Jesus’ question “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?” implies that Nicodemus had enough information at his disposal from the OT scriptures to have understood Jesus’ statements about the necessity of being born from above by the regenerating work of the Spirit. Isa 44:3-5 and Ezek 37:9-10 are passages Nicodemus might have known which would have given him insight into Jesus’ words. Another significant passage which contains many of these concepts is Prov 30:4-5.

[4:24]  ¹⁶ tn Here πνεῦμα (pneuma) is understood as a qualitative predicate nominative while the articular θεός (qeos) is the subject.

[4:28]  ¹⁷ tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anhr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.

[5:21]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “and makes them live.”

[5:21]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”

[7:34]  ²⁰ tn Grk “seek me.”

[8:3]  ²¹ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[8:3]  ²² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[8:56]  ²³ tn Or “rejoiced greatly.”

[8:56]  ²⁴ tn What is the meaning of Jesus’ statement that the patriarch Abraham “saw” his day and rejoiced? The use of past tenses would seem to refer to something that occurred during the patriarch’s lifetime. Genesis Rabbah 44:25ff, (cf. 59:6) states that Rabbi Akiba, in a debate with Rabbi Johanan ben Zakkai, held that Abraham had been shown not this world only but the world to come (this would include the days of the Messiah). More realistically, it is likely that Gen 22:13-15 lies behind Jesus’ words. This passage, known to rabbis as the Akedah (“Binding”), tells of Abraham finding the ram which will replace his son Isaac on the altar of sacrifice – an occasion of certain rejoicing.

[9:28]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:28]  ²⁶ tn The Greek word means “to insult strongly” or “slander.”

[9:28]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and said.”

[9:28]  ²⁸ tn Grk “You are that one’s disciple.”

[9:37]  ²⁹ tn Grk “that one.”

[9:37]  ³⁰ tn The καί – καί (kai – kai) construction would normally be translated “both – and”: “You have both seen him, and he is the one speaking with you.” In this instance the English semicolon was used instead because it produces a smoother and more emphatic effect in English.

[10:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “And I.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:14]  ³² tn The direct object is frequently omitted in Greek and must be supplied from the context. Here it could be “sheep,” but Jesus was ultimately talking about “people.”

[11:26]  ³³ tn Grk “will never die forever.”

[11:34]  ³⁴ tn Grk “And he said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:34]  ³⁵ tn Or “Where have you placed him?”

[11:34]  ³⁶ tn Grk “They said to him.” The indirect object αὐτῷ (autw) has not been translated here for stylistic reasons.

[11:52]  ³⁷ tn See the note on the word “nation” in the previous verse.

[11:52]  ³⁸ sn The author in his comment expands the prophecy to include the Gentiles (not for the Jewish nation only), a confirmation that the Fourth Gospel was directed, at least partly, to a Gentile audience. There are echoes of Pauline concepts here (particularly Eph 2:11-22) in the stress on the unity of Jew and Gentile.

[11:52]  ³⁹ tn Grk “that he might gather together.”

[11:52]  ⁴⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:28]  ⁴¹ tn Or “from the sky” (see note on 1:32).

[12:28]  ⁴² tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[12:28]  ⁴³ tn “It” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[13:4]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “and removed”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[13:4]  ⁴⁵ tn The plural τὰ ἱμάτια (ta Jimatia) is probably a reference to more than one garment (cf. John 19:23-24). If so, this would indicate that Jesus stripped to a loincloth, like a slave. The translation “outer clothes” is used to indicate that Jesus was not completely naked, since complete nudity would have been extremely offensive to Jewish sensibilities in this historical context.

[13:4]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “taking a towel he girded himself.” Jesus would have wrapped the towel (λέντιον, lention) around his waist (διέζωσεν ἑαυτόν, diezwsen Jeauton) for use in wiping the disciples’ feet. The term λέντιον is a Latin loanword (linteum) which is also found in the rabbinic literature (see BDAG 592 s.v.). It would have been a long piece of linen cloth, long enough for Jesus to have wrapped it about his waist and still used the free end to wipe the disciples’ feet.

[13:9]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “wash” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Here it is supplied to improve the English style by making Peter’s utterance a complete sentence.

[13:13]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “rightly.”

[13:13]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “and I am these things.”

[14:7]  ⁵⁰ tc There is a difficult textual problem here: The statement reads either “If you have known (ἐγνώκατε, egnwkate) me, you will know (γνώσεσθε, gnwsesqe) my Father” or “If you had really known (ἐγνώκειτε, egnwkeite) me, you would have known (ἐγνώκειτε ἄν or ἂν ἤδειτε [egnwkeite an or an hdeite]) my Father.” The division of the external evidence is difficult, but can be laid out as follows: The mss that have the perfect ἐγνώκατε in the protasis (Ì⁶⁶ [א D* W] 579 pc it) also have, for the most part, the future indicative γνώσεσθε in the apodosis (Ì⁶⁶ א D W [579] pc sa bo), rendering Jesus’ statement as a first-class condition. The mss that have the pluperfect ἐγνώκειτε in the protasis (A B C D¹ L Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï) also have, for the most part, a pluperfect in the apodosis (either ἂν ἤδειτε in B C* [L] Q Ψ 1 33 565 al, or ἐγνώκειτε ἄν in A C³ Θ Ë¹³ Ï), rendering Jesus’ statement a contrary-to-fact second-class condition. The external evidence slightly favors the first-class condition, since there is an Alexandrian-Western alliance supported by Ì⁶⁶. As well, the fact that the readings with a second-class condition utilize two different verbs with ἄν in different positions suggests that these readings are secondary. However, it could be argued that the second-class conditions are harder readings in that they speak negatively of the apostles (so K. Aland in TCGNT 207); in this case, the ἐγνώκειτε…ἐγνώκειτε ἄν reading should be given preference. Although a decision is difficult, the first-class condition is to be slightly preferred. In this case Jesus promises the disciples that, assuming they have known him, they will know the Father. Contextually this fits better with the following phrase (v. 7b) which asserts that “from the present time you know him and have seen him” (cf. John 1:18).

[19:2]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “And the soldiers.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[19:2]  ⁵² tn Or “wove.”

[19:2]  ⁵³ sn The crown of thorns was a crown plaited of some thorny material, intended as a mockery of Jesus’ “kingship.” Traditionally it has been regarded as an additional instrument of torture, but it seems more probable the purpose of the thorns was not necessarily to inflict more physical suffering but to imitate the spikes of the “radiant corona,” a type of crown portrayed on ruler’s heads on many coins of the period; the spikes on this type of crown represented rays of light pointing outward (the best contemporary illustration is the crown on the head of the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor).

[19:2]  ⁵⁴ sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.

[19:34]  ⁵⁵ sn If it was obvious to the soldiers that the victim was already dead it is difficult to see why one of them would try to inflict a wound. The Greek verb pierced (νύσσω, nussw) can indicate anything from a slight prod to a mortal wound. Probably one of the soldiers gave an exploratory stab to see if the body would jerk. If not, he was really dead. This thrust was hard enough to penetrate the side, since the author states that blood and water flowed out immediately.

[19:34]  ⁵⁶ sn How is the reference to the blood and water that flowed out from Jesus’ side to be understood? This is probably to be connected with the statements in 1 John 5:6-8. In both passages water, blood, and testimony are mentioned. The Spirit is also mentioned in 1 John 5:7 as the source of the testimony, while here the testimony comes from one of the disciples (19:35). The connection between the Spirit and the living water with Jesus’ statement of thirst just before he died in the preceding context has already been noted (see 19:28). For the author, the water which flowed out of Jesus’ side was a symbolic reference to the Holy Spirit who could now be given because Jesus was now glorified (cf. 7:39); Jesus had now departed and returned to that glory which he had with the Father before the creation of the world (cf. 17:5). The mention of blood recalls the motif of the Passover lamb as a sacrificial victim. Later references to sacrificial procedures in the Mishnah appear to support this: m. Pesahim 5:3 and 5:5 state that the blood of the sacrificial animal should not be allowed to congeal but should flow forth freely at the instant of death so that it could be used for sprinkling; m. Tamid 4:2 actually specifies that the priest is to pierce the heart of the sacrificial victim and cause the blood to come forth.

[21:9]  ⁵⁷ tn The words “on the beach” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[21:9]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “placed,” “laid.”