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 1:23

1:23 John ⁵  said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight ⁶  the way for the Lord,’ ⁷  as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Yohanes 1:29

1:29 On the next day John ⁸  saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God ⁹  who takes away the sin of the world!

Yohanes 1:35

1:35 Again the next day John ¹⁰  was standing there ¹¹  with two of his disciples.

Yohanes 1:43

The Calling of More Disciples

1:43 On the next day Jesus ¹²  wanted to set out for Galilee. ¹³  He ¹⁴  found Philip and said ¹⁵  to him, “Follow me.”

Yohanes 2:1

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ¹⁶  in Galilee. ¹⁷  Jesus’ mother ¹⁸  was there,

Yohanes 2:22-23

2:22 So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture ¹⁹  and the saying ²⁰  that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ²¹  was in Jerusalem ²²  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ²³ 

Yohanes 3:14

3:14 Just as ²⁴  Moses lifted up the serpent ²⁵  in the wilderness, ²⁶  so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ²⁷ 

Yohanes 3:35

3:35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. ²⁸ 

Yohanes 4:6

4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ²⁹  the well. It was about noon. ³⁰ 

Yohanes 4:42

4:42 They said to the woman, “No longer do we believe because of your words, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this one ³¹  really is the Savior of the world.” ³² 

Yohanes 4:44-45

4:44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ³³  4:45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him because they had seen all the things he had done in Jerusalem ³⁴  at the feast ³⁵  (for they themselves had gone to the feast). ³⁶ 

Yohanes 4:53

4:53 Then the father realized that it was the very time ³⁷  Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he himself believed along with his entire household.

Yohanes 5:2

5:2 Now there is ³⁸  in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate ³⁹  a pool called Bethzatha ⁴⁰  in Aramaic, ⁴¹  which has five covered walkways. ⁴² 

Yohanes 5:5

5:5 Now a man was there who had been disabled for thirty-eight years. ⁴³ 

Yohanes 5:9

5:9 Immediately the man was healed, ⁴⁴  and he picked up his mat ⁴⁵  and started walking. (Now that day was a Sabbath.) ⁴⁶ 

Yohanes 5:33

5:33 You have sent to John, ⁴⁷  and he has testified to the truth.

Yohanes 6:22

6:22 The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake ⁴⁸  realized that only one small boat ⁴⁹  had been there, and that Jesus had not boarded ⁵⁰  it with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.

Yohanes 6:31

6:31 Our ancestors ⁵¹  ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” ⁵² 

Yohanes 6:39-40

6:39 Now this is the will of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given me, but raise them all up ⁵³  at the last day. 6:40 For this is the will of my Father – for everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up ⁵⁴  at the last day.” ⁵⁵ 

Yohanes 6:44

6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, ⁵⁶  and I will raise him up at the last day.

Yohanes 6:49

6:49 Your ancestors ⁵⁷  ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.

Yohanes 6:54

6:54 The one who eats ⁵⁸  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁹ 

Yohanes 7:1

The Feast of Tabernacles

7:1 After this ⁶⁰  Jesus traveled throughout Galilee. ⁶¹  He ⁶²  stayed out of Judea ⁶³  because the Jewish leaders ⁶⁴  wanted ⁶⁵  to kill him.

Yohanes 7:9

7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

Yohanes 7:11

7:11 So the Jewish leaders ⁶⁶  were looking for him at the feast, asking, “Where is he?” ⁶⁷ 

Yohanes 7:37

Teaching About the Spirit

7:37 On the last day of the feast, the greatest day, ⁶⁸  Jesus stood up and shouted out, ⁶⁹  “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me, and

Yohanes 8:12

Jesus as the Light of the World

8:12 Then Jesus spoke out again, ⁷⁰  “I am the light of the world. ⁷¹  The one who follows me will never ⁷²  walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Yohanes 8:21

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

8:21 Then Jesus ⁷³  said to them again, ⁷⁴  “I am going away, and you will look for me ⁷⁵  but will die in your sin. ⁷⁶  Where I am going you cannot come.”

Yohanes 8:35

8:35 The slave does not remain in the family ⁷⁷  forever, but the son remains forever. ⁷⁸ 

Yohanes 8:44

8:44 You people ⁷⁹  are from ⁸⁰  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ⁸¹  He ⁸²  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ⁸³  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ⁸⁴  he speaks according to his own nature, ⁸⁵  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ⁸⁶ 

Yohanes 10:23

10:23 It was winter, ⁸⁷  and Jesus was walking in the temple area ⁸⁸  in Solomon’s Portico. ⁸⁹ 

Yohanes 11:9-10

11:9 Jesus replied, ⁹⁰  “Are there not twelve hours in a day? If anyone walks around in the daytime, he does not stumble, ⁹¹  because he sees the light of this world. ⁹²  11:10 But if anyone walks around at night, ⁹³  he stumbles, ⁹⁴  because the light is not in him.”

Yohanes 11:24

11:24 Martha said, ⁹⁵  “I know that he will come back to life again ⁹⁶  in the resurrection at the last day.”

Yohanes 11:31

11:31 Then the people ⁹⁷  who were with Mary ⁹⁸  in the house consoling her saw her ⁹⁹  get up quickly and go out. They followed her, because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep ¹⁰⁰  there.

Yohanes 12:12

The Triumphal Entry

12:12 The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹⁰¹ 

Yohanes 12:20

Seekers

12:20 Now some Greeks ¹⁰²  were among those who had gone up to worship at the feast.

Yohanes 12:35

12:35 Jesus replied, ¹⁰³  “The light is with you for a little while longer. ¹⁰⁴  Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. ¹⁰⁵  The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going.

Yohanes 12:38

12:38 so that the word ¹⁰⁶  of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, ¹⁰⁷  “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord ¹⁰⁸  been revealed?” ¹⁰⁹ 

Yohanes 12:40

12:40 “He has blinded their eyes

and hardened their heart, ¹¹⁰ 

so that they would not see with their eyes

and understand with their heart, ¹¹¹ 

and turn to me, ¹¹²  and I would heal them.” ¹¹³ 

Yohanes 12:46

12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness.

Yohanes 12:48

12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹¹⁴  my words has a judge; ¹¹⁵  the word ¹¹⁶  I have spoken will judge him at the last day.

Yohanes 14:2

14:2 There are many dwelling places ¹¹⁷  in my Father’s house. ¹¹⁸  Otherwise, I would have told you, because ¹¹⁹  I am going away to make ready ¹²⁰  a place for you. ¹²¹ 

Yohanes 14:20

14:20 You will know at that time ¹²²  that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.

Yohanes 15:4

15:4 Remain ¹²³  in me, and I will remain in you. ¹²⁴  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, ¹²⁵  unless it remains ¹²⁶  in ¹²⁷  the vine, so neither can you unless you remain ¹²⁸  in me.

Yohanes 15:9-10

15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain ¹²⁹  in my love. 15:10 If you obey ¹³⁰  my commandments, you will remain ¹³¹  in my love, just as I have obeyed ¹³²  my Father’s commandments and remain ¹³³  in his love.

Yohanes 16:23

16:23 At that time ¹³⁴  you will ask me nothing. I tell you the solemn truth, ¹³⁵  whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. ¹³⁶ 

Yohanes 16:26

16:26 At that time ¹³⁷  you will ask in my name, and I do not say ¹³⁸  that I will ask the Father on your behalf.

Yohanes 17:5

17:5 And now, Father, glorify me at your side ¹³⁹  with the glory I had with you before the world was created. ¹⁴⁰ 

Yohanes 17:17

17:17 Set them apart ¹⁴¹  in the truth; your word is truth.

Yohanes 18:16

18:16 But Simon Peter was left standing outside by the door. So the other disciple who was acquainted with the high priest came out and spoke to the slave girl who watched the door, ¹⁴²  and brought Peter inside.

Yohanes 18:37

18:37 Then Pilate said, ¹⁴³  “So you are a king!” Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to ¹⁴⁴  my voice.”

Yohanes 19:2

19:2 The soldiers ¹⁴⁵  braided ¹⁴⁶  a crown of thorns ¹⁴⁷  and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe. ¹⁴⁸ 

Yohanes 19:26

19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, ¹⁴⁹  look, here is your son!”

Yohanes 20:1

The Resurrection

20:1 Now very early on the first day of the week, ¹⁵⁰  while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene ¹⁵¹  came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been moved away from the entrance. ¹⁵² 

Yohanes 20:12

20:12 And she saw two angels in white sitting where Jesus’ body had been lying, one at the head and one at the feet.

Yohanes 20:19

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples

20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together ¹⁵³  and locked the doors ¹⁵⁴  of the place ¹⁵⁵  because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. ¹⁵⁶  Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

Yohanes 21:3

21:3 Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.” “We will go with you,” they replied. ¹⁵⁷  They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

[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.”

[1:23]  ⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:23]  ⁶ sn This call to “make straight” is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[1:23]  ⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[1:29]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[1:29]  ⁹ sn Gen 22:8 is an important passage in the background of the title Lamb of God as applied to Jesus. In Jewish thought this was held to be a supremely important sacrifice. G. Vermès stated: “For the Palestinian Jew, all lamb sacrifice, and especially the Passover lamb and the Tamid offering, was a memorial of the Akedah with its effects of deliverance, forgiveness of sin and messianic salvation” (Scripture and Tradition in Judaism [StPB], 225).

[1:35]  ¹⁰ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[1:35]  ¹¹ tn “There” is not in the Greek text but is implied by current English idiom.

[1:43]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Jesus is best taken as the subject of εὑρίσκει (Jeuriskei), since Peter would scarcely have wanted to go to Galilee.

[1:43]  ¹³ sn No explanation is given for why Jesus wanted to set out for Galilee, but probably he wanted to go to the wedding at Cana (about a two day trip).

[1:43]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:43]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and Jesus said.”

[2:1]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ¹⁷ sn Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.

[2:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[2:22]  ¹⁹ sn They believed the scripture is probably an anaphoric reference to Ps 69:9 (69:10 LXX), quoted in John 2:17 above. Presumably the disciples did not remember Ps 69:9 on the spot, but it was a later insight.

[2:22]  ²⁰ tn Or “statement”; Grk “word.”

[2:23]  ²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ²² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ²³ sn Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of “Messiah” was the same as Jesus’ own, or the author’s.

[3:14]  ²⁴ tn Grk “And just as.”

[3:14]  ²⁵ sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.

[3:14]  ²⁶ sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.

[3:14]  ²⁷ sn So must the Son of Man be lifted up. This is ultimately a prediction of Jesus’ crucifixion. Nicodemus could not have understood this, but John’s readers, the audience to whom the Gospel is addressed, certainly could have (compare the wording of John 12:32). In John, being lifted up refers to one continuous action of ascent, beginning with the cross but ending at the right hand of the Father. Step 1 is Jesus’ death; step 2 is his resurrection; and step 3 is the ascension back to heaven. It is the upward swing of the “pendulum” which began with the incarnation, the descent of the Word become flesh from heaven to earth (cf. Paul in Phil 2:5-11). See also the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[3:35]  ²⁸ tn Grk “has given all things into his hand” (an idiom).

[4:6]  ²⁹ tn Grk “on (ἐπί, epi) the well.” There may have been a low stone rim encircling the well, or the reading of Ì⁶⁶ (“on the ground”) may be correct.

[4:6]  ³⁰ tn Grk “the sixth hour.”

[4:6]  sn It was about noon. The suggestion has been made by some that time should be reckoned from midnight rather than sunrise. This would make the time 6 a.m. rather than noon. That would fit in this passage but not in John 19:14 which places the time when Jesus is condemned to be crucified at “the sixth hour.”

[4:42]  ³¹ tn Or “this.” The Greek pronoun can mean either “this one” or “this” (BDAG 740 s.v. οὗτος 1).

[4:42]  ³² sn There is irony in the Samaritans’ declaration that Jesus was really the Savior of the world, an irony foreshadowed in the prologue to the Fourth Gospel (1:11): “He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.” Yet the Samaritans welcomed Jesus and proclaimed him to be not the Jewish Messiah only, but the Savior of the world.

[4:44]  ³³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[4:45]  ³⁴ sn All the things he had done in Jerusalem probably refers to the signs mentioned in John 2:23.

[4:45]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[4:45]  ³⁵ sn See John 2:23-25.

[4:45]  ³⁶ sn John 4:44-45. The last part of v. 45 is a parenthetical note by the author. The major problem in these verses concerns the contradiction between the proverb stated by Jesus in v. 44 and the reception of the Galileans in v. 45. Origen solved the problem by referring his own country to Judea (which Jesus had just left) and not Galilee. But this runs counter to the thrust of John’s Gospel, which takes pains to identify Jesus with Galilee (cf. 1:46) and does not even mention his Judean birth. R. E. Brown typifies the contemporary approach: He regards v. 44 as an addition by a later redactor who wanted to emphasize Jesus’ unsatisfactory reception in Galilee. Neither expedient is necessary, though, if honor is understood in its sense of attributing true worth to someone. The Galileans did welcome him, but their welcome was to prove a superficial response based on what they had seen him do at the feast. There is no indication that the signs they saw brought them to place their faith in Jesus any more than Nicodemus did on the basis of the signs. But a superficial welcome based on enthusiasm for miracles is no real honor at all.

[4:53]  ³⁷ tn Grk “at that hour.”

[5:2]  ³⁸ tn Regarding the use of the present tense ἐστιν (estin) and its implications for the dating of the Gospel of John, see the article by D. B. Wallace, “John 5,2 and the Date of the Fourth Gospel,” Bib 71 (1990): 177-205.

[5:2]  ³⁹ tn The site of the miracle is also something of a problem: προβατικῇ (probatikh) is usually taken as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple. Some (R. E. Brown and others) would place the word κολυμβήθρα (kolumbhqra) with προβατικῇ to read “in Jerusalem, by the Sheep Pool, there is (another pool) with the Hebrew name.” This would imply that there is reference to two pools in the context rather than only one. This does not seem necessary (although it is a grammatical possibility). The gender of the words does not help since both are feminine (as is the participle ἐπιλεγομένη [epilegomenh]). Note however that Brown’s suggestion would require a feminine word to be supplied (for the participle ἐπιλεγομένη to modify). The traditional understanding of the phrase as a reference to the Sheep Gate near the temple appears more probably correct.

[5:2]  ⁴⁰ tc Some mss (א [L] 33 it) read Bethzatha, while others read Bethsaida (Ì^[66],75 B T W^s [Ψ] pc vg); codex D has Belzetha. A lot of controversy has surrounded the name of the pool itself: The reading of the Byzantine (or majority) text (A C Θ 078 Ë^1,13 Ï), Bethesda, has been virtually discarded by scholars in favor of what is thought to be the more primitive Bethzatha, even though many recent translations continue to employ Bethesda, the traditional reading. The latter is attested by Josephus as the name of a quarter of the city near the northeast corner of the temple area. He reports that the Syrian Legate Cestius burned this suburb in his attack on Jerusalem in October a.d. 68 (J. W. 2.19.4 [2.530]). However, there is some new archaeological evidence for this problem. 3Q15 (Copper Scroll) from Qumran seems to indicate that in the general area of the temple, on the eastern hill of Jerusalem, a treasure was buried in Bet áEsdatayin, in the pool at the entrance to the smaller basin. The name of the region or pool itself seems then to have been Bet ᾿Esda, “house of the flowing.” It appears with the dual ending in the scroll because there were two basins. Bethesda seems to be an accurate Greek rendition of the name, while J. T. Milik suggests Bethzatha is a rendition of the Aramaic intensive plural Bet áEsdata (DJDJ 3, 271). As for the text of John 5:2, the fundamental problems with the Bethesda reading are that it looks motivated (with an edifying Semitic etymology, meaning “House of Mercy” [TCGNT 178]), and is minimally attested. Apart from the Copper Scroll, the evidence for Bethesda is almost entirely shut up to the Byzantine text (C being the most notable exception, but it often has Byzantine encroachments). On the one hand, this argues the Byzantine reading here had ancient, semitic roots; on the other hand, since both readings are attested as historically accurate, a decision has to be based on the better witnesses. The fact that there are multiple readings here suggests that the original was not well understood. Which reading best explains the rise of the others? It seems that Bethzatha is the best choice.

[5:2]  sn On the location of the pool called Bethzatha, the double-pool of St. Anne is the probable site, and has been excavated; the pools were trapezoidal in shape, 165 ft (49.5 m) wide at one end, 220 ft (66 m) wide at the other, and 315 ft (94.5 m) long, divided by a central partition. There were colonnades (rows of columns) on all 4 sides and on the partition, thus forming the five covered walkways mentioned in John 5:2. Stairways at the corners permitted descent to the pool.

[5:2]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[5:2]  ⁴² tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”

[5:2]  sn The pool had five porticoes. These were covered walkways formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the side facing the pool. People could stand, sit, or walk on these colonnaded porches, protected from the weather and the heat of the sun.

[5:5]  ⁴³ tn Grk “who had had thirty-eight years in his disability.”

[5:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “became well.”

[5:9]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “pallet,” “mattress,” “cot,” or “stretcher.” See the note on “mat” in the previous verse.

[5:9]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “Now it was Sabbath on that day.”

[5:9]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[5:33]  ⁴⁷ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[6:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16.

[6:22]  ⁴⁹ tc Most witnesses have after “one” the phrase “which his disciples had entered” (ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ, ekeino ei" }o enebhsan Joi maqhtai autou) although there are several permutations of this clause ([א* D] Θ [˹³ 33] Ï [sa]). The witnesses that lack this expression are, however, significant and diffused (Ì⁷⁵ א² A B L N W Ψ 1 565 579 1241 al lat). The clarifying nature of the longer reading, the multiple variants from it, and the weighty testimony for the shorter reading all argue against the authenticity of the longer text in any of its variations.

[6:22]  tn Grk “one”; the referent (a small boat) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “entered.”

[6:31]  ⁵¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:31]  ⁵² sn A quotation from Ps 78:24 (referring to the events of Exod 16:4-36).

[6:39]  ⁵³ tn Or “resurrect them all,” or “make them all live again”; Grk “raise it up.” The word “all” is supplied to bring out the collective nature of the neuter singular pronoun αὐτό (auto) in Greek. The plural pronoun “them” is used rather than neuter singular “it” because this is clearer in English, which does not use neuter collective singulars in the same way Greek does.

[6:40]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”

[6:40]  ⁵⁵ sn Notice that here the result (having eternal life and being raised up at the last day) is produced by looking on the Son and believing in him. Compare John 6:54 where the same result is produced by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. This suggests that the phrase in 6:54 (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood in terms of the phrase here (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:44]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “attracts him,” or “pulls him.” The word is used of pulling or dragging, often by force. It is even used once of magnetic attraction (A. Oepke, TDNT 2:503).

[6:44]  sn The Father who sent me draws him. The author never specifically explains what this “drawing” consists of. It is evidently some kind of attraction; whether it is binding and irresistible or not is not mentioned. But there does seem to be a parallel with 6:65, where Jesus says that no one is able to come to him unless the Father has allowed it. This apparently parallels the use of Isaiah by John to reflect the spiritual blindness of the Jewish leaders (see the quotations from Isaiah in John 9:41 and 12:39-40).

[6:49]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:54]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author’s part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

[6:54]  ⁵⁹ sn Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[7:1]  ⁶⁰ sn Again, the transition is indicated by the imprecise temporal indicator After this. Clearly, though, the author has left out much of the events of Jesus’ ministry, because chap. 6 took place near the Passover (6:4). This would have been the Passover between winter/spring of a.d. 32, just one year before Jesus’ crucifixion (assuming a date of a.d. 33 for the crucifixion), or the Passover of winter/spring a.d. 29, assuming a date of a.d. 30 for the crucifixion.

[7:1]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Jesus was traveling around in Galilee.”

[7:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “For he.” Here γάρ (gar, “for”) has not been translated.

[7:1]  ⁶³ tn Grk “he did not want to travel around in Judea.”

[7:1]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

[7:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “were seeking.”

[7:11]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.

[7:11]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “Where is that one?”

[7:37]  ⁶⁸ sn There is a problem with the identification of this reference to the last day of the feast, the greatest day: It appears from Deut 16:13 that the feast went for seven days. Lev 23:36, however, makes it plain that there was an eighth day, though it was mentioned separately from the seven. It is not completely clear whether the seventh or eighth day was the climax of the feast, called here by the author the “last great day of the feast.” Since according to the Mishnah (m. Sukkah 4.1) the ceremonies with water and lights did not continue after the seventh day, it seems more probable that this is the day the author mentions.

[7:37]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “Jesus stood up and cried out, saying.”

[8:12]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “Then again Jesus spoke to them saying.”

[8:12]  ⁷¹ sn The theory proposed by F. J. A. Hort (The New Testament in the Original Greek, vol. 2, Introduction; Appendix, 87-88), that the backdrop of 8:12 is the lighting of the candelabra in the court of women, may offer a plausible setting to the proclamation by Jesus that he is the light of the world. The last time that Jesus spoke in the narrative (assuming 7:53-8:11 is not part of the original text, as the textual evidence suggests) is in 7:38, where he was speaking to a crowd of pilgrims in the temple area. This is where he is found in the present verse, and he may be addressing the crowd again. Jesus’ remark has to be seen in view of both the prologue (John 1:4, 5) and the end of the discourse with Nicodemus (John 3:19-21). The coming of Jesus into the world provokes judgment: A choosing up of sides becomes necessary. The one who comes to the light, that is, who follows Jesus, will not walk in the darkness. The one who refuses to come, will walk in the darkness. In this contrast, there are only two alternatives. So it is with a person’s decision about Jesus. Furthermore, this serves as in implicit indictment of Jesus’ opponents, who still walk in the darkness, because they refuse to come to him. This sets up the contrast in chap. 9 between the man born blind, who receives both physical and spiritual sight, and the Pharisees (John 9:13, 15, 16) who have physical sight but remain in spiritual darkness.

[8:12]  ⁷² tn The double negative οὐ μή (ou mh) is emphatic in 1st century Hellenistic Greek.

[8:21]  ⁷³ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:21]  ⁷⁴ tn The expression οὖν πάλιν (oun palin) indicates some sort of break in the sequence of events, but it is not clear how long. The author does not mention the interval between 8:12-20 and this next recorded dialogue. The feast of Tabernacles is past, and the next reference to time is 10:22, where the feast of the Dedication is mentioned. The interval is two months, and these discussions could have taken place at any time within that interval, as long as one assumes something of a loose chronological framework. However, if the material in the Fourth Gospel is arranged theologically or thematically, such an assumption would not apply.

[8:21]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “you will seek me.”

[8:21]  ⁷⁶ tn The expression ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ὑμῶν ἀποθανεῖσθε (en th Jamartia Jumwn apoqaneisqe) is similar to an expression found in the LXX at Ezek 3:18, 20 and Prov 24:9. Note the singular of ἁμαρτία (the plural occurs later in v. 24). To die with one’s sin unrepented and unatoned would be the ultimate disaster to befall a person. Jesus’ warning is stern but to the point.

[8:35]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “household.” The Greek work οἰκία (oikia) can denote the family as consisting of relatives by both descent and marriage, as well as slaves and servants, living in the same house (more the concept of an “extended family”).

[8:35]  ⁷⁸ sn Jesus’ point is that while a slave may be part of a family or household, the slave is not guaranteed a permanent place there, while a son, as a descendant or blood relative, will always be guaranteed a place in the family (remains forever).

[8:44]  ⁷⁹ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ⁸⁰ tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).

[8:44]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ⁸² tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ⁸³ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[10:23]  ⁸⁷ sn It was winter. The feast began on 25 Kislev, in November-December of the modern Gregorian calendar.

[10:23]  ⁸⁸ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[10:23]  ⁸⁹ tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”

[10:23]  sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex.

[11:9]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[11:9]  ⁹¹ tn Or “he does not trip.”

[11:9]  ⁹² sn What is the light of this world? On one level, of course, it refers to the sun, but the reader of John’s Gospel would recall 8:12 and understand Jesus’ symbolic reference to himself as the light of the world. There is only a limited time left (Are there not twelve hours in a day?) until the Light will be withdrawn (until Jesus returns to the Father) and the one who walks around in the dark will trip and fall (compare the departure of Judas by night in 13:30).

[11:10]  ⁹³ tn Grk “in the night.”

[11:10]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “he trips.”

[11:24]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “Martha said to him.”

[11:24]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “will rise again.”

[11:31]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. 19.

[11:31]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “her”; the referent (Mary) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:31]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “Mary”; the proper name (Mary) has been replaced with the pronoun (her) in keeping with conventional English style, to avoid repetition.

[11:31]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Or “to mourn” (referring to the loud wailing or crying typical of public mourning in that culture).

[12:12]  ¹⁰¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:20]  ¹⁰² sn These Greeks (῞Ελληνές τινες, {ellhne" tine") who had come up to worship at the feast were probably “God-fearers” rather than proselytes in the strict sense. Had they been true proselytes, they would probably not have been referred to as Greeks any longer. Many came to worship at the major Jewish festivals without being proselytes to Judaism, for example, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:27, who could not have been a proselyte if he were physically a eunuch.

[12:35]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “Then Jesus said to them.”

[12:35]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “Yet a little while the light is with you.”

[12:35]  ¹⁰⁵ sn The warning Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you operates on at least two different levels: (1) To the Jewish people in Jerusalem to whom Jesus spoke, the warning was a reminder that there was only a little time left for them to accept him as their Messiah. (2) To those later individuals to whom the Fourth Gospel was written, and to every person since, the words of Jesus are also a warning: There is a finite, limited time in which each individual has opportunity to respond to the Light of the world (i.e., Jesus); after that comes darkness. One’s response to the Light decisively determines one’s judgment for eternity.

[12:38]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “message.”

[12:38]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “who said.”

[12:38]  ¹⁰⁸ tn “The arm of the Lord” is an idiom for “God’s great power” (as exemplified through Jesus’ miraculous signs). This response of unbelief is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Isaiah (Isa 53:1). The phrase ὁ βραχίων κυρίου (Jo braciwn kuriou) is a figurative reference to God’s activity and power which has been revealed in the sign-miracles which Jesus has performed (compare the previous verse).

[12:38]  ¹⁰⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[12:40]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “closed their mind.”

[12:40]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “their mind.”

[12:40]  ¹¹² tn One could also translate στραφῶσιν (strafwsin) as “repent” or “change their ways,” but both of these terms would be subject to misinterpretation by the modern English reader. The idea is one of turning back to God, however. The words “to me” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:40]  ¹¹³ sn A quotation from Isa 6:10.

[12:48]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “message.”

[14:2]  ¹¹⁷ tn Many interpreters have associated μοναί (monai) with an Aramaic word that can refer to a stopping place or resting place for a traveler on a journey. This is similar to one of the meanings the word can have in secular Greek (Pausanius 10.31.7). Origen understood the use here to refer to stations on the road to God. This may well have been the understanding of the Latin translators who translated μονή (monh) by mansio, a stopping place. The English translation “mansions” can be traced back to Tyndale, but in Middle English the word simply meant “a dwelling place” (not necessarily large or imposing) with no connotation of being temporary. The interpretation put forward by Origen would have been well suited to Gnosticism, where the soul in its ascent passes through stages during which it is gradually purified of all that is material and therefore evil. It is much more likely that the word μονή should be related to its cognate verb μένω (menw), which is frequently used in the Fourth Gospel to refer to the permanence of relationship between Jesus and the Father and/or Jesus and the believer. Thus the idea of a permanent dwelling place, rather than a temporary stopping place, would be in view. Luther’s translation of μοναί by Wohnungen is very accurate here, as it has the connotation of a permanent residence.

[14:2]  ¹¹⁸ sn Most interpreters have understood the reference to my Father’s house as a reference to heaven, and the dwelling places (μονή, monh) as the permanent residences of believers there. This seems consistent with the vocabulary and the context, where in v. 3 Jesus speaks of coming again to take the disciples to himself. However, the phrase in my Father’s house was used previously in the Fourth Gospel in 2:16 to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The author in 2:19-22 then reinterpreted the temple as Jesus’ body, which was to be destroyed in death and then rebuilt in resurrection after three days. Even more suggestive is the statement by Jesus in 8:35, “Now the slave does not remain (μένω, menw) in the household forever, but the son remains (μένω) forever.” If in the imagery of the Fourth Gospel the phrase in my Father’s house is ultimately a reference to Jesus’ body, the relationship of μονή to μένω suggests the permanent relationship of the believer to Jesus and the Father as an adopted son who remains in the household forever. In this case the “dwelling place” is “in” Jesus himself, where he is, whether in heaven or on earth. The statement in v. 3, “I will come again and receive you to myself,” then refers not just to the parousia, but also to Jesus’ postresurrection return to the disciples in his glorified state, when by virtue of his death on their behalf they may enter into union with him and with the Father as adopted sons. Needless to say, this bears numerous similarities to Pauline theology, especially the concepts of adoption as sons and being “in Christ” which are prominent in passages like Eph 1. It is also important to note, however, the emphasis in the Fourth Gospel itself on the present reality of eternal life (John 5:24, 7:38-39, etc.) and the possibility of worshiping the Father “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-24) in the present age. There is a sense in which it is possible to say that the future reality is present now. See further J. McCaffrey, The House With Many Rooms (AnBib 114).

[14:2]  ¹¹⁹ tc A number of important mss (Ì^66c א A B C* D K L W Ψ Ë¹³ 33 565 579 892 al lat) have ὅτι (Joti) here, while the majority lack it (Ì^66* C² Θ Ï). Should the ὅτι be included or omitted? The external evidence is significantly stronger for the longer reading. Most Alexandrian and Western mss favor inclusion (it is a little unusual for the Alexandrian to favor the longer reading), while most Byzantine mss favor omission (again, a little unusual). However, the reading of Ì^66*, which aligns with the Byzantine, needs to be given some value. At the same time, the scribe of this papyrus was known for freely omitting and adding words, and the fact that the ms was corrected discounts its testimony here. But because the shorter reading is out of character for the Byzantine text, the shorter reading (omitting the ὅτι) may well be authentic. Internally, the question comes down to whether the shorter reading is more difficult or not. And here, it loses the battle, for it seems to be a clarifying omission (so TCGNT 206). R. E. Brown is certainly right when he states: “all in all, the translation without ὅτι makes the best sense” (John [AB], 2:620). But this tacitly argues for the authenticity of the word. Thus, on both external and internal grounds, the ὅτι should be regarded as authentic.

[14:2]  tn If the ὅτι (Joti) is included (see tc above), there are no less than four possible translations for this sentence: The sentence could be either a question or a statement, and in addition the ὅτι could either indicate content or be causal. How does one determine the best translation? (1) A question here should probably be ruled out because it would imply a previous statement by Jesus that either there are many dwelling places in his Father’s house (if the ὅτι is causal) or he was going off to make a place ready for them (if the ὅτι indicates content). There is no indication anywhere in the Fourth Gospel that Jesus had made such statements prior to this time. So understanding the sentence as a statement is the best option. (2) A statement with ὅτι indicating content is understandable but contradictory. If there were no dwelling places, Jesus would have told them that he was going off to make dwelling places. But the following verse makes clear that Jesus’ departure is not hypothetical but real – he is really going away. So understanding the ὅτι with a causal nuance is the best option. (3) A statement with a causal ὅτι can be understood two ways: (a) “Otherwise I would have told you” is a parenthetical statement, and the ὅτι clause goes with the preceding “There are many dwelling places in my Father’s house.” This would be fairly awkward syntactically, however; it would be much more natural for the ὅτι clause to modify what directly preceded it. (b) “Otherwise I would have told you” is explained by Jesus’ statement that he is going to make ready a place. He makes a logical, necessary connection between his future departure and the reality of the dwelling places in his Father’s house. To sum up, all the possibilities for understanding the verse with the inclusion of ὅτι present some interpretive difficulties, but last option given seems best: “Otherwise, I would have told you, because I am going to make ready a place.” Of all the options it provides the best logical flow of thought in the passage without making any apparent contradictions in the context.

[14:2]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “to prepare.”

[14:2]  ¹²¹ tn Or “If not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” What is the meaning of the last clause with or without the ὅτι? One of the questions that must be answered here is whether or not τόπος (topos) is to be equated with μονή (monh). In Rev 12:8 τόπος is used to refer to a place in heaven, which would suggest that the two are essentially equal here. Jesus is going ahead of believers to prepare a place for them, a permanent dwelling place in the Father’s house (see the note on this phrase in v. 2).

[14:20]  ¹²² tn Grk “will know in that day.”

[14:20]  sn At that time could be a reference to the parousia (second coming of Christ). But the statement in 14:19, that the world will not see Jesus, does not fit. It is better to take this as the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples (which has the advantage of taking in a little while in v. 19 literally).

[15:4]  ¹²³ tn Or “Reside.”

[15:4]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “and I in you.” The verb has been repeated for clarity and to conform to contemporary English style, which typically allows fewer ellipses (omitted or understood words) than Greek.

[15:4]  ¹²⁵ sn The branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it remains connected to the vine, from which its life and sustenance flows. As far as the disciples were concerned, they would produce no fruit from themselves if they did not remain in their relationship to Jesus, because the eternal life which a disciple must possess in order to bear fruit originates with Jesus; he is the source of all life and productivity for the disciple.

[15:4]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “resides.”

[15:4]  ¹²⁷ tn While it would be more natural to say “on the vine” (so NAB), the English preposition “in” has been retained here to emphasize the parallelism with the following clause “unless you remain in me.” To speak of remaining “in” a person is not natural English either, but is nevertheless a biblical concept (cf. “in Christ” in Eph 1:3, 4, 6, 7, 11).

[15:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “you reside.”

[15:9]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “keep.”

[15:10]  ¹³¹ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ¹³² tn Or “kept.”

[15:10]  ¹³³ tn Or “reside.”

[16:23]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “And in that day.”

[16:23]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[16:23]  ¹³⁶ sn This statement is also found in John 15:16.

[16:26]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “In that day.”

[16:26]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “I do not say to you.”

[17:5]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “in your presence”; Grk “with yourself.” The use of παρά (para) twice in this verse looks back to the assertion in John 1:1 that the Word (the Λόγος [Logos], who became Jesus of Nazareth in 1:14) was with God (πρὸς τὸν θεόν, pro" ton qeon). Whatever else may be said, the statement in 17:5 strongly asserts the preexistence of Jesus Christ.

[17:5]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “before the world was.” The word “created” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[17:5]  sn It is important to note that although Jesus prayed for a return to the glory he had at the Father’s side before the world was created, he was not praying for a “de-incarnation.” His humanity which he took on at the incarnation (John 1:14) remains, though now glorified.

[17:17]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “Consecrate them” or “Sanctify them.”

[17:17]  sn The Greek word translated set…apart (ἁγιάζω, Jagiazw) is used here in its normal sense of being dedicated, consecrated, or set apart. The sphere in which the disciples are to be set apart is in the truth. In 3:21 the idea of “practicing” (Grk “doing”) the truth was introduced; in 8:32 Jesus told some of his hearers that if they continued in his word they would truly be his disciples, and would know the truth, and the truth would make them free. These disciples who are with Jesus now for the Farewell Discourse have continued in his word (except for Judas Iscariot, who has departed), and they do know the truth about who Jesus is and why he has come into the world (17:8). Thus Jesus can ask the Father to set them apart in this truth as he himself is set apart, so that they might carry on his mission in the world after his departure (note the following verse).

[18:16]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “spoke to the doorkeeper”; her description as a slave girl is taken from the following verse. The noun θυρωρός (qurwro") may be either masculine or feminine, but the article here indicates that it is feminine.

[18:37]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “said to him.”

[18:37]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “obeys”; Grk “hears.”

[19:2]  ¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “wove.”

[19:2]  ¹⁴⁷ 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]  ¹⁴⁸ sn The purple color of the robe indicated royal status. This was further mockery of Jesus, along with the crown of thorns.

[19:26]  ¹⁴⁹ 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; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). 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? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.

[20:1]  ¹⁵⁰ sn The first day of the week would be early Sunday morning. The Sabbath (and in this year the Passover) would have lasted from 6 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday. Sunday would thus mark the first day of the following week.

[20:1]  ¹⁵¹ sn John does not mention that Mary Magdalene was accompanied by any of the other women who had been among Jesus’ followers. The synoptic accounts all mention other women who accompanied her (although Mary Magdalene is always mentioned first). Why John does not mention the other women is not clear, but Mary probably becomes the focus of the author’s attention because it was she who came and found Peter and the beloved disciple and informed them of the empty tomb (20:2). Mary’s use of the plural in v. 2 indicates there were others present, in indirect agreement with the synoptic accounts.

[20:1]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “from the tomb.”

[20:19]  ¹⁵³ tn Although the words “had gathered together” are omitted in some of the earliest and best mss, they are nevertheless implied, and have thus been included in the translation.

[20:19]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “the doors were shut”; “locked” conveys a more appropriate idea for the modern English reader.

[20:19]  sn The fact that the disciples locked the doors is a perfectly understandable reaction to the events of the past few days. But what is the significance of the inclusion of this statement by the author? It is often taken to mean that Jesus, when he entered the room, passed through the closed doors. This may well be the case, but it may be assuming too much about our knowledge of the mode in which the resurrected body of Jesus exists. The text does not explicitly state how Jesus got through the closed doors. It is possible to assume that the doors opened of their own accord before him, or that he simply appeared in the middle of the room without passing through the doors at all. The point the author makes here is simply that the closed doors were no obstacle at all to the resurrected Jesus.

[20:19]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Grk “where they were.”

[20:19]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders.

[21:3]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “they said to him.”