Yohanes 1:18

1:18 No one has ever seen God. The only one, ¹  himself God, who is in closest fellowship with ²  the Father, has made God ³  known. ⁴ 

Yohanes 1:45

1:45 Philip found Nathanael ⁵  and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also ⁶  wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Yohanes 2:14

2:14 ⁷ He found in the temple courts ⁸  those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables. ⁹ 

Yohanes 3:28

3:28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ ¹⁰  but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’

Yohanes 4:36

4:36 The one who reaps receives pay ¹¹  and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that the one who sows and the one who reaps can rejoice together.

Yohanes 5:14

5:14 After this Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “Look, you have become well. Don’t sin any more, ¹²  lest anything worse happen to you.”

Yohanes 5:43

5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ¹³  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ¹⁴  him.

Yohanes 6:14

6:14 Now when the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus ¹⁵  performed, they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet ¹⁶  who is to come into the world.” ¹⁷ 

Yohanes 6:19

6:19 Then, when they had rowed about three or four miles, ¹⁸  they caught sight of Jesus walking on the lake, ¹⁹  approaching the boat, and they were frightened.

Yohanes 6:32

6:32 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ²⁰  it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread from heaven.

Yohanes 6:37

6:37 Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. ²¹ 

Yohanes 6:40

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 ²²  at the last day.” ²³ 

Yohanes 6:52

6:52 Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus ²⁴  began to argue with one another, ²⁵  “How can this man ²⁶  give us his flesh to eat?”

Yohanes 6:63

6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ²⁷  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ²⁸ 

Yohanes 6:70

6:70 Jesus replied, ²⁹  “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is the devil?” ³⁰ 

Yohanes 7:3

7:3 So Jesus’ brothers ³¹  advised him, “Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing. ³² 

Yohanes 7:45

Lack of Belief

7:45 Then the officers ³³  returned ³⁴  to the chief priests and Pharisees, ³⁵  who said to them, “Why didn’t you bring him back with you?” ³⁶ 

Yohanes 8:9

8:9 Now when they heard this, they began to drift away one at a time, starting with the older ones, ³⁷  until Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.

Yohanes 8:21

Where Jesus Came From and Where He is Going

8:21 Then Jesus ³⁸  said to them again, ³⁹  “I am going away, and you will look for me ⁴⁰  but will die in your sin. ⁴¹  Where I am going you cannot come.”

Yohanes 8:40

8:40 But now you are trying ⁴²  to kill me, a man who has told you ⁴³  the truth I heard from God. Abraham did not do this! ⁴⁴ 

Yohanes 9:8

9:8 Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously ⁴⁵  as a beggar began saying, ⁴⁶  “Is this not the man ⁴⁷  who used to sit and beg?”

Yohanes 9:22

9:22 (His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. ⁴⁸  For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus ⁴⁹  to be the Christ ⁵⁰  would be put out ⁵¹  of the synagogue. ⁵² 

Yohanes 9:34

9:34 They replied, ⁵³  “You were born completely in sinfulness, ⁵⁴  and yet you presume to teach us?” ⁵⁵  So they threw him out.

Yohanes 10:25

10:25 Jesus replied, ⁵⁶  “I told you and you do not believe. The deeds ⁵⁷  I do in my Father’s name testify about me.

Yohanes 10:28-29

10:28 I give ⁵⁸  them eternal life, and they will never perish; ⁵⁹  no one will snatch ⁶⁰  them from my hand. 10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, ⁶¹  and no one can snatch ⁶²  them from my Father’s hand.

Yohanes 11:15

11:15 and I am glad ⁶³  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ⁶⁴  But let us go to him.”

Yohanes 11:42

11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, ⁶⁵  but I said this ⁶⁶  for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”

Yohanes 11:48

11:48 If we allow him to go on in this way, ⁶⁷  everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary ⁶⁸  and our nation.”

Yohanes 12:3

12:3 Then Mary took three quarters of a pound ⁶⁹  of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard ⁷⁰  and anointed the feet of Jesus. She ⁷¹  then wiped his feet dry with her hair. (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) ⁷² 

Yohanes 12:34

12:34 Then the crowd responded, ⁷³  “We have heard from the law that the Christ ⁷⁴  will remain forever. ⁷⁵  How ⁷⁶  can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up’? Who is this Son of Man?”

Yohanes 12:38

12:38 so that the word ⁷⁷  of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled. He said, ⁷⁸  “Lord, who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord ⁷⁹  been revealed?” ⁸⁰ 

Yohanes 12:50

12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ⁸¹  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ⁸² 

Yohanes 13:34

13:34 “I give you a new commandment – to love ⁸³  one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ⁸⁴ 

Yohanes 17:9

17:9 I am praying ⁸⁵  on behalf of them. I am not praying ⁸⁶  on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those you have given me, because they belong to you. ⁸⁷ 

Yohanes 17:14

17:14 I have given them your word, ⁸⁸  and the world has hated them, because they do not belong to the world, ⁸⁹  just as I do not belong to the world. ⁹⁰ 

Yohanes 17:22

17:22 The glory ⁹¹  you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one –

Yohanes 18:3

18:3 So Judas obtained a squad of soldiers ⁹²  and some officers of the chief priests and Pharisees. ⁹³  They came to the orchard ⁹⁴  with lanterns ⁹⁵  and torches and weapons.

Yohanes 18:9-10

18:9 He said this ⁹⁶  to fulfill the word he had spoken, ⁹⁷  “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” ⁹⁸ 

18:10 Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, pulled it out and struck the high priest’s slave, ⁹⁹  cutting off his right ear. ¹⁰⁰  (Now the slave’s name was Malchus.) ¹⁰¹ 

Yohanes 18:21

18:21 Why do you ask me? Ask those who heard what I said. ¹⁰²  They ¹⁰³  know what I said.”

Yohanes 19:4

19:4 Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, ¹⁰⁴  “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation ¹⁰⁵  against him.”

Yohanes 19:25

19:25 Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. ¹⁰⁶ 

Yohanes 20:30

20:30 Now Jesus performed ¹⁰⁷  many other miraculous signs in the presence of the ¹⁰⁸  disciples, which are not recorded ¹⁰⁹  in this book. ¹¹⁰ 

Yohanes 21:6

21:6 He told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” ¹¹¹  So they threw the net, ¹¹²  and were not able to pull it in because of the large number of fish.

Yohanes 21:8

21:8 Meanwhile the other disciples came with the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from land, only about a hundred yards. ¹¹³ 

[1:18]  ¹ tc The textual problem μονογενὴς θεός (monogenh" qeo", “the only God”) versus ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός (Jo monogenh" Juio", “the only son”) is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the mss, since both words would have been contracted as nomina sacra: thus qMs or uMs. Externally, there are several variants, but they can be grouped essentially by whether they read θεός or υἱός. The majority of mss, especially the later ones (A C³ Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat), read ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός. Ì⁷⁵ א¹ 33 pc have ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, while the anarthrous μονογενὴς θεός is found in Ì⁶⁶ א* B C* L pc. The articular θεός is almost certainly a scribal emendation to the anarthrous θεός, for θεός without the article is a much harder reading. The external evidence thus strongly supports μονογενὴς θεός. Internally, although υἱός fits the immediate context more readily, θεός is much more difficult. As well, θεός also explains the origin of the other reading (υἱός), because it is difficult to see why a scribe who found υἱός in the text he was copying would alter it to θεός. Scribes would naturally change the wording to υἱός however, since μονογενὴς υἱός is a uniquely Johannine christological title (cf. John 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). But θεός as the older and more difficult reading is preferred. As for translation, it makes the most sense to see the word θεός as in apposition to μονογενής, and the participle ὁ ὤν (Jo wn) as in apposition to θεός, giving in effect three descriptions of Jesus rather than only two. (B. D. Ehrman, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, 81, suggests that it is nearly impossible and completely unattested in the NT for an adjective followed immediately by a noun that agrees in gender, number, and case, to be a substantival adjective: “when is an adjective ever used substantivally when it immediately precedes a noun of the same inflection?” This, however, is an overstatement. First, as Ehrman admits, μονογενής in John 1:14 is substantival. And since it is an established usage for the adjective in this context, one might well expect that the author would continue to use the adjective substantivally four verses later. Indeed, μονογενής is already moving toward a crystallized substantival adjective in the NT [cf. Luke 9:38; Heb 11:17]; in patristic Greek, the process continued [cf. PGL 881 s.v. 7]. Second, there are several instances in the NT in which a substantival adjective is followed by a noun with which it has complete concord: cf., e.g., Rom 1:30; Gal 3:9; 1 Tim 1:9; 2 Pet 2:5.) The modern translations which best express this are the NEB (margin) and TEV. Several things should be noted: μονογενής alone, without υἱός, can mean “only son,” “unique son,” “unique one,” etc. (see 1:14). Furthermore, θεός is anarthrous. As such it carries qualitative force much like it does in 1:1c, where θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος (qeo" hn Jo logo") means “the Word was fully God” or “the Word was fully of the essence of deity.” Finally, ὁ ὤν occurs in Rev 1:4, 8; 4:8, 11:17; and 16:5, but even more significantly in the LXX of Exod 3:14. Putting all of this together leads to the translation given in the text.

[1:18]  tn Or “The unique one.” For the meaning of μονογενής (monogenh") see the note on “one and only” in 1:14.

[1:18]  ² tn Grk “in the bosom of” (an idiom for closeness or nearness; cf. L&N 34.18; BDAG 556 s.v. κόλπος 1).

[1:18]  ³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:18]  ⁴ sn Has made God known. In this final verse of the prologue, the climactic and ultimate statement of the earthly career of the Logos, Jesus of Nazareth, is reached. The unique One (John 1:14), the One who has taken on human form and nature by becoming incarnate (became flesh, 1:14), who is himself fully God (the Word was God, 1:1c) and is to be identified with the ever-living One of the Old Testament revelation (Exod 3:14), who is in intimate relationship with the Father, this One and no other has fully revealed what God is like. As Jesus said to Philip in John 14:9, “The one who has seen me has seen the Father.”

[1:45]  ⁵ sn Nathanael is traditionally identified with Bartholomew (although John never describes him as such). He appears here after Philip, while in all lists of the twelve except in Acts 1:13, Bartholomew follows Philip. Also, the Aramaic Bar-tolmai means “son of Tolmai,” the surname; the man almost certainly had another name.

[1:45]  ⁶ tn “Also” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[2:14]  ⁷ sn John 2:14-22. Does John’s account of the temple cleansing describe the same event as the synoptic gospels describe, or a separate event? The other accounts of the cleansing of the temple are Matt 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; and Luke 19:45-46. None are as long as the Johannine account. The fullest of the synoptic accounts is Mark’s. John’s account differs from Mark’s in the mention of sheep and oxen, the mention of the whip of cords, the Greek word κερματιστῆς (kermatisths) for money changer (the synoptics use κολλυβιστῆς [kollubisths], which John mentions in 2:15), the scattering of the coins (2:15), and the command by Jesus, “Take these things away from here!” The word for overturned in John is ἀναστρεφω (anastrefw), while Matthew and Mark use καταστρεφω (katastrefw; Luke does not mention the moneychangers at all). The synoptics all mention that Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 followed by Jer 7:11. John mentions no citation of scripture at all, but says that later the disciples remembered Ps 69:9. John does not mention, as does Mark, Jesus’ prohibition on carrying things through the temple (i.e., using it for a shortcut). But the most important difference is one of time: In John the cleansing appears as the first great public act of Jesus’ ministry, while in the synoptics it is virtually the last. The most common solution of the problem, which has been endlessly discussed among NT scholars, is to say there was only one cleansing, and that it took place, as the synoptics record it, at the end of Jesus’ ministry. In the synoptics it appears to be the event that finalized the opposition of the high priest, and precipitated the arrest of Jesus. According to this view, John’s placing of the event at the opening of Jesus’ ministry is due to his general approach; it was fitting ‘theologically’ for Jesus to open his ministry this way, so this is the way John records it. Some have overstated the case for one cleansing and John’s placing of it at the opening of Jesus’ public ministry, however. For example W. Barclay stated: “John, as someone has said, is more interested in the truth than in the facts. He was not interested to tell men when Jesus cleansed the Temple; he was supremely interested in telling men that Jesus did cleanse the Temple” (John [DSBS], 94). But this is not the impression one gets by a reading of John’s Gospel: The evangelist seems to go out of his way to give details and facts, including notes of time and place. To argue as Barclay does that John is interested in truth apart from the facts is to set up a false dichotomy. Why should one have to assume, in any case, that there could have been only one cleansing of the temple? This account in John is found in a large section of nonsynoptic material. Apart from the work of John the Baptist – and even this is markedly different from the references in the synoptics – nothing else in the first five chapters of John’s Gospel is found in any of the synoptics. It is certainly not impossible that John took one isolated episode from the conclusion of Jesus’ earthly ministry and inserted it into his own narrative in a place which seemed appropriate according to his purposes. But in view of the differences between John and the synoptics, in both wording and content, as well as setting and time, it is at least possible that the event in question actually occurred twice (unless one begins with the presupposition that the Fourth Gospel is nonhistorical anyway). In support of two separate cleansings of the temple, it has been suggested that Jesus’ actions on this occasion were not permanent in their result, and after (probably) 3 years the status quo in the temple courts had returned to normal. And at this time early in Jesus’ ministry, he was virtually unknown. Such an action as he took on this occasion would have created a stir, and evoked the response John records in 2:18-22, but that is probably about all, especially if Jesus’ actions met with approval among part of the populace. But later in Jesus’ ministry, when he was well-known, and vigorously opposed by the high-priestly party in Jerusalem, his actions might have brought forth another, harsher response. It thus appears possible to argue for two separate cleansings of the temple as well as a single one relocated by John to suit his own purposes. Which then is more probable? On the whole, more has been made of the differences between John’s account and the synoptic accounts than perhaps should have been. After all, the synoptic accounts also differ considerably from one another, yet few scholars would be willing to posit four cleansings of the temple as an explanation for this. While it is certainly possible that the author did not intend by his positioning of the temple cleansing to correct the synoptics’ timing of the event, but to highlight its significance for the course of Jesus’ ministry, it still appears somewhat more probable that John has placed the event he records in the approximate period of Jesus’ public ministry in which it did occur, that is, within the first year or so of Jesus’ public ministry. The statement of the Jewish authorities recorded by the author (this temple has been under construction for forty-six years) would tend to support an earlier rather than a later date for the temple cleansing described by John, since 46 years from the beginning of construction on Herod’s temple in ca. 19 b.c. (the date varies somewhat in different sources) would be around a.d. 27. This is not conclusive proof, however.

[2:14]  ⁸ tn Grk “in the temple.”

[2:14]  sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.

[2:14]  ⁹ tn Grk “the money changers sitting”; the words “at tables” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:28]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[3:28]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[4:36]  ¹¹ tn Or “a reward”; see L&N 38.14 and 57.173. This is something of a wordplay.

[5:14]  ¹² tn Since this is a prohibition with a present imperative, the translation “stop sinning” is sometimes suggested. This is not likely, however, since the present tense is normally used in prohibitions involving a general condition (as here) while the aorist tense is normally used in specific instances. Only when used opposite the normal usage (the present tense in a specific instance, for example) would the meaning “stop doing what you are doing” be appropriate.

[5:43]  ¹³ tn Or “you do not receive.”

[5:43]  ¹⁴ tn Or “you will receive.”

[6:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:14]  ¹⁶ sn The Prophet is a reference to the “prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15, by this time an eschatological figure in popular belief.

[6:14]  ¹⁷ sn An allusion to Deut 18:15.

[6:19]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “about twenty-five or thirty stades” (a stade as a unit of linear measure is about 607 feet or 187 meters).

[6:19]  sn About three or four miles. The Sea of Galilee was at its widest point 7 mi (11.6 km) by 12 mi (20 km). So at this point the disciples were in about the middle of the lake.

[6:19]  ¹⁹ tn Or “sea.” See the note on “lake” in v. 16. John uses the phrase ἐπί (epi, “on”) followed by the genitive (as in Mark, instead of Matthew’s ἐπί followed by the accusative) to describe Jesus walking “on the lake.”

[6:32]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:37]  ²¹ tn Or “drive away”; Grk “cast out.”

[6:40]  ²² tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”

[6:40]  ²³ 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).

[6:52]  ²⁴ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in 6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. 41.

[6:52]  ²⁵ tn Grk “with one another, saying.”

[6:52]  ²⁶ tn Grk “this one,” “this person.”

[6:63]  ²⁷ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ²⁸ tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[6:70]  ²⁹ tn Grk “Jesus answered them.”

[6:70]  ³⁰ tn Although most translations render this last phrase as “one of you is a devil,” such a translation presupposes that there is more than one devil. This finds roots in the KJV in which the Greek word for demon was often translated “devil.” In fact, the KJV never uses the word “demon.” (Sixty-two of the 63 NT instances of δαιμόνιον [daimonion] are translated “devil” [in Acts 17:18 the plural has been translated “gods”]. This can get confusing in places where the singular “devil” is used: Is Satan or one of the demons in view [cf. Matt 9:33 (demon); 13:39 (devil); 17:18 (demon); Mark 7:26 (demon); Luke 4:2 (devil); etc.]?) Now regarding John 6:70, both the construction in Greek and the technical use of διάβολος (diabolos) indicate that the one devil is in view. To object to the translation “the devil” because it thus equates Judas with Satan does not take into consideration that Jesus often spoke figuratively (e.g., “destroy this temple” [John 2:19]; “he [John the Baptist] is Elijah” [Matt 11:14]), even equating Peter with the devil on one occasion (Mark 8:33). According to ExSyn 249, “A curious phenomenon has occurred in the English Bible with reference to one particular monadic noun, διάβολος. The KJV translates both διάβολος and δαιμόνιον as ‘devil.’ Thus in the AV translators’ minds, ‘devil’ was not a monadic noun. Modern translations have correctly rendered δαιμόνιον as ‘demon’ and have, for the most part, recognized that διάβολος is monadic (cf., e.g., 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 20:2). But in John 6:70 modern translations have fallen into the error of the King James translators. The KJV has ‘one of you is a devil.’ So does the RSV, NRSV, ASV, NIV, NKJV, and the JB [Jerusalem Bible]. Yet there is only one devil…The legacy of the KJV still lives on, then, even in places where it ought not.”

[7:3]  ³¹ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:3]  sn Jesus’ brothers. Jesus’ brothers (really his half-brothers) were mentioned previously by John in 2:12 (see the note on brothers there). They are also mentioned elsewhere in Matt 13:55 and Mark 6:3.

[7:3]  ³² tn Grk “your deeds that you are doing.”

[7:3]  sn Should the advice by Jesus’ brothers, Leave here and go to Judea so your disciples may see your miracles that you are performing, be understood as a suggestion that he should attempt to win back the disciples who had deserted him earlier (6:66)? Perhaps. But it is also possible to take the words as indicating that if Jesus is going to put forward messianic claims (i.e., through miraculous signs) then he should do so in Jerusalem, not in the remote parts of Galilee. Such an understanding seems to fit better with the following verse. It would also indicate misunderstanding on the part of Jesus’ brothers of the true nature of his mission – he did not come as the royal Messiah of Jewish apocalyptic expectation, to be enthroned as king at this time.

[7:45]  ³³ tn Or “servants.” The “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive term for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26. As “servants” or “officers” of the Sanhedrin, their representatives should be distinguished from the Levites serving as temple police (perhaps John 7:30 and 44; also John 8:20; 10:39; 19:6; Acts 4:3). Even when performing ‘police’ duties such as here, their “officers” are doing so only as part of their general tasks (See K. H. Rengstorf, TDNT 8:540).

[7:45]  ³⁴ tn Grk “came.”

[7:45]  ³⁵ sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[7:45]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Why did you not bring him?” The words “back with you” are implied.

[8:9]  ³⁷ tn Or “beginning from the eldest.”

[8:21]  ³⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:21]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “you will seek me.”

[8:21]  ⁴¹ 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.

[8:40]  ⁴² tn Grk “seeking.”

[8:40]  ⁴³ tn Grk “has spoken to you.”

[8:40]  ⁴⁴ tn The Greek word order is emphatic: “This Abraham did not do.” The emphasis is indicated in the translation by an exclamation point.

[9:8]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “formerly.”

[9:8]  ⁴⁶ tn An ingressive force (“began saying”) is present here because the change in status of the blind person provokes this new response from those who knew him.

[9:8]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “the one.”

[9:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “the Jewish religious authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Twice in this verse the phrase refers to the Pharisees, mentioned by name in John 9:13, 15, 16. The second occurrence is shortened to “the Jewish leaders” for stylistic reasons. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish religious leaders” in v. 18.

[9:22]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “confessed him.”

[9:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[9:22]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[9:22]  ⁵¹ tn Or “would be expelled from.”

[9:22]  ⁵² sn This reference to excommunication from the Jewish synagogue for those who had made some sort of confession about Jesus being the Messiah is dismissed as anachronistic by some (e.g., Barrett) and nonhistorical by others. In later Jewish practice there were at least two forms of excommunication: a temporary ban for thirty days, and a permanent ban. But whether these applied in NT times is far from certain. There is no substantial evidence for a formal ban on Christians until later than this Gospel could possibly have been written. This may be a reference to some form of excommunication adopted as a contingency to deal with those who were proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah. If so, there is no other record of the procedure than here. It was probably local, limited to the area around Jerusalem. See also the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[9:34]  ⁵³ tn Grk “They answered and said to him.” This has been simplified in the translation to “They replied.”

[9:34]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “From birth you have been evil.” The implication of this insult, in the context of John 9, is that the man whom Jesus caused to see had not previously adhered rigorously to all the conventional requirements of the OT law as interpreted by the Pharisees. Thus he had no right to instruct them about who Jesus was.

[9:34]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “and are you teaching us?”

[10:25]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “answered them.”

[10:25]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “the works.”

[10:28]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “And I give.”

[10:28]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “will never die” or “will never be lost.”

[10:28]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “no one will seize.”

[10:29]  ⁶¹ tn Or “is superior to all.”

[10:29]  ⁶² tn Or “no one can seize.”

[11:15]  ⁶³ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

[11:15]  ⁶⁴ sn So that you may believe. Why does Jesus make this statement? It seems necessary to understand the disciples’ belief here in a developmental sense, because there are numerous references to the disciples’ faith previous to this in John’s Gospel, notably 2:11. Their concept of who Jesus really was is continually being expanded and challenged; they are undergoing spiritual growth; the climax is reached in the confession of Thomas in John 20:28.

[11:42]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “that you always hear me.”

[11:42]  ⁶⁶ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[11:48]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”

[11:48]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).

[12:3]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “half a liter”; Grk “a pound” (that is, a Roman pound, about 325 grams or 12 ounces).

[12:3]  ⁷⁰ tn Μύρον (muron) was usually made of myrrh (from which the English word is derived) but here it is used in the sense of ointment or perfumed oil (L&N 6.205). The adjective πιστικῆς (pistikh") is difficult with regard to its exact meaning; some have taken it to derive from πίστις (pistis) and relate to the purity of the oil of nard. More probably it is something like a brand name, “pistic nard,” the exact significance of which has not been discovered.

[12:3]  sn Nard or spikenard is a fragrant oil from the root and spike of the nard plant of northern India. This aromatic oil, if made of something like nard, would have been extremely expensive, costing up to a year’s pay for an average laborer.

[12:3]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “And she.” 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.

[12:3]  ⁷² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. With a note characteristic of someone who was there and remembered, the author adds that the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil. In the later rabbinic literature, Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7.1.1 states “The fragrance of good oil is diffused from the bedroom to the dining hall, but a good name is diffused from one end of the world to the other.” If such a saying was known in the 1st century, this might be the author’s way of indicating that Mary’s act of devotion would be spoken of throughout the entire world (compare the comment in Mark 14:9).

[12:34]  ⁷³ tn Grk “Then the crowd answered him.”

[12:34]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).

[12:34]  sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.

[12:34]  ⁷⁵ tn Probably an allusion to Ps 89:35-37. It is difficult to pinpoint the passage in the Mosaic law to which the crowd refers. The ones most often suggested are Ps 89:36-37, Ps 110:4, Isa 9:7, Ezek 37:25, and Dan 7:14. None of these passages are in the Pentateuch per se, but “law” could in common usage refer to the entire OT (compare Jesus’ use in John 10:34). Of the passages mentioned, Ps 89:36-37 is the most likely candidate. This verse speaks of David’s “seed” remaining forever. Later in the same psalm, v. 51 speaks of the “anointed” (Messiah), and the psalm was interpreted messianically in both the NT (Acts 13:22, Rev 1:5, 3:14) and in the rabbinic literature (Genesis Rabbah 97).

[12:34]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “And how”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:38]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “message.”

[12:38]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “who said.”

[12:38]  ⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 53:1.

[12:50]  ⁸¹ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ⁸² tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”

[13:34]  ⁸³ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause gives the content of the commandment. This is indicated by a dash in the translation.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴ sn The idea that love is a commandment is interesting. In the OT the ten commandments have a setting in the covenant between God and Israel at Sinai; they were the stipulations that Israel had to observe if the nation were to be God’s chosen people. In speaking of love as the new commandment for those whom Jesus had chosen as his own (John 13:1, 15:16) and as a mark by which they could be distinguished from others (13:35), John shows that he is thinking of this scene in covenant terminology. But note that the disciples are to love “Just as I have loved you” (13:34). The love Jesus has for his followers cannot be duplicated by them in one sense, because it effects their salvation, since he lays down his life for them: It is an act of love that gives life to people. But in another sense, they can follow his example (recall to the end, 13:1; also 1 John 3:16, 4:16 and the interpretation of Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet). In this way Jesus’ disciples are to love one another: They are to follow his example of sacrificial service to one another, to death if necessary.

[17:9]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “I am asking.”

[17:9]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “I am not asking.”

[17:9]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “because they are yours.”

[17:14]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “your message.”

[17:14]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “because they are not of the world.”

[17:14]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “just as I am not of the world.”

[17:22]  ⁹¹ tn Grk And the glory.” The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here in keeping with the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[18:3]  ⁹² tn Grk “a cohort.” The word σπεῖραν (speiran) is a technical term for a Roman cohort, normally a force of 600 men (one tenth of a legion). It was under the command of a χιλίαρχος (ciliarco", v. 12). Because of the improbability of an entire cohort being sent to arrest a single man, some have suggested that σπεῖραν here refers only to a maniple, a force of 200. But the use of the word here does not necessarily mean the entire cohort was present on this mission, but only that it was the cohort which performed the task (for example, saying the fire department put out the fire does not mean that every fireman belonging to the department was on the scene at the time). These Roman soldiers must have been ordered to accompany the servants of the chief priests and Pharisees by Pilate, since they would have been under the direct command of the Roman prefect or procurator. It is not difficult to understand why Pilate would have been willing to assist the Jewish authorities in such a way. With a huge crowd of pilgrims in Jerusalem for the Passover, the Romans would have been especially nervous about an uprising of some sort. No doubt the chief priests and Pharisees had informed Pilate that this man Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah, or in the terms Pilate would understand, king of Israel.

[18:3]  ⁹³ tn The phrase “officers of the chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:32, 45; 18:3, 12, 18, 22; 19:6. They are different from the Levites who served as “temple police” according to K. H. Rengstorf (TDNT 8:540). In John 7:32ff. these officers had made an unsuccessful attempt to arrest Jesus, and perhaps this is part of the reason why their leaders had made sure they were accompanied by Roman soldiers this time. No more mistakes were to be tolerated.

[18:3]  sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[18:3]  ⁹⁴ tn The words “to the orchard” are not in the Greek text but are repeated from v. 1 for clarity.

[18:3]  ⁹⁵ tn These were lamps that had some sort of covering to protect them from wind and rain. In earlier usage the word meant “torch” but by NT times it apparently meant a lamp designed to be used outdoors, so “lantern” is a good contemporary English equivalent.

[18:3]  sn Mention of the lanterns and torches suggests a detail remembered by one who was an eyewitness, but in connection with the light/darkness motif of John’s Gospel, it is a vivid reminder that it is night; the darkness has come at last (cf. 13:30).

[18:9]  ⁹⁶ tn The words “He said this” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. There is an ellipsis in the Greek text that must be supplied for the modern English reader at this point.

[18:9]  ⁹⁷ sn This expression is similar to John 6:39 and John 17:12.

[18:9]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “Of the ones whom you gave me, I did not lose one of them.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to reflect contemporary English style.

[18:9]  sn This action of Jesus on behalf of his disciples is interpreted by the author as a fulfillment of Jesus’ own words: “I have not lost a single one of those whom you gave me.” Here it is Jesus’ own words, rather than the OT scriptures, which are quoted. This same formula will be used by the author again of Jesus’ words in 18:32, but the verb is used elsewhere in the Fourth Gospel to describe the NT fulfillment of OT passages (12:38, 13:18, 15:25, 17:12, 19:24, and 19:36). It is a bit difficult to determine the exact referent, since the words of Jesus quoted in this verse are not an exact reproduction of a saying of Jesus elsewhere in John’s Gospel. Although some have identified the saying with John 6:39, the closest parallel is in 17:12, where the betrayer, Judas, is specifically excluded. The words quoted here in 18:9 appear to be a free rendition of 17:12.

[18:10]  ⁹⁹ tn See the note on the word “slaves” in 4:51.

[18:10]  ¹⁰⁰ sn The account of the attack on the high priest’s slave contains details which suggest eyewitness testimony. It is also mentioned in all three synoptic gospels, but only John records that the disciple involved was Peter, whose impulsive behavior has already been alluded to (John 13:37). Likewise only John gives the name of the victim, Malchus, who is described as the high priest’s slave. John and Mark (14:47) both use the word ὠτάριον (wtarion, a double diminutive) to describe what was cut off, and this may indicate only part of the right ear (for example, the earlobe).

[18:10]  ¹⁰¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:21]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “Ask those who heard what I said to them.” The words “to them” are not translated since they are redundant in English.

[18:21]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “Look, these know what I said.”

[19:4]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “to them.” The words “the Jewish leaders” are supplied from John 18:38 for clarity.

[19:4]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “find no basis for an accusation”; Grk “find no cause.”

[19:25]  ¹⁰⁶ sn Several women are mentioned, but it is not easy to determine how many. It is not clear whether his mother’s sister and Mary the wife of Clopas are to be understood as the same individual (in which case only three women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister Mary, and Mary Magdalene) or as two different individuals (in which case four women are mentioned: Jesus’ mother, her sister, Mary Clopas’ wife, and Mary Magdalene). It is impossible to be certain, but when John’s account is compared to the synoptics it is easier to reconcile the accounts if four women were present than if there were only three. It also seems that if there were four women present, this would have been seen by the author to be in juxtaposition to the four soldiers present who performed the crucifixion, and this may explain the transition from the one incident in 23-24 to the other in 25-27. Finally, if only three were present, this would mean that both Jesus’ mother and her sister were named Mary, and this is highly improbable in a Jewish family of that time. If there were four women present, the name of the second, the sister of Jesus’ mother, is not mentioned. It is entirely possible that the sister of Jesus’ mother mentioned here is to be identified with the woman named Salome mentioned in Mark 15:40 and also with the woman identified as “the mother of the sons of Zebedee” mentioned in Matt 27:56. If so, and if John the Apostle is to be identified as the beloved disciple, then the reason for the omission of the second woman’s name becomes clear; she would have been John’s own mother, and he consistently omitted direct reference to himself or his brother James or any other members of his family in the Fourth Gospel.

[20:30]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “did.”

[20:30]  ¹⁰⁸ tc ‡ Although most mss, including several important ones (Ì⁶⁶ א C D L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat), read αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after τῶν μαθητῶν (twn maqhtwn, “the disciples”), the pronoun is lacking in A B K Δ 0250 al. The weight of the witnesses for the inclusion is somewhat stronger than that for the exclusion. However, the addition of “his” to “disciples” is a frequent scribal emendation and as such is a predictable variant. It is thus most likely that the shorter reading is authentic. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[20:30]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “are not written.”

[20:30]  ¹¹⁰ sn The author mentions many other miraculous signs performed by Jesus in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in the Gospel. What are these signs the author of the Gospel has in mind? One can only speculate. The author says they were performed in the presence of the disciples, which emphasizes again their role as witnesses (cf. 15:27). The point here is that the author has been selective in his use of material. He has chosen to record those incidents from the life and ministry of Jesus which supported his purpose in writing the Gospel. Much which might be of tremendous interest, but does not directly contribute to that purpose in writing, he has omitted. The author explains his purpose in writing in the following verse.

[21:6]  ¹¹¹ tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:6]  ¹¹² tn The words “the net” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[21:8]  ¹¹³ tn Or “about a hundred meters”; Grk “about two hundred cubits.” According to BDAG 812 s.v., a πῆχυς (phcu") was about 18 inches or .462 meters, so two hundred πηχῶν (phcwn) would be about 100 yards (92.4 meters).