Yohanes 1:47

1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed, ¹  “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” ² 

Yohanes 4:6

4:6 Jacob’s well was there, so Jesus, since he was tired from the journey, sat right down beside ³  the well. It was about noon. ⁴ 

Yohanes 5:6

5:6 When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized ⁵  that the man ⁶  had been disabled a long time already, he said to him, “Do you want to become well?”

Yohanes 5:37

5:37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified about me. You people ⁷  have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time, ⁸ 

Yohanes 5:39

5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly ⁹  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ¹⁰  and it is these same scriptures ¹¹  that testify about me,

Yohanes 6:63

6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ¹²  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ¹³ 

Yohanes 8:6

8:6 (Now they were asking this in an attempt to trap him, so that they could bring charges against ¹⁴  him.) ¹⁵  Jesus bent down and wrote on the ground with his finger. ¹⁶ 

Yohanes 8:54

8:54 Jesus replied, ¹⁷  “If I glorify myself, my glory is worthless. ¹⁸  The one who glorifies me is my Father, about whom you people ¹⁹  say, ‘He is our God.’

Yohanes 9:15

9:15 So the Pharisees asked him again how he had gained his sight. ²⁰  He replied, ²¹  “He put mud ²²  on my eyes and I washed, and now ²³  I am able to see.”

Yohanes 9:21

9:21 But we do not know how he is now able to see, nor do we know who caused him to see. ²⁴  Ask him, he is a mature adult. ²⁵  He will speak for himself.”

Yohanes 9:25

9:25 He replied, ²⁶  “I do not know whether he is a sinner. I do know one thing – that although I was blind, now I can see.”

Yohanes 11:15

11:15 and I am glad ²⁷  for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe. ²⁸  But let us go to him.”

Yohanes 12:17

12:17 So the crowd who had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead were continuing to testify about it. ²⁹ 

Yohanes 14:2

14:2 There are many dwelling places ³⁰  in my Father’s house. ³¹  Otherwise, I would have told you, because ³²  I am going away to make ready ³³  a place for you. ³⁴ 

Yohanes 14:22

14:22 “Lord,” Judas (not Judas Iscariot) ³⁵  said, ³⁶  “what has happened that you are going to reveal ³⁷  yourself to us and not to the world?”

Yohanes 15:26

15:26 When the Advocate ³⁸  comes, whom I will send you from the Father – the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father – he ³⁹  will testify about me,

Yohanes 18:22

18:22 When Jesus ⁴⁰  had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, ⁴¹  “Is that the way you answer the high priest?”

[1:47]  ¹ tn Grk “said about him.”

[1:47]  ² tn Or “treachery.”

[1:47]  sn An allusion to Ps 32:2.

[4:6]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.”

[5:6]  ⁵ tn Or “knew.”

[5:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “he.” The referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:37]  ⁷ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to clarify that the following verbs (“heard,” “seen,” “have residing,” “do not believe”) are second person plural.

[5:37]  ⁸ sn You people have never heard his voice nor seen his form at any time. Compare Deut 4:12. Also see Deut 5:24 ff., where the Israelites begged to hear the voice no longer – their request (ironically) has by this time been granted. How ironic this would be if the feast is Pentecost, where by the 1st century a.d. the giving of the law at Sinai was being celebrated.

[5:39]  ⁹ tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

[5:39]  ¹⁰ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

[5:39]  ¹¹ tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

[6:63]  ¹² tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ¹³ tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[8:6]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “so that they could accuse.”

[8:6]  ¹⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author of 7:53–8:11.

[8:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or possibly “Jesus bent down and wrote an accusation on the ground with his finger.” The Greek verb καταγράφω (katagrafw) may indicate only the action of writing on the ground by Jesus, but in the overall context (Jesus’ response to the accusation against the woman) it can also be interpreted as implying that what Jesus wrote was a counteraccusation against the accusers (although there is no clue as to the actual content of what he wrote, some scribes added “the sins of each one of them” either here or at the end of v. 8 [U 264 700 al]).

[8:54]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “Jesus answered.”

[8:54]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “is nothing.”

[8:54]  ¹⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[9:15]  ²⁰ tn Or “how he had become able to see.”

[9:15]  sn So the Pharisees asked him. Note the subtlety here: On the surface, the man is being judged. But through him, Jesus is being judged. Yet in reality (as the discerning reader will realize) it is ironically the Pharisees themselves who are being judged by their response to Jesus who is the light of the world (cf. 3:17-21).

[9:15]  ²¹ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[9:15]  ²² tn Or “clay” (moistened earth of a clay-like consistency).

[9:15]  ²³ tn The word “now” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate the contrast between the man’s former state (blind) and his present state (able to see).

[9:21]  ²⁴ tn Grk “who opened his eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).

[9:21]  ²⁵ tn Or “he is of age.”

[9:25]  ²⁶ tn Grk “Then that one answered.”

[11:15]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and I rejoice.”

[11:15]  ²⁸ 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.

[12:17]  ²⁹ tn The word “it” is not included in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[14:2]  ³⁰ 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]  ³¹ 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]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn Or “to prepare.”

[14:2]  ³⁴ 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).

[14:22]  ³⁵ tn Grk “(not Iscariot).” The proper noun (Judas) has been repeated for clarity and smoothness in English style.

[14:22]  sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[14:22]  ³⁶ tn Grk “said to him.”

[14:22]  ³⁷ tn Or “disclose.”

[14:22]  sn The disciples still expected at this point that Jesus, as Messiah, was going to reveal his identity as such to the world (cf. 7:4).

[15:26]  ³⁸ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). See the note on the word “Advocate” in John 14:16 for discussion of how this word is translated.

[15:26]  ³⁹ tn Grk “that one.”

[18:22]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:22]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “one of the high priest’s servants standing by gave Jesus a strike, saying.” For the translation of ῥάπισμα (rJapisma), see L&N 19.4.