1 tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”
2 sn Many have speculated about what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Meditating on the Messiah who was to come? A good possibility, since the fig tree was used as shade for teaching or studying by the later rabbis (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5:11). Also, the fig tree was symbolic for messianic peace and plenty (Mic 4:4, Zech 3:10.)
3 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.
5 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).
6 sn Note the remarkable similarity of Jesus’ testimony to the later testimony of the Apostle John himself in 1 John 1:2: “And we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us.” This is only one example of how thoroughly the author’s own thoughts were saturated with the words of Jesus (and also how difficult it is to distinguish the words of Jesus from the words of the author in the Fourth Gospel).
5 tn Or “seeks to be well known.”
6 sn No one who seeks to make a reputation for himself does anything in secret means, in effect: “if you’re going to perform signs to authenticate yourself as Messiah, you should do them at Jerusalem.” (Jerusalem is where mainstream Jewish apocalyptic tradition held that Messiah would appear.)
7 tn Grk “his will.”
8 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
9 tn Or “speaking openly.”
10 sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.
11 tn Grk “this one.”
12 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
11 tn Grk “Then that one answered.”
13 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
14 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
15 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
15 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
16 tn Or “godly.”
17 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
18 tn Or “hears.”
19 tn Grk “this one.”
17 tn The phrase “chief priests and Pharisees” is a comprehensive name for the groups represented in the ruling council (the Sanhedrin) as in John 7:45; 18:3; Acts 5:22, 26.
18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Or “could seize.”
20 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
19 tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”
20 tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”
21 tn Or (perhaps) “I am certainly telling you this.” According to BDF §12.3 ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι (ap’ arti) should be read as ἀπαρτί (aparti), meaning “exactly, certainly.”
22 tn Grk “so that you may believe.”
23 tn Grk “that I am.” R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:555) argues for a nonpredicated ἐγώ εἰμι (egw eimi) here, but this is far from certain.
23 tn Or “because of.”
24 tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”
25 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.
26 tn Grk “that one.”
27 tn Grk “all things.”
28 tn Grk “and have no need of anyone.”
29 tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
30 tn Or “By this.”
29 tn The word “men” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The translation uses the word “men” here rather than a more general term like “people” because the use of the aorist verb ἔγνωσαν (egnwsan) implies that Jesus is referring to the disciples present with him as he spoke these words (presumably all of them men in the historical context), rather than to those who are yet to believe because of their testimony (see John 17:20).
31 tn The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here.
32 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions. This occurs again in v. 15.
33 tn Grk “She said to them.”