John 1:22

1:22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us ¹  so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John 2:5

2:5 His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” ² 

John 4:28

4:28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ³ 

John 5:2

5:2 Now there is ⁴  in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate ⁵  a pool called Bethzatha ⁶  in Aramaic, ⁷  which has five covered walkways. ⁸ 

John 5:15

5:15 The man went away and informed the Jewish leaders ⁹  that Jesus was the one who had made him well.

John 6:12

6:12 When they were all satisfied, Jesus ¹⁰  said to his disciples, “Gather up the broken pieces that are left over, so that nothing is wasted.”

John 11:16

11:16 So Thomas (called Didymus ¹¹ ) ¹²  said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, so that we may die with him.” ¹³ 

John 18:14

18:14 (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised ¹⁴  the Jewish leaders ¹⁵  that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.) ¹⁶ 

John 21:1

Jesus’ Appearance to the Disciples in Galilee

21:1 After this ¹⁷  Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias. ¹⁸  Now this is how he did so. ¹⁹ 

[1:22]  ¹ tn The words “Tell us” are not in the Greek but are implied.

[2:5]  ² tn The pronoun “it” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[4:28]  ³ tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anhr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.

[5:2]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Grk “in Hebrew.”

[5:2]  ⁸ tn Or “porticoes,” or “colonnades”; Grk “stoas.”

[5:15]  ⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” See the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 10.

[6:12]  ⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:16]  ⁷ sn Didymus means “the twin” in Greek.

[11:16]  ⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[11:16]  ⁹ sn One gets the impression from Thomas’ statement “Let us go too, so that we may die with him” that he was something of a pessimist resigned to his fate. And yet his dedicated loyalty to Jesus and his determination to accompany him at all costs was truly commendable. Nor is the contrast between this statement and the confession of Thomas in 20:28, which forms the climax of the entire Fourth Gospel, to be overlooked; certainly Thomas’ concept of who Jesus is has changed drastically between 11:16 and 20:28.

[18:14]  ⁸ tn Or “counseled.”

[18:14]  ⁹ tn Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish leaders, specifically members of the Sanhedrin (see John 11:49-50). See also the note on the phrase “Jewish leaders” in v. 12.

[18:14]  ¹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[21:1]  ⁹ tn The time reference indicated by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta) is indefinite, in comparison with the specific “after eight days” (μεθ᾿ ἡμέρας ὀκτώ, meq’ Jhmera" oktw) between the two postresurrection appearances of Jesus in 20:26.

[21:1]  ¹⁰ sn The Sea of Tiberias is another name for the Sea of Galilee (see 6:1).

[21:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “how he revealed himself.”