Discovery BoxJohn 12:33
Context12:33 (Now he said this to indicate clearly what kind of death he was going to die.) 1
John 21:19
Context21:19 (Now Jesus 2 said this to indicate clearly by what kind of death Peter 3 was going to glorify God.) 4 After he said this, Jesus told Peter, 5 “Follow me.”
John 18:32
Context18:32 (This happened 6 to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated 7 what kind of death he was going to die. 8 )
John 2:6
Context2:6 Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, 9 each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 10
John 1:14
Context1:14 Now 11 the Word became flesh 12 and took up residence 13 among us. We 14 saw his glory – the glory of the one and only, 15 full of grace and truth, who came from the Father.
John 4:23
Context4:23 But a time 16 is coming – and now is here 17 – when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks 18 such people to be 19 his worshipers. 20
John 16:25
Context16:25 “I have told you these things in obscure figures of speech; 21 a time 22 is coming when I will no longer speak to you in obscure figures, but will tell you 23 plainly 24 about the Father.
[12:33] 1 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[21:19] 2 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:19] 3 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[21:19] 4 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The phrase by what kind of death Peter was going to glorify God almost certainly indicates martyrdom (cf. 1 Pet 4:16), and it may not predict anything more than that. But the parallelism of this phrase to similar phrases in John 12:33 and 18:32 which describe Jesus’ own death by crucifixion have led many to suggest that the picture Jesus is portraying for Peter looks not just at martyrdom but at death by crucifixion. This seems to be confirmed by the phrase you will stretch out your hands in the preceding verse. There is some evidence that the early church understood this and similar phrases (one of them in Isa 65:2) to refer to crucifixion (for a detailed discussion of the evidence see L. Morris, John [NICNT], 876, n. 52). Some have objected that if this phrase does indeed refer to crucifixion, the order within v. 18 is wrong, because the stretching out of the hands in crucifixion precedes the binding and leading where one does not wish to go. R. E. Brown (John [AB], 2:1108) sees this as a deliberate reversal of the normal order (hysteron proteron) intended to emphasize the stretching out of the hands. Another possible explanation for the unusual order is the Roman practice in crucifixions of tying the condemned prisoner’s arms to the crossbeam (patibulum) and forcing him to carry it to the place of execution (W. Bauer as cited by O. Cullmann in Peter: Disciple, Apostle, Martyr [LHD], 88).
[21:19] 5 tn Grk “After he said this, he said to him”; the referents (first Jesus, second Peter) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[18:32] 3 tn The words “This happened” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[18:32] 4 tn Or “making clear.”
[18:32] 5 sn A reference to John 12:32.
[2:6] 4 tn Grk “for the purification of the Jews.”
[2:6] 5 tn Grk “holding two or three metretes” (about 75 to 115 liters). Each of the pots held 2 or 3 μετρηταί (metrhtai). A μετρητῆς (metrhths) was about 9 gallons (40 liters); thus each jar held 18-27 gallons (80-120 liters) and the total volume of liquid involved was 108-162 gallons (480-720 liters).
[1:14] 5 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic, the incarnation of the Word. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.
[1:14] 6 tn This looks at the Word incarnate in humility and weakness; the word σάρξ (sarx) does not carry overtones of sinfulness here as it frequently does in Pauline usage. See also John 3:6.
[1:14] 7 tn Grk “and tabernacled.”
[1:14] 9 tn Or “of the unique one.” Although this word is often translated “only begotten,” such a translation is misleading, since in English it appears to express a metaphysical relationship. The word in Greek was used of an only child (a son [Luke 7:12, 9:38] or a daughter [Luke 8:42]). It was also used of something unique (only one of its kind) such as the mythological Phoenix (1 Clem. 25:2). From here it passes easily to a description of Isaac (Heb 11:17 and Josephus, Ant., 1.13.1 [1.222]) who was not Abraham’s only son, but was one-of-a-kind because he was the child of the promise. Thus the word means “one-of-a-kind” and is reserved for Jesus in the Johannine literature of the NT. While all Christians are children of God, Jesus is God’s Son in a unique, one-of-a-kind sense. The word is used in this way in all its uses in the Gospel of John (1:14, 1:18, 3:16, and 3:18).
[4:23] 7 tn “Here” is not in the Greek text but is supplied to conform to contemporary English idiom.
[4:23] 8 sn See also John 4:27.
[4:23] 9 tn Or “as.” The object-complement construction implies either “as” or “to be.”
[4:23] 10 tn This is a double accusative construction of object and complement with τοιούτους (toioutous) as the object and the participle προσκυνοῦντας (proskunounta") as the complement.
[16:25] 7 tn Or “in parables”; or “in metaphors.” There is some difficulty in defining παροιμίαις (paroimiai") precisely: A translation like “parables” does not convey accurately the meaning. BDAG 779-80 s.v. παροιμία suggests in general “proverb, saw, maxim,” but for Johannine usage “veiled saying, figure of speech, in which esp. lofty ideas are concealed.” In the preceding context of the Farewell Discourse, Jesus has certainly used obscure language and imagery at times: John 13:8-11; 13:16; 15:1-17; and 16:21 could all be given as examples. In the LXX this word is used to translate the Hebrew mashal which covers a wide range of figurative speech, often containing obscure or enigmatic elements.
