John 12:42-50

12:42 Nevertheless, even among the rulers ¹  many believed in him, but because of the Pharisees ²  they would not confess Jesus to be the Christ, ³  so that they would not be put out of ⁴  the synagogue. ⁵  12:43 For they loved praise ⁶  from men more than praise ⁷  from God.

Jesus’ Final Public Words

12:44 But Jesus shouted out, ⁸  “The one who believes in me does not believe in me, but in the one who sent me, ⁹  12:45 and the one who sees me sees the one who sent me. ¹⁰  12:46 I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me should not remain in darkness. 12:47 If anyone ¹¹  hears my words and does not obey them, ¹²  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ¹³  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ¹⁴  my words has a judge; ¹⁵  the word ¹⁶  I have spoken will judge him at the last day. 12:49 For I have not spoken from my own authority, ¹⁷  but the Father himself who sent me has commanded me ¹⁸  what I should say and what I should speak. 12:50 And I know that his commandment is eternal life. ¹⁹  Thus the things I say, I say just as the Father has told me.” ²⁰ 

[12:42]  ¹ sn The term rulers here denotes members of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews. Note the same word (“ruler”) is used to describe Nicodemus in 3:1.

[12:42]  ² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[12:42]  ³ tn The words “Jesus to be the Christ” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see 9:22). As is often the case in Greek, the direct object is omitted for the verb ὡμολόγουν (Jwmologoun). Some translators supply an ambiguous “it,” or derive the implied direct object from the previous clause “believed in him” so that the rulers would not confess “their faith” or “their belief.” However, when one compares John 9:22, which has many verbal parallels to this verse, it seems clear that the content of the confession would have been “Jesus is the Christ (i.e., Messiah).”

[12:42]  ⁴ tn Or “be expelled from.”

[12:42]  ⁵ sn Compare John 9:22. See the note on synagogue in 6:59.

[12:43]  ⁶ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:43]  ⁷ tn Grk “the glory.”

[12:44]  ⁸ tn Grk “shouted out and said.”

[12:44]  ⁹ sn The one who sent me refers to God.

[12:45]  ¹⁰ sn Cf. John 1:18 and 14:9.

[12:47]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ¹² tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ¹³ sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ¹⁴ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ¹⁶ tn Or “message.”

[12:49]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “I have not spoken from myself.”

[12:49]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “has given me commandment.”

[12:50]  ¹⁹ tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”

[12:50]  ²⁰ tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”