² tc Most witnesses (A C² D Ψ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat and other versions) have “in me” (εἰς ἐμέ, eis eme) here, while the Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac versions read “in God.” These clarifying readings are predictable variants, being motivated by the scribal tendency toward greater explicitness. That the earliest and best witnesses (Ì^66,75vid א B C* L T W Θ 892 pc) lack any object is solid testimony to the shorter text’s authenticity.

¹ tn Grk “Then the Jews began to argue.” Here the translation restricts the phrase to those Jews who were hostile to Jesus (cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.β), since the “crowd” mentioned in Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">6:22-24 was almost all Jewish (as suggested by their addressing Jesus as “Rabbi” (Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">6:25). See also the note on the phrase “the Jews who were hostile to Jesus” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">41.

¹ tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author’s part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

² sn Resides in me, and I in him. Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood produces eternal life and the promise of resurrection at the last day. Here the same process of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of ‘possessing eternal life’ and of ‘residing in Jesus’ are virtually interchangeable.

⁵ tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory, the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9.) Here the phrase should be restricted to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents.

¹ tn Or “The scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

¹ tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31. Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:31). They had become increasingly hostile as Jesus continued to teach. Now they were ready to say that Jesus was demon-possessed.

² tn Grk “the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31. Here, as in vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31 and 48, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:31).

¹ tn Grk “Then the Jews.” See the note on this term in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31. Here, as in vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31, 48, and 52, the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem (“Judeans”; cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e) who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts (Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:20) and had initially believed his claim to be the Messiah (cf. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:31). They have now become completely hostile, as John 8:59 clearly shows.

¹ sn Jesus’ statement I am the light of the world connects the present account with Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:12. Here (seen more clearly than at Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8:12) it is obvious what the author sees as the significance of Jesus’ statement. “Light” is not a metaphysical definition of the person of Jesus but a description of his effect on the world, forcing everyone in the world to ‘choose up sides’ for or against him (cf. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">3:19-21).

² tc Although most witnesses (A L Θ Ψ 070 0250 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat) have θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) instead of ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou, “of man”) here, the better witnesses (Ì^66,75 א B D W sy^s) have ἀνθρώπου. Not only is the external evidence decidedly on the side of ἀνθρώπου, but it is difficult to see such early and diverse witnesses changing θεοῦ to ἀνθρώπου. The wording “Son of Man” is thus virtually certain.

² tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for death when speaking of believers. This metaphorical usage by its very nature emphasizes the hope of resurrection: Believers will one day “wake up” out of death. Here the term refers to death, but “asleep” was used in the translation to emphasize the metaphorical, rhetorical usage of the term, especially in light of the disciples’ confusion over what Jesus actually meant (see v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">13).

² 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 Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">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.

¹ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">19.

¹ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8, “the Jewish people of the region” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">19, and the word “people” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31.

¹ tn Or “the Judeans”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the friends, acquaintances, and relatives of Lazarus or his sisters who had come to mourn, since the Jewish religious authorities are specifically mentioned as a separate group in John 11:46-47. See also the notes on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8 and “the Jewish people of the region” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">19, as well as the notes on the word “people” in vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">31, 33.

³ tn Grk “among the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Judea in general, who would be likely to report Jesus to the religious authorities. The vicinity around Jerusalem was no longer safe for Jesus and his disciples. On the translation “Judeans” cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e. See also the references in vv. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.

⁴ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.

⁴ tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C³ L Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.

¹ tn Grk “they are not of the world.” This is a repetition of the second half of v. Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">14. The only difference is in word order: Verse Kir+Heres+AND+book%3A43&tab=notes" ver="">14 has οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου (ouk eisin ek tou kosmou), while here the prepositional phrase is stated first: ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου οὐκ εἰσίν (ek tou kosmou ouk eisin). This gives additional emphasis to the idea of the prepositional phrase, i.e., origin, source, or affiliation.