1:23 John 1 said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight 2 the way for the Lord,’ 3 as Isaiah the prophet said.”
4:51 While he was on his way down, 8 his slaves 9 met him and told him that his son was going to live.
1 tn Grk “He”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
2 sn This call to “make straight” is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.
3 sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.
4 tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54 where the same construction occurs.
5 map For location see Map1-C3; Map2-D2; Map3-C5.
6 tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”
7 tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”
8 sn While he was on his way down. Going to Capernaum from Cana, one must go east across the Galilean hills and then descend to the Sea of Galilee. The 20 mi (33 km) journey could not be made in a single day. The use of the description on his way down shows the author was familiar with Palestinian geography.
9 tn Traditionally, “servants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
10 tn Grk “If we let him do thus.”
11 tn Or “holy place”; Grk “our place” (a reference to the temple in Jerusalem).
12 tn Grk “Jesus said to him.”
13 tn Or “I am the way, even the truth and the life.”