21:4 When it was already very early morning, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
21:24 This is the disciple who testifies about these things and has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.
1 tn Grk “answered and said to him.” This is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation to “replied.”
2 sn Many have speculated about what Nathanael was doing under the fig tree. Meditating on the Messiah who was to come? A good possibility, since the fig tree was used as shade for teaching or studying by the later rabbis (Ecclesiastes Rabbah 5:11). Also, the fig tree was symbolic for messianic peace and plenty (Mic 4:4, Zech 3:10.)
3 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
4 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.
5 tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).
6 sn Note the remarkable similarity of Jesus’ testimony to the later testimony of the Apostle John himself in 1 John 1:2: “And we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us.” This is only one example of how thoroughly the author’s own thoughts were saturated with the words of Jesus (and also how difficult it is to distinguish the words of Jesus from the words of the author in the Fourth Gospel).
7 tn Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “the one who has been anointed.”
sn The one called Christ. This is a parenthetical statement by the author. See the note on Christ in 1:20.
8 tn Grk “that one.”
9 tn Or “he will announce to us.”
10 tn Grk “all things.”
11 tn Or “the Jewish authorities”; Grk “the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the Jewish authorities or leaders who were Jesus’ primary opponents. See the note on the phrase “the Jewish leaders” in v. 1.
12 tn Or “began to be astonished.” This imperfect verb could also be translated ingressively (“began to be astonished”), but for English stylistic reasons it is rendered as a simple past.
13 tn Grk “How does this man know learning since he has not been taught?” The implication here is not that Jesus never went to school (in all probability he did attend a local synagogue school while a youth), but that he was not the disciple of a particular rabbi and had not had formal or advanced instruction under a recognized rabbi (compare Acts 4:13 where a similar charge is made against Peter and John; see also Paul’s comment in Acts 22:3).
sn He has never had formal instruction. Ironically when the Jewish leaders came face to face with the Word become flesh – the preexistent Logos, creator of the universe and divine Wisdom personified – they treated him as an untaught, unlearned person, without the formal qualifications to be a teacher.
14 tn Grk “his will.”
15 tn Grk “or whether I speak from myself.”
16 tn Or “speaking openly.”
17 sn They are saying nothing to him. Some people who had heard Jesus were so impressed with his teaching that they began to infer from the inactivity of the opposing Jewish leaders a tacit acknowledgment of Jesus’ claims.
18 tn Grk “this one.”
19 tn Or “the Messiah” (Both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”).
sn See the note on Christ in 1:20.
20 tn Grk “seed” (an idiom).
21 tn Grk “you are seeking.”
22 tn Grk “my word.”
23 tn Or “finds no place in you.” The basic idea seems to be something (in this case Jesus’ teaching) making headway or progress where resistance is involved. See BDAG 1094 s.v. χωρέω 2.
24 tn Grk “The man answered and said to them.” This has been simplified in the translation to “The man replied.”
25 tn Grk “For in this is a remarkable thing.”
26 tn Grk “and he opened my eyes” (an idiom referring to restoration of sight).
27 tn Grk “God does not hear.”
28 tn Or “godly.”
29 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
30 tn Or “hears.”
31 tn Grk “this one.”
32 tn Or “his commandment results in eternal life.”
33 tn Grk “The things I speak, just as the Father has spoken to me, thus I speak.”
34 tn Grk “will know in that day.”
sn At that time could be a reference to the parousia (second coming of Christ). But the statement in 14:19, that the world will not see Jesus, does not fit. It is better to take this as the postresurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples (which has the advantage of taking in a little while in v. 19 literally).
35 tn Or “may learn.”
36 tn Grk “But so that the world may know that I love the Father, and just as the Father commanded me, thus I do.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged in the translation to conform to contemporary English style.
37 sn Some have understood Jesus’ statement Get up, let us go from here to mean that at this point Jesus and the disciples got up and left the room where the meal was served and began the journey to the garden of Gethsemane. If so, the rest of the Farewell Discourse took place en route. Others have pointed to this statement as one of the “seams” in the discourse, indicating that the author used preexisting sources. Both explanations are possible, but not really necessary. Jesus could simply have stood up at this point (the disciples may or may not have stood with him) to finish the discourse before finally departing (in 18:1). In any case it may be argued that Jesus refers not to a literal departure at this point, but to preparing to meet the enemy who is on the way already in the person of Judas and the soldiers with him.
38 tn Or “because of.”
39 tn Jesus is referring to God as “the one who sent me.”
40 tn Grk “said to him.” The words “to him” are not translated because they are unnecessary in contemporary English style.
41 tn Or “the power.”
42 tn Grk “know that I have the authority to release you and the authority to crucify you.” Repetition of “the authority” is unnecessarily redundant English style.
sn See the note on Crucify in 19:6.
43 tn The conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated here.
44 sn Woman was a polite form of address (see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1), similar to “Madam” or “Ma’am” used in English in different regions. This occurs again in v. 15.
45 tn Grk “She said to them.”
46 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.
47 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
48 tn Grk “said again.” The word “again” (when used in connection with the phrase “a second time”) is redundant and has not been translated.
49 tn Grk “He said to him.”
50 tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.