John 4:33

4:33 So the disciples began to say ¹  to one another, “No one brought him anything ²  to eat, did they?” ³ 

John 5:32

5:32 There is another ⁴  who testifies about me, and I know the testimony he testifies about me is true.

John 13:22

13:22 The disciples began to look at one another, worried and perplexed ⁵  to know which of them he was talking about.

John 13:35

13:35 Everyone ⁶  will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

John 14:16

14:16 Then ⁷  I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate ⁸  to be with you forever –

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¹ tn An ingressive imperfect conveys the idea that Jesus’ reply provoked the disciples’ response.

² tn The direct object of ἤνεγκεν (hnenken) in Greek is understood; “anything” is supplied in English.

³ tn Questions prefaced with μή (mh) in Greek anticipate a negative answer. This can sometimes be indicated by using a “tag” at the end in English (here it is “did they?”).

⁴ sn To whom does another refer? To John the Baptist or to the Father? In the nearer context, v. 33, it would seem to be John the Baptist. But v. 34 seems to indicate that Jesus does not receive testimony from men. Probably it is better to view v. 32 as identical to v. 37, with the comments about the Baptist as a parenthetical digression.

⁵ tn Grk “uncertain,” “at a loss.” Here two terms, “worried and perplexed,” were used to convey the single idea of the Greek verb ἀπορέω (aporew).

⁶ tn Grk “All people,” although many modern translations have rendered πάντες (pantes) as “all men” (ASV, RSV, NASB, NIV). While the gender of the pronoun is masculine, it is collective and includes people of both genders.

⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the implied sequence in the discourse.

⁸ tn Or “Helper” or “Counselor”; Grk “Paraclete,” from the Greek word παράκλητος (paraklhto"). Finding an appropriate English translation for παράκλητος is a very difficult task. No single English word has exactly the same range of meaning as the Greek word. “Comforter,” used by some of the older English versions, appears to be as old as Wycliffe. But today it suggests a quilt or a sympathetic mourner at a funeral. “Counselor” is adequate, but too broad, in contexts like “marriage counselor” or “camp counselor.” “Helper” or “Assistant” could also be used, but could suggest a subordinate rank. “Advocate,” the word chosen for this translation, has more forensic overtones than the Greek word does, although in John 16:5-11 a forensic context is certainly present. Because an “advocate” is someone who “advocates” or supports a position or viewpoint and since this is what the Paraclete will do for the preaching of the disciples, it was selected in spite of the drawbacks.