Discovery BoxJohn 11:42 
Context11:42 I knew that you always listen to me, 1 but I said this 2 for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
John 19:26
Context19:26 So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, 3 look, here is your son!”
John 20:14
Context20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, 4 but she did not know that it was Jesus.
1 tn Grk “that you always hear me.”
2 tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.
3 sn The term Woman is Jesus’ normal, polite way of addressing women (Matt 15:28, Luke 13:12; John 4:21; 8:10; 19:26; 20:15; see BDAG 208-9 s.v. γυνή 1). But it is unusual for a son to address his mother with this term. The custom in both Hebrew (or Aramaic) and Greek would be for a son to use a qualifying adjective or title. Is there significance in Jesus’ use here? Jesus probably used the term here to help establish Mary and the beloved disciple in a new “mother-son” relationship. Someone would soon need to provide for Mary since Jesus, her oldest son, would no longer be alive. By using this term Jesus distanced himself from Mary so the beloved disciple could take his place as her earthly son (cf. John 2:4). See D. A. Carson, John, 617-18, for discussion about symbolic interpretations of this relationship between Mary and the beloved disciple.
4 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.
