serve (Igede)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also serve.

complete verse (John 12:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 12:26:

  • Uma: “Whoever of you wants to become my worker, must follow me, so that wherever I go, there also you. My Father will honor you who become my workers.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said, ‘Whoever wants to do my commands, he should follow me. So-then wherever I am, there he will be also. Whoever does my commands my Father will honor.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who wants that he would be my servant, he must follow me, for where I am, there my servant will be also. And if there is one who fulfills my commands, my Father God will praise him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whoever serves me, it is necessary that I be the one he continues to follow in order that where-I-am, that also will be where-he-is. And that-one who serves me, my Father will honor him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The one serving me, he must be obedient-to/always-following me, and where I will go, this one serving me will indeed go there. Whoever serves me will really be rewarded with good by the Father.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who wants to do my will must follow me. And where I will be there must he be also. He who does my will will be looked favorably on by my Father.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 12:26

Whoever wants to serve me is literally “if anyone serves me.” But the Greek “if” followed by an indefinite pronoun (“anyone” or “someone”) is equivalent to whoever in English.

In some languages it may be necessary to invert the concept of “serving” by saying “If any of you want me to be your master.” Otherwise “serving” might refer merely to “serving meals.”

So that my servant will be with me where I am is a restructuring of the Greek, which reads literally “and where I am, there also my servant will be.” Jesus is on his way to death, and this observation, taken in conjunction with verse 25, indicates that the route the servant must follow is also that of death.

It is necessary to make clear that my servant refers to the individual who wishes to serve his master. By changing the conditional relative clause introduced by whoever into a conditional sentence with “if” and using the second person plural to identify the persons involved, one may translate “If any of you want me to be your master (or “serve me”), you must follow me so that you, as my servants, will be with me wherever I am.”

In Greek my Father reads literally “the Father”; but see comments at 5.19. It should be noted that according to the Greek sentence structure the pronouns “him” (Good News Translation anyone) and “me” are emphatic. Nowhere else in this Gospel does John speak of the Father honoring someone, but we do read of the honor that people pay either to Jesus or to the Father (5.23; 8.49). Here the honor that the Father shows to the believer is a reward for his faithful service to Jesus. At the same time it suggests that a mutual relationship exists between the Father and the believer, in a way similar to that which exists between the Father and the Son.

In some instances it may be important to render serve in the sense of “help” or “assist.” The final part of verse 26 would then be rendered as “and hence my Father will honor anyone who helps me.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .