complete verse (John 13:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 13:7:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘At this time you (sing.) do not yet know what I am doing. Later on, and then will you (sing.) come to know.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa answered him, he said, ‘You do not understand now as to what I am doing, but you will understand it in the future.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘You do not understand what I am doing now, but in the future, you will understand.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus said in-return, ‘You (sing.) don’t understand now what I am doing. Later so that in a future day, then you (sing.) will understand.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus answered, saying, ‘You don’t understand now this which I am doing, but there in the near-future you will indeed understand it.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said, ‘Now you don’t know what is the significance of what I am doing, but afterwards you will know.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 13:7

Jesus answered is literally “Jesus answered and said to him,” reflecting once again Semitic redundancy in introducing direct discourse.

The pronouns you … I are emphatic; so also is the phrase what I am doing.

You will understand later is literally “but you will understand after these things.” The phrase “after these things” is vague, but it may refer to when Jesus had been raised to glory (12.16; see also 2.22). That is, only after Jesus’ death and resurrection will the disciples realize the full meaning of what he is now doing.

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 .