complete verse (John 14:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 14:25:

  • Uma: “‘All that earlier I said to you while I was still there with you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘I have been telling this all to you while I am still here with you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am telling you all of this while I am still with you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then he continued to say, ‘I have told all these-things to you while I am still with (lit. added-to) you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “These teachings of mine, I am teaching to you while I am still with you here in this world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I am telling you all these things while I am yet with you here.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on John 14:25

I have told you this (literally “these things”) will occur six more times in Chapters 15-16 (15.11; 16.1,4,6,25,33). It may be expressed in some languages as “I have spoken to you in this way” or “I have said these words to you.”

While I am still with you is literally “remaining with you.” John uses the verb “to remain” interchangeably with the verb “to be.”

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 .