complete verse (John 16:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:12:

  • Uma: “‘There is still much that I want to say to you, but you are not yet able to receive it at this time.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘I still have much to tell to you,’ said Isa, ‘but you cannot bear it now.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There are many things that I would like to say to you, but you couldn’t understand them yet.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘There is much more that I will not be able-to-tell you now, because it would be excessively difficult for you to think-about.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “There’s more I would like to tell you, but since you are grieving, you don’t yet have the ability to try-to-understand it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “There are many other words I want to tell you but the time has not yet come that you can understand what I tell you.” (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 16:12

It would be too much for you to bear (New English Bible “but the burden would be too great for you now”) is more literally “but you are not able to bear (it) now.” Too much for you to bear may also be rendered “your ears cannot hear it” or “it will be too much for your thoughts” or “my words would have no place in your minds.”

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 .