John 16:26

in the name of, on the account of his (or: my) name

Some of the Hebrew and Greek phrases that are translated in English in association with “name,” including “in the name of,” “in my name,” “in your name,” “on the account of my name,” “on the account of your name” (according to a classification by Robert Bratcher in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 72ff. , phrases that belong to the categories of “Agency or instrumentality” and “Representation”) present a number of challenges in other languages.

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Eugene Nida (1947, p 178ff.) explains this way:

“The biblical attitudes toward human personality are of great theological importance. There is, however, only one word which produces any considerable difficulty in other languages. This is the word ‘name.’ The great difference attached to the significance of the name of a person in the Bible times in contrast with our own culture is very important. Note such phrases as ‘whatsoever ye shall ask in my name,’ John 14:13, ‘believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God,’ John 3:18, and ‘life through his name,’ John 20:31. These expressions are generally difficult for us to understand, for the word ‘name’ does not mean the same to us as it meant to those of Bible times. To them the name was the symbolization of the authority and personality of the individual who possessed the name. To us a name is far less important. It may be changed whenever one can convince a judge that another name might be more economically advantageous. The name is also a legal method of giving one’s written assent to certain business transactions, but to us it is not the symbol of the personality.”

The translation in Eastern Huasteca Nahuatl typically is “in someone’s authority” (for instance “I have come in my Father’s name” in John 5:43 becomes “I have come on my Father’s authority”) (source Nida 1947, p. 179), or in Highland Puebla Nahuatl with the more paraphrastic equivalent “as though on orders from you” or in Tzeltal as “by your authority, so he said” (both examples for Mark 9:38 and 39, see Bratcher / Nida).

In Guhu-Samane, Mark 11:9 (in English: “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord”) is translated as “Blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes.” “In the name of the Lord” caused “puzzlement [because] “has he just assumed the name of the Lord, valid or otherwise? [But] with ‘blessed is the Lord’s namesake who comes’ the strong bond between the namesake and the important ancestor for whom named entitles the namesake to the deference due the ancestor. Thought very proper in this context.” (Source: Ernest L. Richert in Notes on Translation December 1963: p. 4-7; reprinted in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )

Barclay Newman (see The Bible Translator 1974, pp, 432ff. ) reports on different solutions for the translation of the Today’s Malay Version (Alkitab Berita Baik, 1987):

In Malay “the phrase ‘in my name’ is problematic (…) since it sounds like the use of magic. For this reason [the English] Today’s English Version (Good News Bible) was followed at such passages as John 5:43 and 10:25, where ‘in the name of my Father’ is translated as ‘with my Father’s authority’ and ‘by my Father’s authority’ [respectively]. In John 12:13 ‘in the name of the Lord’ has become ‘in his (the Lord’s) behalf,’ following the common language German translation Die Gute Nachricht. In John 14:13, ‘because you are my followers’ is used, in John in 15:16, 16:23 and 24 ‘as my followers,’ in John 17:11 ‘by your own power, the power you gave me,’ and in John 14:26 ‘in my place.'”

Other translations for “in the name of Jesus Christ” include “in the authority of Jesus Christ” (Isthmus Mixe), “calling on Jesus Christ” (Teutila Cuicatec), “calling the name of Jesus Christ over you” (Ayutla Mixtec), “because of Jesus” (Tepeuxila Cuicatec), “by the power of the name of Jesus Christ” (Chichimeca-Jonaz), or “the word of Jesus Christ is strong” (Lalana Chinantec). (source for this and above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.).

Father (address for God)

The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )

complete verse (John 16:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 16:26:

Uma: “At that time, you will ask my Father with my name. It is not necessary for me to ask my Father for you,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “When that day has come, when you ask/request, you will be the ones asking from my Father because you trust in me. It will not be I who is asking for you” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “On that day, because of your faith in me, you will be the ones to tell what you request from my Father. And it will no longer be necessary that I am still the one to say what you request from my Father” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When that day arrives, he is the one from-whom-you -will-request on-account-of your unity-with me. I don’t say that it must be I who will request him for/on-behalf-of you,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “On that day, you will make requests to him on the strength of your being tied-together/united with me. It’s not as if it’s still necessary that I will pray for you to the Father. Your prayer will now be direct to him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “On that day you can ask the Father what you want because you believe in me. It won’t be necessary that first I ask the favor of my Father on your behalf.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 16:26

When that day comes (literally “in that day”) refers to the time mentioned in verse 25.

Him (a reference to the Father) is not explicit in the Greek text, though Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch make it so.

For a discussion of in my name see comments at 14.13. Most translators apparently prefer to render the phrase literally, but Goodspeed has “you will ask as my followers” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “then you will ask by appealing to me.”

Two different verbs for ask are used in this verse: aiteō (you will ask him) and erōtaō (I will ask him). See the discussion of them in verse 23. In the context the petition specifically relates to deeper understanding. The implication is that prayer will be granted and this fact is stated explicitly in 14.13: I will do whatever you ask for in my name.

And I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf (Phillips “for I need make no promise to plead to the Father for you”) indicates that Jesus will not have to call the Father’s attention to the needs of the disciples, for they can pray to the Father directly through the help of the Spirit.

In some languages there are complications in the placement of the negative not in the sentence I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf. This might mean in some languages “I say that I will not ask him on your behalf.” Compare, for example, the English sentence “I don’t think he will go,” which is really equivalent to “I think he will not go.” It may therefore be necessary to translate this part of verse 26 “I will not need to ask him on your behalf” or “… ask him to help you.”

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 .

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Verse: John 16:26