eternal life

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The Greek that is translated in English as “eternal life” is translated in various ways:

Lloyd Peckham explains the Mairasi translation: “In secret stories, not knowable to women nor children, there was a magical fruit of life. If referred to vaguely, without specifying the specific ‘fruit,’ it can be an expression for eternity.”

See also eternity / forever and salvation.

He deliberately took time to draw near to social outcasts (image)

“Jesus is dressed in a different style of clothing than the style of the woman who is shown as a Lanna Thai northerner. It is unusual for him to talk to a person from a different region, especially a woman. The clothes, the roof of the house in the background, and the dipper for water all indicate that this is in northern Thailand.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnatong in TIPs see here.

complete verse (John 4:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 4:14:

  • Uma: “But whoever drinks water that I give to them, they will not be thirsty again forever. Because the water that I give them becomes the water of life that flows continually in their hearts–meaning, they receive good life forever.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But whoever is able to drink the water which I cause him to drink he will really not become thirsty again. For the water which I give him to drink becomes like a spring bubbling in his liver giving him water which gives him life forever.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because the water which I will give to him will become in him a head(source) of water which can give him life forever.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But the one by-contrast who drinks the water I will give, he will-never-get-thirsty. Because the water that I give, it will become like a spring in his body which never-dries-up which gives him life that is forever.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But the one who drinks the water I will give, he will become thirsty no more, for it will be like a spring within him which gives life which has no ending.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “He who will drink the water I give never will be thirsty. Because that water which I give is like water which springs up in the insides of the one who drinks in order to give the new life forever.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 4:14

A contrast is evident between the tense of the verb drinks in this verse and in the preceding verse. The verb in verse 13 is in the present tense, suggesting habitual action; in verse 14 the word drinks is in the aorist tense, suggesting a single action. Thus the water from Jacob’s well supplies only the physical needs of men, and only temporarily, so that people must return for more. One drink of the water that Jesus gives for the spiritual needs of people provides eternal life. The contrast between the present and aorist forms of the verb drink may be indicated in some languages by translating the first part of verse 14 “If anyone ever drinks the water that I give him, he will never be thirsty again” or “But if he once drinks the water….”

Will never be thirsty again (so Jerusalem Bible; Moffatt “will never thirst any more”; see New English Bible, Goodspeed) is literally “will not be thirsty into the age.” In this context “the age” (see comments at 3.15) is equivalent to “eternity” or “forever,” and when joined with a negative (“not … into the age”), the meaning is never … again.

In the Greek the next sentence reads literally “but the water which I will give to him will become in him a spring of water leaping up into eternal life.” To make explicit the meaning of “spring of water leaping into eternal life,” Good News Translation has a spring which will provide him with life-giving water and give him eternal life, which is clearly the meaning. Most translations are rather formal in their rendering. New American Bible attempts to make a dynamic equivalent by translating “the water I give shall become a fountain within him, leaping up to provide eternal life.” In certain languages will become in him a spring may require some indication that this statement of Jesus is to be understood figuratively, for example, “will become in him just like a spring” or “will be in him something resembling a spring.”

The verb “leaping up” (see Acts 3.8, where TEV translates “jumped up … jumping” in its double occurrence) denotes lively action. In the Septuagint it is used of the coming of God’s “spirit” on Samson, Saul, and David, and some commentators believe it to be the background of its use in the present passage.

If life-giving water is translated “water that gives life,” it may be important to unite this expression with the phrase give him eternal life, that is, one may translate “provide him with water which gives him eternal life” or, in some languages, “… real life which never ends”—to emphasize the qualitative significance of eternal life, rather than merely its duration.

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 .