complete verse (John 7:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 7:8:

  • Uma: “You go ahead going to that feast. As for me, I will not yet go, because my time has not yet come.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You go to Awrusalam to the festival,’ said Isa to his brothers. ‘I am not yet going because my time has not yet come.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You go ahead to the feast. I will not yet go there because the time for my going there has not yet arrived.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Go then attend-the-fiesta. I however will not go-along because the proper time-for-me-to-fulfill God’s plan is not yet,'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You go ahead and join in the fiesta. As for me, not yet, for like I said, not yet now is the time given to me.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Go to the celebration now. I am not going because the time hasn’t come for me to go yet.'” (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 7:8

In the first sentence of this verse you is emphatic, and in the second sentence I is emphatic. Both sentences use the same main verb. In the first sentence Good News Translation translates it go on and in the second sentence going. The verb literally means “to go up” and was normally used of the pilgrimage up to Jerusalem. However, some commentators see here a play on words, since Jesus uses this same verb to speak of his ascent to the Father (20.17 I have not yet gone back up to the Father).

As Good News Translation points out in a footnote, some Greek manuscripts read “I am not yet going.” Although many manuscripts have this reading, “not yet” was evidently introduced into the text to resolve the inconsistency between verses 8 and 10. The force of Jesus’ words here is that he acts solely on the basis of God’s will, not on the suggestions or commands of any human being. Parallels are to be found at 2.4 and 11.6, where Jesus also rejects human authority for what he does.

In because the right time has not come the verb not come is not the same verb, so translated in verse 6. However, the meaning is essentially the same.

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 .