YHN 10:36 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 10:22–42: The Jewish leaders rejected Jesus

The Jewish leaders challenged Jesus to say clearly that he was the Messiah if he was. Jesus told them that he had told them but they did not believe him because they were not his sheep. He said that he gives his sheep eternal life and no one can take them from him.

Jesus also said that he was one with God the Father, so the religious authorities wanted to kill him. They said that this was blasphemy (speaking against God). Jesus said that it was not blasphemy because he was the one God sent into the world. He also said that God was in him and he was in God. His opponents again tried to seize him, and he again escaped from them.

Jesus then went back to the east side of the Jordan River, away from Jerusalem. Many followed him and believed in him.

Here are other possible section headings:

Some Jewish leaders wrongly said that Jesus spoke against God

Jewish leaders became very angry with Jesus

Jewish leaders challenged Jesus

Paragraph 10:34–39

Jesus defended himself against being accused of blasphemy. He said that he was the one God had chosen and sent into the world. He also said that God was in him and he was in God. The people again tried to seize him, and he again escaped from them.

10:36a–b

then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy for stating that I am the Son of God?: This is the last part of the rhetorical question that began in 10:35. Verse 35 formed the basis for the question here. Jesus was saying, “Because the things in 10:35 are true, can you say that I blaspheme (speak against God)?” This verse is the actual question part. It expects the answer “No,” and is used to make a strong negative statement.

Jesus was saying that it was clearly wrong for people to say that he was blaspheming. It was wrong because of the evidence of Scripture and because he himself was sent by God into the world. Jesus rebuked the people who said that he was blaspheming. He did not dishonor (insult or disgrace) God at all.

There are two ways of translating this rebuke:

Use a rhetorical question. For example:
Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son?’ (NIV)
why do you say that I’m dishonoring God because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God?’ (GW)
Use a statement or statements. For example:
You should not say that I am dishonoring God because I call myself “Son of God.” God has sanctified me and sent me into the world.
God set me apart as his very own and sent me into the world. So it is wrong to say that I am blaspheming when I say I am God’s Son.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.

10:36a

then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy

how can you say that I am blaspheming? I am the one whom God the Father has set apart as his very own and sent into the world.
So you^(plur) should not condemn me for blasphemy, God’s holy one whom he sent here to earth.

then what about the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world? How then can you accuse Me of blasphemy…?: Jesus was saying that it was wrong to say that he was blaspheming. He had just shown from the Scriptures that God had used the word “gods” to refer to humans. So they could not say that he was blaspheming. And that was even truer for him because God had sanctified him and specially sent him into the world.

the One whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world: The phrase the One refers to Jesus, whom the Father sent here to earth. In some languages it is more natural to use the pronoun “I.” For example:

I, whom the Father set apart and sent

the Father set me apart and sent me

General Comment on 10:36a

Verse 10:36a includes a quotation inside another quotation. In some languages it may be natural to translate it as a direct quotation. For example:

do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming’ (NET)

10:36b

for stating that I am the Son of God?

Why do you^(plur) accuse me of saying evil things against God because I said that I am the Son of God?
I do not dishonor God when I tell you^(plur) that I am God’s son.

for stating that I am the Son of God: Verse 10:36b indicates the reason why people said that Jesus was blaspheming. It includes a quotation inside a quotation, and it may be more natural to use an indirect quotation here. For example:

because I said that I am God’s Son

the Son of God: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates literally as the Son of God is the same phrase used in 1:34, though without the article “the.” This is a title for Jesus. This title indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship that resulted in Mary becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus.

See how you translated the phrase “the Son of God” at 1:34. For further information, see the note on that phrase at 1:34.

General Comment on 10:36

In 10:36a Jesus referred to himself in the third person (“the One”). Then in 10:36b he referred to himself in the first person (“I”). This can confuse people. It may appear that Jesus was speaking about two different people. It may be clearer to use only the first person. For example:

Then why do you charge me with blasphemy for saying, “I am God’s Son,” I whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world? (REB)

So why do you accuse me of a terrible sin for saying that I am the Son of God? After all, it is the Father who prepared me for this work. He is also the one who sent me into the world. (CEV)

General Comment on 10:35–36

This is a long and complex argument. In the Greek text it is all one sentence. In many languages it is more natural to break this sentence into several sentences, possibly reordering some of the information. For example:

^35bWe know that what the scripture says is true for ever; ^35aand God called those people gods, the people to whom his message was given. ^36aAs for me, the Father chose me and sent me into the world. How, then, can you say that I blaspheme ^36bbecause I said that I am the Son of God? (GNT)

^35aThis Scripture called those people gods who received God’s message, ^35band Scripture is always true. ^36aSo why do you say that I speak against God ^36bbecause I said, “I am God’s Son”? ^36aI am the one God chose and sent into the world. (NCV)

^35a⌊The Scriptures use the term/word “gods” for those who received God’s message. ^35bAnd the Scriptures can never be removed as wrong. ^36aSo you should not say that I blaspheme ^36bwhen I call myself God’s Son. ^36aGod has set me apart for his holy purpose and sent me into the world.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion

ὃν ὁ Πατὴρ ἡγίασεν καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὅτι βλασφημεῖς, ὅτι εἶπον, Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰμι?

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅν ὁ Πατήρ ἡγίασεν καί ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τόν κόσμον ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι Βλασφημεῖς ὅτι εἶπον Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ Εἰμί)

Jesus uses the form of a question to rebuke his opponents for accusing him of blasphemy. If you would not use a rhetorical question for this purpose in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: [you should not say to the one the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God!’]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / quotesinquotes

ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὅτι βλασφημεῖς, ὅτι εἶπον, Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰμι

you_all ˓are˒_saying ¬that (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὅν ὁ Πατήρ ἡγίασεν καί ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τόν κόσμον ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι Βλασφημεῖς ὅτι εἶπον Υἱός τοῦ Θεοῦ Εἰμί)

If the direct quotations inside a direct quotation would be confusing in your language, you could translate the two instances of second direct quotations as indirect quotations. Alternate translation: [do you say … that he is blaspheming because I said that I am the Son of God]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὃν ὁ Πατὴρ ἡγίασεν καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον

Jesus is referring to himself in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate this in the first person. Alternate translation: [to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world]

Note 4 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples

Πατὴρ

Father is an important title for God.

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

βλασφημεῖς

Jesus is leaving a word that a sentence would need in many languages to be complete. If it would be helpful in your language, you could supply this word from the context. See how you translated “blasphemy” in [10:33](../10/33.md) and also see the discussion of this term in the General Notes for this chapter. Alternate translation: [You have committed the crime of blaspheming God] or [You are guilty of blaspheming God]

Note 6 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples

Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ

This phrase, the Son of God, is an important title for Jesus.

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.

Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.

OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 10:36

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)