OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 18:23

18:23a

Jesus replied: In some languages it is more natural to make explicit whom Jesus spoke to. For example:

Jesus said to the guard

If I said something wrong, testify as to what was wrong: This sentence is the first part of Jesus’ response to the police/guard. It implies that Jesus did not say anything wrong. Jesus challenged the guard to tell him what wrong he had said. He implies that the guard cannot say what wrong he said because he said nothing wrong. For example:

If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. (NLT)

If I have said anything wrong, tell everyone here what it was. (GNT)

If I said something wrong: This is a conditional clause and refers to how Jesus had spoken to the high priest. The condition in this kind of clause could be true or false. Here it was false, but Jesus allowed the possibility that it was true. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

If I have spoken wrongly (NRSV)

If I have said anything wrong (JBP)

testify as to what was wrong: This phrase means “tell the truth about what was wrong/rude in my answer.”

then show what it was (NCV)

you must give evidence about it (JBP)

18:23b

But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?: This question is the second part of Jesus’ response to the police/guard. It implies that Jesus did speak rightly (correctly). Jesus again challenged the guard’s action, here asking him to justify hitting him. Here are other ways to translate this question:

But if I’ve told the truth, why do you hit me? (GW)

But if not, why did you hit me? (CEV)

But: This word here indicates a contrast between saying something wrong and saying something true and suitable.

if I spoke correctly: This is a conditional clause that was true and the sentence implies that. However, like the clause in 18:23a, it allows the possibility that it could be true or false. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

if I’m speaking the truth (NLT)

if what I said is true (NCV)

if I am right in what I have said (GNT)

I spoke correctly: This clause refers to what Jesus said in 18:20–21. There he said that many people heard his teaching, and told the high priest to ask them what he taught. This was both true and suitable, so it was not rude or lacking respect.

why did you strike Me?: This is a rhetorical question. It is used as a rebuke. The guard had struck Jesus without just cause. There are at least two ways to translate this rhetorical question to express rebuke:

• Use a rhetorical question:

  why do you hit me? (GNT, GW, NCV)

  Should you hit a man for telling the truth? (NLT96)

• Use a statement. For example:

  You should not have hit me.

Use whichever form is most natural to express rebuke in your language.

did you strike Me: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as did you strike is singular and refers to what the guard did. It is a different verb than the one used in 18:22a, though it refers to the same action. The verb strike refers to an action that had just happened. It may therefore be natural to use a past tense verb, as in the BSB.