YHN 20:23 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. ἐάν
2. ean
3. -
4. -
5. 14370
6. T·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. -
11. 80692
1. Ἄν
2. an
3. If
4. -
5. 3020
6. T·······
7. if
8. if
9. S
10. Y33
11. 80693
1. τινῶν
2. tis
3. of any
4. -
5. 51000
6. R····GMP
7. ˱of˲ any
8. ˱of˲ any
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80694
1. τινός
2. tis
3. -
4. -
5. 51000
6. R····GMS
7. ˱of˲ anyone
8. ˱of˲ anyone
9. -
10. -
11. 80695
1. ἀφῆτε
2. afiēmi
3. you all may forgive
4. forgive
5. 8630
6. VSAA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓may˒ forgive
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓may˒ forgive
9. -
10. Y33; R80657; F80702
11. 80696
1. τάς
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····AFP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80697
1. ἁμαρτίας
2. hamartia
3. sins
4. sins
5. 2660
6. N····AFP
7. sins
8. sins
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80698
1. ἀφέωνται
2. afiō
3. they have been forgiven
4. forgiven forgiveness
5. 8630
6. VIEP3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓have_been˒ forgiven
8. ˱they˲ ˓have_been˒ forgiven
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80699
1. ἀφίενται
2. afiēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIPP3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓are_being˒ forgiven
8. ˱they˲ ˓are_being˒ forgiven
9. -
10. -
11. 80700
1. ἀφεθήσεται
2. afiēmi
3. -
4. -
5. 8630
6. VIFP3··S
7. ˱it˲ ˓will_be_being˒ forgiven
8. ˱it˲ ˓will_be_being˒ forgiven
9. -
10. -
11. 80701
1. αὐτοῖς
2. autos
3. to them
4. -
5. 8460
6. R···3DMP
7. ˱to˲ them
8. ˱to˲ them
9. -
10. Y33; R80696
11. 80702
1. ἄν
2. an
3. if
4. -
5. 3020
6. T·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80703
1. ἐάν
2. ean
3. -
4. -
5. 14370
6. T·······
7. if
8. if
9. -
10. -
11. 80704
1. δέ
2. de
3. -
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. and
8. and
9. -
10. -
11. 80705
1. τινῶν
2. tis
3. of any
4. -
5. 51000
6. R····GMP
7. ˱of˲ any
8. ˱of˲ any
9. -
10. Y33
11. 80706
1. τινός
2. tis
3. -
4. -
5. 51000
6. R····GMS
7. anyone
8. anyone
9. -
10. -
11. 80707
1. κρατῆτε
2. krateō
3. you all may be restraining
4. -
5. 29020
6. VSPA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ restraining
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓may_be˒ restraining
9. -
10. Y33; R80657; F80711
11. 80708
1. κρατήσετε
2. krateō
3. -
4. -
5. 29020
6. VIFA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓will_be˒ restraining
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓will_be˒ restraining
9. -
10. -
11. 80709
1. κρατήσητε
2. krateō
3. -
4. -
5. 29020
6. VSAA2··P
7. ˱you_all˲ ˓may˒ restrain
8. ˱you_all˲ ˓may˒ restrain
9. -
10. -
11. 80710
1. κεκράτηνται
2. krateō
3. they have been restrained
4. -
5. 29020
6. VIEP3··P
7. ˱they˲ ˓have_been˒ restrained
8. ˱they˲ ˓have_been˒ restrained
9. -
10. Y33; R80708
11. 80711

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 20:19–23: Jesus appeared to the disciples

This section tells how Jesus showed himself to ten of the disciples that evening. The disciples were in a locked room when Jesus came to them. They were very happy to see him. He told them that he sent them as the Father sent him. Then he breathed on them and invited them to receive the Holy Spirit. He also told them that if they forgave anyone’s sins, they would be forgiven.

Here are other possible section headings:

Jesus showed himself to the disciples

Jesus’ appearance to the disciples

Jesus invited the disciples to receive the Holy Spirit

20:23a

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven;

If you^(plur) forgive the wrongs that anyone has done, those wrongs have been forgiven.
When you^(plur) forgive someone’s sins, God has already forgiven those sins.

If you forgive anyone his sins: This clause expresses a condition that is possible. It was possible that the disciples would forgive the sins of someone. If this condition was fulfilled, those sins would be forgiven. Here are other ways of translating this clause:

If you forgive anyone’s sins (NJB)

If you forgive people’s sins (GNT)

Whenever you forgive sins (GW)

you forgive: The pronoun you is plural and refers to Jesus’ disciples there with him. However, many commentaries say that this statement also applies to other Christians or Christian leaders. Still, Jesus was speaking to those people in the room with him. The verb forgive means to not punish someone for their sin. It means to remove someone’s sins from their record and accept them as though they had not sinned.

Here some people understand Jesus to talk about their preaching the gospel of forgiveness. However, others believe that it refers to Jesus giving the disciples the authority to forgive. Therefore, it is important to translate this idea literally so people can interpret it themselves. This is the only verse in John that refers to forgiveness. Refer to your translation of forgive in Matthew 6:12, 14, Mark 2:7, 10, and Luke 17:3, 4. See also KBT Forgive, Forgiveness. Many languages have idioms referring to the action of forgiving others. For example:

you remove/release

you pardon

you erase/wipe

sins: The Greek word that the BSB translates as sins here refers to evil actions. They are actions that people do when they disobey God. They are usually actions that harm other people. See how you translated this word in the singular in 9:41. Refer to your translation of Matthew 1:21 and Mark 2:5. See also KBT sins A.3. For example:

wrongdoing

evil deeds

they are forgiven: This clause is passive and implies God is the one who forgives the sins of these people. The pronoun they refers to the sins. The sins of these people are removed or pardoned. There are at least two ways to translate this clause:

Use a passive verb. For example:
their sins are forgiven by God
they will be forgiven (CEV)
Use an active verb. For example:
God will also forgive their sins (Yakan Back Translation)
they receive forgiveness for their sins

Use the verb form that is most natural in your language, and make explicit any pronoun that you need to. For example:

God has forgiven their sins

The sins of these people are forgiven by God.

The tense of the Greek verb that the BSB translates as they are forgiven emphasizes the continuing results of the action. God forgives the sins of these people and they remain or stay forgiven. He will not condemn or punish them for their sins at any time, in the present or the future. See how you translated this verb in the previous clause. Here are other ways to translate this verb:

God has removed/released their sins

those sins are pardoned

their sins are erased/wiped

God also forgives them, and they remain forgiven (TH)

20:23b

if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.”

If you do not forgive the wrongs that anyone has done, those wrongs have not been forgiven.”
When you do not forgive someone's sins, God has already not forgiven those sins.”

if you withhold forgiveness from anyone: The Greek word that the BSB translates as withhold means “hold.” This clause tells a possibility that contrasts with that in 20:23a (“If you forgive the sins of any”). It suggests that the disciples may retain (hold or not forgive) the sins of some people. For example:

if you do not forgive them (NIV)

But if you don’t forgive their sins (CEV)

it is withheld: The clause that the BSB translates as it is withheld indicates that God will not forgive the sins of these people. It is a passive clause and the implied actor is God. He is the one who forgives or does not forgive sins. There are at least two ways to translate this expression:

Use a passive verb. For example:
they will not be forgiven (CEV)
They are not forgiven (NIV)
They are not forgiven by God
Use an active verb. For example:
God has not forgiven those sins
their sins remain

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

ἀφέωνται αὐτοῖς

˱they˲_˓have_been˒_forgiven ˱to˲_them

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God will forgive them]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ἄν τινων κρατῆτε, κεκράτηνται

if (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἄν τινῶν ἀφῆτε τάς ἁμαρτίας ἀφέωνται αὐτοῖς ἄν τινῶν κρατῆτε κεκράτηνται)

To retain sins means to not forgive someone for the sins that they have committed. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [whoever’s sins you might not forgive, they will not be forgiven]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

κεκράτηνται

˱they˲_˓have_been˒_restrained

If your language does not use the passive form in this way, you can state this in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [God will retain them]

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) 20:23

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

Section 20:19–23: Jesus appeared to the disciples

20:23a

20:23b

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