OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 20:25

20:25a

So the other disciples told him: When Thomas met the other disciples, they told him about what had happened. In some languages it may be natural to indicate that Thomas had again met the other disciples. For example:

When they met him again , the other disciples said

So: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as So indicates a return to the main story after the background information in 20:24. It also introduces the result of 20:24, what happened because Thomas was not with the others when they saw Jesus. Some translations leave this conjunction implicit. Translate this conjunction in a way that is natural in your language.

told him: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as told implies a repeated action. The disciples told Thomas more than once what happened. You may want to make that explicit. For example:

kept on telling him (JBP)

We have seen the Lord!: This clause refers to what happened when Jesus appeared to the disciples in the evening after his resurrection (20:19). They may have said this clause to Thomas later that night, or a day or two later. So they were talking about something that happened recently, less than a week earlier.

This is direct speech. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this clause as indirect speech. For example:

The other disciples told Thomas that they had seen Jesus alive.

The disciples told Thomas that when he was away, they had seen the Lord.

We: This pronoun is exclusive and refers to all the disciples except Thomas (and Judas).

20:25b–d

Thomas said that in order to believe that Jesus was alive, he must see and touch him himself. He could not trust the witness of the other disciples and needed personal proof. Seeing and touching were his conditions for believing. There are several different ways of translating these conditions. For example:

If I do not see the marks of the nails in his hands…I will not believe

Until I can see for myself the marks of the nails in his hands,…I will not believe.

Only if I see the marks of the nails in his hands…will I believe

But Thomas said, “First, I must see the nail scars in his hands and touch them with my finger. I must put my hand where the spear went into his side. I won’t believe unless I do this!” (CEV)

20:25b

But he replied: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as But here introduces an event that was not expected. Thomas’ response to the other disciples was negative and showed doubt. He did not just believe what they said.

Unless I see the nail marks in His hands: This clause is a conditional statement. Thomas told the others a condition that had to be fulfilled before he would believe them. Thomas wanted to see Jesus himself so that he would know that he was the same man that was crucified. If he saw the marks of the nails, he would know that he was really Jesus. There are several ways to express this condition. See the note on 20:25b–d above. For example:

If I do not see…

Until I see…

I must see…

the nail marks in His hands: The Greek word that the BSB translates as marks here refers to the visible damage that the nails did to Jesus’ hands/wrists. (Wrists are the joints between hands and arms.) When he was crucified, the soldiers put nails through his hands/wrists and the wounds were still visible. We do not know what these marks looked like in Jesus’ resurrected body. It is good to leave this as general as possible. For example:

the marks left by the nails on his hands

where the nails wounded his hands

the nail marks: The Greek noun that the BSB translates as marks is singular. However, there was one mark on each hand/wrist, so in some languages it may be natural to use a plural form like the BSB.

in His hands: The Greek word that the BSB translates as hands includes the arms. Soldiers crucified people by nailing nails just above their wrists (the joints between the hands and arms) into the cross. Nails through the hands could not support the weight of the body. See how you translated the word hands in 20:20. In your translation, you may want to use a word that includes the wrists, or refer to the wrists alone. For example:

in his hands/arms

in his wrists

20:25c

and put my finger where the nails have been, and put my hand into His side: This expression continues the conditions Thomas gave before he would believe in Jesus. You may be able to continue the sentence from 20:25b, or it may be natural to start a new sentence. For example:

and put my finger on those scars and my hand in his side (GNT)

And I must put my finger in the nail marks, and my hand in his side.

In some languages it may be natural to indicate two separate actions by using two verbs. For example:

and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side (NIV)

and put my finger in the nail marks, and place my hand into the wound in his side

put my finger where the nails have been: This phrase indicates that Thomas wanted to touch and feel with his finger the nail marks on Jesus’ hands. That way he would know that they were real. For example:

touch/feel the mark with my finger

and put my hand into His side: This phrase indicates that Thomas also wanted to touch and feel the wound in Jesus’ side. The Greek text and the BSB repeat the verb put from the previous phrase: and put my hand into His side. It can be omitted in English, though in some languages it may be natural to repeat the verb. The wound in Jesus’ side is the one that the soldier made when he pierced his side with a spear. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

feel with my own hand his side

touch with my hand the wound in his side

20:25d

I will never believe: The Greek text emphasizes the word never in this clause. In some languages it may be natural to add an object for the verb believe. Thomas refused to believe that Jesus was alive unless he saw and touched him. For example:

I will not believe it.

I will not believe that it was him.

I will not believe what you^(plur) say.