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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Yhn C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V31 V32 V33 V34 V35 V36
John’s disciples had an argument with another Jew. They argued about whether John’s baptism or Jesus’ baptism was better. John told his disciples that he was just there to tell people that Jesus was the Savior. So Jesus should get more followers. Jesus was superior to him.
Here are some other possible section headings:
Jesus was more important than John the Baptist
John the Baptist told the truth that he knew about Jesus
John declared that he was not the Messiah. The Messiah, he said, was much more important than he was.
He must increase; I must decrease.
The Messiah/Christ must increase in honor, while I must decrease in honor.”
It is necessary for me to become less important and for the bridegroom, Jesus, to become more important.”
He must increase; I must decrease: The verb increase means “to make larger,” and the verb decrease means “to make smaller.” This verse indicates that it was necessary that Jesus begin to receive more honor (increase in status). It was also necessary that John the Baptist begin to receive less honor (decrease in status). It is implied that it was necessary because God wanted it to happen. It was God’s will that Jesus the Messiah begin to get more disciples than John.
Here are other ways to translate this sentence:
He must increase in importance, while I must decrease in importance. (GW)
Jesus must become more important, while I become less important. (CEV)
Note 1 topic: writing-pronouns
ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν ἐμέ δέ ἐλαττοῦσθαι)
Here, that one refers to Jesus, whom John the Baptist called “the bridegroom” in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: [It is necessary for Jesus to increase] or [It is necessary for the bridegroom to increase]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
αὐξάνειν & ἐλαττοῦσθαι
˓to_be˒_increasing & ˓to_be˒_being_made_less
John the Baptist uses increase to refer to growing in importance and influence, while decrease refers to diminishing in importance and influence. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [to be more influential … to be less influential]
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.