OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 3:31

3:31a

The One who comes from above: This expression refers to Jesus. Translate this expression so that this is clear. For example:

God’s Son comes from heaven and is greater than everything. (CEV)

comes from above: This phrase indicates that Jesus came from heaven, that is, from the place where God lives.

is above all: This phrase means that Jesus is more important than anything or anyone else. He is superior to all other beings.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

is greater than all (GNT)

3:31b

The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth: The Greek clause that the BSB translates as The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth includes the same Greek phrase three times. That Greek phrase is more literally “of/from the earth.” So the entire clause is more literally “the one being of/from the earth is of/from the earth and of/from the earth he speaks.” Unlike Jesus, who was from heaven, those from the earth had never seen heaven. They could only tell what they knew as people from earth.

The author was referring to anyone and everyone apart from Jesus, including John the Baptist. For example:

Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. (CEV)

speaks as one from the earth: There are at least three different interpretations about what this phrase means:

1. It means that people from the earth can only speak with the knowledge of people from the earth, as in the BSB and NIV.

2. It means that they speak about earthly things. For example:

   we speak of earthly things (NLT) (NET, NASB, CEV, GNT, NCV, NLT, KJV, RSV, NRSV, GW)

3. It means that they speak in earthly ways. For example:

   speaks in an earthly way (ESV) (ESV, REB, NJB)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It interprets the Greek phrase the same way that it was interpreted earlier in the clause. Also, many commentaries support this interpretation.

John spoke about things that he could know as a human. The things he said were not wrong, or sinful, but they came from the earth rather than heaven.3:31 John often uses the word “world” in a negative sense, referring to the sinful world system. But he uses the word “earth” in a neutral sense, without implying anything good or bad. He did not speak as Jesus did, coming from heaven with God’s direct authority and knowledge. He was a human and he could only speak what he knew as a human from earth. He had not come from heaven, that is, from God.

3:31c

The One who comes from heaven is above all: There is a textual problem in this sentence:

1. Many Greek manuscripts read “the one who comes from heaven is above all.” For example:

   The person who comes from heaven is superior to everyone. (GW) (BSB, NRSV, KJV, NASB, ESV, NIV, NET, GW, GNT, NLT, CEV, NCV)

2. Some Greek manuscripts read “the one from heaven.” The rest of the sentence is in verse 32: “testifies to what he has seen and heard.” For example:

   He who comes from heaven bears witness… (NJB) (NJB, REB)

It is recommended that you follow option (1), along with most English translations.It is more likely that a few words were omitted in some Greek manuscripts than that some were added, because they are a repetition of what is in 3:31a.

The One who comes from heaven: This expression means the same as “The one who comes from above” in 3:31a. It refers to Jesus. He is the one from heaven, that is, from the place where God lives.

heaven: The word heaven refers to the place where God lives.

is above all: The expression is above all is the same as in 3:31a. See the note there.