OET interlinear YHN (JHN) 5:19

5:19a

So Jesus replied: The Greek expression that the BSB translates as So Jesus replied is more literally “So Jesus answered and said to them.” The Jewish leaders had accused him of breaking the Sabbath and making himself equal to God in verse 18. So Jesus responded to what they said to accuse him. Jesus spoke specifically to the Jewish leaders, but it appears that he also spoke to everyone else.

Here are other ways to translate this expression:

Jesus told the people (CEV)

Jesus explained (NLT)

Jesus answered their criticism and said

Truly, truly, I tell you: Jesus often used the phrase that the BSB translates as Truly, truly, I tell you to emphasize the following statement. It indicates that the statement was important and totally reliable, and that people should listen to it carefully. See how you translated this expression at 1:51. In some languages you may need to translate the phrase different ways in different contexts.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

Truly, truly, I say to you (ESV)

I tell you for certain that (CEV)

I assure you that

you: This pronoun is plural and refers to the Jewish leaders who questioned Jesus and others who were there.

5:19b

the Son: Jesus was referring to himself. He called God his Father in 5:17b. See the General Comment at the end of 5:19–25.

The phrase the Son in this context is short for “the Son of God,” which is a title for Jesus. This title indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It also indicates that the relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship that resulted in Mary becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus.

See how you translated the Son at 3:35. For further information, see the note on the phrase “the Son of God” at 1:34.

can do nothing by Himself: This phrase indicates that Jesus did not act independently of his Father. He did only what God wanted him to do, and he always acted in union with God, following God’s will. It does not mean that he did not have the strength to do something without the Father’s help. Rather, it means that he always submitted to the Father and could never act apart from him.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

can do nothing on his own (NRSV)

cannot do anything on his own (GW)

I who am the Son cannot do anything on my own

5:19c

unless He sees the Father doing it: This clause is a way of emphasizing that Jesus always acted in union with God his Father. He only followed what the Father did.

He: Jesus was referring to himself here. In some languages it is more natural to use a first-person pronoun (“I” in English).

5:19d

Jesus continued to refer to himself in the third person as the Son. See the note in 5:19b and how you translated this term there.

For whatever the Father does, the Son also does: There are two ways to interpret the word that the BSB translates as also

1. It describes what Jesus does. He does the same things that the Father does. For example:

   the Son does exactly what the Father does (GW) (BSB, GNT, CEV, GW, NIV, NCV, REB, NJB, NLT)

2. It describes the way that Jesus does what he sees the Father doing. He does those same things in the same way. For example:

   for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner (NASB) (NASB)

Three translations (NRSV, NET, KJV) use the word “likewise,” which can mean either “also” or “in the same way.” So it is ambiguous which interpretation they follow. It is recommended that you follow most English translations and follow interpretation (1).

Here is another way to translate this sentence:

The works/deeds that the Father does, I the Son do those same things.

Jesus continued to refer to himself using the third person the Son. You may want to make it explicit that Jesus was talking about himself. For example:

I who am the Son also do those things