YHN 15:1 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

UST “I am like a genuine vine that grows fruit. My Father is like a gardener who takes care of it.

AICNT “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

OEB ¶ ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower.

2DT I am the true vineyard and my Father is the farmer.

WEBBE “I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.

LSV “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser;

FBV “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.

TCNT “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

T4T Jesus talked to us as we were walking along. Speaking figuratively of the need for us to live in a way that God wants us to, he said, “I am like [MET] a genuine vine, not like those Jewish leaders who do not teach the truth. My father is like [MET] a gardener who works to take care of a vineyard.

LEB “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.

BBE I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.

Moff "I am the real Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser;

Wymth "I am the Vine—the True Vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser.

ASV I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

DRA I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman.

YLT 'I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman;

Drby I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

RV I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

SLT I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Wbstr I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

KJB-1769 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

KJB-1611 ¶ I am the true vine, and my Father is y^e husbandman.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Bshps I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman.
(Same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation)

Gnva I Am that true vine, and my Father is that husband man.

Cvdl I am a true vyne, and my father is an hussbande man.
(I am a true vine, and my father is an hussbande man.)

TNT I am the true vyne and my father ys an husbande man.
(I am the true vine and my father is an husband man. )

Wycl Y am a very vyne, and my fadir is an erthe tilier.
(I am a very vine, and my father is an earth tilier.)

Luth Ich bin ein rechter Weinstock und mein Vater ein Weingärtner.
(I am a right vine and my father a winegrowers.)

ClVg Ego sum vitis vera, et Pater meus agricola est.[fn]
(I I_am grape-vine true, and Pater mine farmer it_is. )

15.1 Ego sum vitis vera. Et me præcedentem ad passionem debetis sequi, quia ego sum vitis, id est caput vestrum ejusdem naturæ vobiscum, ut in me possit fructificare humana natura. Et Pater, etc. Ego etiam agricola cum Patre, quia sum mundator palmitum, quod est agricolæ, non vitis officium, qui etiam palmites operarios facit, licet non de suo, nec per ipsos, sed per meipsum.

15.1 I I_am grape-vine true. And me they_will_precedeem to passion you_must to_follow, because I I_am grape-vine, that it_is the_head of_you of_the_same of_nature with_you(pl), as in/into/on me can fructificare human nature/element. And Pater, etc. I also farmer when/with Father, because I_am cleansor palmitum, that it_is fieldscolæ, not/no grape-vine office, who/which also palm_trees to_workos he_does, although not/no from/about his_own, but_not through themselves, but through meipsum.

UGNT ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.
(egō eimi haʸ ampelos haʸ alaʸthinaʸ, kai ho Pataʸr mou ho geōrgos estin.)

SBL-GNT Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν·
(Egō eimi haʸ ampelos haʸ alaʸthinaʸ, kai ho pataʸr mou ho geōrgos estin;)

RP-GNT Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν.
(Egō eimi haʸ ampelos haʸ alaʸthinaʸ, kai ho pataʸr mou ho geōrgos estin.)

TC-GNT Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή, καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστι.
(Egō eimi haʸ ampelos haʸ alaʸthinaʸ, kai ho pataʸr mou ho geōrgos esti. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 15:1–17 Jesus is the true vine

Jesus compared himself to a vine, his Father to a vine grower, and his followers to the vine’s branches. The Father would remove branches that did not produce fruit and prune (cut shorter) those branches that did. Jesus told his disciples to remain in him, the vine, and his love so that they could produce much fruit. Their prayers would also be answered. If they remained in his love, they would keep his commandments and Jesus and they would have joy.

Jesus’ commandment was that they should love one another as he had loved them. Then they would be his friends. Jesus already called them friends because he told them everything that the Father told him. They did not choose Jesus, but he chose them. He appointed them to produce fruit that would last so that the Father would give them whatever they asked for.

Here are some other possible section headings:

Jesus the true vine

The vine and the branches

Paragraph 15:1–4

Jesus continued to teach his followers how they should live after he went back to his Father. He used an extended metaphor of a grapevine plant (Jesus) and its branches (his followers). Jesus used the metaphor to illustrate the need to stay close to Christ and depend on him for strength and life.

15:1a–b

I am the true vine, and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard: This is the beginning of an extended metaphor. Jesus compared himself to the central stem of a grapevine, his followers to its branches, and his Father, God, to the farmer.

Grapevines grow in a field called a vineyard. They produce grapes, a small sweet fruit common in ancient Israel. People used the grapes to make wine. The vines that grapes grow on have wood trunks (main branches) like bushes or trees. But the plant is like a vine and, without supports, both the trunk and branches grow along the ground. The vinegrower takes care of the vines, supporting them and pruning them (cutting them shorter).

Jesus’ listeners were familiar with this metaphor of grapes. Many places in the Bible speak about vineyards in literal and figurative ways. You may want to look at these other contexts as you decide how to translate these words. Other passages that refer to vineyards include Isaiah 5:1–7, Genesis 9:20, Matthew 20:1, 21:33–41, Mark 12:1–9, and Luke 20:9. And here are some passages that refer to grapes: Genesis 40:10–11, Isaiah 5:2, and Matthew 7:16.

15:1a

“I am the true vine,

¶ “I am the genuine/real vine,
¶ Jesus said/continued, “I am like the perfect/ideal grapevine.

I am the true vine: Jesus compared himself to a plant that produces grapes from its branches. Here are some ways that Jesus is like a vine:

Jesus is the source of life for his followers. In a similar way, the vine is the source of life for its branches.
Jesus enables his followers to produce good things from their lives. In a similar way, the vine feeds the branches so that they can produce good fruit.
God sent Jesus to achieve his purposes. In a similar way, a farmer plants a vine to achieve his purpose of producing grapes.

In some languages a literal translation of this metaphor may be difficult to understand. Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Change the metaphor to a simile. But you will probably want to translate the adjective true outside the simile. For example:
I am like a vine—the true vine.
I am like a vine. Yes, I am the real/genuine vine.
Indicate something of the meaning, how Jesus is like a vine. For example:
I am the true source of life for you like a vine is the source of life for its branches.
The metaphor of a grapevine is used in many places in the Bible. So it is recommended that you not use a substitute from your own culture. Include a footnote if you need to explain what a grapevine is. Or you may also want to include an illustration.

I am: This is the last of seven “I am” statements in John. (See also 15:5. The other statements are in 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9; 10:11, 14; 11:25; and 14:6.) They are all metaphors that Jesus used to describe himself. Some see a reference to Jesus’ being God because “I am” is the name that God used for himself in Exodus 3:14. The Greek text emphasizes the word I. Here are some ways to show this emphasis:

I, myself, am…

It is I who am…

the true vine: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as the true vine indicates that Jesus was the real or genuine vine. In the Old Testament a vine is used as a metaphor for Israel (for example, Psalm 80:8–16). This vine failed to produce good fruit for God and was destroyed. It proved to be a false vine.

Jesus is the new vine, the perfect or ideal vine, the true or real vine. He is true because he enables his followers to produce good things (fruit), not because he is really a plant. See how you translated the word true in the metaphors in 1:9 (“true light”) and 6:32 (“true bread”). Here are some of the ways that the phrase the true vine can be translated:

the real/genuine vine

God’s true vine

the good/perfect vine

vine: The Greek word that the BSB translates as vine means “grapevine.” A grapevine is a climbing plant that produces long tendrils (growths that are like threads) from a central stem. These tendrils wrap around something nearby to support the plant. Here is another way to translate this word:

grapevine (NLT)

Grapevines were very common in Israel when Jesus was on earth. Everyone knew how grapes grew and how the farmers/cultivators took care of the grapevines. In some cultures grapes are not grown and there may not be a word for “grapevine.” If that is true in your language, you may want to borrow a word from another language. You may also want to add a brief description of a grapevine or add a footnote. For example:

grapevine (a plant that produces a fruit called grapes)

A grapevine is a bush on which grapes grow.

There are two important points about the grapevine for Jesus’ metaphor. First, it is a plant that produces fruit and second, people cut the branches shorter to produce more fruit. It is not so important that it grows grapes or is a vine.

15:1b

and My Father is the keeper of the vineyard.

and my Father is the farmer/gardener.
My Father God is like the one who tends/cultivates the grapevine.

My Father is the keeper of the vineyard: The phrase My Father refers to God the Father. This clause is a metaphor. Jesus compared God to a man who cultivates grapevines. Here are some ways that God is like a vinegrower:

(a) He is responsible for others’ welfare. In a similar way, a vinegrower is responsible for the welfare of the vine.
(b) He causes growth and enables the production of fruit in his followers. In a similar way, a vinegrower enables the growth of the vine and the production of grapes.
(c) He cares for Jesus as a vinegrower cares for his vines/plants. This care enables the branches to produce fruit.

Here are some ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
my Father is the gardener (NIV)
Translate the metaphor as a simile. For example:
my Father is like the gardener
Make clear the way that the Father is similar to a vinegrower. For example:
my Father takes care of the vineyard (GW)

the keeper of the vineyard: The word that the BSB has translated as the keeper of the vineyard is more literally “farmer.” Use an expression that describes someone who prunes (cuts shorter) vines and cultivates a vineyard. It is good if this expression refers to someone who could also be the owner of the vines. For example:

the gardener (NIV)

the farmer/cultivator

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐγώ εἰμί ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή καί ὁ Πατήρ μού ὁ γεωργός ἐστίν)

Jesus uses the true vine to refer to himself. As a vine is the source of life for its branches, so Jesus causes people to live in a way that pleases God and brings other people to believe in Jesus. Since the vine is an important metaphor in the Bible, you should translate the words directly or use a simile and not provide a plain explanation in the text of your translation. Alternate translation: [I am like a true vine]

Note 2 topic: translate-unknown

ἡ ἀληθινή

the ¬the true

The word translated vine refers specifically to the grapevine plant that produces grapes. If your readers would not be familiar with grapevines, use an equivalent word in your language for a vine that produces fruit. Alternate translation: [grapevine] or [fruit-producing vine]

Note 3 topic: guidelines-sonofgodprinciples

ὁ Πατήρ μου

the Father the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐγώ εἰμί ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή καί ὁ Πατήρ μού ὁ γεωργός ἐστίν)

Father is an important title for God.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ γεωργός ἐστιν

the Father the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐγώ εἰμί ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή καί ὁ Πατήρ μού ὁ γεωργός ἐστίν)

Jesus uses farmer to refer to God. Just as a farmer takes care of thevine to ensure it is as fruitful as possible, so God takes care of his people. If this might confuse your readers, you could use a simile. Alternate translation: [my Father is like a gardener]

ὁ γεωργός

the the farmer

While farmer is a general term for anyone who farms the ground, in this context it refers to someone who takes care of grapevines and grows grapes. Alternate translation: [vine grower] or [grape farmer]

Parallel YHN 15:1

Section 15:1–17 Jesus is the true vine

Paragraph 15:1–4

15:1a–b

15:1a

15:1b

Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, and Burial