Yohanes 2:23-25

Jesus at the Passover Feast

2:23 Now while Jesus ¹  was in Jerusalem ²  at the feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ³  2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ⁴  2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ⁵  for he knew what was in man. ⁶ 

Yohanes 8:30-31

8:30 While he was saying these things, many people ⁷  believed in him.

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ⁸  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ⁹  you are really ¹⁰  my disciples

[2:23]  ¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:23]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[2:23]  ³ sn Because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing. The issue here is not whether their faith was genuine or not, but what its object was. These individuals, after seeing the miracles, believed Jesus to be the Messiah. They most likely saw in him a political-eschatological figure of some sort. That does not, however, mean that their concept of “Messiah” was the same as Jesus’ own, or the author’s.

[2:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).

[2:25]  ⁵ tn The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with “a man of the Pharisees” in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.

[2:25]  ⁶ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[8:30]  ⁷ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity and smoothness in the translation.

[8:31]  ⁸ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ⁹ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ¹⁰ tn Or “truly.”