Good News Translation reverses the order of the clauses in this verse; for everyone to have even a little is the final clause in the Greek sentence.

Two hundred silver coins is literally “two hundred denarii” (Revised Standard Version). The problem is that the term “denarius” (plural “denarii”) means nothing to the average English reader, to whom this monetary unit is unknown. The denarius was the average day’s earnings for a laborer, and so New American Bible and Anchor Bible render it “two hundred days’ wages.” Some translations attempt a cultural equivalent by using a rather sizable sum of money. Moffatt has “seven pounds,” Phillips “ten pounds,” and New English Bible “twenty pounds.” Though earlier editions of the Good News Translation New Testament employed “two hundred dollars’ worth of bread,” the fourth edition reads, as noted above, two hundred silver coins to buy enough bread. The new rendering seems to be advisable in view of the frequent fluctuations in the purchasing power of currencies all over the world. Any amount stated in terms of the prices current at the time of translation may soon lose its significance for the average reader. Good News Translation‘s marginal note indicates that the silver coin represented approximately a day’s wage, and the total amount of money would be equivalent to “two hundred days’ wages worth.” Such a figure will remain significant for the reader regardless of any change in prices.

The purpose expressed, for everyone to have even a little may in some languages be rendered more effectively as a condition, for example, “if everyone is to have even a little.” The second part of this condition may then be expressed as: “it would be necessary to buy more than two hundred silver coins’ worth of bread.”

Philip was first mentioned in 1.43. Both in this passage and in 12.21-22 he is closely associated with Andrew.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .