John as a first-person evangelist (John 13:4)

In the Yatzachi Zapotec translation of the Gospel of John, any reference to the evangelist and presumed narrator is done in the first person.

The translator Inez Butler explains (in: Notes on Translation, September 1967, pp. 10ff.):

“In revising the Gospel of John in Yatzachi Zapotec we realized from the start that the third person references of Jesus to himself as Son of Man had to be converted into first person references, but only more recently have we decided that similar change is necessary in John’s references to himself as ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved.’ As I worked on those changes and questioned the informant about his understanding of other passages in the Gospel, I discovered that the reader misses the whole focus of the book as an eyewitness account unless every reference to the disciples indicates the writer’s membership in the group. In view of that we went back through the entire book looking for ways to cue in the reader to the fact that John was an eyewitness and a participant in a many of the events, as well as the historian.

“When the disciples were participants in events along with Jesus, it was necessary to make explicit the fact that they accompanied him, although in the source language that is left implicit, since otherwise our rendering would imply that they were not present.”

In this verse, the Yatzachi Zapotec says: “And while we were eating supper . . .”

complete verse (John 13:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 13:4:

  • Uma: “That is why he stood up, took off his shirt, and he took a sarong, he tied it around his waist.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Isa got up from their meal and took off one layer of his garment (lit. shirt) and wrapped himself with a towel.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And while they were now already eating supper, Jesus stood up and he took off his shirt, and he belted himself with a towel around his waist.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore he stood-up and removed his outer garment, then he wrapped-a towel -around-his-waist.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore what Jesus did as they were now sitting to eat was, he stood up and removed his outer garment, then got a towel and wrapped-it-around-his-waist.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “While he was eating, he arose from the table where he was sitting, he took off his cloak and made a belt with a towel.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on John 13:4

The table is literally “the meal,” but a number of translators render it as Good News Translation does.

The expression he rose from the table involves what some would call a “hidden figure.” In this context the table is a figurative expression for the meal, and rose means standing up, not literally rising above a surface. A literal translation of this statement could be understood in some languages to mean that Jesus was floating in the air above the table. The most convenient equivalent may be “so Jesus stood up.”

Took off his outer garment is more literally “puts (aside) his outer garments.” The verb took off (Greek tithēmi) is not the normal word used for taking off one’s clothes, but it is used in 10.11,15,17, and 18 for the laying down of one’s life. By “laying down” his garments, Jesus foreshadows the “laying down” of his life. It may be noted in this context that the same words rendered put … back on in verse 12 is translated receive … back and take … back (of Jesus’ life) in 10.17,18. The word rendered outer garment may have this specific meaning, or it may simply mean “garment” in the general sense; but John clearly intends his readers to understand that Jesus did not completely disrobe, and so it is better to specify an outer garment. In most languages outer garment is equivalent to “coat,” but this term should not be understood in the sense of a heavy overcoat. It would be equivalent to “robe” in some languages.

The word rendered towel appears only here and in verse 5 in the New Testament.

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 .