complete verse (John 15:13)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 15:13:

  • Chol: “There is much love in the one who will give himself to die on behalf of his friends. There is no one who has more love than this.”
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “If one is willing to die for a friend, he has loved that one to completion.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “The biggest love is this, when a person gives up his life for a friend of his.”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Only upon very really loving their friend can they want to die in his place.”
  • Yanesha’: “There isn’t love which surpasses this: We let go of ourselves to die for our loved ones.” (Source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Uma: “If there is a person who gives his life so that his companion lives, his love is indeed big. There is no love greater than the love of a person who gives his life in order to help his companion.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If a person submits to die because of his love for his friends, there is no human love greater than this.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If there is a person who allows himself to be killed in order to free his friends, this is a sign that his friends are very dear in his breath. There is no dearness which can equal this.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “This is the largest love that a person is able-to-show, if he dies so that his friends may live.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “True valuing which can’t be exceeded is the valuing by a person who will give his life/breath in place of the life/breath of his friends.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The most important thing one can do when he loves his friend is to give his life for his friend.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

In Ogea the word for “love” is “die for someone,” echoing the content of this verse. (Source. Sandi Colburn in Hiolzhausen 1991, p. 22)

Translation commentary on John 15:13

This verse literally begins “greater love than this no one has that…”; and so the construction is similar to the first part of verse 12 and to verse 8. Good News Translation renders this part of the verse The greatest love a person can have for his friends is. The superlative degree of love may be expressed in some languages as a negative with a comparative, for example, “A man cannot love his friends any more than….”

To give his life is more literally “to lay down his soul.” Here the verb “lay down” is used in the sense of “to give up,” while “soul” is used with the meaning of “life” (see 10.11). This verse interprets and makes explicit the implication in verse 12. That is, it explains the way in which Jesus loves his disciples. To give his life for them is to manifest the greatest possible type of love. Therefore in some languages one may translate verse 13 “If a man dies for his friends, that shows that he has the greatest love that anyone could have” or “When a man dies for his friends, that shows that he could not have any greater love” or “… could not possibly love any more.”

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 .