FOOTNOTES:

^a The word is a third person command form, which does not exist in English. It would be something like ‘Don’t be worked up, your hearts.” Or “may your hearts not be worked up.”

^b This word is related to the verb for ‘stay’ or ‘remain’ or ‘be present.’ It was used both for temporary lodgings for travelers as well as for more permanent residences.

^c Or ‘household’

^d Or ‘because of’

^e All of the instances of ‘you’ and ‘your’ in this section are plural.

^f Traditionally, ‘in.’ The word en can sometimes be translated as ‘in’ or other times ‘with.’ Usually, when it should be ‘in’ is if it is describing timing or location. The word ‘in’ here would mean Jesus is literally inside the Father. It could be a metaphor for deep connection. Another usage of en is as a preposition of ‘reference,’ meaning there is some way that the concepts are connected but not specifying how, translated literally as something like “I am with reference to the Father,” which doesn’t flow well here but simply means that there is a connection. Whether it is a preposition of ‘reference’ or metaphorically a preposition of location, ‘connected with’ works well.

^g Traditionally, ‘greater.’ Literally, it means ‘bigger.’ It is often used in scripture to mean ‘more impressive’ or ‘more important’ or ‘more significant’ or even ‘more powerful’ or ‘treated as more important,’ which would be translated as ‘more respected’ or something along those lines.

^h Compare to John 5:20

ⁱ Literally, ‘ask for in my name’

^j Literally, ‘ask me for anything in my name’

^k Literally, ‘someone called alongside.’ Often used in a court setting, like a defense attorney, but that is not the only use of the word. It could be any kind of supporter, someone who provides aid, but it is as a partner or person with resources to make a major difference, not like an assistant who is subordinate.

^l Or ‘true Life-Breath’

^m This word is masculine and singular in the Greek, matching the grammatical gender of ‘Advocate’; the grammatical gender of spirit is neuter in Greek. The Grammatical gender of spirit in Hebrew is feminine. Pronouns are surprisingly complex to deal with in translation since gender means different things and is used in different ways in different languages. English does not use a grammatical gender, only a gendering that is supposed to reflect something of the ontological nature of a person or animal of a determined sex. Many other languages have grammatical gender, which confuses the translation process even more. Hebrew, for example, has no concept of ‘it.’ Neuter gender for any noun does not exist. Every object, place, concept, or being is grammatically ‘he’ or ‘she’ regardless of whether it is inherently male or female.

ⁿ Or ‘in’ or ‘within’ or ‘with’

^o Or ‘abandon.’ This word is the same translated as ‘forgive’ or ‘divorce’ or ‘release’ or ‘dismiss’ or ‘let go’ in other places. The basic meaning is to create distance.

^p Literally, ‘bereft’ or ‘orphaned’

^q “See” is in the present tense in both occurrences in this verse. Tenses in Greek are similar but not exactly the same as in English. While it does describing chronology to some extent, it is more about duration and whether something is ongoing or finite, when it has begun or will begin, repeated or continuous, etc. The context shows that it is speaking of something with an eye to the future, but the grammar shows that it has a focus on the continuousness (present tense being a sense of ongoing experience, such as ‘I eat meat’ in English being present tense but is not about the exact moment the speaker says it).

^r Greek, logos. See note in John 1:1

^s This word is related to the verb for ‘stay’ or ‘remain’ or ‘be present.’ It was used both for temporary lodgings for travelers as well as for more permanent residences.

^t Greek, logos (plural). See note in John 1:1

^u Greek, logos. See note in John 1:1

^v Literally, ‘in my name’

^w The Greek eirene, means primarily ‘peace’ in the sense of harmony, a state of friendly relations or freedom from dissention between individuals or within a community. It can also extend to a state of tranquility or freedom from anxiety for an individual, but that that usage is less frequent, and in scripture it would apply if the document is addressed to an individual, but most documents in scripture are addressed to groups, including John, in which Jesus consistently uses a plural version of ‘you,’ giving it the meaning of “y’all.” It carries a sense of peace and well-being. It is also the name of the Greek goddess of peace, the daughter of Zeus.

^x Caesar and the Roman Empire proudly promoted the Pax Romana (Roman Peace), making it one of the primary messages of why the Empire was great. It was enforced unity through law and order. On the surface, that sounds similar to what Jesus is describing, but the manner of accomplishing that lack of conflict was drastically different. Jesus did so by modeling and teaching self-giving love and working for the good of others to the point of being willing to die so that others could live. Caesar and the Empire pursued lack of conflict through violence, utterly dominating any dissenting voices and forcibly extinguishing them until everyone was coerced into getting along within the status quo determined by Caesar and the system set in place by the empire.

^y Traditionally, ‘greater.’ Literally, it means ‘bigger.’ It is often used in scripture to mean ‘more impressive’ or ‘more important’ or ‘more significant’ or even ‘more powerful’ or ‘treated as more important,’ which would be translated as ‘more respected’ or something along those lines.