JHN 13:31-35

Love One Another

31When therefore he had gone out, Jesus says: "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

32If God has been glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself, and immediately he will glorify him.

33Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews that 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' to you also I say now.

34A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another; just as I loved you, that you also love one another.

35By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love in one another."

In the world it was spoken into

For first-century listeners, the declaration "Now has been glorified the Son of Man" would evoke the concept of honor and public recognition within a shame-based society. To be 'glorified' meant to have one's true nature and status publicly affirmed, often through significant deeds. The address "Little children" conveyed a tender, familial intimacy, common in a teacher-disciple relationship where the teacher assumed a paternal role. The introduction of a "new commandment" to "love one another" would have been understood against the backdrop of existing Jewish law, which already commanded love for one's neighbor. The 'newness' would not be in the concept of love itself, but in its quality and measure: 'even as I have loved you.' This established a new standard for communal identity, distinguishing this group by their internal relationships rather than external markers like ritual or lineage. Such a distinct communal ethic was not uncommon among philosophical schools or religious sects of the era.

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How other translations render this

JHN 13:31

KJV: Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.
BSB: When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him.
Koinōnos: When therefore he had gone out, Jesus says: "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

JHN 13:32

KJV: If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.
BSB: If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify the Son in Himself—and will glorify Him at once.
Koinōnos: If God has been glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself, and immediately he will glorify him.

JHN 13:33

KJV: Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
BSB: Little children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will look for Me, and as I said to the Jews, so now I say to you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’
Koinōnos: Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews that 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' to you also I say now.

JHN 13:34

KJV: A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
BSB: A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.
Koinōnos: A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another; just as I loved you, that you also love one another.

JHN 13:35

KJV: By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
BSB: By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Koinōnos: By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love in one another.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

JHN 13:31

Now:The word translated 'glorified' here means to honor, magnify, or make prominent, often implying a public display of someone's true nature or worth.

JHN 13:33

Little children,:The term translated 'Little children' is an affectionate diminutive, conveying tenderness and intimacy, often used by a teacher or elder addressing disciples.

JHN 13:34

new:The word translated 'new' here refers to something fresh, unprecedented, or of a different kind, rather than merely recent in time.
you may love:The word translated 'love' in this context refers to a volitional, self-sacrificial love that seeks the well-being of the other, distinct from passionate or familial affection.