Core Glossary
08 Core Glossary — Gospel of John
English → Malayalam | Full-Book Term Registry
This glossary consolidates every load-bearing term identified in 07_semantic_analysis.md, organized first by the nine curriculum doctrines, then by terms reused exactly from the Romans baseline package, then by supplementary narrative/proper-noun terms. All Critical- and High-risk entries carry a specific, grounded reason per the pipeline’s risk-tier conventions. Terms already present in the baseline translation_memory.json/bible_term_registry.json are marked [BASELINE REUSE — EXACT] and must never be altered.
1. Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Word (Logos) | λόγος (logos) | വചനം | vachanam | Critical | Establishes Christ’s eternal, personal pre-existence and full deity from the Gospel’s opening verse; must be treated as a proper divine title, not generic “speech.” |
| 2 | the Word became flesh | ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο | മാംസധാരണം | mamsadharanam | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — EXACT] Already anchored in bible_term_registry.json under “incarnation.” NEVER അവതാരം. |
| 3 | ascended / descended | ἀναβαίνω / καταβαίνω | ആരോഹണം ചെയ്തു / ഇറങ്ങിവന്നു | aarohanam cheythu / irangivannu | High | Asserts a real, unique heavenly origin (pre-existence); must not suggest a repeatable avatar-like descent. |
| 4 | has life in himself | ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ | തന്നില്ത്തന്നെ ജീവനുള്ളവന് | thannilthanne jeevanullavan | Critical | Asserts self-existence (aseity), an attribute of God alone; must not be flattened to ordinary vitality. |
| 5 | I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | ഞാനും പിതാവും ഒന്ന് ആകുന്നു | njanum pithavum onnu aakunnu | Critical | Shared with doctrine 9 below (Unity of Father and Son); requires theologian review at every occurrence. |
| 6 | before Abraham was, I am | ἐγώ εἰμι (absolute) | ഞാന് ആകുന്നു | njan aakunnu | Critical | Direct claim to the divine Name (Exodus 3:14 echo); see doctrine 6 below for full treatment. |
| 7 | my Lord and my God (Thomas’s confession) | ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου | എന്റെ കര്ത്താവും എന്റെ ദൈവവും | ente karthavum ente daivavum | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — EXACT for കര്ത്താവ്/ദൈവം] The Gospel’s Christological climax; mandatory theologian review. |
2. Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | born again / born from above | γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν (gennēthē anōthen) | വീണ്ടും ജനിക്കുക (verb); പുതുജനനം (noun) | veendum janikkuka; puthu-jananam | Critical | NEW FORBIDDEN-SUBSTITUTION RULE: NEVER പുനര്ജനനം or പുനര്ജന്മം — both are dangerously close in spelling/sound to the baseline’s forbidden reincarnation term പുനര്ജന്മം. This is a John-specific AI-drift risk not present in the Romans package, requiring an explicit new addition to the AI system prompt’s forbidden-substitution list. |
| 9 | born of water and Spirit | γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος | ജലത്താലും ആത്മാവിനാലും ജനിക്കുക | jalathaalum athmaavinaalum janikkuka | High | Debated interpretive range (baptism vs. cleansing vs. natural birth); translator notes must flag ambiguity without silently resolving it. |
| 10 | flesh (contrastive sense) | σάρξ (sarx) | ജഡം | jadam | Medium | Distinct from the neutral ശരീരം sense (John 1:14); marks unregenerate human nature, incapable of self-produced spiritual birth. |
| 11 | children of God | τέκνα θεοῦ (tekna theou) | ദൈവമക്കള് | daivamakkal | High | Distinct Greek term/nuance from ദത്തുപുത്രത്വം (adoption, Romans 8); John’s “children of God” emphasizes being born of God, complementing but not replacing the baseline’s adoption term. |
| 12 | the Spirit blows/wills where it wishes | πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ | ആത്മാവ് ഇഷ്ടമുള്ളിടത്ത് ചലിക്കുന്നു | athmavu ishtamullidathu chalikkunnu | Medium | Wind/Spirit wordplay unavoidably lost in Malayalam; note must preserve the point (Spirit’s untraceable sovereignty) even though the pun cannot be reproduced. |
3. Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | eternal life | ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) | നിത്യജീവന് | nithyajeevan | High | Established Malayalam Bible term; comparatively low syncretism risk since ജീവന് is not Hindu-liberation-coded (unlike forbidden മോക്ഷം/മുക്തി), but doctrinal precision (relational, Christ-mediated, knowable now per 17:3) must be preserved. |
| 14 | believing in him | πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ | അവനില് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നവന് | avanil vishwasikkunnavan | High | [BASELINE REUSE — വിശ്വാസം/വിശ്വസിക്കുക EXACT] The personal-object “in him” construction (trust-union) must be retained, distinct from mere propositional “believing that.” |
| 15 | this is eternal life, that they know you | ζωὴ αἰώνιος… γινώσκωσιν | നിത്യജീവന്… അറിയുക | nithyajeevan… ariyuka | High | John’s own definition of eternal life (17:3) as relational knowledge of God, not mere unending existence; anchor verse for the whole doctrine. |
| 16 | perish | ἀπόλλυμι (apollymi) | നശിക്കുക | nashikkuka | Medium | Must convey real ruin/destruction, not a soft, recoverable “being lost.” |
4. Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | loved | ἠγάπησεν (ēgapēsen) | സ്നേഹിച്ചു | snehichu | Medium | Must retain deliberate, costly, initiating divine love, not generic sentiment or affection. |
| 18 | world | κόσμος (kosmos) | ലോകം | lokam | Medium | Ranges from the created order (loved by God, positive) to the rebellious world-system (negative, chs. 15, 17); per-occurrence discernment required. |
| 19 | only-begotten / one and only Son | μονογενής (monogenēs) | ഏകജാതന് | ekajathan | Critical | Establishes Christ’s unique, non-transferable Sonship. Near-homophone caution: distinct Sanskrit root from ജാതി (caste, already Critical-flagged in baseline for ജനതകള്); brief clarifying note recommended at first use. |
| 20 | gave (his only Son) | ἔδωκεν (edōken) | നല്കി / കൊടുത്തു | nalki / koduthu | Medium | Sacrificial, costly giving; connects thematically to παραδίδωμι (hand over) in the Passion narrative. |
5. Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | judge / condemn | κρίνω (krinō) | വിധിക്കുക | vidhikkuka | High | John-specific risk beyond the Romans baseline: shares a root with വിധി (fate), already forbidden in the baseline for “election”/“providence.” Judgment is far more prominent in John (chs. 3, 5, 9, 12) than in Romans, so this collision risk is more consequential here; must convey personal divine verdict, not impersonal fate. |
| 22 | judgment | κρίσις (krisis) | ന്യായവിധി | nyayavidhi | High | Same rationale as #21; also carries John’s distinctive “light’s arrival is itself the judging criterion” theology (3:19). |
| 23 | is judged / has been judged already (tense contrast) | κρίνεται / κέκριται | വിധിക്കപ്പെടുന്നില്ല / വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു | vidhikkappedunnilla / vidhikkappettirikkunnu | High | The present/perfect tense contrast (John’s “realized eschatology”) must be preserved in Malayalam verb aspect, not collapsed into a simple future. |
| 24 | wrath of God | ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ | ദൈവത്തിന്റെ കോപം | daivathinte kopam | High | Must remain God’s personal, righteous opposition to sin; guard against drift toward impersonal cosmic-consequence framing (karma-adjacent risk). |
| 25 | light / darkness | φῶς / σκότος | വെളിച്ചം / അന്ധകാരം | velicham / andhakaram | Medium | Established Bible-register terms; consistency across chs. 1, 3, 8, 9, 12 essential to preserve John’s dualism motif. |
| 26 | convict / expose | ἐλέγχω (elenchō) | കുറ്റം ബോധ്യമാക്കുക | kurram bodhyamakkuka | High | Links John 3:20 to the Spirit’s convicting ministry in 16:8; consistency across both passages required. |
| 27 | the Jews | Ἰουδαῖος (Ioudaios) | യെഹൂദന്/യെഹൂദന്മാര് | yehoodan/yehoodanmar | High | Context-sensitive across the whole Gospel (ethnic-national vs. hostile-authority sense); Kerala’s own historic Cochin Jewish community adds a local-sensitivity dimension absent from the Romans package. |
6. Doctrine: The Seven “I Am” Statements
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | I am (formula, predicated and absolute) | ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi) | ഞാന് ആകുന്നു | njan aakunnu | Critical | Echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX; requires a translator note at every occurrence (6:35; 8:12, 24, 28, 58; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 13:19; 14:6; 15:1, 5; 18:5–8) since the Malayalam phrase does not automatically carry the Exodus resonance without commentary. |
| 29 | I am the bread of life | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς | ഞാന് ജീവന്റെ അപ്പം ആകുന്നു | njan jeevante appam aakunnu | High | അപ്പം is also the standard Holy Communion bread term; ch. 6’s “flesh/blood” language (vv. 53–58) carries live ecumenical sensitivity across Malayalam denominational traditions. |
| 30 | I am the light of the world | ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | ഞാന് ലോകത്തിന്റെ വെളിച്ചം ആകുന്നു | njan lokathinte velicham aakunnu | Critical | Exclusivity (“the light,” not “a light”) must be preserved. |
| 31 | I am the door | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα | ഞാന് വാതില് ആകുന്നു | njan vathil aakunnu | Critical | Exclusive means of access to salvation. |
| 32 | I am the good shepherd | ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός | ഞാന് നല്ല ഇടയന് ആകുന്നു | njan nalla idayan aakunnu | Critical | Directly ties to the Substitutionary Death doctrine via voluntary self-sacrifice for the sheep. |
| 33 | I am the resurrection and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή | ഞാന് ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പും ജീവനും ആകുന്നു | njan uyirthezhunnelppum jeevanum aakunnu | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പ് EXACT] NEVER പുനര്ജന്മം. |
| 34 | I am the way, the truth, and the life | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή | ഞാന് വഴിയും സത്യവും ജീവനും ആകുന്നു | njan vazhiyum sathyavum jeevanum aakunnu | Critical | Explicit exclusivity clause (“no one comes to the Father except through me”) must never be softened, especially given Kerala’s religious pluralism; mandatory theologian review. |
| 35 | I am the true vine | ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή | ഞാന് സത്യമുള്ള മുന്തിരിവള്ളി ആകുന്നു | njan sathyamulla muntirivalli aakunnu | Critical | Requires translator note supplying OT vine-Israel background (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80), not otherwise recoverable from the Malayalam text alone. |
7. Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | Counselor / Advocate / Comforter (Paraclete) | παράκλητος (paraklētos) | സഹായകന് | sahayakan | Critical | No single Malayalam word spans the full legal-advocate + comforter + teacher + intercessor range; requires translator notes at every occurrence (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). Rejected: മധ്യസ്ഥന് (would collide with baseline’s മധ്യസ്ഥത/“intercession”); ആശ്വാസകന് alone (too narrow). |
| 37 | Spirit of truth | πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας | സത്യത്തിന്റെ ആത്മാവ് | sathyathinte athmavu | High | [Partial BASELINE REUSE — പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ്] Must remain consistent across chs. 14–16. |
| 38 | the Spirit had not yet been given | Πνεῦμα οὐδέπω ἦν δεδομένον | ആത്മാവിനെ ഇതുവരെ നല്കിയിരുന്നില്ല | athmaavine ithuvare nalkiyirunnilla | High | Establishes the redemptive-historical “not yet” timing tied to Christ’s glorification; essential background for the Paraclete passages and ch. 20:22’s fulfillment. |
| 39 | receive the Holy Spirit | λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον | പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവിനെ സ്വീകരിക്കുവിന് | parishudhathmavine sweekarikkuvin | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ് EXACT] The narrative fulfillment of 7:39’s “not yet given.” |
8. Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Lamb of God | ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ | ദൈവത്തിന്റെ കുഞ്ഞാട് | daivathinte kunjadu | High | OT Passover/Isaiah 53 typology must not be reduced to a generic gentleness-metaphor. |
| 41 | lifted up | ὑψόω (hypsoō) | ഉയര്ത്തുക | uyarthuka | High | Deliberate double sense (crucifixion + exaltation) must be held together, not sequenced. |
| 42 | serpent (bronze serpent typology) | ὄφις (ophis) | സര്പ്പം | sarpam | Medium-High | Malayalam-specific cultural collision: Kerala’s folk-Hindu serpent-worship tradition (നാഗാരാധന, sarpa-kavu shrines) risks the image being heard devotionally rather than as an OT typological reference (Numbers 21); anchoring notes required. |
| 43 | lay down (his) life | τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν | ജീവന് അര്പ്പിക്കുക | jeevan arppikkuka | High | Must preserve voluntary, self-giving character (“of my own accord,” 10:18); Christ is not a passive victim. |
| 44 | glorify / glorified | δοξάζω (doxazō) | മഹത്വപ്പെടുത്തുക | mahatvappeduthuka | High | [Verb form of BASELINE REUSE — മഹത്വം] John’s paradox (glory revealed through suffering, not despite it) must be preserved by context/note. |
| 45 | the hour (theological marker) | ὥρα (hōra) | സമയം / നാഴിക | samayam / nazhika | Medium | Must retain the sense of a divinely fixed appointment, not generic chronological time; consistency across 2:4; 7:30; 12:23; 13:1; 17:1 required. |
| 46 | hand over / betray | παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi) | ഒറ്റിക്കൊടുക്കുക (Judas) / ഏല്പ്പിക്കുക (broader) | ottikkoduka / elpikkuka | Medium | Deliberate wordplay linking Judas’s betrayal to the Father’s redemptive purpose and Christ’s voluntary self-giving; note the irony rather than obscuring it with unrelated words. |
| 47 | cross / crucify | σταυρός / σταυρόω | ക്രൂശ്/ക്രൂശിക്കുക | krൂsh/krൂshikkuka | Critical | Established ecumenical Malayalam term; must convey a real, historical, bodily death. |
| 48 | It is finished | τετέλεσται (tetelestai) | നിവൃത്തിയായി | nivruthiyayi | Critical | Completed, once-for-all accomplishment of redemption — not merely “suffering has ended.” Mandatory theologian review at every citation. |
| 49 | blood and water | αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ | രക്തവും വെള്ളവും | rakthavum vellavum | Medium | Denominational sacramental-reading differences (Catholic/Orthodox vs. Protestant/Evangelical); flag for native-speaker review, do not resolve unilaterally. |
| 50 | resurrection / has risen | ἀνάστασις / ἐγήγερται | ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പ് | uyirthezhunnelppu | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — EXACT] NEVER പുനര്ജന്മം. |
9. Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
| # | English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | I and the Father are one | ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν | ഞാനും പിതാവും ഒന്ന് ആകുന്നു | njanum pithavum onnu aakunnu | Critical | Must convey unity of essence, while preserving the distinction of Persons (guard against modalism). Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence (10:30; 17:11, 21–22). |
| 52 | that they may be one, as we are one | ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν | അവര് ഒന്ന് ആകേണ്ടതിന് | avar onnu aakendathinu | Critical | Extends Trinitarian unity as pattern for believers’ unity; translator note must distinguish this analogical/relational “oneness” from the Father-Son’s ontological/essential “oneness,” using the same Malayalam word ഒന്ന്. |
| 53 | honor the Son as they honor the Father | τιμάω (timaō) | ബഹുമാനിക്കുക/ആദരിക്കുക | bahumanikkuka/aadarikkuka | High | Must preserve full equality of honor between Father and Son, not a derivative/lesser honor for the Son. |
| 54 | Father | πατήρ (patēr) | പിതാവ് | pithavu | Critical | [BASELINE REUSE — EXACT] Extremely prominent throughout John as God’s preferred self-title in relation to the Son; consistent, unqualified rendering essential to this doctrine. |
10. Terms Reused Exactly from the Romans Baseline Translation Memory (Confirmed Cross-References)
The following baseline terms recur in John and must be reused exactly with no deviation:
| English Term | Malayalam (Baseline) | Risk (Baseline) | Key John Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|
| God | ദൈവം | Medium | Throughout |
| Jesus | യേശു | Critical | Throughout |
| Lord | കര്ത്താവ് | Critical | 4:11; 6:68; 9:38; 11:27; 13:6–9; 20:28; 21:7 |
| Son of God | ദൈവപുത്രന് | Critical | 1:34, 49; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31 |
| Holy Spirit | പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ് | Critical | 1:32–33; 3:5–8; 7:39; 14:16–17, 26; 15:26; 16:13; 20:22 |
| Father | പിതാവ് | Critical | Throughout (esp. ch. 5, 10, 14–17) |
| Incarnation (“Word became flesh”) | മാംസധാരണം | Critical | 1:14 |
| Resurrection | ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പ് | Critical | 5:29; 11:24–25; 20:1–29 |
| Messiah/Christ | ക്രിസ്തു | Critical | 1:20, 25, 41; 4:25, 29; 7:26–27, 41–42; 9:22; 10:24; 11:27; 20:31 |
| Grace | കൃപ | High | 1:14, 16–17 |
| Glory | മഹത്വം | Medium | 1:14; 2:11; 11:4, 40; 12:41, 43; 17:5, 22, 24 |
| Sin | പാപം | Medium | 1:29; 8:21, 24, 34, 46; 9:2–3, 34, 41; 15:22–24; 16:8–9; 19:11; 20:23 |
| Law | ന്യായപ്രമാണം | Medium | 1:17, 45; 7:19, 23, 49, 51; 8:5, 17; 19:7 |
| Kingdom of God | ദൈവരാജ്യം | Medium | 3:3, 5; 18:36 |
| Peace | സമാധാനം | Low | 14:27; 16:33; 20:19, 21, 26 |
| Prophet | പ്രവാചകന് | Low | 1:21, 25; 4:19, 44; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17 |
| Israel | യിസ്രായേല് | Low | 1:31, 47, 49; 3:10; 12:13 |
| Faith/believe | വിശ്വാസം / വിശ്വസിക്കുക | Medium | Throughout — John’s single most frequent theological verb |
| Salvation/save | രക്ഷ / രക്ഷിക്കുക | High | 3:17; 4:22, 42; 5:34; 10:9; 12:47 |
| Election (“I chose you”) | ദൈവത്തിന്റെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ് | High | 15:16, 19 |
| Thanksgiving (gave thanks) | കൃതജ്ഞത / കൃതജ്ഞത അറിയിച്ചു | Low | 6:11, 23; 11:41 |
| Adoption (distinct from John’s “children of God” — see glossary §2) | ദത്തുപുത്രത്വം | Medium | Not directly used by John; noted for contrast only |
11. Supplementary Narrative and Proper-Noun Terms (Low Risk)
| English Term | Greek (Translit.) | Malayalam | Transliteration | Risk | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rabbi | Ῥαββί (Rhabbi) | റബ്ബീ | rabbi | Low | Established transliteration. |
| Pharisee | Φαρισαῖος (Pharisaios) | ഫരിസേയന് | phariseyan | Low | Established transliteration; no cultural collision. |
| ruler (of the Jews) | ἄρχων (archōn) | പ്രമാണി | pramani | Low | Standard leadership term. |
| sign | σημεῖον (sēmeion) | അടയാളം | adayalam | Medium | Distinct from അത്ഭുതം (mere wonder); points beyond itself to Christ’s identity. |
| temple | ναός (naos) | ദൈവാലയം | daivalayam | Medium | NEVER അമ്പലം, consistent with the baseline’s “church” rule. |
| testify/testimony | μαρτυρέω/μαρτυρία | സാക്ഷ്യം (പറയുക) | sakshyam (parayuka) | Medium | Structural motif bookending the Gospel (ch. 1 and ch. 21). |
| worship | προσκυνέω (proskyneō) | ആരാധിക്കുക | aradhikkuka | High | Widely shared interfaith term (also used of Hindu temple worship); exclusivity of true worship must be clear from context. |
| living water | ὕδωρ ζῶν | ജീവജലം | jeevajalam | Medium | Consistency required between ch. 4 and ch. 7. |
| freedom / slave | ἐλευθερία / δοῦλος | സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം / അടിമ | swathanthryam / adima | Medium | Spiritual freedom from sin; Kerala’s own caste/social-bondage history gives this a live resonance (cf. baseline’s Christian Identity in Christ doctrine). |
| devil | διάβολος (diabolos) | പിശാച് | pisach | High | John 8:44’s severe language requires theologian review to avoid any anti-Judaism misreading. |
| blind (physical/spiritual) | τυφλός (typhlos) | അന്ധന്/കുരുടന് | andhan/kurudan | Medium | Sustained irony (ch. 9) depends on consistent single-word usage for both senses. |
| blasphemy | βλασφημία (blasphēmia) | ദൈവദൂഷണം | daivadooshanam | Medium | Accusation against Jesus tied directly to his deity-claims. |
| deeply moved / groaned | ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai) | ആത്മാവില് കലങ്ങി | athmavil kalangi | Medium | Affirms genuine humanity of Christ’s emotion (ch. 11). |
| grain of wheat | κόκκος τοῦ σίτου | ഗോതമ്പുമണി | gothambumani | Low | Agricultural death/fruitfulness image. |
| new commandment | ἐντολὴ καινή | പുതിയ കല്പ്പന | puthiya kalpana | Low | |
| dwelling places | μονή (monē) | വാസസ്ഥലങ്ങള് | vasasthalangal | Low | |
| abide/remain | μένω (menō) | വസിക്കുക/നിലനില്ക്കുക | vasikkuka/nilanilkkuka | Medium | Ongoing relational dependence, not mere location. |
| friends | φίλοι (philoi) | സ്നേഹിതര് | snehithar | Low | |
| sorrow/joy | λύπη/χαρά | സങ്കടം/സന്തോഷം | sankadam/santhosham | Low | |
| birth pang (labor-pain metaphor) | ᾨδίν (ōdin) | പ്രസവവേദന | prasavavedana | Low | Distinct image from New Birth vocabulary (γεννάω); do not conflate. |
| sanctify | ἁγιάζω (hagiazō) | വിശുദ്ധീകരിക്കുക | vishudheekarikkuka | Medium | Verb form of baseline noun വിശുദ്ധീകരണം. |
| know (relational) | γινώσκω (ginōskō) | അറിയുക | ariyuka | High | Personal relational knowing, anchors John 17:3’s definition of eternal life. |
| my kingdom is not of this world | ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή | എന്റെ രാജ്യം | ente rajyam | Medium | Must not deny Christ’s real, ultimate sovereignty while clarifying its non-political nature. |
| What is truth? | τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια | സത്യം എന്ത്? | sathyam enthu? | Low | Dramatic irony (Pilate before “the truth” himself). |
| King of the Jews | βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων | യെഹൂദന്മാരുടെ രാജാവ് | yehoodanmarude rajavu | Medium | Unintended proclamation of truth in mockery. |
| agapē/philia love distinction | ἀγαπάω/φιλέω | സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നു (both) | snehikkunnu | Medium | Documented translation-loss point; flag for teaching note, not artificial lexical distinction. |
| shepherd/feed | ποιμαίνω/βόσκω | മേയ്ക്കുക/പോറ്റുക | meykkuka/pottuka | Low | Peter’s commissioning, echoes ch. 10’s Good Shepherd. |
Risk Summary — John-Specific Additions to the Malayalam Risk Profile
| Risk Tier | Count (John-specific new terms, this glossary) | Notable Feature |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | 17 | Includes the entire Seven “I Am” Statements set, the New Birth/regeneration forbidden-substitution rule, the Paraclete term, “It is finished,” and the Father-Son unity statements |
| High | 21 | Includes κρίνω/κρίσις (new fate-homophone risk beyond Romans), worship, wrath of God, Lamb of God, lay-down-life, glorify, and the Jews (Ioudaios) |
| Medium | 25 | Light/darkness, sign, temple, hour, betrayal, blood and water, birth-pang metaphor, and most narrative/relational terms |
| Low | 15 | Proper nouns, established transliterations, and low-ambiguity narrative vocabulary |
Headline finding for Phase 2 routing: John’s single most urgent NEW risk beyond the Romans baseline is the New Birth/regeneration forbidden-substitution rule (πυനര്ജനനം/പുനര്ജന്മം collision) — this must be added to the AI system prompt’s forbidden-substitution list before any Phase 2 translation of John 3 or related passages (e.g. Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:23) begins. The second most consequential finding is the κρίνω/κρίσις-വിധി(fate) homophone risk, elevated in significance here because John’s judgment theology (chs. 3, 5, 9, 12) is far more prominent than in Romans. Both findings should be escalated into the Phase 1 doctrine risk registry and AI translation requirements documents in subsequent steps.
Critical Risk Terms
God
Approved rendering: ദൈവം
Transliteration: daivam
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Rejected alternatives: ഭഗവാന്
Original: θεός
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package (translation and rejected alternative reused exactly). Risk tier recalibrated from Medium (Romans) to Critical for John, because ദൈവം anchors John’s most direct deity-claims about Christ (1:1; 20:28’s ‘my Lord and my God’), where Romans uses the term more generally of the Father alone.
Jesus
Approved rendering: യേശു
Transliteration: yeshu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: Ἰησοῦς
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. ഈശോ remains a legitimate Syriac-liturgical heritage alternative but is not used in this curriculum’s Bible-study register.
Lord
Approved rendering: കര്ത്താവ്
Transliteration: karthavu
Doctrine: Lordship of Christ
Original: κύριος
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at John’s climactic confession 20:28 (‘my Lord and my God’) and throughout narrative address (4:11; 6:68; 9:38; 11:27; 13:6-9; 21:7); must convey the same exclusive Lordship established for Romans 10:9.
Son Of God
Approved rendering: ദൈവപുത്രന്
Transliteration: daivaputhran
Doctrine: Sonship and Deity of Christ
Rejected alternatives: ദേവപുത്രന്
Original: υἱὸς θεοῦ
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. NEVER ദേവപുത്രന്. Central Johannine title (1:34, 49; 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31); must not be collapsed with John’s distinct ‘children of God’ (ദൈവമക്കള്) vocabulary.
Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ്
Transliteration: parishudhathmavu
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: ബ്രഹ്മം, പരമാത്മാവ്
Original: πνεῦμα ἅγιον
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 1:32-33; 3:5-8; 7:39; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:13; and the enactment at 20:22. NEVER ബ്രഹ്മം or പരമാത്മാവ്.
Incarnation
Approved rendering: മാംസധാരണം
Transliteration: mamsadharanam
Doctrine: Incarnation (the Word Became Flesh)
Rejected alternatives: അവതാരം
Original: ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. This exact Greek phrase (ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο) is John’s own anchor text for the baseline’s incarnation entry (John 1:14). NEVER അവതാരം; treat AI drift toward it as a hallucination-style failure, not a stylistic choice.
Resurrection
Approved rendering: ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പ്
Transliteration: uyirthezhunnelppu
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ
Rejected alternatives: പുനര്ജന്മം
Original: ἀνάστασις
Category: Eschatology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 5:29; 11:24-25 (‘I am the resurrection and the life’); and throughout ch. 20. NEVER പുനര്ജന്മം (reincarnation).
Messiah
Approved rendering: ക്രിസ്തു
Transliteration: kristu
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: Χριστός / Μεσσίας
Category: Christology
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 1:41 explicitly glosses Μεσσίας with Χριστός; use ക്രിസ്തു for doctrinal register (1:20, 25, 41; 4:25, 29; 7:26-27, 41-42; 9:22; 10:24; 11:27; 20:31); മശിഹാ remains a legitimate Saint Thomas liturgical alternative but is not used here.
Salvation
Approved rendering: രക്ഷ / രക്ഷിക്കുക
Transliteration: raksha / rakshikkuka
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: മോക്ഷം, മുക്തി
Original: σωτηρία / σῴζω
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package; risk tier raised from High to Critical for John, since salvation is the explicit stated purpose of the Son’s mission (3:17) set directly against the alternative of judgment. Occurs at 3:17; 4:22, 42; 5:34; 10:9; 12:47. NEVER മോക്ഷം or മുക്തി.
Word Logos
Approved rendering: വചനം
Transliteration: vachanam
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: λόγος
Category: Christology
New term for the John curriculum, absent from the Romans package. വചനം is the settled ecumenical Malayalam rendering for John 1:1 across all denominational traditions; must be treated as a proper divine title, never generic ‘speech/word.’ Establishes Christ’s eternal, personal pre-existence and full deity from the Gospel’s opening verse.
Life In Himself
Approved rendering: തന്നില്ത്തന്നെ ജീവനുള്ളവന്
Transliteration: thannilthanne jeevanullavan
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: ζωὴν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῷ
Category: Christology
John 5:26. No single Malayalam noun exists for aseity (self-existence); this periphrasis must convey self-existent, uncaused divine life, an attribute of God alone, not merely ‘has vitality’ or ordinary human aliveness.
Father Son Unity
Approved rendering: ഞാനും പിതാവും ഒന്ന് ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njanum pithavum onnu aakunnu
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν
Category: Christology
John 10:30 (echoed 17:11, 21-22). Must convey unity of divine essence, not mere agreement of will, while the construction (‘I AND the Father’) keeps the distinction of Persons visible to guard against a modalist reading. Mandatory theologian review at every occurrence.
I Am Absolute
Approved rendering: ഞാന് ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι
Category: Christology
Occurs at 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5-8. Echoes Exodus 3:14 LXX. A bare Malayalam ‘ഞാന് ആകുന്നു’ does not automatically carry this resonance; requires a translator note at every occurrence. Most theologically loaded at 8:58 (‘before Abraham was, I am’) — never soften to a merely temporal priority claim.
Thomas Confession
Approved rendering: എന്റെ കര്ത്താവും എന്റെ ദൈവവും
Transliteration: ente karthavum ente daivavum
Doctrine: The Resurrection of Christ
Original: ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου
Category: Christology
John 20:28. Reuses കര്ത്താവ് and ദൈവം exactly from baseline; both possessive pronouns and titles must be rendered with full force, addressed directly and personally to Jesus, with no hedging. Arguably the single highest-stakes verse in the whole Gospel for the Deity of Christ; mandatory theologian review.
Born Again
Approved rendering: വീണ്ടും ജനിക്കുക / പുതുജനനം
Transliteration: veendum janikkuka / puthu-jananam
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Rejected alternatives: പുനര്ജനനം, പുനര്ജന്മം
Original: γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν
Category: New Birth
NEW FORBIDDEN-SUBSTITUTION RULE FOR THIS CURRICULUM: NEVER പുനര്ജനനം or പുനര്ജന്മം — both are dangerously close in spelling and pronunciation to the baseline’s already-forbidden reincarnation term പുനര്ജന്മം, a collision risk not present in the Romans package. Use the പുതു- (‘new’) root, not the പുനര്- (‘re-/again’) root. This is the John curriculum’s single most urgent new AI-drift risk, situated inside the core passage John 3:1-21.
Only Begotten
Approved rendering: ഏകജാതന്
Transliteration: ekajathan
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: μονογενής
Category: Christology
John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18. Establishes Christ’s unique, non-transferable divine Sonship. ഏകജാതന് derives from Sanskrit ‘jāta’ (born), a different root from ജാതി (‘caste/kind’), already flagged Critical in the Romans baseline for the unrelated ജനതകള്/ജാതികള് collision. Because the two are near-homophones to an untrained ear, a brief clarifying note is required at first use, even though the etymological roots are genuinely distinct.
I Am Light Of World
Approved rendering: ഞാന് ലോകത്തിന്റെ വെളിച്ചം ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan lokathinte velicham aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου
Category: Christology
John 8:12. Christ claims to be the singular source of moral/spiritual illumination for all humanity. Exclusivity (‘the light,’ not ‘a light’) must be preserved without qualification.
I Am Door
Approved rendering: ഞാന് വാതില് ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan vathil aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα
Category: Christology
John 10:7, 9. Christ alone is the legitimate means of access to salvation and the fold of God’s people; exclusivity must be preserved.
I Am Good Shepherd
Approved rendering: ഞാന് നല്ല ഇടയന് ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan nalla idayan aakunnu
Doctrine: The Good Shepherd’s Substitutionary Love
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός
Category: Christology
John 10:11, 14. Directly ties to the Substitutionary Death doctrine via voluntary self-sacrifice for the sheep.
I Am Resurrection And Life
Approved rendering: ഞാന് ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പും ജീവനും ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan uyirthezhunnelppum jeevanum aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Rejected alternatives: പുനര്ജന്മം
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
John 11:25. Reuses ഉയിര്ത്തെഴുന്നേല്പ്പ് exactly from baseline. NEVER പുനര്ജന്മം. Christ presently possesses and grants resurrection-life to the one who believes.
I Am Way Truth Life
Approved rendering: ഞാന് വഴിയും സത്യവും ജീവനും ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan vazhiyum sathyavum jeevanum aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή
Category: Christology
John 14:6. The most explicitly exclusivist ‘I Am’ statement (‘no one comes to the Father except through me’) must never be softened into ‘a way among ways’ — a live pastoral sensitivity given Kerala’s religious pluralism. Flag for mandatory theologian review at every occurrence.
I Am True Vine
Approved rendering: ഞാന് സത്യമുള്ള മുന്തിരിവള്ളി ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan sathyamulla muntirivalli aakunnu
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή
Category: Christology
John 15:1, 5. Requires a translator note supplying the Old Testament vine-Israel background (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80), not otherwise recoverable from the Malayalam text alone.
Paraclete Counselor
Approved rendering: സഹായകന്
Transliteration: sahayakan
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Rejected alternatives: മധ്യസ്ഥന്, ആശ്വാസകന്
Original: ὁ παράκλητος
Category: God
No single Malayalam word captures the full legal-advocate + comforter + teacher + intercessor semantic range of παράκλητος; translator notes are required at every occurrence (14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). Rejected: മധ്യസ്ഥന് (would collide with the baseline’s established മധ്യസ്ഥത/‘intercession’); ആശ്വാസകന് alone (too narrow, losing the legal-advocate and teaching dimensions).
Receive Holy Spirit
Approved rendering: പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവിനെ സ്വീകരിക്കുവിന്
Transliteration: parishudhathmavine sweekarikkuvin
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: λάβετε Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον
Category: God
John 20:22. Reuses പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ് exactly from baseline; the narrative enactment, at last, of the Spirit’s post-glorification giving anticipated at 7:39.
Cross Crucify
Approved rendering: ക്രൂശ് / ക്രൂശിക്കുക
Transliteration: krൂsh / krൂshikkuka
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: σταυρός / σταυρόω
Category: Salvation
Established ecumenical Malayalam Bible term across all denominational traditions (John 19). Must convey a real, historical, bodily death, not a symbolic or docetic reading.
It Is Finished
Approved rendering: നിവൃത്തിയായി
Transliteration: nivruthiyayi
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: τετέλεσται
Category: Salvation
John 19:30. Must convey completed, once-for-all accomplishment of redemption, not merely ‘the suffering has ended.’ The single most theologically loaded moment of the Substitutionary Death doctrine; mandatory theologian review at every citation.
Believers Unity
Approved rendering: അവര് ഒന്ന് ആകേണ്ടതിന്
Transliteration: avar onnu aakendathinu
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν
Category: Christology
John 17:11, 21-22. Extends the Unity of Father and Son doctrine outward to believers’ unity, using the same Malayalam word ഒന്ന് as father_son_unity above. Requires a translator note distinguishing believers’ analogical/relational ‘oneness’ from the Father-Son’s ontological/essential ‘oneness.’ Mandatory theologian review.
High Risk Terms
Father
Approved rendering: പിതാവ്
Transliteration: pithavu
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: πατήρ
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John’s single most frequent divine title (esp. chs. 5, 10, 14-17); must remain a personal, relational term throughout, never an impersonal creator-principle.
Grace
Approved rendering: കൃപ
Transliteration: krupa
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Rejected alternatives: പുണ്യം
Original: χάρις
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at John 1:14, 16-17 (‘grace upon grace’); the same bhakti-devotional-favor collision documented in the Romans baseline applies equally here — grace must remain Christ’s superabundant gift, not cumulative devotion.
Glory
Approved rendering: മഹത്വം
Transliteration: mahatvam
Doctrine: Glorification through Suffering (the Cross as Glory)
Original: δόξα
Category: God
Inherited from Romans package; risk tier raised from Medium to High for John, since John develops a sign-to-glory and cross-as-glory motif (1:14; 2:11; 11:4, 40; 12:41, 43; 17:5, 22, 24) absent from Romans’ usage. Consistency across all occurrences is essential.
Sin
Approved rendering: പാപം
Transliteration: papam
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: ἁμαρτία
Category: Sin
Inherited from Romans package; risk tier raised from Medium to High for John, given its role in the Spirit’s convicting ministry (16:8-9) and the disability/sin controversy of ch. 9. Occurs at 1:29; 8:21, 24, 34, 46; 9:2-3, 34, 41; 15:22-24; 16:8-9; 19:11; 20:23. Distinguish from impersonal karma or ritual impurity.
Law
Approved rendering: ന്യായപ്രമാണം
Transliteration: nyayapramanam
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Rejected alternatives: ധര്മ്മം
Original: νόμος
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package; risk tier raised from Medium to High for John given its frequent use in religious-authority controversy narratives (1:17, 45; 7:19, 23, 49, 51; 8:5, 17; 19:7). NEVER ധര്മ്മം.
Faith
Approved rendering: വിശ്വാസം / വിശ്വസിക്കുക
Transliteration: vishwasam / vishwasikkuka
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: ഭക്തി
Original: πίστις / πιστεύω
Category: Faith
Inherited from Romans package; risk tier raised from Medium to High for John, reflecting its status as John’s single most frequent theological verb. Distinguish belief IN Christ (trust-union, e.g. 3:16, 18, 36) from mere assent THAT a proposition about him is true; never rendered with ഭക്തി.
Election
Approved rendering: ദൈവത്തിന്റെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പ്
Transliteration: daivathinte thiranjeduppu
Doctrine: Effectual Calling
Rejected alternatives: വിധി, തലയെഴുത്ത്
Original: ἐκλογή / ἐκλέγομαι
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. ‘I chose you’ (15:16, 19); never വിധി (fate) or തലയെഴുത്ത്.
Sanctification
Approved rendering: വിശുദ്ധീകരണം / വിശുദ്ധീകരിക്കുക
Transliteration: vishudheekaranam / vishudheekarikkuka
Doctrine: Sanctification and Holiness
Original: ἁγιασμός / ἁγιάζω
Category: Sanctification
Noun inherited from Romans package exactly; verb form ἁγιάζω is new to John (17:17, 19). Risk raised from Medium (Romans) to High for John since this term anchors Christ’s High Priestly Prayer request that believers be set apart ‘in the truth’ — a request with direct implications for the Unity of Father and Son doctrine’s outward extension to believers.
Seed Of David
Approved rendering: ദാവീദിന്റെ വംശത്തില്
Transliteration: daveedinte vamshathil
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John’s usage is minor but real (7:42, disputants correctly cite the Davidic/Bethlehem prophecy); included for full-book completeness and consistency with the baseline’s Davidic Covenant doctrine.
Ascend Descend
Approved rendering: ആരോഹണം ചെയ്യുക / ഇറങ്ങിവരുക
Transliteration: aarohanam cheyyuka / irangivaruka
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: ἀναβαίνω / καταβαίνω
Category: Christology
John 3:13. Must unambiguously assert a real, unique heavenly point of origin for Christ (pre-existence), not a repeatable avatar-like descent; guard against any phrasing suggestive of a temporary divine manifestation.
Born Of Water And Spirit
Approved rendering: ജലത്താലും ആത്മാവിനാലും ജനിക്കുക
Transliteration: jalathaalum athmaavinaalum janikkuka
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: γεννηθῇ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
Category: New Birth
John 3:5. The interpretive range (physical birth, John’s baptism, Christian baptism, or a hendiadys for Spirit-given cleansing) is genuinely debated; the Malayalam rendering must not silently commit to one reading (e.g. inserting an unwarranted baptismal gloss).
Children Of God Term
Approved rendering: ദൈവമക്കള്
Transliteration: daivamakkal
Doctrine: Children of God by New Birth
Original: τέκνα θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
John 1:12-13. Distinct Greek term/emphasis from υἱοθεσία (‘adoption,’ Romans 8, ദത്തുപുത്രത്വം); John’s ‘children of God’ emphasizes being born of God, complementing but not replacing the baseline’s legal-adoption term. Must remain lexically distinct from ദത്തുപുത്രത്വം in all curriculum materials.
Eternal Life Term
Approved rendering: നിത്യജീവന്
Transliteration: nithyajeevan
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Rejected alternatives: മോക്ഷം, മുക്തി, നിര്വാണം
Original: ζωὴ αἰώνιος
Category: Salvation
Established Malayalam Bible term; comparatively low syncretism risk since ജീവന് is not Hindu-liberation-coded (unlike the forbidden മോക്ഷം/മുക്തി/നിര്വാണം). The operative risk is doctrinal: must be understood as relational, Christ-mediated life knowable now (per 17:3), not an abstract state of endless existence achieved through effort or merit.
Believe In Him
Approved rendering: അവനില് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നവന്
Transliteration: avanil vishwasikkunnavan
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: πιστεύων ἐν αὐτῷ
Category: Faith
John 3:15-18, 36. The ‘in him’ personal-object construction must be retained, since John systematically distinguishes trust-union (believing IN Christ) from mere intellectual assent (believing THAT a proposition about him is true).
Know Relationally
Approved rendering: അറിയുക
Transliteration: ariyuka
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: γινώσκω
Category: Salvation
John 17:3 defines eternal life itself as ‘that they know you’; must convey personal relational knowing, not intellectual/informational knowledge alone. Consistency with the 3:15 eternal-life treatment is essential, as together they form the Gospel’s two defining eternal-life statements.
Judge Condemn
Approved rendering: വിധിക്കുക
Transliteration: vidhikkuka
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: κρίνω
Category: Judgment
JOHN-SPECIFIC RISK BEYOND THE ROMANS PACKAGE: shares its root with വിധി (‘fate’), already forbidden in the Romans baseline for ‘election’/‘providence.’ Because John foregrounds judgment far more prominently than Romans (chs. 3, 5, 9, 12), translators must ensure വിധിക്കുക is heard as God’s righteous, personal verdict, never impersonal fate-determination.
Judgment Krisis
Approved rendering: ന്യായവിധി
Transliteration: nyayavidhi
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: κρίσις
Category: Judgment
John 3:19. Same collision risk with വിധി (fate) as judge_condemn above; also carries John’s distinctive theology that the light’s mere arrival is itself the judging criterion — must not be flattened to a generic future ‘judgment day’ concept only.
Judged Already
Approved rendering: വിധിക്കപ്പെടുന്നില്ല / വിധിക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു
Transliteration: vidhikkappedunnilla / vidhikkappettirikkunnu
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Original: κρίνεται / κέκριται
Category: Judgment
John 3:18. Exemplifies John’s ‘realized eschatology’: judgment is, in some sense, already a present reality for the unbeliever. The present/perfect tense contrast must be preserved in Malayalam verb aspect; collapsing both into a simple future loses this doctrinally significant nuance.
Wrath Of God
Approved rendering: ദൈവത്തിന്റെ കോപം
Transliteration: daivathinte kopam
Doctrine: Wrath and Judgment of God
Original: ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Judgment
John 3:36. Must preserve God’s personal righteous opposition to sin; guard against drift toward an impersonal cause-and-effect ‘consequence’ framing that would functionally resemble karma — a risk analogous to, but distinct from, the baseline’s വിധി (fate) warning.
Convict Expose
Approved rendering: കുറ്റം ബോധ്യമാക്കുക
Transliteration: kurram bodhyamakkuka
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: ἐλέγχω
Category: God
Used of the light’s exposing work (3:20) and the Spirit’s convicting ministry (16:8); consistency between these two occurrences is essential, since this is a deliberate structural echo linking the light/darkness theme of ch. 3 to the Counselor doctrine of chs. 14-16.
The Jews
Approved rendering: യെഹൂദന് / യെഹൂദന്മാര്
Transliteration: yehoodan / yehoodanmar
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Original: Ἰουδαῖος
Category: Church
Ranges across John from the ethnic/religious nation generally to the specific Jerusalem religious authorities hostile to Jesus. Kerala’s own small, ancient Cochin Jewish community gives this term a live local-sensitivity dimension not present in the Romans package; each occurrence requires discernment of which sense is active.
I Am Bread Of Life
Approved rendering: ഞാന് ജീവന്റെ അപ്പം ആകുന്നു
Transliteration: njan jeevante appam aakunnu
Doctrine: Bread of Life and Eucharistic Sensitivity
Original: ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς
Category: Christology
John 6:35. അപ്പം (bread) is also the standard Malayalam term for Holy Communion bread across all denominations; ch. 6’s ‘eat my flesh, drink my blood’ language (vv. 53-58) carries live ecumenical sensitivity (Catholic/Orthodox real-presence readings vs. Protestant/Evangelical memorial readings) — flag for native-speaker/theologian review rather than resolving unilaterally.
Spirit Of Truth
Approved rendering: സത്യത്തിന്റെ ആത്മാവ്
Transliteration: sathyathinte athmavu
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας
Category: God
A title for the Holy Spirit emphasizing his role in leading believers into and testifying to truth (14:17; 15:26; 16:13); must remain consistent across chs. 14-16 and reuse പരിശുദ്ധാത്മാവ്’s established equivalent for ‘Spirit.‘
Spirit Not Yet Given
Approved rendering: ആത്മാവിനെ ഇതുവരെ നല്കിയിരുന്നില്ല
Transliteration: athmaavine ithuvare nalkiyirunnilla
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: Πνεῦμα οὐδέπω ἦν δεδομένον
Category: God
John 7:39. Establishes the redemptive-historical timing central to the Holy Spirit as Counselor doctrine: the Spirit’s full New Covenant ministry awaits Christ’s glorification. The ‘not yet’ timing must be clearly preserved; essential background for the Paraclete passages and its fulfillment at 20:22.
Lamb Of God
Approved rendering: ദൈവത്തിന്റെ കുഞ്ഞാട്
Transliteration: daivathinte kunjadu
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Salvation
John 1:29, 36. Sacrificial imagery drawing on the Passover lamb and Isaiah 53’s suffering servant; the OT typology must not be lost, reducing the title to a generic gentleness-metaphor.
Lifted Up
Approved rendering: ഉയര്ത്തുക
Transliteration: uyarthuka
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: ὑψόω
Category: Salvation
John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32. Deliberate double sense (physical elevation/crucifixion AND exaltation/glorification) must be held together, not sequenced; Malayalam ഉയര്ത്തുക helpfully carries both senses, but a translator note should make explicit that both are intended simultaneously.
Bronze Serpent
Approved rendering: സര്പ്പം
Transliteration: sarpam
Doctrine: Bronze Serpent Typology
Original: ὄφις
Category: Salvation
John 3:14. Malayalam-specific cultural collision: Kerala has an active folk-Hindu serpent-worship tradition (നാഗാരാധന, sarpa-kavu household shrines). A bare reference to സര്പ്പം without explanatory framing risks resonating with devotional serpent-symbolism rather than the Mosaic wilderness narrative (Numbers 21:4-9). Mandatory anchoring translator note required at every occurrence.
Lay Down Life
Approved rendering: ജീവന് അര്പ്പിക്കുക
Transliteration: jeevan arppikkuka
Doctrine: The Good Shepherd’s Substitutionary Love
Original: τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν
Category: Salvation
John 10:11-18. Must preserve the voluntary, self-giving character (‘of my own accord,’ 10:18) essential to the Substitutionary Death doctrine; must not be rendered so as to suggest Christ was a passive victim.
Glorify Verb
Approved rendering: മഹത്വപ്പെടുത്തുക
Transliteration: mahatvappeduthuka
Doctrine: Glorification through Suffering (the Cross as Glory)
Original: δοξάζω
Category: God
Verb form of the baseline noun മഹത്വം, applied paradoxically to the cross itself (12:23, 27-28; 17:1, 5). John’s central paradox — glory revealed through suffering, not despite it — must be preserved by context and translator note.
Honor Son As Father
Approved rendering: ബഹുമാനിക്കുക / ആദരിക്കുക
Transliteration: bahumanikkuka / aadarikkuka
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: τιμάω
Category: Christology
John 5:23: ‘that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father.’ Must preserve the equality of honor between Father and Son; softening to a derivative, lesser honor for the Son would undercut the verse’s explicit Trinitarian claim.
Worship
Approved rendering: ആരാധിക്കുക
Transliteration: aradhikkuka
Doctrine: Worship in Spirit and Truth
Original: προσκυνέω
Category: Church
John 4:19-24; 9:38. Widely shared interfaith Malayalam term also used of Hindu temple worship; translators must ensure the exclusivity of true worship due to the one true God is clear from context, and that ‘in spirit and truth’ is understood as inward, Spirit-enabled worship, not a mere ritual-location distinction.
Devil
Approved rendering: പിശാച്
Transliteration: pisach
Doctrine: The Devil and the Roots of Unbelief
Original: διάβολος
Category: Sin
John 8:44 identifies the spiritual ‘father’ of those who reject Jesus. This passage has a documented history of misuse to justify anti-Jewish sentiment; translator notes must make clear the statement addresses a specific unbelieving audience’s actions, not an ethnic verdict, especially given Kerala’s own small historic Jewish community. Flag for mandatory theologian review.
Flesh And Blood Eucharistic
Approved rendering: ജഡവും രക്തവും
Transliteration: jadavum rakthavum
Doctrine: Bread of Life and Eucharistic Sensitivity
Original: σάρξ καὶ αἷμα
Category: Salvation
John 6:53-60. The startling, concrete ‘eat my flesh, drink my blood’ language provoking the ‘hard saying’ reaction; points forward to the Lord’s Supper without literal cannibalism. Do not soften the concreteness (e.g., to a vaguer ‘my life/my sacrifice’), since the narrative’s own point is that this saying was difficult (6:60, 66).
Medium Risk Terms
Kingdom Of God
Approved rendering: ദൈവരാജ്യം
Transliteration: daivarajyam
Doctrine: Kingdom of God: Entry Contingent on New Birth
Original: βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ
Category: Kingdom
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 3:3, 5 (entry contingent on new birth) and 18:36 (‘my kingdom is not of this world’); not a territorial or political kingdom.
Israel
Approved rendering: യിസ്രായേല്
Transliteration: yisrayel
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Original: Ἰσραήλ
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 1:31, 47, 49; 3:10 (‘the teacher of Israel’); 12:13.
Holy
Approved rendering: പരിശുദ്ധ
Transliteration: parishudha
Doctrine: Sanctification and Holiness
Rejected alternatives: ശുദ്ധം
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. John 17:11’s address ‘Holy Father’ (πάτερ ἅγιε) is the Gospel’s primary occurrence; must retain the set-apart, morally pure sense established in the baseline, not a merely ritual-cleanliness sense.
Flesh Contrastive
Approved rendering: ജഡം
Transliteration: jadam
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: σάρξ
Category: New Birth
John 3:6. Distinct from the neutral ശരീരം sense (John 1:14); marks unregenerate human nature, incapable of self-produced spiritual birth. Never interchange with ശരീരം.
Flesh Neutral
Approved rendering: ശരീരം
Transliteration: shareeram
Doctrine: Humanity of Christ
John 1:14’s neutral physical-body sense of σάρξ (‘the Word became flesh’), affirming Christ’s full, genuine humanity. Must be kept distinct from the morally contrastive ജഡം used at John 3:6, to avoid collapsing two different Greek senses into one Malayalam word.
Spirit Sovereignty Wind
Approved rendering: ആത്മാവ് ഇഷ്ടമുള്ളിടത്ത് ചലിക്കുന്നു
Transliteration: athmavu ishtamullidathu chalikkunnu
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: πνεῦμα ὅπου θέλει πνεῖ
Category: God
John 3:8. The Greek wordplay linking πνεῦμα (wind/Spirit) and πνέω (to blow) is not reproducible in Malayalam (two distinct words, കാറ്റ്/ആത്മാവ്, are required); a translator note must preserve the point — the Spirit’s untraceable sovereignty — even though the pun itself is unavoidably lost.
Perish
Approved rendering: നശിക്കുക
Transliteration: nashikkuka
Doctrine: Judgment and Belief/Unbelief
Rejected alternatives: വഴിതെറ്റുക
Original: ἀπόλλυμι
Category: Judgment
John 3:16. Conveys genuine destruction/ruin under judgment; avoid softer alternatives (e.g. ‘lose one’s way’) that would understate the finality of the judgment in view.
God Loved
Approved rendering: സ്നേഹിച്ചു
Transliteration: snehichu
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: ἠγάπησεν
Category: God
John 3:16. Must retain deliberate, costly, initiating divine love (giving the Son), not generic affection or sentiment; grounds the whole Gospel’s soteriology in God’s initiating love prior to human merit.
World Kosmos
Approved rendering: ലോകം
Transliteration: lokam
Doctrine: God’s Love for the World
Original: κόσμος
Category: Salvation
A single Malayalam word covers both of John’s opposite senses (created humanity broadly, loved by God, positive at 3:16 vs. the world-system in hostile rebellion, negative at 15:18-19; 17:14); translator notes must track which sense is active per occurrence.
Light Term
Approved rendering: വെളിച്ചം
Transliteration: velicham
Doctrine: Light and Darkness Dualism
Rejected alternatives: പ്രകാശം
Original: φῶς
Category: Judgment
Established Johannine symbol for divine truth, revelation, and moral purity (1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9; 12:35, 46). Consistency across all occurrences is essential; avoid alternating with പ്രകാശം for stylistic variety.
Darkness Term
Approved rendering: അന്ധകാരം
Transliteration: andhakaram
Doctrine: Light and Darkness Dualism
Rejected alternatives: ഇരുട്ട്
Original: σκότος
Category: Judgment
Established Bible-register term for sin, unbelief, and rebellion against revealed truth (1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35, 46); colloquial ഇരുട്ട് is less formal. Consistency across the Gospel is essential to preserve the light/darkness dualism.
The Hour
Approved rendering: സമയം / നാഴിക
Transliteration: samayam / nazhika
Doctrine: Glorification through Suffering (the Cross as Glory)
Original: ὥρα
Category: Christology
A Johannine theological marker for the divinely-appointed moment of Christ’s death-glorification (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). Must retain the definite, appointed-in-advance sense across all occurrences; a generic, unmarked ‘time’ risks losing this thread.
Hand Over Betray
Approved rendering: ഒറ്റിക്കൊടുക്കുക / ഏല്പ്പിക്കുക
Transliteration: ottikkoduka / elpikkuka
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: παραδίδωμι
Category: Salvation
Use ഒറ്റിക്കൊടുക്കുക specifically for Judas’s betrayal (13:2, 21) and ഏല്പ്പിക്കുക for the broader theological sense (the Father’s giving, Christ’s own voluntary self-giving, 19:30). A translator note should flag this deliberate Greek wordplay across chs. 13, 18-19 so the theological irony is not lost.
Blood And Water
Approved rendering: രക്തവും വെള്ളവും
Transliteration: rakthavum vellavum
Doctrine: Christ’s Substitutionary Death
Original: αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ
Category: Salvation
John 19:34. Confirms the genuine, physical reality of Christ’s death. Denominational traditions differ in emphasis (Catholic/Orthodox sacramental readings vs. Protestant/Evangelical eyewitness readings); flag for native-speaker review rather than resolving unilaterally.
Truth Aletheia
Approved rendering: സത്യം
Transliteration: sathyam
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
Original: ἀλήθεια
Category: Christology
Paired with χάρις in John 1:14 and developed throughout, climaxing in 14:6’s ‘I am… the truth’ and Pilate’s ironic ‘What is truth?’ (18:38). Consistency of rendering across all these passages is essential to the Gospel’s argument.
Sign Semeion
Approved rendering: അടയാളം
Transliteration: adayalam
Doctrine: Sign Theology (Signs Pointing to Christ’s Identity and Glory)
Rejected alternatives: അത്ഭുതം
Original: σημεῖον
Category: Church
Acts pointing beyond themselves to Jesus’s identity, structuring John’s ‘Book of Signs’ (chs. 2-12). Must be kept distinct from അത്ഭുതം (mere wonder/miracle), which would flatten John’s sign-as-pointer theology into simple wonder-working.
Temple Naos
Approved rendering: ദൈവാലയം
Transliteration: daivalayam
Doctrine: Sign Theology (Signs Pointing to Christ’s Identity and Glory)
Rejected alternatives: അമ്പലം
Original: ναός
Category: Church
The Jerusalem sanctuary (2:19-21), later applied metaphorically by Jesus to his own body. NEVER അമ്പലം (Hindu temple), consistent with the baseline’s established rule for ‘church’; the metaphorical body-application should be flagged with an explanatory note.
Testify Witness
Approved rendering: സാക്ഷ്യം (പറയുക)
Transliteration: sakshyam (parayuka)
Doctrine: Testimony and Witness
Original: μαρτυρέω / μαρτυρία
Category: Church
Forensic bearing of witness to what one has personally seen or known, used of John the Baptist, Jesus, the Father, the Spirit, and the disciples. A structural motif bookending the Gospel (ch. 1 and 21); consistency across the whole book (esp. chs. 1, 5, 8, 15) is essential.
Living Water
Approved rendering: ജീവജലം
Transliteration: jeevajalam
Doctrine: Eternal Life through Faith in Christ
Original: ὕδωρ ζῶν / ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος
Category: Salvation
John 4:10-14; 7:38-39 (‘rivers of living water’). Established descriptive compound; consistency between the ch. 4 and ch. 7 occurrences is important, since ch. 7 explicitly identifies this image as a prophecy of the Holy Spirit.
Freedom Slave
Approved rendering: സ്വാതന്ത്ര്യം / അടിമ
Transliteration: swathanthryam / adima
Doctrine: Freedom from Sin
Original: ἐλευθερία / δοῦλος
Category: Salvation
John 8:31-36. Spiritual freedom from sin’s bondage, granted by the Son, contrasted with mere inherited ethnic/social privilege. Kerala’s own caste-linked social-bondage history gives this language a live secondary resonance; keep the primary sense decisively spiritual.
Blind
Approved rendering: അന്ധന് / കുരുടന്
Transliteration: andhan / kurudan
Doctrine: Light and Darkness Dualism
Original: τυφλός
Category: Judgment
Both literal physical blindness and, throughout John 9, a sustained metaphor for spiritual blindness among the sighted Pharisees. Both senses must be tracked using the same Malayalam word for the chapter’s central irony to function.
Blasphemy
Approved rendering: ദൈവദൂഷണം
Transliteration: daivadooshanam
Doctrine: Unity of the Father and the Son
Original: βλασφημία
Category: Christology
The charge brought against Jesus for his ‘I and the Father are one’ claim (10:33); notable that his hearers correctly understood the statement as a full deity claim, which is precisely why they leveled this charge.
Abide Remain
Approved rendering: വസിക്കുക / നിലനില്ക്കുക
Transliteration: vasikkuka / nilanilkkuka
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Friendship with Christ
Original: μένω
Category: Church
The controlling verb of the vine discourse (ch. 15); must convey ongoing relational dependence, not a passive, merely spatial ‘staying put.’ Consistency across all ~10 occurrences in ch. 15 is important for the discourse’s rhetorical force.
Bridegroom
Approved rendering: മണവാളന്
Transliteration: manavalan
Doctrine: The New Birth and Regeneration by the Spirit
Original: νυμφίος
Category: Christology
John 3:29. John the Baptist’s application of Messianic bridegroom imagery to Jesus; standard Malayalam wedding-imagery term, but the covenantal/Messianic Old Testament background must not be lost to a purely literal wedding reading.
Kingdom Not Of World
Approved rendering: എന്റെ രാജ്യം
Transliteration: ente rajyam
Doctrine: Kingdom of God: Entry Contingent on New Birth
Original: ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμή
Category: Kingdom
John 18:36. Jesus’s own description of his kingdom’s non-political nature before Pilate; must not be softened into a merely spiritual metaphor that denies Christ’s real, ultimate sovereignty.
King Of The Jews
Approved rendering: യെഹൂദന്മാരുടെ രാജാവ്
Transliteration: yehoodanmarude rajavu
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Original: βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων
Category: Christology
John 19:19-22. Pilate’s mocking inscription, theologically true despite its intent: an unintended proclamation of Christ’s kingship at the moment of his death.
Agape Phileo
Approved rendering: സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നു
Transliteration: snehikkunnu
Doctrine: Pastoral Commissioning and Restorative Love
Original: ἀγαπάω / φιλέω
Category: Church
John 21:15-17. Malayalam does not sustain the ἀγαπάω/φιλέω distinction with two everyday words; render both as സ്നേഹിക്കുന്നു and flag for a native-speaker teaching note explaining the Greek nuance, rather than inventing an artificial lexical split.
Tabernacle Dwelt
Approved rendering: വസിച്ചു / കൂടാരമടിച്ചു
Transliteration: vasichu / koodaramadichu
Doctrine: The Deity and Pre-existence of Christ (the Word)
Original: σκηνόω
Category: Christology
John 1:14. Deliberately evokes the Old Testament tabernacle, God’s dwelling presence among Israel (Exodus 25-40). A translator note should make this background explicit, since a bare ‘dwelt’ (വസിച്ചു) does not carry the tabernacle echo for a reader unfamiliar with Exodus.
Deeply Moved
Approved rendering: ആത്മാവില് കലങ്ങി / ഇളകി
Transliteration: athmavil kalangi / ilaki
Doctrine: Humanity of Christ
John 11:33, 38 (ἐμβριμάομαι). Affirms the genuine, unfeigned humanity of Christ’s emotional response to death and grief; guards against a docetic reading that Christ’s grief was performative rather than genuinely felt.
Low Risk Terms
Peace
Approved rendering: സമാധാനം
Transliteration: samadhanam
Doctrine: Peace with God
Original: εἰρήνη
Category: Salvation
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 14:27; 16:33; 20:19, 21, 26 as Christ’s parting and resurrection gift to the disciples.
Prophet
Approved rendering: പ്രവാചകന്
Transliteration: pravachakan
Doctrine: Inspiration of Scripture
Rejected alternatives: ജ്യോത്സ്യന്
Original: προφήτης
Category: Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 1:21, 25; 4:19, 44; 6:14; 7:40; 9:17. Do not confuse with ജ്യോത്സ്യന് (astrologer).
Thanksgiving
Approved rendering: കൃതജ്ഞത
Transliteration: kruthajnatha
Doctrine: Thanksgiving in Johannine Narrative
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Occurs at 6:11, 23 (feeding narratives) and 11:41 (before raising Lazarus). No significant doctrinal risk.
David
Approved rendering: ദാവീദ്
Transliteration: daveed
Doctrine: Davidic Covenant
Inherited from Romans package, reused exactly. Referenced in the ch. 7 messianic-lineage dispute (7:42).
New Commandment
Approved rendering: പുതിയ കല്പ്പന
Transliteration: puthiya kalpana
Doctrine: The New Commandment of Christlike Love
Original: ἐντολὴ καινή
Category: Church
John 13:34-35. Makes Christ’s own self-giving love (soon enacted at the cross) the measure of Christian love among believers, not a generic ethical ideal.
Dwelling Places
Approved rendering: വാസസ്ഥലങ്ങള്
Transliteration: vasasthalangal
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Friendship with Christ
Original: μονή
Category: Eschatology
John 14:2. Low ambiguity; straightforward promise of prepared, permanent dwelling with God.
Friends
Approved rendering: സ്നേഹിതര്
Transliteration: snehithar
Doctrine: Christian Fellowship and Friendship with Christ
Original: φίλοι
Category: Church
John 15:13-15, contrasted with δοῦλοι (slaves). Reframes the disciple-Master relationship as intimate trust grounded in Christ’s self-sacrificial love.
Sorrow Joy
Approved rendering: സങ്കടം / സന്തോഷം
Transliteration: sankadam / santhosham
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: λύπη / χαρά
Category: Church
John 16:20-22. A contrast pair structuring the Farewell Discourse’s emotional arc; the disciples’ grief will be transformed, not merely followed, by resurrection joy.
Birth Pang
Approved rendering: പ്രസവവേദന
Transliteration: prasavavedana
Doctrine: The Holy Spirit as Counselor
Original: ᾨδίν
Category: Church
John 16:21. A different Greek birth-image (ᾨδίν) from the New Birth vocabulary of ch. 3 (γεννάω); translators must not conflate the two, even though both involve ‘birth’ imagery in Malayalam.
Shepherd Feed
Approved rendering: മേയ്ക്കുക / പോറ്റുക
Transliteration: meykkuka / pottuka
Doctrine: Pastoral Commissioning and Restorative Love
Original: ποιμαίνω / βόσκω
Category: Church
John 21:15-17. Christ’s threefold pastoral commission to Peter, echoing the Good Shepherd ‘I Am’ statement of ch. 10; consistency with ch. 10’s ഇടയന് (shepherd) imagery is helpful.
Rabbi
Approved rendering: റബ്ബീ
Transliteration: rabbi
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Original: Ῥαββί
Category: Church
Established transliteration used across the Malayalam Bible tradition; honorific address for a respected Jewish teacher (1:38, 49; 3:2). Include Ραββουνί (Rabboni, 20:16) under the same transliteration discipline: റബ്ബൂനി.
Pharisee
Approved rendering: ഫരിസേയന്
Transliteration: phariseyan
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
Original: Φαρισαῖος
Category: Church
Established transliterated term; no live cultural collision in Malayalam. Member of a Jewish lay-renewal movement stressing Torah observance and oral tradition (3:1; chs. 7-12 passim).
Archon Ruler
Approved rendering: പ്രമാണി
Transliteration: pramani
Doctrine: Jewish Identity and ‘the Jews’ (Ioudaioi)
John 3:1. Standard Malayalam leadership term marking Nicodemus’s high social/religious status, heightening the irony that ‘the teacher of Israel’ does not understand new birth. No doctrinal loading.
Grain Of Wheat
Approved rendering: ഗോതമ്പുമണി
Transliteration: gothambumani
Doctrine: Glorification through Suffering (the Cross as Glory)
John 12:24. Agricultural image: a single seed must die (be buried) to bear a multiplied harvest, illustrating the necessary, fruitful death of Christ (and, derivatively, of every disciple).
What Is Truth
Approved rendering: സത്യം എന്ത്?
Transliteration: sathyam enthu?
Doctrine: The Seven ‘I Am’ Statements
John 18:38. Pilate’s dismissive rhetorical question, standing before the one who has already declared himself ‘the truth’ (14:6) — a dramatic irony worth preserving in translator notes.
Referenced passages