Semantic Analysis — Gospel of John (English → Ndebele)

Scope and Method

This document analyzes the Greek text of the entire Gospel of John, chapter 1 through chapter 21. The core passage, John 3:1-21 (Jesus and Nicodemus), receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives a chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing theological vocabulary using the same analytical fields: original Greek word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, destination-language (Ndebele) rendering and risk.

Per the mandate of this pipeline, terms already fixed in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json must be reused exactly in John. These are marked “[TM-REUSE]” throughout. New terms required for John’s distinctive vocabulary (Logos, born-again, “I am,” Paraclete, etc.) are analyzed fresh and carried forward into 08_core_glossary.md for formal registration.

Chapters that introduce no new load-bearing theological vocabulary beyond terms already treated are noted explicitly, per PRD instruction, rather than silently omitted.

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PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: John 3:1-21 (Jesus and Nicodemus)

John 3:1

“Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
Φαρισαῖος	Pharisaios	Pharisee	A member of a strict Jewish sect emphasizing Torah observance and oral tradition	Pharisee	Establishes Nicodemus’s religious credentials and social standing — he is a religious insider, not an outsider seeking novelty	”umFarisi” (transliteration/loanword, established in Nguni Bible tradition). Low risk; proper-noun-like religious title.
ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων	archōn tōn Ioudaiōn	ruler of the Jews	A member of the ruling council (Sanhedrin) or a synagogue official	ruler of the Jews, member of the Jewish ruling council	Signals Nicodemus’s authority — a teacher of Israel (v.10) coming secretly to Jesus at night underscores the reversal theme: the learned insider needs what only Jesus can give	”umbusi wamaJuda” — Medium risk. “amaJuda” (the Jews) recurs across the Gospel; see chapter-wide note under John 5 and glossary entry “the_jews” on the risk of this referring to a specific hostile faction of religious authorities rather than the Jewish people as a whole.

John 3:2

“This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
Ῥαββί	Rhabbi	my great one / my teacher	Honorific address to a respected religious teacher	Rabbi, Teacher	Nicodemus addresses Jesus with the highest honorific of his own religious system, yet still misunderstands who Jesus fundamentally is	”Rabi” (transliterated loanword, established Nguni Bible convention). Low risk.
διδάσκαλος	didaskalos	teacher, instructor	One who teaches/instructs, whether religious or general	teacher, master (of teaching)	Nicodemus rightly perceives Jesus as sent by God to teach, but his category (“a teacher”) is too small for who Jesus actually is	”umfundisi” — Medium risk: “umfundisi” is also the common modern Ndebele term for an ordained pastor/minister; context must keep the historical sense of “teacher” rather than importing modern clergy connotations.
σημεῖα	sēmeia	signs	Miraculous acts that point beyond themselves to a deeper truth about the doer’s identity	signs, miracles, miraculous signs	Distinctively Johannine: John’s miracles are consistently called “signs” (sēmeia) rather than “works of power,” emphasizing that they reveal who Jesus is, not merely that he has power	”izibonakaliso” (things that make [something] evident/visible) — Medium risk. Must be kept distinct from a wonder performed by a traditional healer (inyanga) or diviner (isangoma); the sign points to God’s identity in Christ, not to occult potency. New term for John; register in glossary.
θεός	theos	God	The one true God (in this context, acknowledged even by an interlocutor who has not yet grasped who Jesus is)	God	Baseline: [TM-REUSE]	“uNkulunkulu” — Critical. [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM.

John 3:3

“Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω σοι	amēn amēn legō soi	truly, truly, I say to you	Solemn double-affirmation formula unique to John’s Gospel, marking a weighty pronouncement	truly truly I tell you, verily verily I say unto you, I tell you the truth	Marks the following statement as an authoritative, non-negotiable revelation, not a suggestion or opinion	”Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe” — Low-Medium risk. Established doubled-affirmation form in Nguni Bible tradition; must be rendered consistently every time it recurs across the Gospel (it recurs 25 times in John).
γεννηθῇ ἄνωθεν	gennēthē anōthen	be born again / be born from above	ἄνωθεν (anōthen) carries a genuine double sense in Greek: “again” (a second time) and “from above” (from heaven). John exploits this ambiguity deliberately — Nicodemus hears “again,” Jesus means “from above”	born again, born from above, born anew	CRITICAL — foundational to the doctrine of the New Birth. The wordplay is the engine of the whole exchange (Nicodemus’s confusion in v.4 only makes sense if “anōthen” can mean “again”). No single Ndebele word carries both senses simultaneously.	”ukuzalwa kutsha” (to be born again/anew) is the recommended primary rendering, since it preserves the “again” sense that drives Nicodemus’s literal misunderstanding in v.4. The “from above” (divine origin, not human) sense must then be made explicit and unmistakable in vv. 5-8, since Ndebele cannot carry both meanings in one word. [TRANSLATOR NOTE REQUIRED] flagging this deliberate Greek wordplay and how it is being handled. Risk: Critical.
βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ	basileia tou theou	kingdom of God	Baseline: [TM-REUSE] God’s sovereign reign	kingdom of God	Entry into God’s reign is conditioned on this new birth — not physical descent, ritual status, or moral achievement	”umbuso kaNkulunkulu” — Medium. [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM, but note: in Ndebele historical memory, “umbuso” also names the actual Ndebele kingdom (Mzilikazi/Lobengula); as flagged in the baseline package, this royal/political weight must be defused so hearers do not read a territorial kingdom into the text.
ἰδεῖν	idein	to see	Perceive, experience, come to know by encounter	see, perceive, experience	Not merely intellectual sight but participatory experience of God’s reign	”ukubona” — Low risk.

John 3:4

“Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
γέρων	gerōn	old man	An elderly person	old man	Nicodemus’s confusion confirms he has heard “born again” (a second physical birth), not “born from above” — evidence of the deliberate ambiguity noted at v.3	”ixhegu” — Low risk.
κοιλία	koilia	womb, belly	The womb; by extension, the innermost part of a person	womb, belly	Nicodemus’s flatly literal, physical register of understanding, which Jesus will immediately correct by shifting the discourse to Spirit	”isibeletho” — Low risk.
δεύτερον	deuteron	a second time	Repetition, doing something again	a second time, again	Confirms Nicodemus’s misreading of “anōthen” as strictly “again” in the sense of biological repetition	”okwesibili” — Low risk.

John 3:5

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὕδατος	hydatos	of water	Water, literal or symbolic (cleansing, purification, natural birth)	water	Debated referent (natural birth / John’s baptism / cleansing prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-27); in context, best read alongside “Spirit” as pointing to a Spirit-wrought cleansing and new creation, not mere ritual washing	”amanzi” — Medium risk. Must not be taught in a way that reduces new birth to the physical rite of baptism performed correctly, echoing the baseline’s caution against ritual-correctness readings of salvation.
πνεῦμα	pneuma	Spirit / wind / breath	The same Greek word covers “Spirit” (divine person), “wind” (natural phenomenon), and “breath” (life-force) — the wordplay is deliberate and continues into v.8	Spirit, wind, breath	The Spirit is the divine agent who accomplishes the new birth; being born “of the Spirit” is contrasted with being born “of flesh” (v.6)	“uMoya” — Critical. [TM-REUSE] consistent with holy_spirit = “uMoya oNgcwele” in Romans TM; here used absolutely for “the Spirit.” Fortunately Ndebele “umoya” also covers “wind/breath” like Greek pneuma, preserving John’s wordplay as an asset rather than a liability (see v.8 below) — but the translator must ensure context always distinguishes the divine Spirit from mere natural wind, and never suggests an impersonal life-force or ancestral spirit (idlozi).
εἰσελθεῖν	eiselthein	to enter	To go into, gain entry	enter, go into	Entry into God’s kingdom depends on this Spirit-wrought birth, not ancestry, ritual status, or works	”ukungena” — Low risk.

John 3:6

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
σάρξ	sarx	flesh	Physical human nature/existence; in Paul often morally weighted (“sinful flesh”), but in John primarily denotes creaturely, merely-human origin without necessarily a negative moral charge	flesh, human nature, physical body	Contrasts two orders of origin — natural human descent versus supernatural, Spirit-wrought origin. Physical descent (even from a “teacher of Israel”) cannot produce what only the Spirit can produce	”inyama” — High risk. New term for the glossary (Paul’s use of “flesh” did not require separate registration in the Romans package at this granularity). Must be distinguished contextually from a mere reference to meat/body; here it denotes the whole created, merely-human order of existence.
πνεῦμα	pneuma	spirit (lower-case; the resulting nature)	The nature/order of being produced by the Spirit’s begetting — spiritual, not merely biological, existence	spirit (as opposed to flesh)	The believer’s new nature belongs to a wholly different order than their first, physical birth	”umoya” (lowercase, small-o) — Critical, same term as v.5 but here referring to the resultant spiritual nature rather than the divine Person; translator must render capitalization/reference clearly through context, not orthography, since Ndebele does not reliably distinguish “Spirit” from “spirit” by capital letters in speech.

John 3:7

“Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
θαυμάζω	thaumazō	to marvel, be amazed	Astonishment, whether from wonder or confusion	marvel, be amazed, be surprised	Jesus acknowledges the statement’s shock value to a “teacher of Israel” while insisting on its truth	”ukumangala” — Low risk.
δεῖ	dei	it is necessary, one must	Impersonal verb of divine or logical necessity	must, is necessary, has to	Not one path among several — the new birth is the necessary condition for seeing/entering the kingdom, for every person including religious insiders	”kumele” — Medium risk: must be rendered with the force of unavoidable necessity, not mere advisability, to preserve the exclusivity of the New Birth doctrine.

John 3:8

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
πνεῦμα (πνεῖ)	pneuma (pnei)	the wind (blows)	Same word as “Spirit” above — the sentence puns on “the pneuma pneuma-s [blows] where it wills,” i.e., “the Spirit/wind blows/spirits where it wills”	wind blowing	The Spirit’s sovereign, untraceable, uncontrollable work in the new birth is illustrated by wind’s own untraceable movement — divine initiative, not human manipulation, produces the new birth	”umoya uyaphephetha lapho uthanda khona” — Critical. As at v.5-6, Ndebele “umoya” fortunately covers both “wind” and “Spirit,” which preserves the pun as a genuine asset for this language (unlike languages that must use two unrelated words). [TRANSLATOR NOTE RECOMMENDED] to make the intentional double meaning explicit, since some readers may miss that the same word is doing double duty.
γεγεννημένος	gegennēmenos	having been born	Perfect passive participle of “beget/give birth to” — an accomplished, completed birth with ongoing effect	born, one who has been born	The Spirit’s begetting work, once accomplished, produces a definite, settled new identity, not an ongoing uncertain process	”ozelwe” — Medium risk; must retain the completed, decisive sense (an accomplished birth), not an incomplete process.

John 3:9

“Nicodemus said to him, ‘How can these things be?’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
πῶς δύναται ταῦτα γενέσθαι	pōs dynatai tauta genesthai	how can these things happen/come to be	Expression of bafflement at a claim that seems to exceed the bounds of ordinary experience	how can this be, how is this possible	Nicodemus’s continued incomprehension, despite his religious learning, sets up Jesus’s rebuke in v.10	”Lokhu kungenzeka njani na?” — Low risk.

John 3:10

“Jesus answered him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?’”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὁ διδάσκαλος τοῦ Ἰσραήλ	ho didaskalos tou Israēl	the teacher of Israel	With the definite article, likely denotes a recognized, prominent teacher, not merely “a” teacher	the teacher of Israel, a renowned teacher of Israel	The irony is sharp: the nation’s foremost religious expert has missed a truth rooted in his own Scriptures (Ezekiel 36, the promised Spirit-wrought new heart)	“umfundisi wako-Israyeli” — Medium risk (see “umfundisi” note at v.2). “Israyeli”/“uIsrayeli” [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM (israel).

John 3:11

“Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
μαρτυρέω / μαρτυρία	martyreō / martyria	to testify / testimony, witness	Legal and everyday language for giving reliable eyewitness testimony; a dominant motif throughout John’s Gospel (John the Baptist, the Father, the Scriptures, the works, the Spirit, the disciples all “testify” to Jesus)	testify, bear witness / testimony, witness	Establishes the Gospel’s central epistemological claim: the truth about Jesus rests on reliable testimony, not speculation — a claim repeated at the Gospel’s own stated purpose (20:31)	“ukufakaza” (verb) / “ubufakazi” (noun) — High risk; new term requiring registration, load-bearing across the whole Gospel. Must be kept in a courtroom-reliability register, distinct from the informal sense of merely “saying something.”
λαμβάνω (τὴν μαρτυρίαν)	lambanō (tēn martyrian)	receive / accept (the testimony)	To accept, welcome, take to oneself	receive, accept	Rejection of testimony here anticipates the wider Johannine theme of belief and unbelief as a response to reliable witness, not to insufficient evidence	”ukwamukela” — Low-Medium risk.

John 3:12

“If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐπίγεια	epigeia	earthly things	Matters accessible within ordinary human/earthly experience (here, the new-birth illustration)	earthly things	Sets up an a fortiori argument: failure to grasp accessible truths forecloses grasping the greater heavenly realities to follow (the Son’s descent, the cross)	“izinto zomhlaba” — Low risk.
ἐπουράνια	epourania	heavenly things	Matters belonging to the heavenly, divine realm, inaccessible apart from revelation	heavenly things	The greater revelation Jesus is about to give (his own heavenly origin and saving mission) requires faith, not mere reasoning from earthly analogy	”izinto zasezulwini” — Low-Medium risk.
πιστεύω	pisteuō	believe, trust	To place trust/reliance in a person or the truth of a statement; the dominant verb of the entire Gospel (John uses it ~98 times)	believe, trust, have faith	CRITICAL — the verb form of the noun “faith” (pistis = ukholo in Romans TM); John’s entire Gospel is structured around belief/unbelief as the decisive human response to Jesus	”ukukholwa” — Critical. New verb form registered for John, built on the same root as [TM-REUSE] faith = “ukholo.” Consistency between noun and verb form across both curricula is essential: “ukholo” (faith, noun) and “-kholwa” (believe, verb) must visibly share the same root in Ndebele exactly as they do in the source text’s pistis-word-family, so a reader can track the theme across the whole Gospel.

John 3:13

“No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἀναβέβηκεν / καταβάς	anabebēken / katabas	has ascended / having descended	Movement upward to heaven / movement downward from heaven	ascended / descended	Claims unique heavenly origin and unmediated knowledge of heavenly things for Jesus alone, directly grounding the Deity and Pre-existence of Christ doctrine	”wenyukile… owehlayo” — Critical: must clearly convey that this descent/ascent belongs uniquely to the Son, prior to and independent of his earthly life, not a mystical journey any prophet or spirit-medium could claim to make.
υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	huios tou anthrōpou	Son of Man	Jesus’s characteristic self-designation, drawing on Daniel 7:13-14 (a heavenly, glorious, judging figure) while also carrying a sense of full identification with humanity	Son of Man	CRITICAL — combines Christ’s full deity/heavenly origin (per Daniel 7) with his full humanity in a single title; central to Christology across the whole Gospel (13 occurrences)	“iNdodana yoMuntu” — Critical; new term for the glossary. Must not be flattened into a merely generic phrase meaning “a human being” (losing the Daniel 7 divine-glory background), nor be confused with [TM-REUSE] son_of_god = “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu,” a related but distinct title.

John 3:14

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὄφις	ophis	serpent	The bronze serpent of Numbers 21:8-9, raised on a pole so that anyone bitten who looked at it would live	serpent, snake	Old Testament type of the cross: looking in faith to the lifted-up Son of Man brings life, just as looking at the bronze serpent brought physical healing	”inyoka” — Low risk; requires the Numbers 21 background to be supplied in teaching notes.
ὑψωθῆναι	hypsōthēnai	to be lifted up, exalted	Deliberately double-edged in John: refers concretely to Jesus’s physical lifting up on the cross, and simultaneously to his exaltation/glorification (cf. 8:28, 12:32-34)	lifted up, exalted, raised up	High risk — this single Greek verb carries both “crucified” and “glorified/exalted” senses at once; the cross itself is John’s moment of glory, not merely of shame	”ukuphakanyiswa” — High risk; recommended rendering can carry both a literal “raised up (on a pole/cross)” sense and a figurative “exalted, honored” sense in Ndebele, which usefully mirrors the Greek double meaning. [TRANSLATOR NOTE RECOMMENDED] at each of its three occurrences (3:14; 8:28; 12:32-34) to keep the cross-as-glory paradox visible.
Μωϋσῆς	Mōÿsēs	Moses	The Old Testament lawgiver and mediator	Moses	Establishes Jesus’s saving lifting-up as the fulfillment, not the abolition, of the Mosaic pattern	”uMosi” — Low risk; established Nguni Bible transliteration.

John 3:15

“That whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ζωὴν αἰώνιον	zōēn aiōnion	eternal life	zōē: life in its fullest, God-given, spiritual sense (distinct from psychē, mere biological existence); aiōnios: belonging to the age to come, without end	eternal life, everlasting life	CRITICAL — the Gospel’s central promised blessing (occurs 17 times in John), received now by faith and continuing forever; the theological anchor of the “Eternal Life through Faith in Christ” doctrine	”ukuphila okuphakade” — Critical; new compound term for the glossary. Must be distinguished from “usindiso” ([TM-REUSE] salvation), which is the broader category; “ukuphila okuphakade” specifically names the quality/duration of life given, and must not be reduced to a this-worldly notion of a long or prosperous life, nor to joining the amadlozi (ancestral spirits) after death — a critical distinction paralleling the existing “resurrection” caution in the baseline package.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἠγάπησεν	ēgapēsen	loved	Aorist of agapaō: to love with committed, self-giving, deliberate love (as opposed to phileō, affection/fondness)	loved	CRITICAL — the theological anchor verse for the “God’s Love for the World” doctrine; God’s love is the active cause of the Son’s giving, not a response to human merit or ritual correctness	”wathanda” (from uthando) — Critical; new term for the glossary. Must be taught as sovereign, initiating, self-giving love, comparable in weight to [TM-REUSE] grace = “umusa” — not a general benevolence owed reciprocally, and not favor secured by honoring uNkulunkulu or the ancestors correctly.
κόσμον	kosmon	world	The created order, and here specifically fallen humanity as the object of God’s saving love — not merely the physical planet	the world, humankind, mankind	CRITICAL — establishes the scope of God’s saving love as comprehensively universal (not restricted to Israel, nor to any one people group), while the “world” elsewhere in John can also mean the realm hostile to God (cf. ch.15, 17)	“umhlaba” — Critical; new term for the glossary. Context must clarify which of John’s two senses of kosmos is active: (1) the whole created order of humanity, loved by God (3:16), or (2) the God-opposing system under the “ruler of this world” (12:31, 14:30, 16:11). Collapsing these into one flat sense would blur either God’s universal love or the Gospel’s realism about opposition to Christ.
μονογενῆ (υἱόν)	monogenē (huion)	only-begotten / one-and-only (Son)	Uniquely, incomparably one of a kind — not “only” in the sense of “no other children” but “unique, without equal or duplicate”	only begotten Son, one and only Son, unique Son	CRITICAL — asserts Christ’s unique, non-generic divine sonship, foundational to both “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” and “Unity of the Father and the Son"	"iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa” — Critical; new term for the glossary, distinct from but closely related to [TM-REUSE] son_of_god = “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” Must not be read as implying a first or favorite among several divine sons, nor confused with human adoption language ([TM-REUSE] adoption = “ukutholwa njengomntwana,” which describes believers’ status, categorically different from Christ’s unique, eternal sonship).
ἀπόληται	apolētai	should perish	To be destroyed, come to ruin, be lost — the negative counterpart to receiving eternal life	perish, be destroyed, be lost	Names the default human condition apart from faith in Christ — not neutral, but heading toward ruin	”ukubhubha” — Medium risk; must retain the sense of ultimate, final loss/ruin, not mere physical death or misfortune.

John 3:17

“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἀπέστειλεν	apesteilen	sent	To dispatch with a commission and delegated authority (root of “apostle”)	sent	Establishes the Father-Son sending relationship at the heart of the incarnation and mission; Jesus is sent, not self-appointed	”wathuma” — Medium-High risk; note relation to [TM-REUSE] apostle = “umphostoli” (one sent), though here the verb is applied to the Son himself, sent by the Father — a unique, unrepeatable sending distinct from the ordinary apostolic sending.
κρίνῃ	krinē	might judge/condemn	To judge, evaluate, and by extension to condemn/pass negative sentence	judge, condemn	Distinguishes Christ’s first coming (to save) from his second coming (to judge, ch. 5, 9); the immediate purpose of the incarnation is salvation, not condemnation	”ukwahlulela” — High risk; new term for the glossary, central to the “Judgment and Belief/Unbelief” doctrine. Context must distinguish God’s saving purpose in sending the Son (not to condemn) from the judgment that unbelief nonetheless brings upon itself (v.18).
σωθῇ	sōthē	might be saved	Passive of sōzō, to save, rescue, deliver	be saved, be rescued	[TM-REUSE]-adjacent: shares the root of salvation = “usindiso” in Romans TM	”asindiswe” — Critical; verb form built on the same root as [TM-REUSE] “usindiso,” preserving noun-verb consistency across curricula.

John 3:18

“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
οὐ κρίνεται	ou krinetai	is not judged/condemned	Negated form of krinō (see v.17)	is not condemned, is not judged	Present faith results in a present verdict of no-condemnation, closely paralleling the forensic logic of justification in Romans	”kakalahlwa” / “kalahlwa” — High risk; theological weight overlaps with [TM-REUSE] justification = “ukulungisiswa” (forensic declaration), though the vocabulary differs; translators should note the doctrinal parallel without conflating the specific Johannine term with the Romans term.
ἤδη κέκριται	ēdē kekritai	has already been judged/condemned	Perfect tense: a settled, already-existing state of condemnation, not merely a future one	is condemned already, stands condemned already	Unbelief is not a neutral, waiting position; it is itself the ground of a present, standing condemnation — central to the “Judgment and Belief/Unbelief” doctrine	”usephiwe icala kade” / “usalahlwa kakade” — High risk; must convey a present, already-settled state, not merely a future threat.
ὄνομα	onoma	name	The name representing the full identity, authority, and person named	name	Belief “in the name” of the Son is belief in his full identity, not mere intellectual assent to a title	”ibizo” — Low risk.

John 3:19

“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
κρίσις	krisis	judgment, verdict, crisis	Here, not primarily the future final judgment but the present crisis of decision: the coming of the light itself forces a dividing verdict on all people	judgment, verdict, the crisis (of decision)	Names the very presence of Christ (“the light”) as itself the occasion of judgment, since people’s response to him reveals and seals their standing	”isahlulelo” — High risk; distinct nuance from the verb “ukwahlulela” (v.17-18) — here krisis names the judging event/verdict itself, a nuance the translator should preserve where possible.
τὸ φῶς	to phōs	the light	Light as a governing Johannine symbol for Christ himself (cf. 1:4-9; 8:12; 9:5) and for divine truth/revelation generally	the light	High risk — foundational Johannine dualism (light/darkness) running through the whole Gospel, first introduced in the Prologue (1:4-9)	“ukukhanya” — High risk; new term for the glossary. Must be kept clearly christological/moral (Christ as the revealer who exposes and saves) and not blurred with unrelated indigenous concepts of spiritual light/illumination associated with diviners or ancestral guidance.
σκότος	skotos	darkness	The realm/condition of moral and spiritual blindness, opposition to God’s light, characteristic of those who reject Christ	darkness	The paired opposite of light; people’s preference for darkness over light is a moral choice, not a lack of information	”ubumnyama” — High risk; must retain the moral/spiritual sense (rejection of Christ) rather than being read merely physically or as a benign absence of light.
πονηρὰ ἔργα	ponēra erga	evil deeds/works	Morally wicked actions	evil deeds, wicked works	Grounds the “Judgment and Belief/Unbelief” doctrine in a moral, not merely intellectual, account of unbelief: people reject the light because they love their evil deeds	”imisebenzi emibi” — Low risk.

John 3:20

“For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
φαῦλα πράσσων	phaula prassōn	practicing worthless/evil things	Habitual practice of morally worthless or evil actions	doing evil, practicing wicked things	Describes a settled pattern of life, not an isolated act, as the reason for avoiding the light	”owenza okubi” — Low risk.
μισεῖ τὸ φῶς	misei to phōs	hates the light	Active hostility toward, not mere indifference to, Christ and his exposing truth	hates the light	Sharpens John’s dualism: the response to Christ is never neutral — it is either love of light (faith) or hatred of light (unbelief)	“uyakuzonda ukukhanya” — Medium risk; see “ukukhanya” note at v.19.
ἐλεγχθῇ	elenchthē	be exposed, reproved, convicted	To be shown for what one truly is; to have one’s wrongdoing exposed and refuted	be exposed, be reproved, be convicted	Same verb root recurs at John 16:8 (the Spirit “convicts” the world) — an important cross-reference for the Holy Spirit as Counselor doctrine	”ukuvezwa obala” / “ukusolwa” — Medium risk; new term for the glossary; translators should track its recurrence at John 16:8 for terminological consistency (see Ch. 16 below).

John 3:21

“But whoever does the truth comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν	poiōn tēn alētheian	doing the truth	A Hebraic idiom (cf. 1 John 1:6) meaning to act in accordance with God’s revealed truth, to live faithfully/uprightly before God	doing the truth, living by the truth	Truth in John is never merely propositional; it is something done, embodied in a life oriented toward God and eventually toward Christ himself (“I am the truth,” ch.14)	“owenza iqiniso” — High risk; new term for the glossary. “Iqiniso” (truth) will recur as a major Johannine theme (esp. ch.1, 4, 8, 14, 16, 17, 18) and must be rendered consistently throughout.
φανερωθῇ	phanerōthē	might be made evident/manifest	To be shown plainly, brought into the open	be revealed, be made clear, be manifest	Coming to the light results in one’s works being shown to have their true source in God, not merely in oneself	”kubonakale” — Low risk.
εἰργασμένα ἐν θεῷ	eirgasmena en theō	having been worked/carried out in God	Denotes works done in dependent union with God, not autonomous human achievement	wrought in God, done in God, done through God’s working	Anticipates the Gospel’s larger theme (esp. ch. 15) that all genuine spiritual fruit originates in dependence on God/Christ, not in independent human effort	”eyenziwe kuNkulunkulu” — Medium risk.

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PART 2 — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY OF THE WHOLE BOOK

John 1 — The Prologue and the Call of the First Disciples

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
λόγος	logos	word, speech, reason, account	In Greek philosophy, the rational ordering principle of the universe; in John, personified and identified as the eternal, pre-existent, divine Son	the Word	CRITICAL — foundational term for the entire “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine; John 1:1 (“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”) is the Gospel’s opening Christological claim	”iLizwi” — Critical; established Nguni Bible tradition for this term (paralleling Zulu Bible usage). Must be capitalized/contextually marked as a personal title for Christ, not confused with an ordinary “word” or “message”; teaching must make explicit that iLizwi is a Person who is himself God, eternally existing “in the beginning,” not a created intermediary spirit.
θεός (πρὸς τὸν θεόν / θεὸς ἦν)	theos	God	Used in 1:1 both with the article (ho theos, “God” the Father) and without the article (theos, predicate, “the Word was God”) — a subtle Greek grammatical distinction expressing that the Word is fully God while remaining distinct in person from the Father	God	[TM-REUSE] — but 1:1’s grammar (Word “with” God, and Word “was” God) is the exegetical anchor for both the Deity of Christ and the Unity of the Father and Son doctrines; teaching notes must explain that Ndebele lacks the Greek article distinction, so this nuance must be carried in surrounding teaching, not the bare translation alone	”uNkulunkulu” — Critical. [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM.
φῶς	phōs	light	See treatment at 3:19; introduced here (1:4-9) as a primary title/symbol for Christ as the one who reveals God and gives life	the light	High — see 3:19 above; here explicitly identified with the Logos himself (“in him was life, and the life was the light of men”)	“ukukhanya” — High. New term (see 3:19); first occurrence of this governing symbol is here in ch.1.
σκοτία	skotia	darkness	Synonym/near-equivalent of skotos (3:19); used here of the world’s moral-spiritual condition, which did not overcome/comprehend the light	darkness	Sets up the light/darkness dualism structuring the whole Gospel from its opening verses	”ubumnyama” — High. See 3:19.
κόσμος	kosmos	world	First occurrence of this key dual-sense term (see full treatment at 3:16); here used of the created order the Word made, and yet did not recognize its Maker	the world	Critical — see 3:16 above	”umhlaba” — Critical. See 3:16.
μαρτυρία / μαρτυρέω	martyria / martyreō	testimony / testify	John the Baptist’s role as the first witness to the Light (1:7-8, 15, 19-34)	testify, bear witness / testimony	See full treatment at 3:11; introduced here as John the Baptist’s defining role	”ukufakaza” / “ubufakazi” — High. See 3:11.
τέκνα θεοῦ	tekna theou	children of God	Those who receive the Word/believe in his name are given the right/authority (exousia) to become God’s children — not by natural (blood, flesh, human will) descent but by God’s own act	children of God	High — closely related to, but a distinct image from, [TM-REUSE] adoption = “ukutholwa njengomntwana”; here emphasized as a birth/begetting rather than a legal adoption metaphor, tying directly into the “New Birth” doctrine developed fully in John 3	”abantwana bakaNkulunkulu” — High risk; must be taught alongside [TM-REUSE] “ukutholwa njengomntwana” as complementary images (new birth and adoption) of the same reality of full inheritance in God’s family, not competing or contradictory ones.
μονογενής	monogenēs	only-begotten / one-and-only	See full treatment at 3:16; introduced here at 1:14 and 1:18 describing the Word/Son’s unique glory and relationship to the Father	only begotten, one and only	Critical — see 3:16 above; 1:14 (“the Word became flesh… glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”) and 1:18 (“the only God, who is at the Father’s side”) are foundational Deity-of-Christ texts	”iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa” (1:14 as substantive), and at 1:18 “uNkulunkulu ozelwe yedwa” (the only God) — Critical; note 1:18’s textual variant “monogenēs theos” (only God) vs. “monogenēs huios” (only Son) is one of the most theologically weighty variants in the NT and should be flagged for theologian review regardless of underlying textual choice, since it directly touches the Deity of Christ.
σάρξ ἐγένετο	sarx egeneto	became flesh	The Word’s assumption of full, genuine humanity — the Incarnation itself	became flesh, became human	[TM-REUSE]-adjacent: this is the primary biblical text underlying the incarnation = “ukuba ngumuntu” doctrine already registered in Romans TM (there tied to Romans 1:3, 8:3)	“iLizwi laba yinyama” (lit. “the Word became flesh”) / doctrinal category [TM-REUSE] “ukuba ngumuntu” — Critical. The verb “-ba yinyama” (become flesh) should be used at 1:14 specifically to preserve the stark, deliberately physical language of the Greek (not softened to a vaguer “came among us”), while the doctrine itself remains registered as “ukuba ngumuntu.” Must not suggest temporary spirit-possession (see baseline caution).
χάρις καὶ ἀλήθεια	charis kai alētheia	grace and truth	A hendiadys echoing God’s covenant self-description in Exodus 34:6 (“abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”), now embodied fully in Christ	grace and truth, full of grace and truth	Presents Jesus as the personal embodiment of God’s covenant character, previously known only through the Law given through Moses	”umusa leqiniso” — Critical/High; “umusa” is [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM (grace); “iqiniso” (truth) is a new term (see 3:21, and further at ch.14) requiring registration for John.
ἀμνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ	amnos tou theou	Lamb of God	John the Baptist’s declaration over Jesus (1:29, 36), evoking Passover lamb and Isaiah 53 sacrificial imagery	the Lamb of God	Critical — foundational to the “Christ’s Substitutionary Death” doctrine; identifies Jesus from the Gospel’s outset as the sacrificial victim who bears sin away on others’ behalf	”iWundlu likaNkulunkulu” — Critical; new term for the glossary. Requires Passover/Isaiah 53 background be taught explicitly; must not be confused with a general animal-sacrifice offering made to appease ancestral spirits or ensure misfortune’s removal, a distinct traditional Ndebele ritual logic.
αἴρων τὴν ἁμαρτίαν	airōn tēn hamartian	taking away sin	The Lamb’s action of removing/bearing away sin	who takes away the sin of the world	Directly ties the Lamb of God title to substitutionary atonement for the whole world’s sin, not merely Israel’s	”othatha isono” — High; “isono” is [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM.
υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ	huios tou theou	Son of God	John the Baptist’s climactic testimony (1:34)	Son of God	[TM-REUSE]	“iNdodana kaNkulunkulu” — Critical. [TM-REUSE] from Romans TM.
υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου	huios tou anthrōpou	Son of Man	First occurrence at 1:51 (Jacob’s ladder allusion — angels ascending/descending on the Son of Man)	Son of Man	See full treatment at 3:13	”iNdodana yoMuntu” — Critical. See 3:13.
μαθητής	mathētēs	disciple	One who follows and learns from a teacher/master as a committed way of life	disciple, follower	First appearance of a term that recurs constantly through the whole Gospel, describing the community gathered around Jesus	”umfundi” — Medium; new term for the glossary; low ambiguity but should be distinguished from “umfundisi” (teacher, see 3:2) to avoid confusion between the teacher and the taught.

John 2 — Cana and the Temple Cleansing

Reuses: sēmeion/isibonakaliso (2:11, 2:23), doxa/udumo [TM-REUSE], mathētēs/umfundi.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἀρχὴ τῶν σημείων	archē tōn sēmeiōn	beginning of signs	The Cana miracle is explicitly labeled the “first of the signs,” establishing the sign-pattern for the whole Gospel	the first of his signs	Confirms that John’s miracle accounts are theologically purposeful “signs” (see 3:2) revealing Jesus’s glory, provoking belief	”isibonakaliso sokuqala” — Medium. Reuses “isibonakaliso” established at 3:2.
ζῆλος	zēlos	zeal	Passionate, consuming devotion, here to God’s house (quoting Psalm 69:9 at the Temple cleansing)	zeal	Depicts Jesus’s righteous jealousy for the purity and purpose of his Father’s house	”ukutshisekela” — Low risk.
ναός	naos	temple, sanctuary	The inner sanctuary of the Temple, God’s dwelling place; Jesus applies the term to his own body (“destroy this naos… in three days I will raise it up,” 2:19-21), a startling christological claim	temple	High — reinterprets the Temple itself around Christ’s own body as the locus of God’s presence, and predicts his own resurrection	”ithempeli” — Medium; must carry the double reference (physical Temple / Christ’s body) that Jesus deliberately intends, requiring a translator note at 2:19-21.
ἐγερῶ αὐτόν	egerō auton	I will raise it up	Verb of raising from the dead, anticipating the Resurrection	I will raise it up	Directly connects to [TM-REUSE] resurrection = “ukuvuka kwabafileyo"	"ngizalivusa” — Critical; verb form linked to [TM-REUSE] resurrection terminology; must retain the bodily, literal resurrection sense against any reading of merely rebuilding a physical structure or the deceased joining the amadlozi.

John 3:22-36 — Concluding Material of Chapter 3 (beyond the core passage)

Reuses: pisteuō/ukukholwa, zōē aiōnios/ukuphila okuphakade, martyria/ukufakaza, ho theos/uNkulunkulu, huios/iNdodana.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
νυμφίος / φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου	nymphios / philos tou nymphiou	bridegroom / friend of the bridegroom	Wedding imagery: Jesus is the bridegroom, John the Baptist merely his friend/best man who rejoices at another’s joy	bridegroom / friend of the bridegroom, best man	John the Baptist’s self-effacing testimony models the right response to Christ’s superiority: joy, not rivalry (“he must increase, but I must decrease”)	“umyeni / umngane womyeni” — Low risk.
ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ	orgē tou theou	wrath of God	God’s settled, righteous judicial displeasure against sin and unbelief, remaining (“abides”) on the one who disobeys the Son	the wrath of God	Medium-High — balances 3:16’s declaration of God’s love with the sober reality that rejecting the Son leaves a person under God’s abiding judicial displeasure, reinforcing the “Judgment and Belief/Unbelief” doctrine	”ulaka lukaNkulunkulu” — Medium-High risk; new term for the glossary. Must be taught as righteous judicial wrath (a response to unbelief and sin), not capricious anger, and must be held together with 3:16’s declaration of God’s love without contradiction.

John 4 — The Samaritan Woman and the Nobleman’s Son

Reuses: pisteuō/ukukholwa, zōē aiōnios/ukuphila okuphakade, sōtēr-root/usindiso, sēmeion/isibonakaliso, pneuma/umoya, alētheia/iqiniso.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὕδωρ ζῶν	hydōr zōn	living water	Flowing/spring water, contrasted with stagnant well water; used metaphorically for the Spirit-given life Jesus gives, which becomes “a spring welling up to eternal life” (4:14)	living water	High — a key Johannine metaphor for the Spirit and for the eternal life Jesus gives, distinct from any physical remedy for thirst or ritual washing	”amanzi aphilayo” — High risk; new term for the glossary. Must not be reduced to a healing/ritual-cleansing water associated with traditional practice; this is Spirit-given eternal life itself.
προσκυνέω	proskyneō	worship	To bow down, do homage, worship — used repeatedly in the “true worshippers… in spirit and truth” discourse (4:20-24)	worship	High — central to redefining worship as a matter of spirit and truth rather than sacred location (Jerusalem vs. Gerizim); by extension guards against any reading of worship as owed also to ancestral intermediaries or sacred sites outside Christ	”ukukhonza” — High risk; new term for the glossary. Must be carefully distinguished from any practice of honoring/placating amadlozi (ancestral spirits), which can be described with related vocabulary in everyday Ndebele usage; worship “in spirit and truth” must be taught as directed to uNkulunkulu alone, through Christ.
πνεῦμα ὁ θεός	pneuma ho theos	God is spirit	A statement about God’s essential nature — non-material, not bound to a location	God is spirit	Grounds the true-worship discourse: because God is spirit (not confined to a temple/mountain), worship must be spiritual and true, not merely locational/ritual	”uNkulunkulu ungumoya” — High risk; must not be read as making God an impersonal force/life-principle; “umoya” here is a predicate describing God’s non-physical nature, not identifying God as one spirit among the amadlozi.
σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου	sōtēr tou kosmou	Savior of the world	The Samaritans’ climactic confession (4:42) — one of the Gospel’s fullest titles for Jesus	Savior of the world	Critical — universalizes salvation’s scope beyond Israel/Samaria to the whole world, tying directly to both “God’s Love for the World” and salvation doctrines	”uMsindisi womhlaba” — Critical; new term for the glossary, built on the same root as [TM-REUSE] salvation = “usindiso,” preserving noun-title consistency; “umhlaba” as at 3:16.

John 5 — Healing at Bethesda and Jesus’s Equality with the Father

Reuses: huios/iNdodana, zōē aiōnios/ukuphila okuphakade, martyria/ukufakaza, krisis-krinō/ukwahlulela, ho theos/uNkulunkulu.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἴσος τῷ θεῷ	isos tō theō	equal with God	Making oneself equal in nature/status to God the Father — the charge the Jewish leaders bring against Jesus for calling God “my own Father” and working on the Sabbath as God does	equal with God	CRITICAL — one of the Gospel’s most explicit statements of Christ’s deity, presented (accurately, per John’s narration) as the leaders’ correct understanding of Jesus’s implicit claim	”ukulingana loNkulunkulu” — Critical; must be preserved as a true statement about Christ (not merely a false accusation), central to the Deity of Christ doctrine.
ἀνάστασις ζωῆς / ἀνάστασις κρίσεως	anastasis zōēs / anastasis kriseōs	resurrection of life / resurrection of judgment	Two future bodily resurrections at the Son’s voice — one to life, one to condemnation	resurrection of life / resurrection of judgment	Extends [TM-REUSE] resurrection into an explicitly twofold, judgment-linked future event, tying resurrection and judgment doctrines together	”ukuvuka kwabafileyo kokuphila / ukuvuka kwabafileyo kokwahlulelwa” — Critical; built on [TM-REUSE] resurrection term, combined with the judgment vocabulary from 3:17-19.
Σάββατον	Sabbaton	Sabbath	The seventh-day rest commanded in the Law	Sabbath	Provides the flashpoint for the leaders’ hostility and for Jesus’s claim to divine prerogative (working as his Father works)	“iSabatha” — Low risk; established loanword.

John 6 — The Bread of Life Discourse

Reuses: sēmeion/isibonakaliso, pisteuō/ukukholwa, zōē aiōnios/ukuphila okuphakade, sarx/inyama, hagios (holy) [TM-REUSE].

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ἄρτος τῆς ζωῆς	egō eimi ho artos tēs zōēs	I am the bread of life	The first of the Gospel’s seven formal “I am” + predicate statements	I am the bread of life	CRITICAL — the first of the Seven “I Am” Statements; deliberately echoes God’s self-revelation to Moses (“I AM WHO I AM,” Exodus 3:14) while also being anchored in the concrete image of manna/bread, presenting Jesus as the sole, sufficient source of true spiritual sustenance and eternal life	”Mina ngiyisinkwa sokuphila” — Critical; “artos” (bread) = “isinkwa” (new term). [TRANSLATOR NOTE REQUIRED] on every one of the seven “I am” statements (6:35, 8:12, 10:7&9, 10:11&14, 11:25, 14:6, 15:1&5) flagging the divine-name echo, and the fixed construction “Mina ngiyi-…” should be used consistently across all seven so readers can recognize the pattern as deliberate and unified.
μάννα	manna	manna	The bread God supplied Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 16)	manna	Old Testament type that Jesus surpasses and fulfills as the true bread from heaven	”imana” — Low risk; established loanword.
φάγητε τὴν σάρκα… πίητε τὸ αἷμα	phagēte tēn sarka… piēte to haima	eat the flesh… drink the blood	Provocative, deliberately shocking sacramental/eucharistic language for total reliance on Christ’s sacrificial death for life	eat my flesh, drink my blood	High — anticipates and interprets Christ’s substitutionary death; must not be read literally (cannibalism) nor merely ritually (a bare liturgical formula), but as vivid language for total dependence on Christ’s atoning death for life	”ukudla inyama… ukunatha igazi” — High risk; “haima” (blood) is a new term (“igazi”) requiring registration; teaching notes must clarify the metaphorical-sacrificial sense against any confusion with blood-based traditional ritual practices.
ἕλκω	helkyō	draw, drag	To draw/attract irresistibly — “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (6:44)	draw	High — closely parallel to the “Calling of God” / “Election” doctrines already registered in Romans TM; asserts that saving faith originates in the Father’s sovereign initiative, not human seeking alone	”ukudonsa” — High risk; must be taught alongside [TM-REUSE] election = “ukukhethwa” and calling = “ubizo” as reinforcing the same sovereign-initiative doctrine, and must not be rendered with language implying impersonal fate.
ῥήματα ζωῆς αἰωνίου	rhēmata zōēs aiōniou	words of eternal life	Peter’s confession (6:68) that only Jesus has “words of eternal life,” when many disciples turn away	words of eternal life	Marks the dividing line of true discipleship as continued adherence to Christ’s words despite offense, reinforcing “Eternal Life through Faith"	"amazwi okuphila okuphakade” — Critical; built on registered “ukuphila okuphakade.”
ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ	ho hagios tou theou	the Holy One of God	Peter’s confession title for Jesus (6:69)	the Holy One of God	[TM-REUSE]-adjacent: “hagios” = [TM-REUSE] holy = “-ngcwele"	"oNgcwele kaNkulunkulu” — Critical. Built on [TM-REUSE] “-ngcwele.”

John 7 — Feast of Tabernacles: Rivers of Living Water

Reuses: pneuma/umoya, doxazō-doxa/udumo [TM-REUSE], ho christos/uMesiya [TM-REUSE], hydōr zōn/amanzi aphilayo.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ποταμοὶ ὕδατος ζῶντος	potamoi hydatos zōntos	rivers of living water	Promised outflow of the Spirit from within the believer, given after Jesus’s glorification (7:38-39)	rivers of living water	Directly identifies the “living water” of ch.4 with the Holy Spirit, whose full giving awaits Christ’s glorification (death, resurrection, ascension) — connects the “Holy Spirit as Counselor” doctrine forward to chs.14-16	”imifula yamanzi aphilayo” — High risk; builds on “amanzi aphilayo” (ch.4), now explicitly identified with [TM-REUSE] holy_spirit = “uMoya oNgcwele.”
οὔπω γὰρ ἦν πνεῦμα	oupō gar ēn pneuma	for the Spirit was not yet [given]	John’s narratorial explanation that the Spirit’s full outpouring awaited Jesus’s glorification	for the Spirit had not yet been given	Establishes a redemptive-historical sequence: cross/resurrection/glorification precedes and enables the Spirit’s full coming (fulfilled in ch.20 and Acts 2)	“uMoya wawungakafiki” — High risk; requires teaching note on the sequence of glorification-then-Spirit.

John 8 — Light of the World, Truth, and the Great “I Am”

Reuses: krinō/ukwahlulela, hamartia/isono, alētheia/iqiniso, phōs/ukukhanya, huios/iNdodana, egō eimi-construction.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου	egō eimi to phōs tou kosmou	I am the light of the world	Second of the seven “I am” statements	I am the light of the world	Critical — see 6:35 treatment; combines the “I am” divine-name echo with the light/darkness dualism from chs.1, 3	”Mina ngiyikukhanya komhlaba” — Critical. See “I am” note at 6:35.
ἐλευθερόω / ἐλεύθερος	eleutheroō / eleutheros	set free / free	To liberate from bondage; “the truth will set you free” (8:32), and “the Son sets free indeed” (8:36)	set free, free, liberate	High — ties truth (alētheia) directly to freedom from bondage to sin, a freedom only the Son can grant, distinguishing gospel freedom from mere political/social liberty (which the interlocutors initially assume is meant, 8:33)	“ukukhulula / ukukhululeka” — High risk; new term for the glossary. Must be taught as freedom specifically from sin’s bondage through Christ, not merely social, political, or ritual liberty.
δοῦλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας	doulos tēs hamartias	slave of sin	Bondage/slavery to sin as one’s master	slave of sin, servant of sin	Diagnoses the universal human condition apart from the Son’s liberation, reinforcing sin’s seriousness ([TM-REUSE] sin = “isono”)	“isigqili sesono” — Medium-High risk; “isono” [TM-REUSE]; “isigqili” (slave) new term, low ambiguity.
πρὶν Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγὼ εἰμί	prin Abraam genesthai egō eimi	before Abraham was, I am	The Gospel’s most explicit divine self-identification — not “I was” but “I am,” directly echoing the divine name of Exodus 3:14	before Abraham was, I am	CRITICAL — the clearest single claim to full deity and eternal pre-existence in the whole Gospel; the crowd’s response (picking up stones to stone him for blasphemy) confirms they understood it exactly this way	”Mina ngikhona ngingakabi khona u-Abrahama” — Critical; this absolute “I am” (without a predicate noun) must be rendered distinctly from the seven predicated “I am [X]” statements, to preserve its unique force as a direct claim to the divine name itself. [TRANSLATOR NOTE MANDATORY] at this verse and at its structural parallel in 18:5-6.

John 9 — The Man Born Blind

Reuses: hamartia/isono, phōs/ukukhanya, krisis-krinō/ukwahlulela, proskyneō/ukukhonza, egō eimi-construction.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
τυφλός	typhlos	blind	Physical blindness, and by extension throughout the chapter, spiritual blindness (a deliberate double meaning John develops through the whole narrative)	blind	The healing becomes an extended sign illustrating spiritual blindness/sight tied to belief/unbelief in the Light of the World	”isiphofu” — Medium risk; the narrative’s deliberate literal/spiritual double meaning should be preserved through consistent surrounding teaching, since the single Ndebele word will carry both senses naturally as in English.
τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ	ta erga tou theou	the works of God	Jesus’s reframing of the disciples’ question about whose sin caused the blindness: the man’s condition exists “so that the works of God might be displayed in him”	the works of God	Redirects from a retributive reading of suffering (sin causing misfortune, a live concern in traditional Ndebele thought regarding ancestral displeasure) toward God’s sovereign purpose in using suffering to display his glory	”imisebenzi kaNkulunkulu” — High risk; important corrective to any traditional-religion instinct to read suffering/disability primarily as punishment for sin or ancestral offense requiring appeasement.

John 10 — The Good Shepherd

Reuses: egō eimi-construction, hagiazō (see below, new), huios tou theou/iNdodana kaNkulunkulu, hen (see below, new).

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα	egō eimi hē thyra	I am the door/gate	Third “I am” statement	I am the door, I am the gate	Critical — Christ as the exclusive means of access to salvation and safety (the sheepfold)	“Mina ngiyisango” — Critical. See “I am” note at 6:35.
ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλός	egō eimi ho poimēn ho kalos	I am the good shepherd	Fourth “I am” statement	I am the good shepherd	Critical — Christ’s sacrificial care for his own, contrasted with a hired hand’s self-interest; combines shepherd imagery from Ezekiel 34/Psalm 23 with substitutionary self-giving (“lays down his life for the sheep”)	“Mina ngingumelusi omuhle” — Critical. See “I am” note at 6:35.
τίθημι τὴν ψυχήν	tithēmi tēn psychēn	lay down [my] life/soul	Voluntary, self-giving surrender of one’s own life on behalf of others	lay down my life	Critical — foundational to “Christ’s Substitutionary Death,” emphasizing the voluntary nature of Christ’s death (“no one takes it from me, I lay it down of my own accord,” 10:18)	“ukubeka phansi impilo yami” — Critical; note “psychē” here functions similarly to “life” but specifically denotes the natural life surrendered, distinguishable from “zōē” (the eternal life given); recommend “impilo” here with a translator note distinguishing this psychē-sense from the zōē-sense registered at 3:15-16.
ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν	egō kai ho patēr hen esmen	I and the Father are one	Direct assertion of unity of essence/purpose between the Son and the Father, provoking a second stoning attempt for blasphemy	I and the Father are one	CRITICAL — the Gospel’s clearest single-verse statement of the “Unity of the Father and the Son” doctrine	”Mina loBaba sibunye” — Critical; new term for the glossary. Must be taught carefully to affirm real unity of essence/nature without collapsing the distinct persons of Father and Son into one and the same person (avoiding a modalist misreading); “sibunye” (we are one) should be reserved for this unity language and distinguished from ordinary relational closeness.
ἡγίασεν	hēgiasen	sanctified, set apart, consecrated	The Father’s setting apart and sending of the Son into the world for his mission	sanctified, consecrated, set apart	High — applies sanctification language ([TM-REUSE] root -ngcwele) uniquely to the Son’s own consecration for mission, distinct from believers’ ongoing sanctification (sanctification = “ukungcweliswa” in Romans TM)	“wangcwelisa” — High risk; built on [TM-REUSE] “-ngcwele” root; teaching should distinguish the Son’s unique consecration for mission from believers’ progressive sanctification.

John 11 — The Raising of Lazarus

Reuses: egō eimi-construction, doxa/udumo [TM-REUSE], pisteuō/ukukholwa, anastasis/ukuvuka kwabafileyo [TM-REUSE].

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις καὶ ἡ ζωή	egō eimi hē anastasis kai hē zōē	I am the resurrection and the life	Fifth “I am” statement	I am the resurrection and the life	CRITICAL — directly identifies Christ himself, not merely a future event, as the source and substance of resurrection and eternal life; the theological climax uniting the “Eternal Life” and “Christ’s Substitutionary Death and Resurrection” doctrines before Jesus’s own death	”Mina ngiyikuvuka kwabafileyo lokuphila” — Critical; built on [TM-REUSE] “ukuvuka kwabafileyo” and registered “ukuphila (okuphakade).” See “I am” note at 6:35.
ἐδάκρυσεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς	edakrysen ho Iēsous	Jesus wept	Jesus’s genuine human grief at Lazarus’s death and Mary’s weeping	Jesus wept	Affirms the full, genuine humanity and human emotion of the incarnate Son (cf. incarnation = “ukuba ngumuntu”), even as he is about to display his divine power over death	”uJesu wakhala izinyembezi” — Medium-High risk; should be taught alongside the Incarnation doctrine as evidence of Christ’s genuine humanity, not merely a dramatic device.
εἷς ἄνθρωπος ἀποθάνῃ ὑπὲρ τοῦ λαοῦ	heis anthrōpos apothanē hyper tou laou	one man should die for/on behalf of the people	Caiaphas’s unwitting prophecy (11:49-52) of Christ’s substitutionary, vicarious death, extended even to gathering “the scattered children of God”	one man should die for the people	CRITICAL — a key substitutionary-death text, remarkable because it is placed in the mouth of Jesus’s chief opponent, underscoring divine sovereignty over even hostile intentions	”indoda eyodwa ifele abantu” — Critical; “hyper” (on behalf of/for) is the crucial substitutionary preposition and must be rendered with unmistakable vicarious/substitutionary force (“esikhundleni sabo” / “ngenxa yabo”), not merely “because of” or “for the sake of” in a weak sense.

John 12 — The Triumphal Entry and Jesus’s Hour

Reuses: doxazō-doxa/udumo [TM-REUSE], hypsoō/ukuphakanyiswa, kosmos/umhlaba, krisis/isahlulelo, phōs-skotos/ukukhanya-ubumnyama, huios tou anthrōpou/iNdodana yoMuntu.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὥρα	hōra	hour	Literally “hour,” but used by Jesus throughout John as a theologically loaded term for his appointed time of death-glorification (cf. 2:4, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 17:1)	the hour, my hour, my time	High — marks the God-ordained, sovereignly-timed nature of Christ’s death; nothing happens to Jesus prematurely or outside the Father’s set purpose	”ihola” (lit. “hour”) used in the fixed theological phrase “ihola lami” (“my hour”) — High risk; new term for the glossary, must be recognized wherever it recurs as a technical marker of Christ’s appointed time, not merely a clock-hour.
κόκκος τοῦ σίτου ἀποθάνῃ	kokkos tou sitou apothanē	grain of wheat dies	Agricultural metaphor: a single seed must die to bear much fruit	unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies	Interprets Christ’s death as necessary and fruitful, producing a great harvest of life for others — reinforces substitutionary/fruitful death themes	”ubhozela lwengqoloyi” (grain of wheat) — Low-Medium risk.
ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	archōn tou kosmou toutou	ruler of this world	Satan, described as the world’s ruler, who is “cast out” through Christ’s death	ruler of this world	Frames the cross as a decisive victory over the hostile spiritual power governing the fallen world-system (the second sense of kosmos noted at 3:16)	“umbusi walumhlaba” — High risk; must be clearly identified as a reference to Satan (a defeated hostile spiritual power through the cross), not confused with human political rulers or ancestral spirits.

John 13 — Foot Washing and the New Commandment

Reuses: doxazō/udumo [TM-REUSE], huios tou anthrōpou/iNdodana yoMuntu, mathētēs/umfundi.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐντολὴ καινή	entolē kainē	new commandment	Jesus’s command to love one another “as I have loved you” (13:34)	new commandment	Grounds Christian ethical identity in Christ’s own self-giving love (agapaō, see 3:16), making cruciform love the distinguishing mark of discipleship	”umlayo omutsha” — Medium-High risk; new term. “Umlayo” (a specific precept/commandment) should be kept distinct from [TM-REUSE] law = “umthetho” (the Mosaic Law as a body), to avoid implying this is a new Torah-code rather than a single defining ethical command flowing from love.
ἀγάπη ἀλλήλους	agapē allēlous	love one another	The content of the new commandment; repeated at 15:12, 15:17	love one another	Christian love as evidence of discipleship (“by this all people will know that you are my disciples,” 13:35)	“ukuthandana” — High risk; built on registered “uthando” (3:16); the reciprocal/mutual form (“thandana”) should be used consistently across chs.13 and 15.

John 14 — “I Am the Way,” and the Promised Counselor

Reuses: alētheia/iqiniso, zōē/ukuphila, eirēnē/ukuthula [TM-REUSE], pneuma/umoya, huios-patēr/iNdodana-uBaba, kosmos/umhlaba.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή	egō eimi hē hodos kai hē alētheia kai hē zōē	I am the way, and the truth, and the life	Sixth “I am” statement, and the most theologically comprehensive of the seven	I am the way, the truth, and the life	CRITICAL — asserts Christ’s absolute exclusivity as the sole means, standard, and substance of access to the Father (“no one comes to the Father except through me”)	“Mina ngiyindlela leqiniso lokuphila” — Critical. See “I am” note at 6:35. This verse is the single clearest exclusivity claim in the Gospel and should always be flagged for theologian review.
παράκλητος	paraklētos	one called alongside [to help]; advocate, counselor, comforter, helper	A legal-relational term for one summoned to give aid, whether as legal advocate, comforting friend, or counselor; applied to the Holy Spirit (“another Paraclete,” implying Jesus himself was the first) at 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7	Counselor, Comforter, Advocate, Helper	CRITICAL — anchors the entire “Holy Spirit as Counselor” doctrine; “another paraklētos” (14:16) implies continuity between the Spirit’s ministry and Jesus’s own presence/ministry with the disciples	”uMduduzi” — Critical; established Nguni/Zulu Bible tradition rendering for Paraclete (from “-duduza,” to comfort/console). Must be taught with the term’s fuller semantic range (legal advocate, helper, counselor), not narrowed only to emotional comfort; must never be conflated with an ancestral spirit or possessing spirit associated with a diviner (paralleling the caution already recorded for holy_spirit in Romans TM).
πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας	pneuma tēs alētheias	Spirit of truth	A title for the Holy Spirit emphasizing his role in revealing/guiding into truth, contrasted with “the spirit of error” (implied) that the world cannot receive	Spirit of truth	Critical — ties the Holy Spirit directly to truth (alētheia), reinforcing that the Spirit’s ministry is never independent of, or in tension with, the truth revealed in Christ	”uMoya weqiniso” — Critical; built on [TM-REUSE] “uMoya oNgcwele” and registered “iqiniso.”
Πατὴρ μείζων μού ἐστιν	Patēr meizōn mou estin	the Father is greater than I	A statement of the Son’s voluntary, functional submission to the Father in his incarnate mission, not a denial of shared divine essence (harmonized elsewhere in John with 10:30 and 1:1)	the Father is greater than I	High risk theologically subtle text: must be taught in careful balance with 10:30 (“I and the Father are one”) and 1:1 to avoid either an Arian subordinationist misreading (Son as lesser in nature) or a denial of the Son’s incarnate submission to the Father’s mission	”uBaba mkhulu kulami” — High risk; requires theologian-level teaching notes distinguishing functional/incarnational submission from ontological inferiority, given how easily this verse could be misused to deny full deity of Christ.

John 15 — The True Vine

Reuses: agapē allēlous/ukuthandana, eklogē (election-related) [TM-REUSE] root, pneuma tēs alētheias/uMoya weqiniso, kosmos/umhlaba, misthōtos-adjacent themes.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀληθινή	egō eimi hē ampelos hē alēthinē	I am the true vine	Seventh and final “I am” statement	I am the true vine	Critical — completes the sequence of seven “I am” statements; presents Christ as the sole, true source of spiritual life and fruitfulness for his people (the branches)	“Mina ngiyivini leqiniso” — Critical. See “I am” note at 6:35; this is the final of the seven and should be taught together with the other six as a deliberate, unified set.
μένω	menō	abide, remain, stay	Continuous, dependent, vital connection (“abide in me, and I in you”); occurs repeatedly (10 times in vv.4-10 alone)	abide, remain, stay connected	High — names the ongoing condition of fruitful discipleship: vital, continuous union with Christ, apart from which “you can do nothing"	"ukuhlala (kuye)” — High risk; new term for the glossary; must convey durative, continuous dwelling/union, not a single past decision only.
καρπός	karpos	fruit	The visible outcome/product of a vital connection to the vine	fruit	The expected, natural result of abiding, not human self-effort in isolation from Christ	”izithelo” — Low risk.
ἐξελεξάμην ὑμᾶς	exelexamēn hymas	I chose you	Christ’s sovereign choosing of his disciples (“you did not choose me, but I chose you”)	I chose you, I have chosen you	High — directly parallels [TM-REUSE] election = “ukukhethwa” in Romans TM, extending the doctrine of God’s calling and election into discipleship	”nginikhethile” — High risk; built on [TM-REUSE] “ukukhethwa” root, preserving cross-curriculum consistency.

John 16 — The Spirit’s Ongoing Work

Reuses: paraklētos/uMduduzi, pneuma tēs alētheias/uMoya weqiniso, hamartia/isono, dikaiosynē (righteousness) [TM-REUSE], krisis/isahlulelo, kosmos/umhlaba, eirēnē/ukuthula [TM-REUSE].

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐλέγξει τὸν κόσμον περὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ δικαιοσύνης καὶ περὶ κρίσεως	elenxei ton kosmon peri hamartias kai peri dikaiosynēs kai peri kriseōs	he will convict/expose the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment	The Spirit’s threefold convicting ministry toward the unbelieving world — same verb root (elenchō) as at 3:20	he will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment	CRITICAL — a core statement of the Spirit’s own work in the “Holy Spirit as Counselor” doctrine, connecting the Spirit’s ministry directly to the sin ([TM-REUSE] isono), righteousness ([TM-REUSE] ukulunga), and judgment (isahlulelo, ukwahlulela) vocabulary already established	”uzasola umhlaba ngesono, langokulunga, langokwahlulelwa” — Critical; verb “-sola” reused from 3:20’s “ukusolwa,” now formally registered; built on [TM-REUSE] “isono” and “ukulunga.”
νικάω / νενίκηκα τὸν κόσμον	nikaō / nenikēka ton kosmon	conquer, overcome / I have overcome the world	Christ’s declaration of victory over the hostile world-system, spoken even before the cross, as an already-accomplished certainty	I have overcome the world	High — anticipates the cross and resurrection as Christ’s decisive victory, giving believers grounds for peace amid tribulation	”senginqobile umhlaba” — High risk; new term for the glossary; should be connected to the resurrection and to Christ’s defeat of “the ruler of this world” (12:31).

John 17 — The High Priestly Prayer

Reuses: doxazō-doxa/udumo [TM-REUSE], zōē aiōnios/ukuphila okuphakade, hagiazō/ukungcwelisa, hen/sibunye, kosmos/umhlaba, apostellō/ukuthuma.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γινώσκωσιν σὲ τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεόν	hautē de estin hē aiōnios zōē, hina ginōskōsin se ton monon alēthinon theon	this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God	Jesus’s own definition of eternal life — not merely unending existence but relational, personal knowledge of the only true God and of Jesus Christ whom he sent	this is eternal life: that they know you… and Jesus Christ	CRITICAL — the Gospel’s own definition of eternal life, decisively relational (knowing God) rather than merely durational, directly anchoring the “Eternal Life through Faith” doctrine	”lokhu-ke yikho ukuphila okuphakade, ukuthi bakwazi wena, uNkulunkulu weqiniso oyedwa” — Critical; built on registered “ukuphila okuphakade” and [TM-REUSE] “uNkulunkulu.”
ἵνα ὦσιν ἕν καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν	hina ōsin hen kathōs hēmeis hen	that they may be one, just as we are one	Jesus’s prayer for the unity of believers, explicitly modeled on the Father-Son unity of 10:30	that they may be one, as we are one	CRITICAL — extends the “Unity of the Father and the Son” doctrine into a pattern/prayer for the unity of the church, grounded in, not identical to, the divine unity	”ukuthi babe munye, njengalokhu thina simunye” — Critical; must preserve the distinction that believers’ unity is modeled on, not identical in kind to, the essential unity of Father and Son (10:30’s “sibunye”).
δόξαν… πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι	doxan… pro tou ton kosmon einai	glory… before the world existed	Jesus’s prayer recalling the glory he shared with the Father “before the world existed”	the glory I had with you before the world existed	CRITICAL — an explicit, unambiguous statement of Christ’s personal pre-existence, reinforcing John 1:1 and the “Deity and Pre-existence of Christ” doctrine	”udumo… ngingakabi khona umhlaba” — Critical; built on [TM-REUSE] “udumo.”

John 18 — Betrayal, Arrest, and Trial

Reuses: egō eimi-construction, kosmos/umhlaba, basileia/umbuso, alētheia/iqiniso, huios tou theou (implied).

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἐγώ εἰμι	egō eimi	I am (he)	Jesus’s answer to the arresting party (“Whom do you seek?” / “Jesus of Nazareth” / “I am he”), upon which they “drew back and fell to the ground” (18:6) — a reaction that only makes narrative sense as an echo of the divine self-identification of 8:58	I am he	CRITICAL — a second, dramatically enacted instance of the absolute divine “I am,” this time provoking an involuntary, awe-struck physical response from armed soldiers, at the very moment of Jesus’s voluntary submission to arrest	”Yimi” / “Nginguye” with a [TRANSLATOR NOTE MANDATORY] connecting it explicitly back to 8:58’s absolute “I am,” since the ordinary conversational answer (“it is I”) must not obscure the deliberate echo the Greek text intends at this climactic moment.
ἡ βασιλεία ἡ ἐμὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου	hē basileia hē emē ouk estin ek tou kosmou toutou	my kingdom is not of/from this world	Jesus’s statement to Pilate distinguishing his kingdom’s source and nature from any earthly political kingdom	my kingdom is not of this world	High — directly relevant to the baseline’s caution about “umbuso” carrying historical Ndebele royal/political weight; Jesus explicitly denies that his kingdom is territorial or of this world’s political order	”umbuso wami kawuveli kulumhlaba” — High risk; [TM-REUSE] “umbuso” root; this verse gives the translator a direct textual warrant for teaching the non-territorial nature of God’s kingdom, reinforcing the caution already flagged in the baseline package regarding “umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”
μαρτυρήσω τῇ ἀληθείᾳ	martyrēsō tē alētheia	testify to the truth	Jesus’s stated purpose in coming into the world: “for this I was born and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth”	to testify to the truth	Reinforces truth (alētheia) and testimony (martyria) as central, interconnected Johannine themes, now stated as Christ’s own self-understanding of his mission	”ukufakaza ngeqiniso” — High risk; built on registered “iqiniso” and “ukufakaza.”
τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια	ti estin alētheia	what is truth?	Pilate’s cynical or skeptical question, left unanswered in the narrative — dramatic irony, since Truth himself stands before him	What is truth?	Highlights unbelief’s failure to recognize truth even when standing directly before its incarnate source	”Iqiniso yini na?” — Medium risk; the irony should be preserved in teaching notes.

John 19 — The Crucifixion

Reuses: basileus/inkosi (see risk note), hamnos-typology/iWundlu likaNkulunkulu, plēroō (fulfilled — new, low risk), haima/igazi.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
τετέλεσται	tetelestai	it is finished, it is accomplished, it is completed	Perfect tense of teleō — denotes a completed, sufficient, once-for-all accomplishment, often used in commercial/legal contexts of a debt paid in full	it is finished, it is accomplished	CRITICAL — Christ’s final word from the cross, declaring his atoning, substitutionary work fully and finally accomplished — foundational to “Christ’s Substitutionary Death"	"Sekuphelile” — Critical; new term for the glossary. Must be taught with the sense of a completed, sufficient accomplishment (a debt paid in full), not merely “the ordeal is over”; must never be softened into a note of resignation or defeat.
βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων	basileus tōn Ioudaiōn	King of the Jews	Pilate’s inscription over the cross, intended mockingly but narratively true	King of the Jews	High — same root (“-nkosi”) underlies both this earthly-kingship title and [TM-REUSE] lord = “iNkosi”; the collision the baseline flags for “iNkosi” (Christ’s lordship vs. the historical Ndebele royal title) recurs here in a related form and must be carefully taught so that the crucified “king” is understood as the true, greater King, not merely a failed rival to the Ndebele monarchy concept	”iNkosi yamaJuda” — High risk; deliberately shares the root with [TM-REUSE] “iNkosi” (Lord); teaching must connect this ironic, mocked kingship on the cross to Christ’s true, surpassing lordship.
ὀστοῦν οὐ συντριβήσεται	ostoun ou syntribēsetai	a bone will not be broken	Fulfillment of Passover lamb typology (Exodus 12:46) applied to Jesus’s body on the cross	not one of his bones will be broken	Confirms Jesus as the true Passover Lamb (cf. “Lamb of God,” 1:29), reinforcing substitutionary/sacrificial death typology	”kayikwephulwa ithambo” — Medium risk; should be explicitly tied back to registered “iWundlu likaNkulunkulu” and Passover background.

John 20 — The Resurrection

Reuses: anastasis/ukuvuka kwabafileyo [TM-REUSE], eirēnē/ukuthula [TM-REUSE], pneuma hagion/uMoya oNgcwele [TM-REUSE], hamartia/isono, pisteuō/ukukholwa, zōē/ukuphila.

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ὁ κύριός μου καὶ ὁ θεός μου	ho kyrios mou kai ho theos mou	my Lord and my God	Thomas’s confession upon seeing the risen, wounded Christ	my Lord and my God	CRITICAL — the Gospel’s climactic confession of Christ’s full deity, placed deliberately at the narrative climax just before the Gospel’s stated purpose statement (20:30-31); directly ties [TM-REUSE] lord = “iNkosi” and god = “uNkulunkulu” together as titles for the risen Jesus himself	”iNkosi yami loNkulunkulu wami” — Critical. Built entirely on [TM-REUSE] terms “iNkosi” and “uNkulunkulu,” now applied unambiguously and directly to the risen Jesus by name — this convergence should be flagged for theologian review as the Gospel’s deity-of-Christ climax.
ἐνεφύσησεν καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Λάβετε πνεῦμα ἅγιον	enephysēsen kai legei autois, labete pneuma hagion	he breathed on them and said, receive the Holy Spirit	Jesus’s symbolic breathing on the disciples, echoing God’s breath of life in Genesis 2:7 — a new-creation gesture accompanying the Spirit’s giving	receive the Holy Spirit	Critical — ties the Holy Spirit’s giving to new creation itself, reinforcing the divine, life-giving, personal nature of the Spirit ([TM-REUSE] “uMoya oNgcwele”)	“wabaphefumulela wathi kubo, Yamukelani uMoya oNgcwele” — Critical; [TM-REUSE] “uMoya oNgcwele”; the Genesis 2:7 echo should be noted in teaching materials.
ἵνα πιστεύ[σ]ητε ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ… ζωὴν ἔχητε	hina pisteu(s)ēte hoti Iēsous estin ho christos ho huios tou theou… zōēn echēte	that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God… and have life	The Gospel’s own explicitly stated purpose (20:31), bringing together believing (pisteuō), Messiah (christos), Sonship (huios tou theou), and life (zōē) — nearly every major term of this glossary in a single verse	that you may believe… and have life in his name	CRITICAL — the Gospel’s own thesis statement; every major doctrine and term treated in this analysis converges here	”ukuze likholwe ukuthi uJesu unguKristu, iNdodana kaNkulunkulu… libe lokuphila” — Critical; built entirely on already-registered terms: [TM-REUSE] “uKristu”/“uMesiya,” [TM-REUSE] “iNdodana kaNkulunkulu,” registered “ukukholwa,” registered “ukuphila (okuphakade).” Recommended as an anchor cross-reference verse for reviewing overall glossary consistency.

John 21 — Restoration of Peter

Reuses: agapaō/uthando, mathētēs/umfundi, martyria/ubufakazi, akoloutheō (follow — low risk new).

Greek	Transliteration	Literal meaning	Semantic range	English variants	Contextual theological meaning	Ndebele rendering & risk
ἀγαπᾷς με / φιλῶ σε	agapas me / philō se	do you love me [agapaō]? / I love you [phileō]	Jesus’s threefold questioning of Peter uses two distinct Greek verbs for love — agapaō (committed, self-giving love, as at 3:16) and phileō (warm affection, friendship-love) — with Peter consistently answering with phileō even when asked with agapaō, until Jesus’s final question also shifts to phileō	do you love me? / I love you (as a friend)	Medium-High — a debated but pastorally significant nuance: whether or not the distinction is theologically decisive, the repeated triple questioning clearly parallels and restoratively reverses Peter’s earlier triple denial (18:15-27)	“Uyangithanda yini? / Ngiyakuthanda” — Medium-High risk; Ndebele “uthando/-thanda,” like most Bantu languages, does not naturally lexicalize the agapaō/phileō distinction with two separate root words. [TRANSLATOR NOTE RECOMMENDED] explaining the underlying Greek distinction for teaching purposes, while accepting that the single Ndebele root “-thanda” will carry both senses in the rendered text itself.
ποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατά μου / βόσκε τὰ ἀρνία μου	poimaine ta probata mou / boske ta arnia mou	shepherd my sheep / feed my lambs	Jesus’s commissioning of Peter to pastoral care of his people, echoing the Good Shepherd imagery of ch.10	feed my lambs, tend my sheep	Extends Christ’s own shepherding role (ch.10) to entrusted human undershepherds, restoring Peter to active ministry after his denial	”yelusa izimvu zami / ondla amawundlu ami” — Medium risk; “umelusi” (shepherd, ch.10) root reused for the verb “-yelusa.”

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Summary Note on Coverage

Every chapter of John (1-21) has been analyzed above, either through the core-passage verse-by-verse treatment (John 3:1-21) or through chapter-level treatment of load-bearing theological vocabulary (John 1-2, 3:22-36, 4-21). No chapter was found to introduce zero new theological vocabulary; each chapter contributed at least one term requiring fresh registration or an important cross-reference to already-registered terms. All findings are consolidated into analysis/08_core_glossary.md.