Johannine Grammar

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“But in favour of Westcott’s view there is a small point of grammar to which attention might have been called, as will be seen from the two passages to be next quoted.” (Page viii)

“The following requires separate discussion, 17:2 (R.V.) ‘Even as thou gavest him authority over all flesh, that whatsoever thou hast given him, to them he should give eternal life,’ (A.V.) ‘that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him².’ R.V., though closer to the Greek than A.V., has substituted ‘whatsoever ‘for ‘all that.’ Grammatically, the Greek of the italicised words can only be construed as follows: ‘That he may give all that thou hast given him—[namely] eternal life—to them.’ But the previous sentence mentions no persons that could be here referred to as ‘them,’ so that this makes no sense. D alters ‘he may give ‘into ‘may have ‘and omits ‘to them,’ leaving ‘that all that thou hast given to him may have eternal life.” (Page 309)

“Westcott says ‘It contains the reflections of the evangelist and is not a continuation of the words of the Lord.’” (Page viii)

“but it may mean ‘we all,’ ‘we disciples of Christ,’” (Page 311)