Hi. What you’re saying sounds about right. I think it still needs some sort of helper in the English to get the sense across, so if “may/might” were struck, you’d have to still do something extra to clarify the exact shade of meaning.
Finishing up on this problematic translation/interpretation:
*********
For your edification, an illuminating excerpt illustrating a properly constructed rendering
of the subjunctive mode in John 3 passage we were discussing:
From the volume "THE GOSPELS: A Precise Translation"
from the Byzantine/Majority Textform
Compared with the Textus Receptus and
A Chronological Harmony Embedded
by Dr. Fred Wittman; Freely available from Happy Heralds, Inc. (click here)
John 3:14-18*
14 And according as Moses liftedh high the serpenti in the desertk, in this way
it is absolutely necessary for the Son of /Manf to be liftedh high 15 in order that
everyone who is persistently committing trust unto Him not perish, but have
eternal absolute life.
16 For The God so lovedq the world, so that He gave His /Only Begotten /Son,
in order that everyone persistently committing trust unto Him onot perish but
ocontinually have Eternal Absolute Life. 17 For The God did not sendu His /Son
into the world in order that He ojudge the world, but in order that the world obe saved
through Him. 18 The one persistently committing trust unto Him is not being judged.
Butj the one not persistently committing trust already has been permanently judged
because he has not permanently committed trust unto the name of The Only Begotten
Son of The God.
Meaning of superscripted indices:
* = the words may, might, will, would, shall, should usually translated to indicate ubjunctive mode need not and do not appear in this passage, thus removing ambiguity as to the exact sense of the Greek syntax as it was intended to appear to the first-century Greek reader
/ = denotes that the word is articulate
f = Human h = exalted
i = snake
j = articulation continued k = Num. 21:6-9
o = subjunctive
q = sovereignly prefer over self and others
u = with a commission implied
v = intermediate agency
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That’s a great example of a well translated subjunctive. Thanks for keeping on digging. Finding that was worth the effort.
Peace,
SR
John 3:14-18
14 “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.