16:26a
but now revealed: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊he⌋ has now revealed
now: Here this word refers generally to this new period of time where the revelation of Jesus as the Christ/Messiah is known.
revealed: The Greek word here refers to making something visible. God has caused the knowledge that was unknown (16:25c: the mystery) to now be known. Here are other ways to translate this word:
disclosed (English Standard Version)
-or-
brought out into the open (Good News Translation)
16:26b
and: This word connects “now revealed” (16:26a) and “made known” (16:26b).
made known through the writings of the prophets: In some English versions, the phrase through the writings of the prophets is first in the clause to emphasize it. For example:
through the prophetic writings has been made known (English Standard Version)
Some languages must have it in its usual place, as the Berean Standard Bible models.
made known: This clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
⌊he⌋ has made known
through the writings of the prophets: Here the word through introduces how the mystery was made known to the nations. God revealed it in these writings.
the writings of the prophets: This refers to the prophecies that were written in the Hebrew Bible, what many Christians now call the Old Testament. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
the ⌊holy⌋ writings with its prophecies
-or-
the writings/books ⌊of God⌋ and their prophecies
In some languages a literal translation would not clearly imply the Old Testament. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain in a footnote. Here is an example footnote:
This refers to the prophecies in the Old Testament.
16:26c
by the command of the eternal God: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by means both:
(a) that the event of God making the mystery known happened as the command of God said it would.
(b) that the event of God making the mystery known happened because God commanded it to happen.
Some languages may be able to indicate both meanings. But many languages will have to choose to translate one or the other meaning. For example:
as the eternal God commanded (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
because the eternal God commanded it
the eternal God: The word eternal indicates that God always existed in the past and will always exist in the future.
16:26d
in order to lead…to the obedience that comes from faith: The words in order to introduce the purpose of Paul’s gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ (16:25b) being made known (16:26b). The purpose was that the people would obey Jesus because they believe in him. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
for the obedience of faith (King James Version)
-or-
to the obedience that is associated with faith (God’s Word)
-or-
so that…obey in faith (New Jerusalem Bible)
in order to: Here the phrase in order to introduce the purpose of God making known the mystery that was “concealed for ages past” (16:25c).
the obedience that comes from faith: See how you translated this phrase in 1:5.
all nations: The singular word “nation” here refers to a group of people united by a common language and culture. It is also sometimes used to refer a group of these groups organized under one government. Use a word that allows both meanings.
Some languages must choose between those two meanings. If that is true in your language, refer to the first kind of group, a group of people united by a common language and culture.
© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.