7:36a

There is implied information at the beginning of this verse. In 7:33a Jesus took the man aside before he healed him. In 7:36a, Jesus and the man were with the people again. The Greek text introduces this verse with a connector that the Good News Bible translates as “Then.” In some languages it may be necessary to use a phrase that includes the implied information. For example:

When Jesus and the man were with the people again

Jesus ordered: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ordered is the same word that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as “gave strict orders” in 5:43a.

them: The pronoun them refers to the same crowd who brought the man to Jesus (7:32–33).

not to tell anyone: Jesus was telling the crowd not to tell other people what he had just done. You may want to include this information as some English versions do. For example:

not to tell anyone about what happened (New Century Version)
-or-
not to say anything about what he had done (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
not to speak of it to anyone (Good News Bible)

General Comment on 7:36a

It may be more natural in your language to put Jesus’ command into direct speech. For example:

Jesus commanded the crowd, “Do not say anything to others about what has happened.”

7:36b–c

But: Here the Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But indicates contrast. In 7:36a Jesus told the crowd what they should not do. This part of the verse tells what happened instead. Express the contrast in a natural way in your language.

the more He ordered them: Jesus repeatedly told the crowd not to tell others about the miracle that they had just witnessed.

the more widely they proclaimed it: The people continued to tell others what had happened.

the more…the more:

Here are some other ways to translate the more…the more in 7:36b–c:

as he repeatedly ordered them…they repeatedly told others about it
-or-
he told them and told them…and they talked about it and talked about it

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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