1:14a–b

each one is tempted when by his own evil desires: This clause states a general principle. In some languages, it may be more natural to state a general principle using plural phrases or using pronouns like “we” or “you.” For example:

people are tempted…by their own evil desires
-or-
we are tempted…by our own evil desires
-or-
you are tempted…by your own evil desires

This clause is also passive. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

Everyone is tempted by his own desires (God’s Word)

• Use an active verb. For example:

A person’s own evil desire tempts him
-or-
Temptation comes from our own desires (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))

1:14a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But indicates a contrast. The contrast is between the false idea that God tempts people to sin (1:13) and the true idea about temptation (1:14).

Some other ways to indicate this contrast are:

Rather
-or-
Instead

1:14b

his own evil desires: The Greek noun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as evil desires generally refers to any wish or desire. However, in this context, it is clearly a sinful desire. For example:

wrong desire (New Jerusalem Bible)

In some languages, it is more natural to translate this noun as a verb. For example:

he himself desires/wants to do evil

Notice that the word desires here is personified. In other words, desires are said to do things just like a person does. In some languages, it is not natural to say that “evil desires something.” In other words, in these languages, we cannot say that our own “desires” urge or entice us to do something. If your language is like that, you may want to avoid the personification. One way to do this is:

When he himself desires to do evil

1:14c

lured away and enticed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lured away literally means “pulled/lured out.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as enticed literally means “attracted with a bait.” In this context, it means “attracted.”

These two Greek words are related metaphors. In this metaphor, the way that a person’s evil desires tempt him to sin is compared to the way a hunter catches a wild animal. One way that they are similar is that both the person and the wild animal are attracted to do something that is not good for them to do.

There are at least three ways to translate these metaphors:

• Keep the metaphors. For example:

he is lured and enticed (English Standard Version)

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

like when they use bait to attract an animal and lure it to a trap

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

attract him and try to persuade him to sin

These two Greek words are also a doublet. This means that the two words mean basically the same thing. The reason for saying the same thing in two different ways is to intensify the meaning. If it is not natural to use doublets in your language, you may use one expression and intensify it. For example:

which can be enormously attractive (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
he is increasingly attracted to do evil
-or-
he is enticed more and more to sin

General Comment on 1:14a–c

These verse parts contain three passive verbs (tempted, dragged, enticed). There are at least two ways to translate them:

• Use passive verbs. For example:

But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. (NET Bible)

• Use active verbs. For example:

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
A person’s own evil desires tempt him and entice him and drag him away.

© 2012 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.