10:9a
Heal the sick who are there: In this context the phrase the sick who are there means “the people in that town who are sick.”
10:9b
In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for 10:9b. See the General Comment on 10:9b for a suggestion.
and tell them: The pronoun them refers to all the people in the town, not only the people whom the disciples healed.
The kingdom of God is near you: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The kingdom of God is near you is literally “the kingdom of God has approached you” or “the kingdom of God has come near to you.” This clause probably means here that God’s kingdom had already arrived. God had already begun to rule and save his people through Jesus’ teaching and miracles. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
God has already come to rule and save you as king.
-or-
God is ⌊even now⌋ among you to rule and deliver you
The kingdom of God: The phrase The kingdom of God does not refer here to a land or country that God rules over. It refers to the relationship that God has with his people. He rules them, and leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.
Some ways to translate this are:
• As a noun. For example:
God’s rule/reign
-or-
God’s kingship
-or-
God’s chieftaincy
-or-
God’s government
• As a verbal expression:
the way God rules his people
-or-
the way God cares for his people as king
See the notes on 4:43a and 9:2 and kingdom of God in the Glossary.
General Comment on 10:9b
In some languages it may be more natural to translate 10:9b as indirect speech. For example:
and tell the people that the kingdom of God has come near them
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