Paragraph 21:12–19
21:12a
But before all this: The phrase But before all this introduces events that will happen before the events and signs in 21:10–11. Before those terrors and signs occur, people will persecute the disciples.
In the Greek text this verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But. This is one way in English to introduce a transition between events that happened before the events in the preceding paragraph. In some languages a conjunction is not needed. For example:
Before all these things happen (God’s Word)
Translate the sequence of events in a clear and natural way in your language.
all this: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all this is literally “all these things.” This phrase refers in general to the different things that Jesus mentioned in 21:10–11. It does not refer to one specific thing.
they will seize you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will seize you means to seize or arrest someone. Jesus did not specify who would seize his disciples. The word they in the Berean Standard Bible does not refer to any specific people. Some ways to translate the clause are:
• Use a general subject, such as “people” or “your enemies.” For example:
people will arrest…you (God’s Word)
• Use a passive clause. For example:
you will be arrested (Good News Translation)
persecute: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecute means to cause trouble for people, to cause them to have pain and to suffer. The disciples would be persecuted in the two ways described in 21:12c–d. Other ways to translate this word are:
harass
-or-
treat…cruelly (New Century Version)
Avoid a term that implies that disciples will be punished because they will do bad things. They will be persecuted because they follow Jesus, as 21:12b indicates.
21:12b
On account of My name: The phrase On account of My name gives the reason that people will persecute the disciples. The people will persecute them because of Jesus, and more specifically, because they were Jesus’ disciples. They believed in Jesus, and they obeyed him. The phrase My name represents Jesus himself. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
⌊This will happen⌋ because you belong to me.
-or-
⌊They will do these things to you⌋ because you are my disciples.
21:12c
they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons: This clause describes one specific way in which the disciples would be persecuted. The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deliver was also used in 18:32 and 20:20. See the note on 18:32a for more information.
In this context the verb deliver indicates that people will take the disciples to the synagogues for trial. It implies that the leaders and other people in the synagogues will be hostile to the disciples. They will accuse the disciples of wrongdoing, and they will declare that they are guilty and must be imprisoned.
Other ways to translate they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons are:
They will bring you to their prayer-houses to be judged and they will put you in prison
-or-
They will arrest you and accuse you in the synagogues, and they will take you to prison
you: The word you is plural. It refers here to some of Jesus’ disciples. In this verse Jesus referred to what would happen to some of his disciples in the future. He gave examples of things that people would do to harm them. These things could happen to any of his disciples, not only to those who were with him as he spoke. In some languages it is helpful to indicate this. For example:
⌊some of⌋ you
synagogues: The word synagogues also occurred in 20:46d. See the note there for more information. In this context the focus is on the leaders and other people who met in the synagogues, not just on the synagogue buildings. Be sure that this is clear in your language. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:
⌊people of the⌋ prayer-houses
-or-
⌊leaders of the⌋ meeting-places
If you make explicit a phrase such as “of the Jews,” be sure that it does not imply that Jesus was not a Jew.
prisons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as prisons is a general word. It can refer to guarding a person or to the place where people guard them. It indicates that the disciples will be confined in a place and guarded so that they cannot leave it. Use a natural way in your language to describe this. Some other ways to translate it in English are:
put in prison (Good News Translation)
-or-
imprisoned/confined
-or-
locked/shut in a room and guarded
21:12d
and: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the conjunction and to connect 21:12c with 21:12d in a natural way in English. The Greek text does not have a conjunction. Several English versions start a new sentence here. For example:
They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name. (God’s Word)
Begin 21:12d in a natural way in your language.
they will bring you before kings and governors: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bring has several meanings. Here it refers to a person being forced to go with his accusers to a king or governor to be judged. The clause indicates that some of the disciples will be taken to kings or governors for trial. Other ways to translate this are:
you will be placed on trial before kings and governors (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you will be accused before kings and governors (New Living Translation (1996))
In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb here. For example:
they will lead/bring you to kings and governors for trial
-or-
they will take you ⌊by force⌋ and accuse you to kings and governors
kings: A “king” is a man who rules a place as the supreme ruler. This place can be a city or a tribe or a country. He is appointed according to the laws and customs of the place that he rules. He usually became king because he was the son of a king. A “king” was considered more important than a governor was. A governor was usually appointed by a greater ruler and was responsible to him. If you used the word “king” to describe Herod in 3:1c, you should use the same word here, in the plural form.
Some ways to translate kings are:
rulers
-or-
chiefs
governors: The word governors refers to men who were appointed by a greater leader to rule a particular country. For example, Pilate was the governor of Judea (Mark 15:1). He was a Roman, appointed by the Roman Emperor to govern the Jews. See how you translated the word “governor” in 2:2. Another way to translate governors is:
leaders
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