2:22a
Behold: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Behold is literally “look.” The word emphasizes or calls attention to the words that follow. This word is not a command to look at something.
If you have a word or phrase with that meaning, you may want to use it here. Some examples are:
Look, (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Beware, (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Indeed/Hey,
I will cast her onto a bed of sickness: The Greek clause is literally “I am throwing her on a bed.” It is probably a Hebrew idiom that means “I will now cause her to become sick/ill.” The Berean Standard Bible adds the words of sickness in order to indicate this meaning. Other ways to translate this clause are:
I will throw her on a sickbed (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
I will cause her to become so ill that she cannot get out of bed
In some languages a literal translation would not have the correct meaning. If that is true in your language, translate the meaning of the idiom. For example:
I will cause her ⌊body⌋ to suffer
I will cast: The Greek grammar here is the present tense. Here the present tense indicates “immediately” or “as I speak.”
2:22b
those who commit adultery with her will suffer great tribulation: The Greek words are literally “those who commit adultery with her into great suffering.” The main verb is from 2:22a—“I will cast.” Other ways to translate this clause are:
all her partners in adultery to great hardship (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
those who committed adultery with her will suffer terribly (Good News Translation)
-or-
those who commit adultery with her I am throwing into great distress (New Revised Standard Version)
commit adultery: This phrase refers to sexual immorality of all kinds. It has the same meaning as “commit sexual immorality” in 2:14e.
2:22c
unless they repent of her deeds: There are two issues here.
Issue 1—The Greek text
There is a textual issue here:
(1) The earliest Greek manuscripts have her. For example:
her (Good News Translation)
(2) Some later Greek manuscripts have their. For example:
their (King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1), because the UBS Handbook Greek NT 4 apparatus recommends it.
This phrase indicates that the people were acting the same as the woman. In some languages it is not possible to say that people must repent of someone else’s deeds. In some languages it is more natural to refer to doing the same things. For example:
repent and stop acting as she does
Issue 2—Meaning
This phrase indicates that if these people repented, then they would not have to suffer. If they stopped committing adultery and eating food sacrificed to idols, God would forgive them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
if they do not turn away from the wrongs she does (New Century Version)
-or-
unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 2:22b–c
The cause (2:22c) is stated after the consequence (2:22b). In some languages it is more natural to have the cause first. For example:
22c Unless they repent of her deeds, 22b those who commit adultery with her suffer great tribulation.
-or-
22c If they do not repent of her deeds, 22b those who commit adultery with her suffer great tribulation.
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