SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 13:35

13:35a

So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: This clause is almost identical to 8:17a. There are two ways to interpret the way that this clause is connected to 13:34:

(1) It is the purpose for which Jesus spoke in parables. According to this interpretation, Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables so that scripture would be fulfilled. For example:

He did this to make come true what the prophet had said (Good News Translation)

(Good News Translation, English Standard Version, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) It is the result of Jesus speaking in parables. According to this interpretation, Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables, and as a result scripture was fulfilled. For example:

So God’s promise came true, just as the prophet had said (Contemporary English Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The Greek conjunction in this sentence clearly indicates purpose.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

He did this to fulfill what the prophet had said.
-or-
He taught in parables in order to make come true what the prophet had said.

13:35b

I will open My mouth in parables: The clause I will open My mouth is an idiom that means “I will speak.” For example:

I will speak to you in parables (New Living Translation (2004))

13:35c

I will utter: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as utter means “declare” or “proclaim.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

I will announce (NET Bible)
-or-
I will tell them (Good News Translation)

things hidden: This phrase refers to truths about God’s kingdom that God had not yet revealed to people. These things had been a secret. Human beings did not know these things until Jesus came.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

things kept secret (Revised English Bible)
-or-
things unknown (Good News Translation)

since the foundation of the world: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as foundation means “founding” or “beginning.”

Here are some other ways to translate this entire clause:

since the creation of the world (New International Version)
-or-
since the world was made (Revised English Bible)

-or-

from the beginning of the world

© 2023 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.

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