16:26a–b
What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to emphasize something that everyone should know is true. If someone gets the world’s riches but cannot live forever with God, it is worth nothing.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? (New Living Translation (2004))
• As a question with the response supplied. For example:
Will you gain anything if you own the whole world but lose your life ⌊with God⌋? Of course not!
• As a statement. For example:
It is worth nothing for them to have the whole world if they lose their souls. (New Century Version)
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
16:26a
The Greek conjunction that begins this verse is left untranslated in the Berean Standard Bible, but many English versions translate it as “For.” It introduces another basis for Jesus’ statement in 16:24. There he says that a disciple must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Jesus (16:24). Here he says that that is true for/because he will not profit from gaining the entire world (16:26).
The only thing of true value is eternal life. Jesus gives eternal life to those who follow him.
Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:
Because
-or-
Let me further explain
Some English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.
What will it profit a man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as profit means “benefit,” “help,” or “be of use to.”
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
what do you benefit (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
What good will it do for people (God’s Word)
-or-
what use/help will it be for a person
a man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man refers to a human being. It does not just refer to a male.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
a person (NET Bible)
-or-
people (God’s Word)
he gains the whole world: This phrase refers to owning the entire world and everything in it. This is a hyperbole. It refers to being very successful in earning money and obtaining material things.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
own the whole world (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
possesses/acquires everything in the world
-or-
becomes the richest person in the world
16:26b
forfeits his soul: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as forfeits means “loses.”
There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soul:
(1) It refers to a person’s soul. It is the part of a person that lives even after his body dies. So the phrase “forfeits/loses his soul” is a figurative of speech that means “dies spiritually.” It refers to “losing eternal life” or “losing his life in heaven.” For example:
they lose their souls (New Century Version)
(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, King James Version, New American Standard Bible)
(2) It refers to a person’s life (on earth). So the phrase “forfeits/loses his life” is a figure of speech that means “dies physically.” For example:
lose their lives (God’s Word)
(Good News Translation, NET Bible, Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In 16:25, Jesus moved from talking about physical life to talking about spiritual life. Here in 16:26, he continued to talk about spiritual life.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
loses his life ⌊with God⌋
-or-
fails to get ⌊eternal⌋ life
-or-
does not get/receive life ⌊that has no end⌋
General Comment on 16:26a–b
In some language, it will be more natural to change the order of some of the clauses in 16:26a–b. For example:
If a man gains the whole world but loses his own soul, it there any profit in that?
-or-
If a man owns the entire world but does not get eternal life, there is no benefit.
16:26c
Or: Here the word Or introduces a rhetorical question that says something similar to the rhetorical question in 16:25a–b. This rhetorical question is another way to make a similar point as the first one.
Normally the word “or” links two things, and only one of them is correct/preferred. Or the listener is supposed to choose one of them. For example, “Did he go to Jerusalem or Bethlehem?” However, in this verse, Or is not used in that way. The response to both questions is “No” or “Nothing.”
Here is another way to introduce this second rhetorical question:
Or ⌊to say/ask it another way⌋
Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, a conjunction will not be necessary here either.
what can a man give in exchange for his soul?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus asked this question to emphasize that nothing can buy true life with God. There is nothing that a person can give to God that would be a fair trade for his life.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
what can a person give in exchange for his life? (NET Bible)
• As a question with the response supplied. For example:
Is there anything that a person can give ⌊to God⌋ so that ⌊God⌋ gives him eternal life in return? ⌊No!⌋
• As a statement. For example:
It is ⌊certainly⌋ impossible for a person to pay ⌊God⌋ enough so that ⌊God⌋ will give him eternal life.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
give in exchange for his soul: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as give in exchange refers to the way people traded things before there was money. They traded/exchanged one thing for something else of equal value.
Here, Jesus said that nothing has enough value to be an equal trade for eternal life. That is even true if you had all the riches of the world. No one is able to pay enough to buy true life.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
there is nothing a person can give in trade for his life ⌊with God⌋
-or-
What can a person trade/exchange to get ⌊eternal⌋ life?
-or-
Can a person pay enough money to buy his life ⌊in heaven⌋?
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