Paragraph 22:5–7

22:5a

But: There is a contrast between the king’s invitation to come (in 22:4b–f) and the people’s refusing to come (in 22:5a). Most English versions make this contrast explicit with the conjunction “but.”

they paid no attention and went off: Most English versions seem to indicate that everyone in the second group paid no attention and left. However, in this clause is more literally “those who paid no attention left.” Verse 22:6a indicates that there were some people who did not leave. These other people siezed the servants and killed them (in 22:6a–b).

So some other ways to translate this clause is:

those people who paid no attention went off
-or-
some people paid no attention and went off

they paid no attention: The Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as paid no attention indicates that some people did not care about the fact that the king had invited them to a wedding.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

the guests he had invited ignored them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the people refused to listen to the servants (New Century Version)
-or-
some people didn’t consider the invitation to be important

and went off: This verb indicates that some people left to do something else.

Here are some another way to translate this verb:

and left to do other things (New Century Version)
-or-
and went about their business (Good News Translation)

22:5b

one to his farm: The Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as farm is more literally “field.” It refers to a place where someone grows crops.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

to his field (New International Version)

another to his business: The Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as business refers to any sort of commercial activity.

Here some another ways to translate this phrase:

some went to their places of business (Contemporary English Version)

another to his store (Good News Translation)

-or-

another went to sell

General Comment on 22:5b

The two phrases in 22:5b refer to the ordinary activities of life. It is a general description of what the people who did not listen to the invitation went off to do. It does not mean that there were only two people in this group. So it is possible to translate this clause with plural words to communicate this understanding. For example:

some of them left for their farms and some went to their places of business (Contemporary English Version)

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