1:17a

For: Peter again used this word to link what he would say next with what he had said before. The Display of 1:17a shows one way to translate what Peter meant here.

honor and glory: These two words, honor and glory, are very similar in meaning. Some commentaries say two separate things are referred to: that “honor” refers to what God said and that “glory” refers to how Jesus shone brightly at the time that Peter was talking about. However other scholars think that they are a pair of words that Peter used together in this sentence in order to emphasize in a special way how much God honored Jesus. If that is how Peter used these words, it is possible to translate them together. For example:

greatly honored
-or-
truly honored (Contemporary English Version)

God the Father: This is what the Greek text and most English versions say. If in your language, you need to make clear who God is the father of, you should translate this:

God his Father (Living Bible)

1:17b

the Majestic Glory: Most commentaries say that this is a way of referring to God without mentioning his name. If you accept this interpretation, you should translate carefully in a way that ensures that both the voice and the Majestic Glory clearly refer to God the Father. One way to do this is to say “God who is very glorious” or “God who has great glory.”

However, other people think that the Majestic Glory referred to the bright cloud that the men who wrote the Gospel accounts spoke about (see Matthew 17:5).

1:17c

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: Peter quotes here the words that God the Father (speaking as a voice from heaven) spoke to Jesus, his Son, as recorded in the gospels. Check your translation of these words in Matthew 3:17 and 17:5 (similar in Mark 9:7 and Luke 3:22.) You should translate them the same way here.

This is My beloved Son: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This is My beloved Son is literally “This is my son the beloved.” The words “the beloved” indicate here that Jesus was God the Father’s one and only dear son. This phrase does not imply that God has other sons whom he did not love.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

This is my own dear Son (Good News Translation)
-or-
This is my dearly loved Son (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
This person is my son. I love him.

My beloved Son: The phrase My…Son describes the relationship that Jesus had with God the Father. “God’s Son” or “the Son of God” is a title that was often used to refer to a savior who would be a descendant of King David. God would send this savior to rescue his people. This person was often referred to as the “Messiah” or “Christ.”

The title “the Son of God” also indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. The relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. The Son of God existed eternally as the Son with his Father.

In areas where people do not understand the title “the Son of God” in this way, you may want to include a footnote that explains the correct meaning. Here is a suggested footnote:

This title refers to Jesus. It indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It does not mean that God the Father had a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. Mary became pregnant with Jesus in a miraculous way by the Holy Spirit of God.

In some languages, it is natural to speak of a son as a “child,” without specifying male or female. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general term, such as:

my Child (A translation of the title “the Son of God” must include a familial term such as “son” or “child.” Translations such as “the man who is God,” “the divine man,” or “the God man” are not acceptable, since they do not retain familial language. Examples of acceptable translation options include “the Son who comes from God,” and “the divine/unique/eternal Son of God.”)

Other verses will usually make clear that Jesus was a male child. If you use a phrase such as “my male child,” be sure that it does not imply that God had another child who was female.

in whom I am well pleased: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I am well pleased means “I am delighted” or “I am very pleased/satisfied.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

He makes me very happy/pleased.
-or-
in him I take great delight (NET Bible)
-or-
he makes my heart glad

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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.