3:17a

so that: The Greek conjunction hina, which the Berean Standard Bible translates as so that, connects 3:17 with 3:16. It indicates the purpose for which Scripture is useful (3:16), that is, so that the man of God may be able to do good works (3:17).

the man of God: This is a general expression, as is the phrase “a servant of the Lord” in 2:24a. It is not referring to a specific man, but to any person who serves God or belongs to him.

Some ways you could translate this phrase are “a person who serves God” or “each of God’s people.”

man: The Greek noun that the Berean Standard Bible translates as man actually refers to a human being, male or female. Avoid using a word that would make people think that this refers only to men.

3:17b

may be complete, fully equipped: The two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as complete, fully equipped have the same root and almost the same meaning. They mean, “ready,” “prepared,” or “capable.” The fact that there are two such Greek words in this sentence makes the statement emphatic. There are two ways of translating this:

• Translate them as two separate words with similar meanings as in the Berean Standard Bible. As another example, the NET Bible says:

that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.

• Translate them as a single concept that includes an intensifier. For example, the New International Version (2011 Revision) says:

so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped….

If possible, you should follow the first option. If you do not have two related words, you can follow the example of the New International Version (2011 Revision) and translate one adjective modified by an intensifier to show emphasize this idea.

General Comment on 3:16–17

In Greek, 3:16 and 3:17 are one long sentence. In some languages it may be necessary to begin a new sentence at 3:17, as some modern English translations do. One way to do this is to repeat the subject of the sentence (Scripture) as follows: “Scripture is useful to you for all of this so that….” See the second Meaning Line of 3:17a in the Display.

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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.