27:34a

So: The Greek word is literally “Therefore.”

for your own preservation: Eating will give them strength so they can swim to shore and not drown. Other ways to translate this clause are:

for it will help you survive (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Eating will help you survive (God’s Word)
-or-
eat first so that you have strength ⌊to swim to shore⌋

your: The Greek pronoun emphasizes the possession. For example:

your very own

preservation: The Greek word here refers to rescue from danger as well as regaining health. In many languages a phrase will be needed to indicate the full meaning. For example:

survival and health
-or-
safety and well-being

27:34b

I urge you to eat something: Here is another way to say this:

I urge you to have something to eat (New Jerusalem Bible)

27:34c

not a single hair of your head will be lost: This saying uses a figure of speech. The phrase a single hair represents any part of a person’s body and soul. Nothing, including death, would harm anyone in any way before they arrived safely on shore. In some languages a literal translation would wrongly refer only to losing hair. If so, you may want to:

• Translate literally and explain it in a footnote. An example footnote is:

This saying indicates that no one would be hurt when they swam to shore.

• Translate the meaning of the figure of speech. For example:

Not one of you will be hurt in any way.

You may then want to indicate the literal saying in a footnote. An example footnote is:

Literally “Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.”

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