2:13a–b

In this verse the author quoted two more OT verses which he applied to Jesus. These quotations come from Isaiah 8:17–18.

And again: The phrase And again introduces another quotation from the OT. The author implied that Jesus said this about God. Introduce the quotation in a natural way in your language. Some ways to do this in English are:

He also says, “I… (Good News Translation)
-or-
Something else he caused-to-be-written says, “I…

In some languages it is helpful to use your usual key term for the Scriptures here. For example:

and in another place in God’s book/writings he said

“I will put My trust in Him.” And once again: “Here am I, and the children God has given Me.”: The phrase And once again connects two statements that are one clause in Isaiah. It emphasizes the connection between Jesus and the children (people). The pronoun I is emphatic. It implies that Jesus is the leader of his people, and they must put their trust in God, along with Jesus.

Some other ways to connect these clauses are:

“I will put my trust in him,” that is, “I and the children God has given me.” (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
“I trust God,” and he said moreover, “Here I am joined with the children of God that he has entrusted to me.”
-or-
He also said, “I put my hope in him,” and “I with the children whom God has given me.”

Use a natural way in your language to translate the emphatic connection between Jesus and his people.

I will put My trust in Him: The clause I will put My trust in Him indicates that Jesus is determined to trust in God only. It does not imply that Jesus was beginning to trust in God at the moment when he said this. He also trusted God before he said it.

Some other ways to translate the clause are:

I will keep my trust fixed on him. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
As for me, I have confidence only in God.

The context implies that Jesus trusts in God as the leader of all who follow him. Jesus trusts in God, and everyone who follows him must also trust God. In some languages it is helpful to make this clear in the introduction to the quotation. For example:

⌊ As our leader,⌋he also says “I will ⌊live by⌋ trusting in God

Here am I: The phrase Here am I is more literally “See/Look, I.” In this context it is a way for the speaker (Jesus) to focus the readers’ attention on himself. It also emphasizes the next statement. He emphasizes the connection between him and the people who follow him. Use a natural way in your language to focus attention on Jesus and his people here.

and the children God has given Me: The phrase the children God has given Me refers to all people who believe in Jesus and follow him. Jesus and the people he saves are brothers and sisters. They are part of God’s family and therefore God’s children.

Some other ways to translate this quotation are:

Here I am, accompanied by God’s children whom he has given me.
-or-
Here I am, joined with the children of God that he has entrusted to me.

given: Here the word given indicates that God gave Jesus responsibility for those who have become God’s children. Jesus will lead and care for them as the “author of their salvation” (2:10). Other ways to translate “the children whom God has given me” are:

the children of God given me to care for
-or-
God’s children whom he told me to lead

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