5:14a

But solid food is for the mature: This clause contrasts with 5:13b. Everyone who lives on “milk” is still an infant. In contrast, mature people eat solid food. In the Greek text, the word mature comes first in the sentence. For example:

Mature people ⌊eat⌋ solid food.

Translate the contrast in a natural way in your language. In some languages a conjunction is not needed. For example:

Solid food is for mature people (Contemporary English Version)

solid food: The phrase solid food was used in 5:12c. It refers to food which needs to be chewed. It also refers figuratively to teaching that requires a person to think seriously before he can understand it. See how you translated this phrase in 5:12.

mature: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mature means “full-grown, mature, adult.” It contrasts with “infant” in 5:13. Some other ways to translate it are:

adults (Good News Translation)
-or-
a mature person

Here the word mature is used in two different ways:

(a) It refers literally to adults in contrast to infants.

(b) It refers figuratively to people who are mature in following Christ and understanding Christian teaching.

The figurative use (b) will become clear in 5:14b–c, where the text speaks of being able to distinguish good from evil.

5:14b–c

who by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil: This part of the verse describes the mature people in 5:14a. They have the ability to distinguish good and evil because they have been trained by experience to know the difference. Some other ways to translate this meaning are:

whose minds are trained by practice to know the difference between good and evil (God’s Word)
-or-
who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong (New Living Translation (2004))

5:14b

by constant use have trained: The verb have trained means “have trained themselves” or “have learned.” The phrase by constant use refers to the experience that a person gains when he does something many times. A mature person has made decisions many times about whether various actions or attitudes are good or evil.

Some other ways to translate the phrase by constant use have trained are:

by constant use are trained/able
-or-
through training/practice have the skill
-or-
has accustomed his mind

their senses: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as senses refers to a person’s ability to perceive and discern. His senses make him able to know the difference between good and evil so that he can decide which actions or attitudes are right and which are wrong.

Languages have different ways to refer to a person’s ability to distinguish good and evil. In some languages a specific part of a person is used to describe this ability. In other languages it is more natural to refer to a person himself, rather than to a part of the person. Use a natural way in your language to speak about a person’s ability to discern good and evil.

Some other ways to translate it are:

his mind/conscience
-or-
have the skill to (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
their senses (New American Standard Bible)

5:14c

to distinguish good from evil: The phrase to distinguish good from evil refers to making decisions about what is morally right and what is morally wrong. It describes a person who is able to know the difference between what God considers good and what he considers evil.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

tell what is the difference between what is the good way and what is the evil way.
-or-
choosing/deciding what is right and what is wrong
-or-
has the ability to know the difference between what is right to do and what is wrong ⌊and to choose to do what is right⌋

© 2016, 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
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.