16:21

A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when she brings forth her child, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world: This is the first half of a comparison. It can also be considered an illustration, an extended simile, or a short parable. Jesus compared the disciples’ suffering when he died to a woman’s suffering when she gives birth. And he compared the disciples’ joy when they saw Jesus alive again to a woman’s joy when her baby is born.

It may be natural to indicate here that Jesus is beginning an illustration or comparison. For example:

⌊It is like this:⌋ when a woman is in labor…
-or-

⌊Suppose/Imagine that⌋ there is a woman in labor…
-or-

⌊You know that⌋ when a woman is in labor…
-or-
It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor… (New Living Translation (2004))

16:21a

A woman has pain in childbirth: The phrase in childbirth refers to the process of giving birth to a baby. Use a phrase that is natural and suitable for public reading. For example:

When a woman gives birth to a baby (New Century Version)
-or-
Like a woman whose suffering is extreme at the time when she has her baby

In some languages it may be better to use a dependent clause here, emphasizing the time rather than the woman. For example:

When a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come. (New Revised Standard Version)

has pain: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has pain can refer to feeling grief, anxiety, and distress as well as physical suffering. Try to use an expression that can include both ideas. For example:

suffers (New Jerusalem Bible)

16:21b

because her time has come: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as her time has come refers to the time for the woman to give birth. Here are other ways to translate this clause:

because her hour of suffering has come (Good News Translation)
-or-
because now it is time for her to give birth

General Comment on 16:21a–b

In some languages it may be natural to combine the information in these clauses. For example:

21a–b A woman has pain when her time to give birth comes (God’s Word)
-or-

21a–b It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. (New Living Translation (2004))

16:21c

but when she brings forth her child: This clause refers to the time after the baby has been born. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as an independent clause. For example:

But then her baby is born and

she forgets her anguish: This clause means “the mother no longer thinks about the pain of giving birth.” After the birth of her child, the mother no longer thinks so much about the suffering she endured. It is not important to her anymore. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as a positive statement. For example:

she forgets the pain (New Century Version)
-or-
she forgets her suffering (Good News Translation)
-or-
she no longer thinks about the distress

her anguish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as anguish means “trouble, distress, difficult circumstances.” Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

the suffering (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
the pain (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
her suffering

In some languages it may be natural to translate this using a verb phrase. For example:

how greatly she suffered
-or-
how much she endured
-or-
the pain that she suffered

16:21d

because of her joy that a child has been born into the world: This expression gives the reason why the mother forgets her pain. She forgets her pain because the new baby has given her joy. The Greek expression is more literally “because of the joy that a person was born into the world.” Here are other ways to translate this expression:

because she is made happy by the baby that was born into the world
-or-
because her new baby makes her very happy

her joy that a child has been born into the world: The woman is happy that her baby was born. In some languages it may be natural to make it clear that the joy is the woman’s happiness. It may also be natural to translate joy as an adjective describing the woman. For example:

because of her joy that a human being has been born into the world (NET Bible)
-or-
she is happy that a baby has been born into the world (Good News Translation)

a child has been born into the world: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as a child has been born into the world refers to the birth of the baby. In some languages it may be natural to use a different expression. Either the baby or the mother may be the subject. For example:

having brought a human being into the world (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
she has given birth to a new baby

a child: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a child means “person, man.” In some languages it is more natural in this context to translate it a different way. For example:

a human being (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
a new baby (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
her baby

General Comment on 16:21c–d

In some languages it may be natural to combine the information in 16:21c–d. For example:

21c–d After the birth, she is so happy that a new baby has been born into the world that she does not remember the pain that she suffered.

General Comment on 16:21

This verse uses an illustration of a woman giving birth. It does not refer to any particular woman but to women in general. So in some languages it may be natural to use plural forms. For example:

When women are in labor, they suffer….

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