20:22a
When He had said this, He breathed on them: These clauses indicate that Jesus breathed on the disciples. The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as breathed is the same verb that is used in the Greek translation of Genesis 2:7. There it says that God created man, breathed the breath of life into his nose, and the man became a living being. Here Jesus breathed on the disciples in order to give them the Holy Spirit (see 20:22b). It is good to use the same verb for breathed that you used in Genesis 2:7. Here are other ways to translate these clauses:
After he said this he breathed on them (New Century Version)
-or-
Then he breathed on them (Good News Translation)
He breathed on them: Use the expression that is natural in your language for obviously blowing in someone’s direction. The Greek text does not say whether he breathed on them as individuals or as a group. It is good to leave this ambiguous. For example:
he blew on them
-or-
he blew on them with his breath
20:22b
Receive the Holy Spirit: Jesus was inviting the disciples to receive God’s Holy Spirit into their life. His breathing on them showed them that he was giving them the Spirit. The text does not say whether they received the Holy Spirit then or later. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Accept the Holy Spirit into your life
-or-
Welcome the Holy Spirit coming to you
Receive: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Receive is often translated as “take.” Here it refers to receiving a person, as in 1:12. See how you translated this word there.
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