4:3

In some languages it may be natural to start a new sentence here. If you do that, it would be good to supply a connecting word such as “so” or “then.” For example:

So he left Judea and returned to Galilee. (New Living Translation (2004))

He left Judea and returned to Galilee: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as returned is more literally “went away again.” Jesus left the province of Judea, where he had gone in 2:13, and started his journey back to Galilee. Galilee was a province that was north of Judea.

He: The Greek does not mention Jesus’ disciples here. In some languages it is more natural to mention his disciples here. For example:

When Jesus knew that, he ⌊and his disciples⌋ left Judea and went home again to Galilee.

returned to Galilee: Jesus began to journey north, from Judea in the south to Galilee further north. He and his disciples probably all walked. They did not complete their trip at this time. So in your translation you should not indicate that they reached Galilee.

Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

set out once more for Galilee (Revised English Bible)
-or-
began to travel/walk back to Galilee
-or-
headed for Galilee again

General Comment on 4:1–3

The first three verses are one sentence in Greek. In many languages it may be natural to have more than one sentence and put the clauses in a different order. You should order this information in the way that is most natural in your language. Several English translations reorder the ideas in these verses. For example:

News now reached the Pharisees that Jesus was winning and baptizing more disciples than John; although, in fact, it was his disciples who were baptizing, not Jesus himself. When Jesus heard this, he left Judaea and set out once more for Galilee. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
The Pharisees heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more followers than John, although Jesus himself did not baptize people, but his followers did. Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard about him, so he left Judea and went back to Galilee. (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus knew that the Pharisees had heard that he was making and baptizing more disciples than John. (Actually, Jesus was not baptizing people. His disciples were.) So he left the Judean countryside and went back to Galilee (God’s Word)

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