7:22a
because: In the Greek text 7:22a connects with 7:21 with a phrase that is often translated as “because of this” and the Berean Standard Bible translates as because. There are different ways to interpret this here:
(1) It belongs with verse 22 and refers forward, meaning “because of this Moses gave circumcision.” John always uses this Greek phrase at the beginning of clauses and never at the end. It seems to say here that Moses commanded circumcision on the Sabbath so that Jesus could heal on the Sabbath. Moses’ law would show that Jesus was allowed to heal on the Sabbath. For example:
For this reason Moses has given you circumcision…, and on the Sabbath you circumcise a man. (New American Standard Bible)
(Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New International Version, NET Bible Bible)
(2) It belongs with verse 21 and means “at it” or “by it” (they were “surprised by the miracle Jesus did”). For example:
all of you are surprised by it. Moses gave you the teaching about circumcision…. (God’s Word)
(God’s Word, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, Contemporary English Version, New American Bible, Revised Edition)
This phrase is difficult to interpret and translate. Many translations (Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, and New Living Translation (2004)) leave this phrase untranslated or implied. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), or else leave the phrase untranslated/implied, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. It is also possible to follow the major national translation used in your area. Here is another way to follow interpretation (1):
Therefore Moses gave you circumcision…, and you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath.
Moses gave you circumcision: The clause gave you circumcision means “commanded the Hebrew/Jewish people to circumcise their males.” Circumcision is included in the law of Moses. See, for example, Leviticus 12:3.
Here are other ways to translate this clause:
Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
Moses ordered you to circumcise your sons (Good News Translation)
circumcision: The noun circumcision refers to the practice of cutting off the loose skin of a boy’s or man’s sex organ. They did this to mark them as members of God’s people. Translate this in a way that does not offend or embarrass people. Some languages use a more general phrase such as “make a mark by cutting the skin.” If you use a general expression, it may be necessary to include a footnote or a note in the glossary. Explain the expression so that people can understand exactly what circumcision is.
Here is an example of a possible footnote:
Circumcision was a symbol of the covenant that God made with Abraham and Abraham’s descendants. They were supposed to circumcise every male child on the eighth day after he was born (Genesis 17:9–14, 21:4; Leviticus 12:3).
7:22b
you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath: The Jewish people circumcised boys on the eighth day after their birth. If a boy was born on a Sabbath (Saturday), they circumcised him on the next Sabbath. They did not wait to circumcise the boy later to avoid doing it on the Sabbath, a day of rest. They thought it was more important to circumcise the boy than to obey the Sabbath law.
The Greek text emphasizes the phrase on the Sabbath. It does that because the important thing was the day that they circumcised, not just that they circumcised. The day was important because it proved Jesus’ argument.
In some languages a literal translation may indicate that all boys were circumcised on the Sabbath. To avoid this wrong meaning it may be necessary to say:
you circumcise even on the sabbath (Revised English Bible)
-or-
you ⌊are willing/prepared to⌋ cut a boy’s skin on the Sabbath
a boy: Normally someone circumcised a baby boy when he was eight days old. So in some languages it may be natural to say specifically:
a male child (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
your son (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
a baby (New Century Version)
the Sabbath: This phrase here and in the following verse refers to any Sabbath day, not just one particular Sabbath. So in some languages it may be natural to translate this phrase without a definite article (the). For example:
a Sabbath
The word Sabbath is the name of the seventh and last day of the week for the Jews. It was the special day in the week when they rested and worshiped God. It was against the law to do any work on that day.
Here are some ways to translate Sabbath :
the ⌊Jewish⌋ rest day
-or-
the day for resting
-or-
the day to rest and worship God
If the word Sabbath is already known in your area, you may write it according to the sounds of your language. You may also want to include a phrase to explain the meaning. For example:
the sabat, the ⌊Jews’⌋ rest day
See how you translated Sabbath at 5:9c.
7:22c
(not that it is from Moses, but from the patriarchs.): The Berean Standard Bible placed this clause in parentheses to indicate that it is not part of the main argument. Jesus, or perhaps the author, was correcting the idea that the practice of circumcision began with Moses.
Here are other ways to translate this parenthetical comment:
though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs (New International Version)
-or-
although it was not Moses but your ancestors who started it (Good News Translation)
-or-
Moses commanded you to circumcise your males, a command that he inherited from his ancestors
The patriarchs lived several hundred years before Moses. In your translation, make sure that it is clear that the patriarchs lived before Moses. For example:
not that it began with him, it goes back to the patriarchs (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
(Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) (New Living Translation (2004))
the patriarchs: This phrase refers to the ancestors of the Jewish people, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If your language has a special term for the people who started a nation, it is good to use that here. But if no term like that is common in your language, you can use a more general term for ancestors. For example:
your ancestors (Good News Translation)
-or-
your earlier ancestors/forefathers
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