10:18a–b

So He told them, “I saw Satan fall…”: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So He told them is literally “And he said to them.” In this verse Jesus responded to what the disciples said in 10:17 about casting out demons.

Jesus implied that when the disciples cast demons out of people, Jesus/God was defeating Satan. Jesus probably also implied that the disciples were able to cast the demons out because Jesus already had power over Satan. In the future Jesus would completely destroy Satan’s power.

In some languages it may seem that in 10:18 Jesus did not respond to what the disciples had just said. It may be necessary to make explicit that Jesus was saying something about the same topic. For example:

Jesus responded, “⌊Yes,⌋…”
-or-
Jesus responded to their ⌊statement⌋ by saying, “⌊I know,⌋…”
-or-
Jesus replied, “⌊As you were doing that,⌋ I saw Satan fall…”

I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven: Scholars interpret this clause in different ways:

(1) Jesus was speaking figuratively about something that he knew had happened. He perceived that Satan had lost his power.

(2) Jesus was speaking literally about something that he actually saw. He may have seen it in a vision while he was on earth or he may have seen it before he became man.

English versions do not indicate which interpretation they follow. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with a majority of Bible scholars. It is good if you can suggest in your translation that Jesus was speaking figuratively. For example:

I saw Satan ⌊being defeated, as though he were⌋ falling out of heaven like lightning.

See the note on “Satan fall like lightning from heaven” later in this part of the verse.

I saw: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I saw is literally “I was observing” or “I watched.” This verb probably refers here to something that Jesus perceived (“saw” in his mind) while his disciples were casting demons out of people.

Satan fall like lightning from heaven: The phrase Satan fall like lightning from heaven is a simile. This simile compares Satan’s fall (defeat) to the way that lightning suddenly/swiftly strikes downward from the sky. This simile implies that Satan was defeated quickly or suddenly.

Your translation should not imply that Satan fell in a powerful way and caused destruction as lightning sometimes does. The point of the simile is Satan’s sudden defeat. Some other ways to translate this simile are:

Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I perceived that Satan was defeated as ⌊suddenly as⌋ lightning falls from the sky.

See heaven in the Glossary.

Satan: The word Satan is the Hebrew name of the chief or leader of all the evil spirits. In Hebrew his name means “enemy.” He is the enemy of God and God’s people. Here are some ways to translate Satan:

• Use a local name or idiom that refers to the chief of all demons.

• Use a descriptive phrase such as

the chief/leader of the evil spirits
-or-
the spirit enemy of God

• Transliterate the name Satan. If this word is not already known in your area, you may also want to add a descriptive phrase. For example:

Satanas, the ruler of demons
-or-
Shaitan

If you transliterate Satan or borrow a word from another language, be sure that it communicates the biblical meaning to people in your culture. It is important to check this in each biblical context.

Try to use a term that will be acceptable to churches in the area. You may also want to add a footnote or glossary entry that further explains who Satan is. For example:

Satan is the leader of all the evil spirits or demons. Once he was an angel in heaven, but he rebelled against God. God expelled him from heaven, and now he tempts people on earth. Other names for him are “Beelzebul,” “the Devil,” “the Evil One,” “the Enemy,” and “the Tempter.”

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