12:3

In this verse Jesus again used parallelism. Both parts of the verse contain similar ideas. They both mean that private information will be made public. See the General Comment on 12:3a–b at the end of 12:3b for ways to translate these parallel ideas.

12:3a

In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that several English versions, such as the CSB and English Standard Version, translate as “Therefore.” It introduces the specific result of the general principle that Jesus stated in 12:1–2. It applies this principle to the disciples. The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this conjunction. Other ways to introduce this result are:

So then (Good News Translation)
-or-
Accordingly
-or-
As a result

What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight: This clause has a figurative meaning. The phrase What you have spoken in the dark means “what you have said privately/secretly to a few people.” The phrase will be heard in the daylight means “will be heard in public by many people.” Some ways to translate this figure of speech are:

• Keep the images of dark/night and light/day. Make explicit some of the figurative meaning if necessary. For example:

What you said ⌊quietly⌋ in the darkness/night will become known ⌊to everyone⌋ in the daytime
-or-

⌊People/everyone⌋ will hear in the day the ⌊secret⌋ things you spoke when it was dark/night

• Translate the meaning without the figures of “dark” and “daylight.” For example:

What you say privately, people will hear about publicly

Translate this figure of speech in a way that is most natural in your language.

will be heard: This is a passive verb. If it is necessary in your language to use an active verb, you may supply “people” or “everyone” as the subject. For example:

everyone will hear what you talked about in private

12:3b

what you have whispered: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as whispered is literally “spoken in the ear.” It refers to talking quietly next to someone’s ear so that only that person can hear what is said. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

Whatever you whisper (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
whatever you have whispered in private (Good News Translation)

Use an expression that expresses this meaning naturally in your language.

in the inner rooms: Many Jewish houses had thin walls. Sometimes people outside could hear what people said inside the house. The phrase in the inner rooms refers to a part of the house where people could talk secretly. They knew that people outside could not hear what they said in that room. Other ways to translate this phrase in English are:

behind closed doors (Revised English Bible)
-or-
in a closed room (Good News Translation)
-or-
in private rooms (God’s Word)

In areas where houses do not have inner rooms, you may use a descriptive phrase that focuses on the function of an inner room. For example:

in a place where you can speak privately
-or-
in a place where others will not hear you

will be proclaimed: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be proclaimed means “will be announced” or “will be shouted.” It refers to saying something loudly and publicly. If you need to use an active verb and to supply a subject, try to use a general subject. For example:

someone will shout/announce
-or-

other people will proclaim

proclaimed from the housetops: The action of proclaiming something from the housetops had a special function or meaning in the Jewish culture. Jewish houses had flat roofs. People could stand on the flat roofs to announce important messages to others in the community who were gathered in the street below.

In some cultures people will not understand the meaning or function of speaking from a rooftop. Some other ways to translate this action with its special meaning are:

• Describe the action and supply the cultural meaning. For example:

will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear (New Living Translation (2004))

• Describe the action in a more general way and supply the meaning. For example:

⌊Someone⌋ will go up to a high place and announce what you said ⌊so that everyone can hear it⌋

• Translate the meaning without the specific action. For example:

will be announced loudly so that everyone can hear

General Comment on 12:3a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to combine the ideas in these parallel lines. For example:

So what you whispered to just a few people in a closed room will be announced in public so that everyone will hear it.
-or-
Since this is true, someone will say loudly to everyone in the middle of the day what you said secretly/quietly to only your friend in the middle of the night.

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