12:36a
Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet: This simile provides a specific context for the metaphors in 12:35. Jesus wanted his disciples to be ready to receive him. They should be ready in the same way that servants should be ready to welcome their master when he returns from a wedding feast.
servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants is literally “men.” It often refers to people in general. In this context, it clearly refers to servants.
the wedding banquet: In NT times, wedding celebrations often continued until late into the night. If this is not true in your culture, you may translate this simply as “a feast/banquet.”
General Comment on 12:35–36b
In some languages, it may be more natural to give the setting for the figures of speech before giving other details. For example:
36b
⌊You must remain ready⌋ like servants who are waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. 35They are dressed for work and their lamps are shining/lit
Notice that this example makes clear that the phrases about clothing and lamps describe the servants, not the disciples. This helps to avoid the wrong meaning that Jesus wanted his disciples to keep their robes tucked into their belts and carry lamps.
12:36b
so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once: This clause tells the purpose for which the servants were waiting alertly for their master. They were dressed, ready to serve him, and they had their lamps burning so that they could open the door and let him into the house as soon as he arrived.
he comes and knocks: To knock has a symbolic meaning here. In the Jewish culture, when a person arrives at someone’s home, he makes known his arrival by knocking on the door of the house. In some cultures, people do not knock on the door. They call or cough or indicate in some other way that they have arrived. If the action of knocking on a door does not have this meaning in your culture, you may:
• Make explicit the meaning of the action. For example:
when he comes and knocks to indicate that he has arrived
• Use an action that has the right meaning in your area. For example:
when he arrives and calls out
• Translate the meaning without the action. For example:
when he arrives and makes known to them that he is there
See how you translated the verb “knock” in 11:9d.
they can open the door for him at once: The phrase open the door for him indicates that the servants will unlock and open the door so that their master can enter. In some languages it may not be necessary to make the door explicit, depending on how you translated “knocks” in the preceding clause. Use an expression that is natural in your language.
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