13:2a–b
Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered this fate?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus was challenging the crowd’s belief that these particular Galileans had died because they had committed worse sins than other Galileans. Here are two ways to translate this question:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Do you suppose that, because these Galileans suffered this fate, they must have been greater sinners than anyone else in Galilee? (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Do you think this happened to them because they were more sinful than all others from Galilee? (New Century Version)
-or-
Because those Galileans were killed in that way, do you think it proves that they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? (Good News Translation)
• As a statement:
You may be thinking/assuming that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, and that is why they suffered this way.
-or-
You should not assume/think that these Galileans were killed like that because they had more/worse sins than all the other Galileans.
Notice that in English, the clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because they suffered this fate may be put in different places in the sentence. This is true whether the sentence is translated as a question or as a statement. You should use an order that is natural in your language.
13:2a
Do you think: Jesus was speaking to people who were mistaken about something. They assumed something that was not true. In some languages there may be a special verb or other expression to refer to a wrong assumption like this.
these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word other because it is natural in English in this context. Also, the Berean Standard Bible has followed the Greek in repeating Galileans. In some languages this may be not be natural. Some ways to avoid the repetition are:
these people were worse sinners than everyone else in Galilee (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they were more sinful than all others from Galilee (New Century Version)
worse sinners: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sinners refers here to people who habitually do what is contrary to God’s law. The phrase worse sinners is ambiguous. It could refer to people who commit more serious sins or who sin more frequently. Some other ways to translate the phrase worse sinners are:
sinned more
-or-
committed more/worse sins
-or-
did more wrong/evil deeds
The word “sinner” * last occurred in 7:39e.
13:2b
because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces the reason why Jesus’ hearers assumed that those Galileans were worse sinners than other people. It was a common belief that bad things happened to people as a result of sin. For that reason, the people thought that their terrible death was evidence that they had committed terrible sins.
they suffered this fate: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they suffered this fate is literally “they suffered these (things).” This clause refers to the terrible or violent way in which these Galileans died. The verb suffered does not indicate a prolonged period of suffering. Refer to their death in a natural way in your language. For example:
those Galileans were killed in that way (Good News Translation)
-or-
this happened to them (New Century Version)
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