14:20

I have married a wife, so I cannot come: The man did not say exactly why he could not go to the feast. He may have implied that he wished to spend the time alone with his new wife.

I have married a wife: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I have married a wife is literally “a woman I married.” This probably implies that he had gotten married fairly recently. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I recently got married (God’s Word)
-or-
I now have a wife (New Living Translation (2004))

Use an expression that is natural in your language.

so I cannot come: In the context of coming or going to the feast, it may be more natural in some languages to say “I cannot go.” Use whatever term is more natural in your language.

General Comment on 14:17–20

These verses contain several short speeches. These speeches occur within the story that Jesus was telling. In some languages it is more natural to use indirect quotations here. For example:

17When all was ready, he sent his servant around to notify the guests that it was time for them to come. 18But they all began making excuses. One said he had just bought a field and wanted to inspect it, so he asked to be excused. 19Another said he had just bought five pair of oxen and wanted to try them out. 20Another had just been married, so he said he couldn’t come. (New Living Translation (1996))

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