15:22a
But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces something his father said which was in complete contrast to what the son had been saying. The son had said he was not worthy to be called a son, but the father told the slaves to treat him like a son. Translate the contrast in a natural way in your language.
the father said to his servants: The text does not specify where the servants were. They may have followed the father from the house, or the father may have spoken to them after he returned to the house with his son. If possible, translate in a way that allows both possibilities. For example:
the father called to his servants (Good News Translation)
-or-
the father turned to ⌊some of⌋ his servants and ordered ⌊them⌋ (Translator’s Reference Translation)
his servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants also means “slaves” (as in the New Revised Standard Version). Here this word refers to household servants. These people were owned by another person. Unlike the hired men mentioned in 15:17b and 15:19b, they worked for their owner/master without receiving pay.
The word “servant” also occurs in 14:17b. But in that context it was not necessary to distinguish household servants from hired workers. Be sure that the term you use here fits this context.
15:22b
Quick!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Quick! can also be translated as “At once.” It means that the slaves were not to delay or take a long time. For example:
Hurry! (Good News Translation)
Bring the best robe: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the best robe refers to the finest/best robe that the father had in the house. A robe was a long loose garment worn on top of one’s other clothes on formal occasions. The best robe would have been one that belonged to the father himself. In languages that do not have a word for “robe,” you may use a more general word. For example:
the best clothes (Contemporary English Version)
put it on him: The father told his slaves to dress his son in this best robe. This was a way to show honor to the son. In some languages the idea of putting a robe on someone may be expressed as:
cause him to wear it
Use an expression that would be appropriate in your language for servants helping a grown son to put on a robe.
15:22c
Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet: By giving these orders, the father was honoring his son and showing that he loved him and cared about him. In some languages phrases like on his finger and on his feet may not be needed here. For example:
Give him a ring and sandals to wear.
Other languages may use causatives. For example:
Cause him to wear a ring and cause him to wear sandals/shoes.
Consider how your language would express these ideas.
ring: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ring was probably a signet ring that a man wore on his finger as a sign of honor and authority.
sandals: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sandals refers here to open shoes that were tied to a person’s feet with straps.
If people in your area are not familiar with sandals, you may use the term for a similar kind of local footwear. For example:
shoes (Good News Translation)
-or-
thongs
The word sandals also occurs in 10:4a.
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