17:8

In Greek, as in the Berean Standard Bible, this verse is one long rhetorical question. As in 17:7, it may be more natural in some languages to translate the rhetorical question as a statement and use shorter sentences. For example:

8aInstead, you would say this: 8b“Cook my supper! Then get ready and serve me my meal. 8cAfter you have done that, you can have your own meal.”

17:8a

Instead: In Greek this verse begins with a word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Instead. It indicates a contrast between what the master would not say (17:7) and what he would say (17:8). Other ways to indicate this contrast are:

Won’t he rather say (New International Version)
-or-

But will he not say to him (New American Standard Bible)

won’t he tell him: The clause won’t he tell him introduces a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize what a master would say to his servant. This question expects the response, “Yes, that is what he would say.”

Some ways to translate this emphasis are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Won’t the master instead say to him…? (NET Bible)
-or-
But what would the master say?

• As a statement. For example:

Instead, he tells his servant (God’s Word)
-or-
This is what he would say instead

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

17:8b

Prepare my meal: The clause Prepare my meal is a command that a master would give to his servant. Some other ways to translate this are:

Cook my food
-or-
Prepare something for me to eat (New Century Version)

Use a command form that a master would naturally use in your language to speak to his servant. It does not need to be as polite as the speech in 17:7c.

meal: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as meal is literally “something for me to eat” (as in the New Century Version). In this verse, this phrase refers to the main meal of the day. People ate this meal in the late afternoon or early evening. Use a natural term for this meal in your language.

and dress yourself to serve me: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dress yourself to serve me means “clothe yourself properly.” For example:

dress properly (English Standard Version)

The servant would probably need to remove the clothes that he had been wearing in the field. He might need to bathe. Then he would need to put on other clothes that were proper for serving food. In some cultures, there may be a specific outer garment appropriate for serving food. For example:

then put on your apron (Good News Translation)

while I eat and drink: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as while I eat and drink means “serve me.” The master expected his servant to bring the food and drink and serve it to him. Then the servant would wait nearby while his master ate so that if his master asked for anything else, he could bring that also. Use a natural way in your language to describe this. Some ways to translate it in English are:

serve me while I eat (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊bring the food and⌋ serve me until I finish eating and drinking

eat and drink: The phrase eat and drink was a common way in that culture to refer to having a meal. Use a natural way to refer to it in your language. Other ways to do this in English are:

eat
-or-
have/eat dinner
-or-
have my meal (Contemporary English Version)

17:8c

and afterward: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and afterward refers to after the master has finished eating. For example:

when I’ve finished (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
After I finish eating and drinking (New Century Version)

Use a natural expression in your language.

you may eat and drink: As in 17:8b, you should use a natural expression in your language.

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