Paragraph 18:26–30
18:26a
Those who heard this: The phrase Those who heard this refers to the people who were listening to Jesus.
asked: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as asked is literally “said.” It introduces a rhetorical question. If you translate it as a statement, it may be more natural to use a verb like “said.”
The text does not specify to whom the people were speaking. They may have been speaking directly to Jesus or more generally to anyone who was listening. If you must say whom the people were asking, you may want to supply a general phrase. For example:
The people who heard this asked ⌊each other⌋
18:26b
Who then can be saved?: This is probably a rhetorical question. It is an emphatic way to say, “If that is true, no one can be saved!” It expresses the people’s surprise at what Jesus said in 18:25.
Some ways to translate this to express emphasis and surprise are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
How can anyone ever be saved? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Then can anyone be saved? ⌊It is impossible!⌋
• As a statement. For example:
Then ⌊we do not know⌋ how anyone can possibly be saved!
-or-
⌊If that is true,⌋ then God will not save anyone.
Translate this emphasis and surprise in a way that is natural in your language.
then: In this context the conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then could also be translated as “in that case” or “if that is so/true.”
be saved: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as be saved means “to be rescued or preserved from harm.” In this context it refers to God allowing someone to enter his kingdom (18:25) and to receive eternal life.
In some languages, it may be necessary to make explicit what the person was saved from. For example:
saved ⌊from his sins that would prevent him from entering God’s kingdom⌋
-or-
rescued ⌊from God’s judgment/punishment⌋ ⌊and allowed to enter God’s kingdom⌋
The verb be saved is a passive verb. In some languages it is more natural to use an active verb and supply a subject. The implied subject is God. For example:
Whom then will ⌊God⌋ save?
See save, Meaning 2, in the Glossary.
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