19:36a
As He rode along: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as As He rode along refers to Jesus riding along on the donkey. He was still traveling on the road to Jerusalem.
19:36b
the people spread: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the people spread is literally “they-spread.” Here “they” probably refers to Jesus’ disciples and the large crowd of disciples mentioned in 19:37b. Matthew 21:8 calls this “a very large crowd.”
Most English versions use a general subject here like “they” or people. It is also possible to translate more specifically to fit with 19:37. For example:
many followers of Jesus
spread their cloaks on the road: People spread their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus so that he would ride over them as the donkey walked along. The people did this to show great honor to him. In many languages, it may be necessary to indicate the meaning of this action. For example:
spread their cloaks on the road ⌊to honor him⌋
It may also be helpful to include a footnote to explain the meaning. For example:
The people spread their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus to show that he was worthy of great honor. They were probably showing that they were ready to submit to him as king. See 2 Kings 9:13.
spread their cloaks: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spread implies that the action was repeated. The people kept putting their coats out in front of Jesus so the donkey would walk on them. Some ways to translate this repeated action are:
people kept spreading their cloaks (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
they were spreading their coats (New American Standard Bible)
cloaks: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cloaks is the same word as in 19:35a–b.
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