Paragraph 4:42–44

Verses 4:42–44 tell the same story that is in Mark 1:35–39. Jesus wanted to get away from all the people in order to pray.

4:42a

At daybreak: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as At daybreak is more literally “when day came.” This is a general way to refer to the next morning before the sun came up. Some other ways to translate this are:

The next morning (NET Bible)
-or-
Early the next morning (New Living Translation (2004))

Jesus went out: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went out is literally “having-gone-out he went.” This phrase may imply that Jesus went out of the house or that he went out of the town. Both possibilities may be implied by the next phrase, which says that he went to a solitary place. Consider whether it is necessary in your language to make explicit that Jesus left the house or left the town. For example:

he left the house (New Jerusalem Bible)

to a solitary place: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to a solitary place refers to a desolate area where few people lived. This was a place where Jesus could be alone to pray. For example:

a place where he could be alone (Contemporary English Version)

This Greek word has the same root as the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “wilderness” in 4:1b.

You could also translate this as:

isolated place (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
secluded place (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
a remote spot (Revised English Bible)

Some languages have a special word to refer to such areas, such as “the bush” (Africa) or “steppes” (Asia). It may be appropriate to use such a word if it does not have wrong cultural connotations in this context.

4:42b

and the crowds were looking for Him: Some English versions say “the people” for the Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as the crowds. When the crowds of people realized that Jesus had left their town, many of them started to search for him. Some other ways to translate this are:

The crowds searched for him (God’s Word)
-or-
The people started looking for him (Good News Translation)

the crowds: In some languages it may be necessary to identify the crowds. The people who looked for Jesus were people from the town of Capernaum.

4:42c

They came to Him: The phrase They came to Him means that the people found Jesus and approached him. For example:

when they found him (Good News Translation)
-or-
when they finally found him (New Living Translation (2004))

4:42d

and tried to keep Him from leaving: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and tried to keep Him from leaving means that the people tried to stop Jesus from leaving their town (Capernaum). They tried to prevent him from going to another place. They wanted him to stay with them.

Some other ways to translate this are:

they tried to stop him from leaving (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
they begged him not to leave them (New Living Translation (2004))

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