5:35a
But: Verse 5:34 contrasts with 5:35. In 5:34 the bridegroom’s friends are rejoicing with the bridegroom. In 5:35 he is taken away from them. It is then that his friends will mourn and show their sorrow by fasting. Because of this contrast, the Berean Standard Bible and most English versions translate the conjunction at the beginning of this verse as “but.” However, some versions do not translate the conjunction. Express this contrast in a natural way in your language.
the time will come when: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the time will come when is literally “days will come when.” It is an emphatic way to refer to an indefinite time in the future.
In some languages, it may not be natural to speak of time “coming.” There may be another idiom or phrase to express this. Use an appropriate expression in your language. For example:
someday (New Living Translation (2004))
the bridegroom will be taken from them: The words the bridegroom will be taken from them refer to an event that was not usually part of a wedding celebration. Usually the guests would leave the celebration first.
Jesus said this to imply that he himself would be taken from his disciples. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit in some way. For example:
But the time will come when ⌊I⌋, the bridegroom, will be taken from them
will be taken: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be taken is passive. It implies that someone would use force to make the bridegroom leave. Some ways to translate this verb are:
• As a passive clause. For example:
the bridegroom will be taken away from them (New Century Version)
-or-
the bridegroom will be caused to leave
• As an active clause. For example:
⌊people⌋ will take the bridegroom away from them
5:35b
then they will fast: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then they will fast is literally “then they will fast in those days” (as in the Revised Standard Version). It emphasizes the time period when Jesus’ disciples (the bridegroom’s friends) will fast. Jesus did not imply that they would fast only on the day that he left. Some other ways to translate this are:
At that time they will fast. (God’s Word)
-or-
Then they will go without eating. (Contemporary English Version)
they: The pronoun they refers to the bridegroom’s friends and guests. In the metaphor they represent Jesus’ disciples.
General Comment on 5:34–35
It is important to make it clear that Jesus was talking about himself here. There are several ways to do this:
• Insert a footnote that says something like this:
Jesus compared the bridegroom in these verses to himself. The disciples did not fast at that time because they were so happy that Jesus was with them. Later people would kill Jesus, and the disciples would fast because they would be sad.
• Make the information explicit at the end of the verse. You could provide a new verse part, 5:35c, that says, for example:
⌊I am like that bridegroom.⌋
• Supply that information within the verses. For example:
⌊Just as⌋ the friends of the bridegroom cannot fast while he is with them, ⌊in the same way, my disciples cannot fast while I am with them⌋. But the days will come when I will be taken away. At that time, they will fast.
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