6:48a–b
He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock: Jesus compared the person who obeys his teaching to a man who built a house on a solid foundation. The focus is on the foundation, not the house.
In Israel, a builder who wanted a solid foundation for his house would dig into the soil until he reached a layer of rock. Then he would begin building the foundation directly on the rock.
6:48b
dug down deep: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dug down deep consists of two verbs. It is literally “dug and went/made deep.” Most English versions, such as the Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, and Revised Standard Version, combine these two verbs into one. However, using two verbs gives greater emphasis on the effort the man gave to be sure his house had a strong foundation. For example:
dug, and dug deep (New Jerusalem Bible)
Use the word or phrase that is natural in your language for digging a long way down into the earth.
laid his foundation: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as laid his foundation is literally “placed/put the foundation.” In English, building a foundation is called “laying a foundation.” The foundation supports the house. It could also be called the “base” or the “support” of the house.
If building methods are different in your region, you could adapt this parable to fit your culture. Describe here what a man would do to build a house that was sturdy and strong. For example, where houses are built of wood and supported by posts, you could say:
he dug deep holes for his posts
the rock: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rock means “bedrock.” It does not refer to loose stones on top of the ground. It refers to a solid rock mass or layer under the surface of the ground. This layer of bedrock varies in depth. It could be as little as twenty centimeters from the surface, or it could be several meters below it. This explains the need to dig deep.
6:48c
When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flood refers to high water. A flood occurs when a river overflows its banks because of heavy rain. Apparently the man had built his house near a river. Some other ways to translate this are:
When the flood came and the river rushed against the house (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
The river flooded over and hit that house (Good News Translation)
-or-
When the river was in flood, it burst upon that house (Revised English Bible)
the torrent: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as torrent implies in this context a strong, fast-flowing stream of water. For example:
stream (English Standard Version)
crashed against that house: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as crashed against describes a great force of water striking against the house. This is a violent and vivid image. Some other ways to translate this are:
rushed against (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
break against (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
pushed against (God’s Word)
-or-
tried to wash the house away (New Century Version)
6:48d
but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as but is often translated as “and,” and several English versions translate it that way. Here this conjunction introduces something unexpected. Despite the power of the flood waters, the house was not destroyed. Some other ways to translate this are:
in spite of that
-or-
however
-or-
nevertheless
could not shake it: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as could not shake it means “was not able to move it” or “was not strong enough to cause it to fall.” Some other ways to translate this are:
it could not shift it (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
it stands firm (New Living Translation (2004))
because it was well built:
The clause because it was well built states the reason why the floodwaters could not destroy the house.
It is a passive clause. In some languages, it may be natural to use an active verb and supply a subject:
because ⌊the man⌋ built it well
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