11:30a

John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men?: This question means, “Who gave John the authority to baptize people? Did God give it to him or did men give it to him?” This question has a similar meaning to the one that the Jewish leaders asked Jesus.

The Berean Standard Bible, like the Greek text, has placed the phrase John’s baptism at the beginning of the question. This gives it emphasis as the new topic. Your language may have a different way to do this. Translate the question in a natural way in your language.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Did John’s right to baptize come from heaven or from humans? (God’s Word)
-or-
Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? (Revised Standard Version)

John’s baptism: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as John’s baptism indicates that John baptized people. It does not indicate that someone else baptized John. You may need to express this phrase in a different way. For example:

When John baptized

The verb “baptize” means to purify people with a special ritual that uses water. (In some verses, the verbs “wash” and “clean” are used to translate the Greek verb “baptize.” Luke 11:38 says, “But the Pharisee, noticing that Jesus did not first wash (baptize) before the meal, was surprised.” (The Greek verb here is baptizo, but English versions translate it as “wash.” The context refers to a ritual washing, not merely a removal of dirt.). Mark 7:4 and Matthew 23:25 both speak of washing/cleaning cups and other utensils. The verb in Mark is baptizo while the verb in Matthew is katharizo (clean). Again, a ritual cleansing is involved. Mark 7:4 says, “And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing (baptizing) of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining.” Matthew 23:25 says, “You clean (katharizo) the outside of the cup and dish.” However, the above references do not indicate that “wash/cleanse” is the only meaning of the rite of baptism as practiced by John and by the early Christians. And certainly Jesus’ baptism of people with the Holy Spirit signified more than purification.)

Here are some other ways to translate the word baptism or “baptized” in this context:

• Use a descriptive term. For example:

When John washed people ritually
-or-
John’s purifying initiation

• Use a term for a similar ritual that is already used in your culture. You may need to indicate that in this context it has a special connection with God. For example:

When John purified people with God’s ceremonial bath
-or-
John’s washing people in initiation water

• Use a term that is already accepted by the local churches. This term may have been borrowed from the national language or transliterated from Greek or English.

See the notes on “baptizer” and “baptism” in 1:4a. See also baptize, Meaning 1, in the Glossary. Also see how you translated this term in 1:4c.

from heaven: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from heaven implies “from God.” The Jews often referred indirectly to God in order to show their great respect for his name. You may need to make it explicit in your translation that the phrase from heaven refers to God. For example:

from God (Good News Bible)

See heaven, Meaning 3, in the Glossary.

from men: The phrase from men is used here as the opposite of the phrase “from heaven.” It means “from human beings” (as in the Good News Bible). In other words, it refers to people in general, not just to males. If John’s authority to baptize came from men, it meant that he was only following a human ritual or practice. It meant that he had not been sent by God to baptize.

11:30b

Answer Me!: The phrase Answer me indicates that Jesus expected a response from the Jewish leaders.

In some languages, a command like this may sound rude or harsh. If this is true in your language, use a form that is not rude. For example:

30bTell me, 30aJohn’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?
-or-
30bThis is my question. 30a Who gave John his authority to baptize people? Was it God or people?

In some languages it may not be necessary to explicitly state the phrase Answer Me. This expectation may be implied by the context. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?

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