1:30a
This part of the verse gives background information. It directs the reader’s attention to Simon’s mother-in-law and provides the context for what Jesus did in 1:31a. Introduce this background information in a natural way in your language.
Simon’s mother-in-law: The phrase Simon’s mother-in-law refers to the mother of Simon’s wife. Use a natural term in your language for “wife’s mother.”
In some languages, certain kinship terms do not indicate whether the person is a man or a woman. If that is true in your language, you may have to specify that she was female. For example:
Simon’s female parent-in-law
-or-
the mother of Simon’s spouse
was sick in bed with a fever: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was sick in bed with a fever is literally “was-lying-down having-a-fever.” It indicates that Simon’s mother-in-law was sick. She had a fever, so she was lying down.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
was lying down because she was sick with fever
-or-
was sick. She had a fever and was lying in her bed
In some cultures it may be unusual for the mother of a man’s wife to live in the same house as the married couple. If that is true in your culture, your readers may think that Jesus went to a different house to help the sick woman. You may need to say explicitly that she was in Simon’s house. For example:
Simon’s mother-in-law was lying down there in the house. She had a fever.
1:30b
and they promptly told Jesus about her: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and…promptly is more literally “and immediately” (see the Revised Standard Version). This is the same phrase that was used in 1:12. See the note on “at once” in 1:12. Here it indicates that the next action took place immediately after Jesus and his disciples entered the house. (Other instances of the Greek phrase (kai euthus) that is often translated as “immediately” have indicated a significant new event in the story, but that does not seem to be the function here. Nor does it seem reasonable to think that this phrase indicates surprise. That someone would tell Jesus about the situation hardly seems surprising. Logically, the traditional meaning “immediately” makes the most sense.) For example:
They told Jesus about her right away. (New Living Translation)
-or-
The first thing they did was to tell Jesus about her. (God’s Word)
The phrase about her in this context probably means “about her sickness.” In some languages it may be necessary to specify what they told Jesus about the woman. For example:
they promptly told Jesus that she was sick
In other languages this information is clear from the context, and it may be more natural to leave it implied. For example:
Without delay they told Jesus.
they … told Jesus about her: The text does not say to whom the pronoun they refers. If you must supply a subject, you may provide a general subject such as “some people.”
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Jesus was told about her
-or-
there were those who told Jesus about her
-or-
some of the people there told Jesus about her
-or-
Jesus heard about her
General Comment on 1:30a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to start this verse with 1:30b. 1:30a may be expressed as an indirect quote or a direct quote. For example:
30bPeople there told Jesus right away that 30aSimon’s mother-in-law had a fever and was lying down in her bed.
-or-
30bAs soon as they entered, there were people who said to Jesus, 30a“Simon’s wife’s mother has a fever. She is in her bed, lying down.”
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