10:25a
It is enough for a disciple to be like his teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It is enough refers to something being sufficient or adequate. If a student becomes like his teacher, that is good enough for the student. He must be satisfied with that. He needs nothing else.
Jesus used this saying to tell his disciples that they should expect difficulties. They will not be honored more than he was honored while on earth. They will not be treated better than he was treated.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
A student becoming equal to his teacher, that is sufficient/adequate
-or-
a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher (Good News Translation)
-or-
If a student is treated like his teacher, he should be satisfied.
10:25b
and a servant like his master: Some words from the previous clause are implied but not repeated here. In some languages, it may be more natural to include some of those words. For example:
and a servant ⌊becoming equal⌋ to his master, ⌊that is sufficient/adequate⌋
-or-
a servant should be satisfied to become like his master (New Century Version)
-or-
And ⌊if⌋ a servant ⌊is treated⌋ like his master, ⌊he must be satisfied⌋.
10:25c–d
If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!: The first part of this sentence is an If clause. But there is no doubt that people have already called Jesus Beelzebul. In order to make this clear, it may be necessary in some languages to make some adjustments. For example:
And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons, the members of my household will be called by even worse names! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
They have called the master of the house Beelzebul. So/Therefore, they will say even worse things to those of the household.
10:25c
If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul: The head of the house is the person in charge of those who lived in the house. In this context, the master of the house represents Jesus.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul (God’s Word)
-or-
If the head of the family is called Beelzebul (Good News Translation)
-or-
And since I, the master of the household, have been called the prince of demons (New Living Translation (2004))
Beelzebul: This word refers to Satan.
There is a spelling issue here. In some manuscripts, this word is spelled Beelzebul (as in the English Standard Version and Berean Standard Bible). In other manuscripts it is spelled “Beelzebub” (as in the New International Version and King James Version). You should follow the spelling in your major language version.
Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Transliterate the word Beelzebul and include a footnote to explain its meaning. Here is a sample footnote:
“Beelzebul” is a name that the Jews sometimes used to refer to Satan without honoring him by using his name.
• Use the name “Satan.” For example:
If people call the head of the family Satan (Contemporary English Version)
• Translate the name with a descriptive phrase that clearly refers to Satan. For example:
the prince of demons (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the ‘Prince of Evil’ (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
10:25d
how much more the members of his household!: The Berean Standard Bible literally represents the Greek here. Some English versions add the word “will they malign” to make the sense more clear. (The word “malign” means to say unpleasant and untrue things about someone.) For example:
how much more will they malign those of his household. (English Standard Version)
This phrase indicates that people will do the same things to the disciples (the members of the household) as they did to Jesus (the master of the house). And they will do these things much more readily, quickly, or severely. In other words, people will treat the disciples worse than they treated Jesus. More specifically, they will call the disciples worse names than they called Jesus. The disciples should not expect to be treated any better than Jesus was treated.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
• Use a statement. For example:
they will treat ⌊you⌋ the members of the house even more harshly/severely
-or-
the members of the family will be called even worse names! (Good News Translation)
-or-
they will certainly say even worse things to the family members
• Use a rhetorical question. For example:
what will they say about the rest of the family? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
will they treat ⌊you⌋ the members of the house any better?
General Comment on 10:24–25
The relationship between Jesus and the disciples is like the relationship between a teacher and his student (10:24a, 10:25a), the master to his servant (10:24b, 10:25b), and the head of the house to the members of his household (10:25c, 10:25d). So, just as the Pharisees insulted Jesus by calling him Beelzebul/Satan, the disciples will also be insulted and worse. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this more explicit. For example:
• Make the relationships explicit in the text. For example:
c
⌊I am like the master of a house, and you are like the people of the house.⌋ If people call the master of the house ⌊bad names like⌋ “devil,” dthen they will call the people of the house even worse names.
• Explain the relationships in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:
In this parable, Jesus is like “the head of the house” and the disciples are like “the members of his household.” Just as Jesus was insulted, the disciples will be insulted worse.
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