10:7a
As you go, preach this message: The verb preach also means “proclaim” or “announce” news in a public manner. Jesus told his disciples to preach that ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ He told them to do this as they traveled from place to place throughout the country.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
As you go, spread this message (God’s Word)
-or-
When you go, preach this (New Century Version)
-or-
Go and announce to them (New Living Translation (2004))
10:7b
‘The kingdom of heaven is near’: This same clause also occurs in 3:2b and 4:17c. You should translate it here as you did there. Some translation advice is in the notes below.
When you translate the phrase The kingdom of heaven, there are two issues to consider:
Issue 1: The meaning of heaven
In the phrase The kingdom of heaven, the word heaven is a figure of speech called metonymy. In this figure of speech, heaven refers to God, but it refers to him indirectly by naming the place where he lives and rules. The Jews considered God’s name to be so holy that they hesitated to say it. So instead of pronouncing God’s name directly, they often used the name of the place where he lives and rules. Because Matthew was writing primarily to Jews, he often used the word heaven to refer to God.
Therefore, The kingdom of heaven means the same thing as “the kingdom of God.” The phrase The kingdom of heaven only occurs in the book of Matthew. The expression “the kingdom of God” is found in all other places in the New Testament, and it even occurs five times in Matthew.
Here are some other ways to translate heaven in this context:
• Make some information explicit. For example:
⌊the one/Lord who lives in⌋ heaven
• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
God
Issue 2: The meaning of the kingdom of heaven
Both The kingdom of heaven and “the kingdom of God” refer to God’s activity of ruling over his people. God’s rule is not simply giving orders or commands to people. It also includes his protection, care, and blessing for them. God leads, protects, and cares for his people. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king. The phrase kingdom of heaven does not refer to a land or country that God rules over.
Here are some other ways to translate The kingdom of heaven:
• As a noun. For example:
the kingdom/rule of ⌊the one who lives in⌋ heaven
-or-
the kingdom of God
-or-
God’s kingship
-or-
God’s rule over people
• As a noun and a verb. For example:
God rules his people
-or-
God cares for his people as king
See kingdom of heaven in the Glossary for more information.
is near: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is near literally means “has approached.” In this passage it indicates that something will “soon happen.” It is used in the sense of time and not location.
So the entire clause “the kingdom of heaven is near” means:
the time for God to rule over people is about to happen
-or-
God’s kingship will soon happen/occur
-or-
the kingdom of Heaven will soon be here (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the time is near when God will rule over you (plur.)
General Comment on 10:7b
In some languages, it will be more natural to translate 10:7b as an indirect quote. For example:
proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand (New Jerusalem Bible)
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