11:5
In 11:5 Jesus referred to the prophecies in Isaiah 35:5–6 and 61:1. These verses in Isaiah tell about things that would happen when the Christ, the Messiah, came. Jesus was doing these things. So he mentioned them to answer the disciples of John and to show them that he was the Christ.
11:5a
The blind receive sight: This clause refers to blind people whom Jesus healed and so they began seeing.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
The blind are seeing
-or-
People who were blind can now see
-or-
⌊I heal⌋ the blind ⌊and so⌋ now they are able to see
the lame walk: The word lame refers to those who could not walk or use their legs properly.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the crippled are walking
-or-
people who had crippled legs can now walk
-or-
⌊I heal⌋ those with bad legs ⌊and so⌋ now they are able to walk
11:5b
the lepers are cleansed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as cleansed means “healed” in this context. For example:
People with leprosy are being healed (Contemporary English Version)
This clause is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
the lepers are cured (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use another type of verb. For example:
⌊I⌋ heal people who have leprosy
-or-
People with leprosy are well again
the lepers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the lepers refers to people who have various kinds of infectious skin diseases. It probably included the disease that we call leprosy today. Leprosy turns the skin white and the affected skin eventually dies.
Here is another way to translate this word:
those who have leprosy (New International Version)
If you are in an area where leprosy is not known, you can:
• Use a general term for a skin disease. For example:
⌊dreaded/serious⌋ skin disease
• Use a term for another specific type of serious skin disease. For example:
skin fungus
11:5c
the deaf hear: This clause refers to deaf people whom Jesus healed and so they began hearing.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the deaf are hearing
-or-
⌊I heal⌋ deaf people ⌊and so⌋ now they are able to hear
the dead are raised: In this context, the word raised refers to causing a dead person to “live again.”
This clause is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
dead people are brought back to life (God’s Word)
• Use a verb that is not passive. For example:
Dead people are living again
-or-
⌊I⌋ make dead people alive again
General Comment on 11:5a–c
The healing in 11:5a–c refers to miracles of healing. These clauses do not refer to healing as a doctor heals people through medicine or surgery.
If people in your area will think that the healing refers to the way a doctor heals, you may want to:
• Include some implied information. For example:
The blind ⌊miraculously⌋ receive sight, the lame ⌊are miraculously cured and⌋ walk, those who have leprosy are ⌊miraculously⌋ cured, the deaf ⌊are miraculously cured and⌋ hear, the dead are ⌊miraculously⌋ raised ⌊and live again⌋.
• Include a footnote. For example:
All these healings are miracles that Jesus did.
11:5d
the good news is preached to the poor: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as good news is preached refers to the gospel. This is the good news that God has made a way to save sinful people through Jesus.
This verb is passive. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
the Good News is being preached to the poor (New Living Translation (2004))
• Use an active verb. For example:
and poor people hear the Good News (God’s Word)
-or-
⌊I⌋ am preaching the Good News to the poor
the poor: This phrase refers to people who are in poverty. They have little money and other physical things. Here this phrase does not refer to those who are “poor in spirit.”
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
poor people (God’s Word)
General Comment on 11:5a–d
If it is not clear in your language that Jesus’ answer showed that he was the one who was to come (11:3), you may want to explain it in a footnote at the end of 11:5. Here is a sample footnote:
The deeds spoken of in 11:5 are deeds that Jesus had been doing. These deeds matched the prophecies in the Old Testament about the Christ/Messiah. The Christ/Messiah was the special person whom the Jews were expecting to come from God to save them. These deeds showed that Jesus was this special person.
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