11:8a
Otherwise: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Otherwise is more literally “But what” (as in the King James Version and New American Standard Bible). This phrase indicates a contrast. The contrast is between going out to see a man wavering like a reed (11:7c–d) and the type of person whom the people really went out to the desert to see.
By using a contrastive phrase in Greek here, Jesus made it clear that he answered “no” to the rhetorical question in 11:7c. The people certainly did not go out to see that kind of man. Then Jesus asked a similar question here.
To help the transition from “no” to the question which follows, you may want to add “so” or “then.” Here is another way to translate this:
No? Then what did you go out to see? (Revised English Bible)
what did you go out to see?: This rhetorical question is almost identical to the rhetorical question in 11:7c, but it does not contain the phrase “into the wilderness.” This rhetorical question together with the rhetorical question in 11:8b emphasize who John was not.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphatic statement:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
What kind of man did you go out to see? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
When you went out ⌊to see John⌋, what ⌊kind of man⌋ did you expect to see?
• As the introductory clause in a rhetorical question or statement. For example:
When you went out, did you go to see…
-or-
When you went out, you certainly did not go to see…
Use a natural way in your language to translate this type of expression.
11:8b
A man dressed in fine clothes?: Some words from the previous sentence are implied but not repeated here. It may be more natural in your language to include some or all the implied words. For example:
⌊Did you go to see⌋ a man dressed in soft clothes?
This is also a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that they did not go out to see a man dressed in fine clothes.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Was he a man dressed in soft clothes?
-or-
⌊Did you go to see⌋ a man dressed in soft clothes? ⌊No!⌋
• As a statement. For example:
⌊You certainly did not go out to see⌋ a man dressed in soft clothes.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
dressed in fine clothes: This phrase refers to the soft, expensive clothes that rich people wore. John’s clothes were made of camel hair and were rough. Jesus contrasted the soft and luxurious lifestyle of kings and their officials with John’s rough and difficult life in the desert.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
dressed in expensive clothes (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
wearing clothes that rich people wear
11:8c
Look: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look emphasizes the words that follow. Some languages emphasize a sentence with a word or phrase at the beginning. Other languages do it with a word or phrase at the end. For example:
Of course not! Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
-or-
Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses, aren’t they?
Emphasize the following words in a way that is natural in your language.
those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces: This clause refers to the king and his family. They are people who are rich and wear expensive, fine clothes.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces. (God’s Word)
-or-
People who dress like that live in the king’s palace. (Contemporary English Version)
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