Section 4:23–25
Jesus taught, preached, and healed many people
Before this time, not many people knew about Jesus. But soon the news of his teaching and healing spread throughout Galilee and then into neighboring regions and beyond as well. Some of these regions were Jewish and some were non-Jewish.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The ministry of Jesus in Galilee
-or-
Jesus did God’s work and the news of him spread ⌊beyond Galilee⌋
There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 6:17–19.
Paragraph 4:23–25
This paragraph tells where Jesus began his ministry of preaching, teaching, and healing, and how the people responded it.
The events in this paragraph probably happened soon after Jesus called his first disciples. In some languages, it may be natural to begin this paragraph with a time word. For example:
Then
4:23a
Jesus went throughout Galilee: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus went throughout Galilee means that Jesus went from village to village and from town to town in the district of Galilee. The Greek tense of the verb indicates continuous or repeated activity. Jesus did this over a long period of time, perhaps a few months.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Jesus went everywhere in Galilee (New Century Version)
-or-
Jesus was going throughout all Galilee (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee (New Living Translation (2004))
4:23b
teaching: In this context, the verb teaching probably indicates that Jesus taught from the Scriptures. He made the meaning clear.
in their synagogues: The word synagogues refers to buildings where Jews gathered to pray, read Scripture, teach their beliefs, and worship God. The Jews also gathered in synagogues for cultural activities. There was only one temple, but each Jewish community had a synagogue.
The word their refers to Jews in those locations.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
prayer-houses of the Jews
-or-
meeting-places of the Jews
-or-
buildings for worship
-or-
houses for gathering together
The term you use for synagogue should be different from the term you use for “temple.” The temple was the main Jewish house of worship, which was located in the city of Jerusalem.
If the word synagogue is already known in your area, you may write it according to the sounds of your language. You may want to include a word or phrase to explain the meaning. For example:
sinagog house/building
See synagogue in the Glossary for more information.
4:23c
preaching: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preaching also occurs in 4:17. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
announcing (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
proclaiming (English Standard Version)
-or-
telling people
the gospel of the kingdom: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gospel is sometimes translated as “good news” (New International Version). In the New Testament, this Greek word specifically means “the good news that God has made a way to save sinful people through Jesus.”
In Matthew, the word kingdom is usually referred to by the fuller expression “kingdom of heaven.” It refers to God’s rule in a person’s life.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the good message about ⌊God’s⌋ kingdom
-or-
the good news concerning ⌊God’s⌋ kingship/ruling
-or-
the good news about submitting to ⌊God’s⌋ rule/authority
You may want to look at kingdom of heaven in the Glossary for more information.
4:23d
healing every disease and sickness: The words disease and sickness are a doublet. This means that these words have almost the same meaning. Together, these words refer to every type of illness and physical problem that people can have.
Different cultures categorize diseases and physical problems in different ways. As you translate this clause, remember that Jesus healed people of leprosy, fever, blindness, demon-possession, and various handicaps. You should find terms that cover all (or most) of these.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
• Use two terms. For example:
healing all the people’s diseases and sicknesses (New Century Version)
-or-
healing every disease and handicap
-or-
curing every illness and injury
• Use more than two terms. For example:
he cured people who were sick, handicapped, and injured
-or-
he healed people who had every type of disease, illness, disability, and other sickness
• Use one term. For example:
healing every kind of sickness
-or-
curing everyone who was not feeling well
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