6:29a
Yet I tell you: The words Yet I tell you emphasize the words that follow. Use an expression that emphasizes the importance of what Jesus said in the rest of 6:29.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
But I tell you this
-or-
yet I assure you (New Jerusalem Bible)
not even Solomon: The word Solomon is the name of one of Israel’s kings. King Solomon was the richest of all Israel’s kings (1 Kings 10:23). Solomon lived more than nine hundred years before Jesus’ time. If people in your area are not familiar with Solomon, you may want to include some implied information in the text or include a footnote.
Here are some examples of including implied information in the text:
⌊King⌋ Solomon
-or-
⌊the very wealthy⌋ ⌊King⌋ Solomon ⌊of long ago⌋
Here is an example footnote:
Solomon was the richest of all Israel’s kings (1 Kings 10:23). Solomon lived more than nine hundred years before Jesus’ time.
in all his glory: The word glory refers to the many beautiful things including clothes that Solomon owned. If your language has a word that refers generally to beautiful things and can include beautiful clothes, you should use that.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
in all his majesty (God’s Word)
-or-
with all his wealth (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
who had many beautiful things
6:29b
was adorned like one of these: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was adorned like one of these means “was dressed as beautifully as one of these wild flowers.” This phrase compares the beauty of Solomon in his beautiful clothes to the beauty of the “lilies of the field.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
was not dressed as beautifully as they are (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
had clothes as beautiful as one of these flowers (Good News Translation)
-or-
dressed in his beautiful clothes did not look as beautiful as one of these flowers
General Comment on 6:29a–b
In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 6:29a and 6:29b. For example:
Yet I assure you (plur.) that one of these ⌊wild flowers⌋ is more beautiful than the most beautiful of ⌊King⌋ Solomon’s clothes.
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