9:15a–d
Jesus replied, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast….”: In this verse, Jesus used an illustration or extended metaphor to answer the question that John’s disciples asked. He compared himself to a bridegroom and his disciples to a bridegroom’s friends.
The people listening to Jesus would have understood this comparison. If your readers will not understand it, it may be necessary to make it explicit.
Here are some other ways to translate this extended metaphor:
• Keep the metaphor as in the Berean Standard Bible.
• Change the metaphor to a simile and make Jesus and the disciples explicit. For example:
⌊He compared himself to a bridegroom, and his disciples to the bridegroom’s guests.⌋ He said, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?…”
-or-
⌊My disciples are like⌋ guests at a wedding. Can they be sad while ⌊I,⌋ the groom, am still with them? The time will come when ⌊I,⌋ the groom, will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.
-or-
Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? ⌊No!⌋ ⌊My disciples are like that.⌋ One day, ⌊I,⌋ the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast
• Translate the meaning directly in the text and add a footnote explaining the metaphor. For example:
Can my disciples be sad while I am still with them? The time will come when I will be taken away from them. Then they will fast.
Sample footnote:
Jesus said that his disciples did not fast because he was still with them. In Greek, he illustrated this teaching by using an illustration of the friends of a bridegroom. The friends would not be sad at the wedding while the bridegroom was still with them. It is only after the bridegroom is taken away from them that they would become sad and would fast. So his disciples would be sad and fast when Jesus’ enemies would take him away from them.
9:15a
Jesus replied: The words that follow are in reply to the question in 9:14. Use a verb that is natural in your language in this context. For example:
Jesus answered (New International Version)
Jesus answered their question with a parable. Use a natural way in your language to introduce the parable. For example:
Jesus answered them ⌊with a proverb/parable⌋
9:15b
How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while He is with them?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that the guests will/can not mourn while the bridegroom is with them. A wedding is a happy time.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. (New Living Translation (2004))
• As a statement. For example:
The friends of the bridegroom are not sad while he is with them. (New Century Version)
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
guests of the bridegroom: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as guests of the bridegroom refers to the friends of the bridegroom. They help the bridegroom organize the wedding, and they help him during the wedding.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
friends of the bridegroom (New Century Version)
-or-
the wedding guests (English Standard Version)
In some cultures, marriage customs may be so different from those of the Jews that the term guests may be difficult to translate. For example, there may be no celebration at the time of a couple’s marriage, or the bridegroom may not be involved in the celebration. If that is true in your culture, you may need to use a very general phrase. For example:
people invited to the wedding
-or-
friends who are celebrating with the man-who-has-gotten-a-wife
bridegroom: The word bridegroom refers to the man who is getting married. In modern English, this man is simply called the “groom.”
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
groom (God’s Word)
-or-
young man getting married
mourn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mourn means “be sad, grieve, or weep.” It is what people do at a funeral, not a wedding.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
be sad (Good News Translation)
-or-
grieve
while He is with them: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He is literally “the bridegroom.” However, since the Berean Standard Bible already used the word “bridegroom” in the expression “the guests of the bridegroom,” it uses the pronoun here.
Additionally, the Berean Standard Bible capitalizes the pronoun He to make it clear that Jesus is referring to himself. If this would be confusing in your language, consider making it clear that the pronoun refers to the “bridegroom.”
9:15c
But: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between the current time of happiness (15a–b) and the later time of sadness and fasting (15c–d). Some English versions indicate this contrast with the conjunction But. However, some English versions, like the English Standard Version, omit this conjunction.
the time will come: This clause refers to a future time when Christ, the bridegroom, will be taken away from the disciples.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
the day will come (Good News Translation)
-or-
the time will come (New International Version)
-or-
someday (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
one day
when the bridegroom will be taken from them: This clause refers to the time when Jesus, the bridegroom, will be forcibly taken away from his disciples. It refers to his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. It does not refer to the bridegroom leaving on his own.
The verb will be taken is passive. Here are some other ways to translate this verb:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
when the groom will be taken away from them (God’s Word)
• Use an active verb. For example:
when ⌊people⌋ will take away the bridegroom
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