12:28

In Greek this verse is one long sentence. In it, Jesus taught his disciples what the beauty of wildflowers shows about God. God gives even unimportant wild plants great beauty, so he will certainly provide clothes for his own children.

There are many ways to translate the clauses in this verse. In some languages it may be natural to change the order of some of the parts. See the General Comment on 12:28a–d at the end of the notes for 12:28d for translation suggestions.

12:28a

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field: In this context If introduces a fact that is certainly true and can be used as evidence for the statement in 12:28b. There is no doubt that God clothes the grass of the field in a beautiful way. Consider how to express such evidence in your language. Some other ways to do this in English are:

Since God clothes the grass in the field like that
-or-
That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field…. So… (God’s Word)

To “clothe” the grass is a figure of speech like the one in 12:27c. It implies that God makes the wild grass beautiful. If you have a similar figure of speech in your language, you may be able to use it here. If not, you may translate the meaning without this figure of speech. See the examples at the end of the next note.

the grass of the field: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the grass of the field usually refers to green grass or other small, uncultivated plants that grow in a field or meadow. In this context it is used in a more general way that includes the wildflowers in 12:27. Such flowers look like tall grass during much of the year. They produce flowers only for brief periods. The word grass probably emphasizes that such flowers are insignificant and temporary compared to the disciples.

In some languages a translation such as grass or “plants” is confusing because those things are not considered beautiful. If that is true in your area, you may be able to use an expression that refers to an uncultivated plant that has flowers that last only a short time. For example:

If God cares so wonderfully for wild flowers and other weeds/grasses
-or-
since God gives ⌊insignificant⌋ plants in the fields ⌊great beauty⌋ like this

12:28b

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace: These two clauses describe the short life of wild flowering grasses. Their beauty is unexpected since they last such a short time. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

Today it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. (God’s Word)
-or-
even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow (Contemporary English Version)

which is here: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as which is here is literally “being.” It refers to the existence of the grass. Other ways to translate it are:

which is alive (New Century Version)
-or-
which exists

today and tomorrow: The words that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as today and tomorrow emphasize the temporary life of wildflowers. They do not mean that such plants live for only one day. If a literal translation would cause this misunderstanding, you may wish to say something like:

which live/bloom for a little while and then

is thrown into the furnace: In the summer in Israel, plants dried up quickly because of the heat. Then people often used the dried-up plants along with wood as fuel for a fire.

The verb is thrown is passive. If it is more natural in your language to use an active verb, you may supply a general subject. For example:

people put them into their cooking fires for fuel

thrown into the furnace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as furnace refers to a clay oven in which people baked bread. They burned wood and grass as fuel to heat the oven before they put in the bread to bake. Some ways to translate the phrase thrown into the furnace are:

• Use a general expression. For example:

tossed into the fire
-or-
used as fuel/kindling

• Use a more specific expression. For example:

thrown into the oven (Revised Standard Version)

12:28c

how much more will He clothe you: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as how much more will He clothe you is literally “how much more you.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied “will He clothe” from the context. This clause is an exclamation that implies: “it is much more ⌊certain⌋ that God will provide clothes for you ⌊whom he values more than flowers⌋.”

Some other ways to translate this exclamation are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? (Good News Translation)

• As an emphatic statement. For example:

he will certainly care for you (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate this exclamation in a way that is most natural in your language.

12:28d

O you of little faith!: This part of the verse is one word in Greek, literally “little-faith-ones.” Jesus used this word as a description to address his disciples. In some languages it may be necessary to translate it as a clause: For example:

You have such little faith.

This description is a criticism. It implies that they should have more faith in God. Consider how to express this in your language. For example:

Don’t have so little faith! (New Century Version)
-or-
You should have more faith!

In some languages it may be necessary to translate faith more specifically. For example:

You trust ⌊God⌋ so little.
-or-
Your faith ⌊in God⌋ is too small!

In some languages it may be more natural to express this criticism with a rhetorical question. For example:

Why do you have so little faith? (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Why don’t you trust God more?

General Comment on 12:28a–d

In some languages it may be helpful to reorder the parts of this verse. For example:

28dListen, you people who have so little faith! 28aGod clothes the wild plants so ⌊wonderfully⌋, 28b⌊even though⌋ they live only a day or two and are then burned up. 28cEven more certainly will he provide clothing for you!
-or-

28bThis grass lives only a day or two, and then people throw it into the fire, 28abut God clothes it with such beauty. 28dSo you should have more faith in him! 28cHe is certainly going to clothe you!

Another possible way to translate 12:28 is:

The wild plants that are alive today will soon be ⌊dry and dead⌋. ⌊Then people will burn them⌋ in the fire. Even though ⌊they last such a short time⌋, God still causes them to appear beautiful. Since he does this for the plants, he will certainly ensure that you ⌊his people⌋ have the clothes you need. Why is your faith ⌊in him⌋ so lacking?

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

13:33a

Nevertheless: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Nevertheless introduces a contrast with the statement that Jesus would soon complete his work (13:32c). Some other ways to introduce this contrast are:

Yet (Good News Translation)
-or-
However (Revised English Bible)
-or-
But (God’s Word)

However, 13:33a does not contrast with 13:32b. Instead, it repeats the information there. So in some languages it may be more natural to indicate that in 13:33a Jesus was restating for emphasis what he had said in 13:32b. Here is another way to begin this verse:

Yes (New Living Translation (2004))

I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day: In Greek, this clause is literally “it-is-necessary for-me to travel/go today and tomorrow and the following.” The verb “it is necessary” implies here that it was necessary for Jesus to keep going for a time ⌊to fulfill God’s plan⌋.

keep going: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as keep going refers not only to Jesus’ literal travel toward Jerusalem but also to his progress in accomplishing all his purposes. Both aspects of the meaning should be clear in your translation if possible.

today and tomorrow and the next day: These three terms are used figuratively. They probably refer to the same period of time as the three terms in 13:32b–c. The New International Version uses a dash at the end of this verse part. Most English versions do not.

13:33b

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason for what Jesus had said in 13:33a.

it is not admissible for a prophet to perish outside of Jerusalem: Here Jesus was using a figure of speech called irony. Jerusalem was the city that God had chosen for his temple. It was supposed to be the holy city, so it would be reasonable to think that the people of Jerusalem would welcome God’s prophets. However, the people of Jerusalem had killed so many prophets that Jerusalem had developed a reputation as a place where prophets were murdered. Jesus was stating this in an exaggerated, sarcastic way. He did not mean literally that every prophet died in Jerusalem.

It can be very difficult to translate irony and sarcasm meaningfully. Some ways to translate this statement in English are:

After all, Jerusalem is the place where prophets are killed. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Surely it cannot be right for a prophet to be killed anywhere except in Jerusalem. (New Century Version)
-or-
it would never do for a prophet to meet his death outside Jerusalem! (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

By saying this, Jesus implied that he also was a prophet, and that people would kill him in Jerusalem. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. See the last two meaning lines in the Display for 13:33b.

prophet: This is the same word as in 13:28b and 13:34b. See also prophet in the Glossary.

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

14:30

saying: The verb saying introduces an example of the things that people might say in this situation. It does not imply that everyone said the same words or that they spoke at the same time. One way to make this clear is:

They will say things like

This man: In this context, the expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This man is a mocking way to refer to someone. Try to use an expression in your language that shows that people are ridiculing someone. Various English versions use expressions such as “fool” and “this fellow” (New Revised Standard Version) and “that guy.” See the Display for some further suggestions.

could not finish what he started to build: In some languages it may be necessary to supply an object for at least one of the verbs. For example:

began to build ⌊this tower⌋

In other languages, it may be more natural to say only “began it” and leave the words “to build” implied. Consider what is clear and natural in your language.

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

15:27a

Your brother has returned: The word brother refers here to the younger brother. The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has returned is literally “is here/present.” Other ways to translate this verb are:

has come home (God’s Word)
-or-
has returned/arrived

he said: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase he said in the middle of what the servant said. In Greek this phrase occurs at the beginning of the verse. You should place it where it is natural in your language.

15:27b

and: The conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces what the father did because his son returned home. Another way to translate this is:

So (God’s Word)

your father has killed the fattened calf: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your father has killed the fattened calf means that the father had given orders to the servants and they had killed the fattened calf. One way to make this information explicit is:

your father ordered us to kill the best calf (Contemporary English Version)

fattened calf: See the note on 15:23a.

15:27c

because he has him back: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he has him back means “he has received/gotten him back” or “he has been reunited with him.”

him: The pronoun him refers back to “your brother” in 15:27a.

safe and sound: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as safe and sound means “healthy” and refers to being in good bodily health.

In some languages it may be difficult to translate the idea of getting a person back in good health. Some English versions have made the reference to the father implicit in this part of the verse. For example:

your brother came home safely (New Century Version)
-or-
to celebrate your brother’s safe return (God’s Word)

Other ways to translate this idea are:

your brother has rejoined him and nothing bad has happened to him
-or-
he has come home to him without harm

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 16:27–31

16:27a–b

‘Then I beg you, father,’ he said: In this context the clause he said means that the rich man replied to Abraham. In some languages it may be natural to make the subject and object more explicit. For example:

The rich man replied ⌊to Abraham⌋

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then here introduces an alternative request. Since Abraham could not send Lazarus to him, the rich man asked him to send Lazarus somewhere else instead. Another way to translate this conjunction is:

If that is true
-or-
In that case

I beg you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I beg you introduces a request. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

I ask you (God’s Word)
-or-
please (New Century Version)

he said: The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase he said after the start of what the rich man said. In the Greek text, this phrase is at the beginning of the verse, before the quotation. Place it wherever it is natural in your language.

father…send Lazarus to my father’s house: The first time the word father occurs here, it refers to Abraham, but the second time, it refers to the rich man’s own father. In some languages this may be confusing. If this is so in your language, you can:

• Use a different term of respect for Abraham. For example:

honorable sir/ancestor

• Translate my father’s house in another way that is natural in your language. For example:

my parents’ house

my father’s house: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as my father’s house probably refers literally to the house that had been owned by the rich man’s father. It is possible that the father had died, since only the brothers are included in the warning in 16:28b. Probably the five brothers had not divided the property and they still lived together in that house.

Sometimes the phrase my father’s house was used to refer to the members of one’s family, even if they were not all still living in the same house. As the next verse part makes clear, the rich man was thinking of his brothers. If adult brothers do not live together in one home in your culture, you may wish to translate this as:

my family

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 17:28–30

For the background to this paragraph, see Genesis chapters 18 and 19. This paragraph is similar to 17:26–27.

17:28a

It was the same in the days of Lot: Here Jesus introduced another illustration of how the situation will be when the Son of Man returns. Just as the people of Noah’s time were unprepared for the flood, the people of Lot’s time were unprepared for the disaster that killed them. In the same way, people will be unprepared when Jesus returns.

Jesus compared the people living during the times of Noah and Lot to the people who will be living when the Messiah will return. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit:

⌊What people will be doing when I will return will be⌋ like what people were doing when Lot was alive.

in the days of Lot: The phrase in the days of Lot refers to the time thousands of years ago when Lot lived. Lot was a nephew of Abraham. You may need to make it clear that the time when Lot lived was a long time before Jesus said these words. For example:

the time ⌊long ago⌋ when Lot was alive

17:28b–c

This part of the verse shows that people continued to do the things that they usually did. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

People went about their daily business—eating and drinking, buying and selling, farming and building (New Living Translation (2004))

People were eating and drinking: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as People were eating and drinking was also used in 17:27a. See the note on 17:27a. There it referred to people in Noah’s time. Here it refers to the people living in the same town as Lot. The name of this town (Sodom) is mentioned in 17:29.

buying and selling, planting and building: These verbs are other examples of normal activities that people did in the town where Lot lived.

buying and selling: The verbs buying and selling are general verbs that can refer to buying or selling anything. In some languages it may be natural to translate these two verbs with a more general expression that includes both buying and selling. For example:

trading ⌊with each other⌋

The point is that people were doing what they usually did to earn money in order to live.

planting and building: In some languages it may be more natural to include the object of one or both of these verbs. For example:

planting ⌊seeds/gardens⌋ and building ⌊houses⌋

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

Paragraph 18:23–25

18:23a

But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when the ruler heard this is literally “having-heard these things.” As in 18:22a, in some languages it may not be natural to say the ruler heard here because it is already obvious from the context. If that is true in your language, you may leave it implied. You may also choose not to translate the Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But. For example:

These words caused him to feel very sad
-or-
Jesus’ response/answer made him very sad
-or-
When/After Jesus said that, he was very sad

he became very sad: The words very sad here indicate that he was distressed and grieved. The man was sad because he did not want to give away what he owned. He thought that it was too hard to do what Jesus had said.

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. For example:

his heart sank (Revised English Bible)

18:23b

because he was extremely wealthy: The conjunction because introduces the reason why the ruler felt sad. However, there is some implied information here. The man did not want to sell all that he had because he loved his possessions. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

because ⌊he did not want to give away⌋ his great wealth
-or-
because ⌊it was hard for him to think of selling⌋ his many valuable possessions

he was extremely wealthy: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he was extremely wealthy indicates that he owned many valuable things. These may have included houses, land, and animals as well as other possessions. Other ways to translate this are:

he was very rich (God’s Word)
-or-
he had many possessions

© 2009, 2010, 2013 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.