21:15a

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason why the disciples should resolve not to prepare/plan or be anxious about how they should defend themselves. What Jesus said in 21:15 was the reason for what he told his disciples to do in 21:14. Another way to translate this conjunction is “because,” as in the Good News Translation. It may also be natural to begin this verse as a new sentence. For example:

⌊I say this⌋ because…

In some languages the connection may be implied without a conjunction.

I: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I is emphatic. Jesus emphasized that he himself would give his disciples words and wisdom. Another way to emphasize this in English is:

I am the one who…

Emphasize it in a natural way in your language.

speech and wisdom: The Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as speech and wisdom is literally “a mouth and wisdom,” as in the Revised Standard Version. The word “mouth” is used figuratively for the words that the mouth speaks. In this context the phrase speech and wisdom means “wise words.” It refers to being able to speak wisely and rightly in any situation. Some other ways to translate this are:

the wisdom to know what to say (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the right words and such wisdom that… (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
eloquence and wisdom (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

21:15b–c

that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict: This clause tells the result of the wise words that the disciples will speak (21:15a). They will speak so wisely that their enemies will not know how to disprove what they say.

The words resist and contradict have similar meanings here. The word contradict refers specifically to saying that what someone has said is not correct. The word resist can also include other types of opposition. Jesus used both these words to emphasize what he said. Other ways to translate the clause are:

so that your enemies will thus have no way to defeat you and to contradict what you are saying
-or-
as for your enemies, they will not be able to answer your reasoning. They will also not be able to say that what you are saying is a lie.

adversaries: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as adversaries means “opponents.” In this context it probably refers to people who would accuse the disciples in court. Another way to translate it is:

those who oppose/accuse you

Some languages express this meaning with an idiom. For example:

those who show a sour face toward you
-or-
those who have a mean heart toward you

resist: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as resist means “withstand.” It implies here that the disciples’ enemies will not be able to prove that what the disciples say is wrong. They will not be successful in opposing them.

contradict: The word contradict means “speak against.” It indicates that no enemy will know what to say against the disciples’ wise words. The enemies will not be able to deny that the disciples are speaking the truth.

© 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 22:41–44

22:41a

And He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them: This statement indicates that Jesus went a short distance away from his disciples.

about a stone’s throw: The Greek idiom that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as about a stone’s throw means “about as far as a man can throw a stone.” This idiom was used here to describe about how far Jesus went from the disciples. It does not imply that someone actually threw a stone.

In some languages a literal translation of this phrase will not be natural. If that is true in your language, use a different phrase to refer to a short distance.

22:41b

He knelt down and prayed: This clause introduces Jesus’ prayer in 22:42. Other ways to introduce it are:

knelt to pray. He said ⌊to God⌋,
-or-
knelt and prayed ⌊this prayer⌋ ⌊to God⌋:

He knelt down: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He knelt down is literally “having placed the knees.” Jesus placed his knees on the ground with his weight on them, and he stayed in that position to pray. Some other ways to translate this are:

kneeled
-or-
stood on his knees

It was common for Jewish men to stand when they prayed. Jesus knelt. Kneeling was a way for a person to humble himself. When Jesus knelt, it implied that he was humbling himself before God. It also implies here that the prayer was very serious.

In some languages kneeling may not imply this meaning. If that is true in your language, you may use a different word or phrase that expresses humility in prayer. For example:

bowed down
-or-
humbled himself before God

© 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 23:35–38

23:35a

In Greek, 23:35a begins with a common conjunction that versions such as the Revised Standard Version translate as “And.” It introduces what the people were doing during the events in the preceding paragraph. The Berean Standard Bible and some other English versions do not translate this conjunction. Begin this verse in a way that is natural in your language.

The people stood watching: This clause indicates that people were standing nearby watching what was happening to Jesus. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

The people stood there watching. (New Century Version)
-or-
The crowd watched… (New Living Translation (2004))

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit what the people were watching. For example:

The people stood nearby and watched what was happening.

The people: The phrase The people refers to people who had come to watch what was happening to Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to introduce the people in some way. For example:

Many people had come
-or-
The people who were there

23:35b

and the rulers sneered at Him: This Greek phrase includes two common conjunctions that many English versions translate as “and” and “even.” This phrase connects what the people did in 23:35a with what the rulers did. Scholars are not sure exactly what the connection is. The three main possibilities are:

(1) It is a general connection that does not indicate whether the people also sneered at Jesus. For example:

and their rulers jeered at him (Revised English Bible)

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation (2004), New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New International Version)

(2) It implies that the rulers and also the people (23:35a) sneered at Jesus. For example:

And even the rulers were sneering at Him (New American Standard Bible)

(New American Standard Bible, King James Version)

(3) It implies a contrast between the rulers and the people. The people stood watching, but the rulers sneered at him. For example:

but the rulers scoffed at him (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, God’s Word, NET Bible, English Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The parallel passages in Matthew and Mark indicate that the people did sneer at Jesus, so interpretation (3) is unlikely, and interpretation (2) is not clearly indicated here. In this verse Luke focused on what the rulers said as they sneered at Jesus.

Another way to translate interpretation (1) is:

while the Jewish leaders made fun of him (Good News Translation)

the rulers: The word rulers refers here to the leaders of the Jewish people. The word is used in a general way of all Jewish leaders, so it probably included the priests and other leaders who were members of the council. The same word was used in 23:13. See how you translated it there.

sneered at Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sneered at means “to ridicule” someone, especially in a way that shows contempt for the person. Some other ways to translate sneered at Him are:

scoffed at him (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
ridiculed him (NET Bible)
-or-
insulted him (Contemporary English Version)

A related form of the Greek word for sneered refers to using the nose to ridicule someone. In other languages there may be a different gesture or idiom that is used to express ridicule. Translate the phrase sneered at Him in a way that is natural in your language. Some English examples are:

made fun of Jesus (New Century Version)
-or-
turned their noses up at him

The same word was used in 16:14, where the Berean Standard Bible translates it as “scoffing.” See how you translated it there.

23:35c–d

saying: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as saying introduces what the rulers said to ridicule Jesus.

He saved others; let Him save Himself: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as saved and save means “rescue.” It can refer to rescuing people from different situations, including disease, danger, demons, and death.

In this context the rulers implied that if Jesus was able to use his power to rescue other people, he should also use that power to rescue himself from dying on the cross. Since they were mocking him, they may not have believed that he really saved others. Some other ways to translate this mocking are:

He helped other people. He should now help himself
-or-
If he really saved/rescued other people, let us see him save/rescue himself

For more information about the meaning of the verb save, see save, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

let Him save Himself: The rulers were mocking Jesus here. They did not believe that Jesus could save himself from dying on the cross, and they were glad about it. In your translation, make sure that it is clear that the rulers were mocking Jesus. They did not really want him to save himself. They were happy that he was going to die.

23:35e

if He is the Christ of God: This condition implies that if Jesus was really the Christ sent by God, he should be able to save himself. It also implies that if Jesus did not save himself, it would prove that he was not the Christ. This clause is part of the way that the rulers were mocking Jesus. It implies that they did not believe that he is the Christ of God. Another way to translate this is:

if he is really God’s Messiah (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate this mocking in a natural way in your language.

the Christ of God, the Chosen One: The phrase the Christ of God, the Chosen One refers to the person whom God chose and promised to send as king and savior. The word Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning.

The title Christ was used in 23:2. See the note on 23:2d for more information on how to translate it. In some languages the phrases of God and the Chosen One may already be included in the translation of the word Christ. You should translate the whole phrase in a natural way in your language. Some other ways to translate it are:

the Messiah that God has chosen (God’s Word)
-or-
the One whom God chose to deliver/save us
-or-
the Redeemer King chosen by God

For more information, see Christ in the Glossary.

General Comment on 23:35c–e

In some languages it may be necessary to reorder 23:35c–e. For example:

35cHe saved others. 35eSo if he is really the Christ of God, the Chosen One, 35dhe should ⌊be able to⌋ save himself!

In some languages it may be natural to express the mockery with a rhetorical question. For example:

He rescued others, so why doesn’t he rescue himself? That will prove that he really is the Savior King that God chose for us!

© 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.

24:11a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is more often translated as “and.” Here it introduces the apostles’ response to what the women said. In English it is natural to begin it with But because the apostles did not believe them, as the women might have expected. In many languages there may be a more natural way to introduce the apostles’ response to what the women said. Introduce their response in a natural way in your language.

their words seemed like nonsense to them: The clause their words seemed like nonsense indicates that what the women said seemed too impossible to be true. The apostles thought that what they said was not sensible. It seemed like a foolish story. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

The apostles thought that the women’s story didn’t make any sense (God’s Word)
-or-
their words seemed like a foolish story to them (Translator’s Reference Translation)

nonsense: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as nonsense refers to words that are not true or sensible. It describes statements that are considered absurd, ridiculous, or unbelievable. In some languages there is an idiom that expresses this meaning. Consider how you describe such a report or story in your language. Here is another way to translate this:

an idle tale (Revised Standard Version)

24:11b

and: The word and implies that 24:11b is the reason or result of the apostles’ impression of the women’s words. They did not believe the women’s report because it did not seem sensible. (See the example below in the General Comment on 24:11a–b.)

Connect the clauses in 24:11a–b in a natural way in your language.

they did not believe the women: The clause they did not believe the women indicates that the apostles did not believe what the women told them. They did not believe that men in shining clothes told them that Jesus was alive again. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

the apostles did not believe what the women said
-or-
they would not believe them (Revised English Bible)

For more information about using the word believe in this sense, see believe, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

General Comment on 24:11a–b

Some English versions change the Greek order of clauses in 24:11a–b. Both 24:11a and 24:11b tell how the apostles responded to the women’s story. The apostles did not believe them (24:11a), and the women’s story seemed like nonsense (24:11b). Some English versions translate 24:11b as the reason that the apostles did not believe the women, and 24:11a as the result. Other versions translate the clauses as two different ways to express the same unbelief. Either translation is acceptable.

In some languages it may be more natural to reverse the order of the Greek clauses. For example:

24bBut they did not believe the women, 24abecause their words seems like nonsense (New International Version)

© 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.

24:43

and He took it and ate it in front of them: This verse indicates that Jesus ate the fish, and the disciples watched him. Some other ways to translate it are:

He took it and ate it while they watched him. (God’s Word)
-or-
While the followers watched, Jesus took the fish and ate it. (New Century Version)

The context indicates that Jesus ate the fish to show his disciples that he was really alive. He was not a ghost. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

He accepted it and ate it, so that they could see that he was not a ghost.

© 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.

1:20a

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces something unpleasant that will happen to Zechariah. This unpleasant thing will happen because Zechariah did not believe the good news that the angel had told him. Some English versions translate this as “But” (Good News Translation), and others do not use a conjunction (New Century Version). Translate this connection in a natural way in your language.

now: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as now is literally “look” or “see.” It often functions to focus attention on what follows it and to indicate that it is important or amazing. The word does not refer to time, as the word “now” sometimes does in English. In this context, Gabriel focused Zechariah’s attention on what would happen to him because he did not believe what Gabriel told him.

Some ways to translate the word in this context are:

look/listen
-or-
take note of this
-or-
pay attention to this

you will be silent and unable to speak: The phrases be silent and unable to speak are two ways to express the same meaning. The angel used these two expressions to emphasize what he was saying. Some other ways to translate this emphasis are:

you will not be able to speak even a single word
-or-
you will lose all power of speech and remain silent (Revised English Bible)

1:20b

until the day this comes to pass: The phrase until the day this comes to pass means “until the day that the events that I foretold take place.” This indicates that Zechariah would not be able to talk until the time when his son John was born.

1:20c

because you did not believe my words: Zechariah would not be able to speak because he did not believe what the angel Gabriel said. He did not believe that he and Elizabeth would have a son. He thought that the words of the angel were not true. Another way to translate this is:

because you did not believe what I told you (New Century Version)

1:20d

which will be fulfilled: The phrase which will be fulfilled refers to the fact that things would happen exactly as Gabriel had said, and that would show that his words were true.

at their proper time: The phrase at their proper time means “at the right time.” It refers to the time that God intended for the things to happen.

General Comment on 1:20a–d

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

But 20cbecause you didn’t believe what I said, 20ayou will be unable to talk 20buntil the day this happens. 20dEverything will come true at the right time. (God’s Word)
-or-

20cYou did not believe my words, 20dwhich will be fulfilled at the right time. 20aThat’s why you will be unable to speak 20buntil the day that your son is born.

© 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.