Section 19:11–27

Jesus told a parable about a king and his ten servants

Many of Jesus’ followers expected that when they arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus would establish the kingdom of God and begin to reign as king. He told the parable in this section to help them understand that events would happen differently than they expected.

There are two main ideas that Jesus taught through this parable:

(1) Jesus, like the important man in the parable, was going away and would not return until after God made him king. In the meantime, the Jewish people would reject Jesus and God would punish them when he returned.

(2) While Jesus is gone, his disciples must serve him faithfully and use whatever he has given them to glorify him.

Other examples of headings for this section are:

The Parable of the Gold Coins (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus told a parable about ten servants

A parallel passage to this section is found in Matthew 25:14–30.

Paragraph 19:11–14

19:11a–e

The final part of the verse (19:11c–e) tells the reason for the first part of the verse (19:11a–b). In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 19:11a–b and 19:11c–e so that the reason begins the verse. See the General Comment on 19:11a–e at the end of 19:11d–e for examples.

19:11a

While the people were listening to this: This clause introduces a new section. In the previous section Jesus was speaking to the people about Zacchaeus. In this section Jesus may have continued to speak to them at Zacchaeus’ house or he may have already resumed his walk toward Jerusalem. Another way to translate this is:

While they were listening to what ⌊Jesus said⌋

Introduce the section in a natural way in your language.

the people: The pronoun the people refers in a general way to the people who were with Jesus at the time. They were the people to whom Jesus spoke in 19:9–10. Some other ways to refer to them here are:

they (New International Version)
-or-
the crowd (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

this: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as this probably refers to what Jesus was saying to the people in 19:9–10.

19:11b

Jesus proceeded to tell them a parable: This clause indicates that Jesus continued to teach the people by telling them a parable. It does not imply that he had already told them one parable and then told them another one. Other ways to translate the clause are:

he went on to tell them a parable (New International Version)
-or-
Jesus continued and told them a parable (Good News Translation)

The context already implies that Jesus was continuing to speak. So in some languages it may not be necessary to state this explicitly. For example:

and Jesus told them this story (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he used this illustration (God’s Word)

a parable: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as parable is literally “comparison.” A parable teaches a lesson or truth by showing how it is like something that people already know. Use a natural way in your language to refer to this type of story. See also the note on parable at 18:1b and the Glossary entry for parable, Type 3.

19:11c–e

because…and: The clause in 19:11c is the reason for 19:11d–e. The people thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately (19:11d–e) because Jesus was near Jerusalem (19:11c). The clauses in 19:11c–e also explain why Jesus told the parable that begins in 19:12a. Other ways to translate 19:11c–e are:

Jesus was near Jerusalem, and/so the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once.
-or-
Since Jesus was now close to Jerusalem, the people thought that the kingdom of God would soon appear.

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 19:11c and 11d. For example:

11dThe people thought 11ethat the kingdom of God was going to appear at once 11cbecause Jesus was near Jerusalem.

There is implied information in this statement. The people believed that when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, he would establish God’s kingdom and reign there. Jerusalem was the city where the Jewish kings reigned in the past. In some languages it may be necessary to make some of this information explicit. For example:

Jesus was near ⌊the royal city of⌋ Jerusalem, so the people thought that ⌊when he arrived there⌋, ⌊he would⌋ immediately establish God’s kingdom.

19:11c

He was near Jerusalem: The word He refers to Jesus. Jesus was still traveling with his disciples and other people who had come with him to Jericho. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that the whole group was near Jerusalem. For example:

Jesus ⌊and his followers⌋ were near Jerusalem
-or-
they were near Jerusalem

19:11d–e

and they thought the kingdom of God would appear imminently: In this context what the people thought was wrong. Jesus told the parable to correct them. Be sure to make this clear in your language. Some ways to make this clear in English are:

and the people were ⌊wrongly⌋ thinking that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately
-or-
he told a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away (New Living Translation (1996))

the kingdom of God would appear: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as would appear is more literally “(was) to be displayed/manifested.” This verb is passive. It indicates that God’s kingdom would be revealed. It would be obvious that God was reigning over people. The Jews expected God’s Messiah to establish the kingdom. The people who followed Jesus believed that he was the Messiah and that he would soon establish God’s kingdom.

In some languages it may not be natural to speak of a kingdom appearing or becoming obvious. Some other ways to translate it are:

⌊people would⌋ now see God ruling as king ⌊in the world⌋
-or-
God would now begin his reign ⌊on earth⌋

kingdom of God: This phrase first occurs in Luke in 4:43. Also, see kingdom of God, Context 3 in the Glossary for more information.

imminently: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as imminently means “immediately.” The people wrongly thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem. Some other ways imminently can be translated are:

at once (New International Version)
-or-
right away (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 19:11a–e

In some languages, it will be more natural to give the reason that Jesus spoke this parable first. If that is true in your language, you may want to change the order of the parts of 19:11. For example:

11cJesus was getting closer to Jerusalem, 11dand the people thought 11ethat the kingdom of God would appear suddenly ⌊when he arrived⌋. ⌊So⌋ 11awhile the people were listening to his teaching, 11bhe told this parable:

© 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.

19:43–44

These verses describe a siege, where an army surrounds a city that has walls around it. When the army surrounds the city, the people cannot go out of it, and no one can go in to help them. Jesus predicted that this would happen to Jerusalem in the future, and it did happen. In A.D. 70 the Roman army surrounded Jerusalem and killed many people there.

19:43a

For: In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For. It connects 19:43–44 to 19:42a. Verse 43 describes the things that would happen to Jerusalem, and those things are the reason why Jesus wept in 19:41b. Many English versions do not have a conjunction here.

In many languages, a simple conjunction such as “for” or “because” may not make the connection clear. If this is true in your language, you may need to make the connection more explicit. You may be able to repeat words or phrases that you used in 19:42a. For example:

⌊It is tragic that you did not know,⌋ because the days will come
-or-

⌊I wish that you had known,⌋ because the days will come

the days will come upon you: Here Jesus introduced what would happen to Jerusalem in the future. Other ways to translate it are:

In the future
-or-
Before long (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
At a future time this is what will happen to you(sing):

The phrase upon you implies that the future events will be bad or difficult. In some languages it may be natural to make this explicit here. For example:

You will soon endure a time when…

19:43b

when your enemies will barricade you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as barricade refers here to some type of wall or barrier. Such a wall was usually built on a large ridge or mound of dirt and stones. Sometimes it had stakes with sharp points on top of it.

In this context Jesus indicated that enemies would build a large wall/barrier around the city of Jerusalem so that no one could leave or enter the city without their permission. Then they would attack the city from behind the wall.

In your translation it may be helpful to describe the wall according to its purpose. For example:

build a wall/barricade around you to put you under siege
-or-
build a wall/barrier to trap you ⌊in your city⌋ and from which to attack you
-or-
build a wall to surround you and close you in on every side (God’s Word)

19:43c

surround you: The idea of encircling or surrounding the city implies that the city would be put under siege. The surrounding army would not let anyone leave or enter the city. This would prevent the city from getting supplies of food and weapons. If you have not already made the idea of a siege explicit, you could do it here:

will encircle/surround you to put you under siege
-or-
will surround you so that you cannot go out

Because the idea of encircling is implicit in the idea of a siege, it is also possible to simply say:

to blockade/trap you
-or-
to put you under siege

19:43d

hem you in on every side: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hem you in on every side indicates that the army that surrounded the city will keep moving toward it from every direction. They will press the attack against the city from all sides. Some ways to translate this could be:

press in on you from all sides
-or-
press the attack in upon you from every side
-or-
attack you from every direction

General Comment on 19:43b–d

Jesus stated three actions in 19:43b–d that together describe a siege:

(a) build a wall around you;

(b) encircle you;

(c) hem you in on every side.

As you translate, consider all three of these actions together, since the meanings are similar. For example, the idea of encircling or surrounding the city (b) is implied in (a) and (c). It is recommended that you make the idea of a siege explicit somewhere in your translation of these three phrases. You may also change the order of the phrases if that would be more natural in your language. Some ways to translate it are:

Your enemies will build a wall around/against you. They will surround you so no one can go in or out of your city. Then they will press in on you from all sides.
-or-
Your enemies will encircle/surround you and build a wall around you to put you under siege. They will attack you from every side.

© 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.

Section 20:27–40

Sadducees asked Jesus a trick question about the resurrection

The Jewish leaders continued to challenge Jesus’ authority and the things that he was teaching. In this section some Sadducees asked Jesus a question to try to show that his teaching was wrong. Like the Pharisees, the Sadducees were another group of Jewish leaders with certain religious beliefs. Many of the Sadducees were priests. They did not believe that God would cause anyone who had died to live again.

Jesus taught that God does cause people who have died to live again. The Sadducees tried to use this belief to trick Jesus in 20:27–40. They told a story to ridicule these beliefs that Jesus taught. The story was not true, but they used it to ask a question. They thought that if a person believed that people who died could live again, there was no sensible answer to the question.

The Sadducees based their story on the custom that is described in Deuteronomy 25:5–6. This scripture teaches that if an Israelite woman did not have any children by her husband before he died, her husband’s brother should marry her. Their first child would have the name of his dead brother and would be the heir of the dead brother. In that way, the dead man’s family and family name could continue through future generations. Since the Scripture taught this custom, the Sadducees believed that they could prove from Scripture that Jesus was wrong.

Examples of headings for this section are:

The Question about Rising from Death (Good News Translation)
-or-
Do the dead rise again?
-or-
The Sadducees challenged Jesus on people rising from death

Parallel passages for this section are found in Matthew 22:23–33 and Mark 12:18–27.

Paragraph 20:27–33

20:27a

Then: In Greek, 20:27a begins with the common conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then. Luke used this conjunction to introduce a new event. Matthew 22:23 indicates that this event happened on the same day as the events in the preceding section. The Greek text of Luke and Mark do not indicate how much time passed between these two events.

If it is natural in your language to begin a story with a time word or phrase, use an expression that is not too specific. For example:

Later
-or-
After that

In some languages, a time word or phrase is not necessary. Introduce this event in a natural way in your language.

some of the Sadducees: The Sadducees were a group of Jewish religious leaders who had certain beliefs. The Sadducees taught that the first five books of the Old Testament were more important than the other books. They did not believe that God would cause people to live again after they died. They also did not believe that angels or spirits existed (Acts 23:8).

Here are some ways to translate Sadducees:

• Transliterate the word Sadducees according to the sounds of your language and indicate that it refers to a group of people. For example:

Sadusi members
-or-
Saduce adherents

• Transliterate the word Sadducees and indicate that it refers to a group of people with certain beliefs. For example:

people belonging to the Sadusi religious group
-or-
members of the Jewish group called the Saduceo

The word Sadducees occurs only here in Luke. It also occurs in Mark 12:18, Matthew 3:7, and six other times in Matthew. If you have translated those books, refer to how you translated Sadducees there. You should translate Sadducees in a similar way as you translated “Pharisees” in 17:20a–b.

20:27b–c

who say there is no resurrection: The clause who say there is no resurrection tells a belief of the group called the Sadducees. The Sadducees believed that God does not cause people to live again after they die. They also taught this belief to other people.

In this context the verb say refers to what the Sadducees generally believed and taught. It does not imply that the Sadducees said this to Jesus when they came to ask Jesus their question.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
…who believed people would not rise from the dead. (New Century Version)
-or-
…who say that people will never come back to life. (God’s Word)

In some languages it may be helpful to indicate that Jesus did believe in the resurrection. For example:

Sadducees, who did not believe, ⌊as Jesus did,⌋ that there would be a resurrection.

resurrection: The term resurrection refers to people living again after they die. This term does not imply that a person will live again as a different person or as an animal. It implies that when God causes people to live again, they will have the same identities that they had before they died. The term also does not indicate that people will literally “rise” up into the air or from their beds or graves. It indicates that they will live again. In some languages there may be other idioms to refer to this. For example:

when people come back to life again

Check your translation of this term carefully to make sure that it does not communicate a wrong meaning.

came to question Him: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as came to question Him means that the Sadducees came to Jesus to ask him a question. Notice that the actual question is in 20:33. The verses from 20:28–32 describe an imaginary situation that the Sadducees told as an introduction or basis for their question.

to question Him: The question that the Sadducees asked was not sincere. They asked it to trick Jesus and to ridicule the idea that people can live again after they die. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate some of this implied information. For example:

⌊to trick/discredit him⌋ with a ⌊difficult⌋ question

© 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 21:12–19

21:12a

But before all this: The phrase But before all this introduces events that will happen before the events and signs in 21:10–11. Before those terrors and signs occur, people will persecute the disciples.

In the Greek text this verse begins with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But. This is one way in English to introduce a transition between events that happened before the events in the preceding paragraph. In some languages a conjunction is not needed. For example:

Before all these things happen (God’s Word)

Translate the sequence of events in a clear and natural way in your language.

all this: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as all this is literally “all these things.” This phrase refers in general to the different things that Jesus mentioned in 21:10–11. It does not refer to one specific thing.

they will seize you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will seize you means to seize or arrest someone. Jesus did not specify who would seize his disciples. The word they in the Berean Standard Bible does not refer to any specific people. Some ways to translate the clause are:

• Use a general subject, such as “people” or “your enemies.” For example:

people will arrest…you (God’s Word)

• Use a passive clause. For example:

you will be arrested (Good News Translation)

persecute: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as persecute means to cause trouble for people, to cause them to have pain and to suffer. The disciples would be persecuted in the two ways described in 21:12c–d. Other ways to translate this word are:

harass
-or-
treat…cruelly (New Century Version)

Avoid a term that implies that disciples will be punished because they will do bad things. They will be persecuted because they follow Jesus, as 21:12b indicates.

21:12b

On account of My name: The phrase On account of My name gives the reason that people will persecute the disciples. The people will persecute them because of Jesus, and more specifically, because they were Jesus’ disciples. They believed in Jesus, and they obeyed him. The phrase My name represents Jesus himself. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

⌊This will happen⌋ because you belong to me.
-or-

⌊They will do these things to you⌋ because you are my disciples.

21:12c

they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons: This clause describes one specific way in which the disciples would be persecuted. The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as deliver was also used in 18:32 and 20:20. See the note on 18:32a for more information.

In this context the verb deliver indicates that people will take the disciples to the synagogues for trial. It implies that the leaders and other people in the synagogues will be hostile to the disciples. They will accuse the disciples of wrongdoing, and they will declare that they are guilty and must be imprisoned.

Other ways to translate they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons are:

They will bring you to their prayer-houses to be judged and they will put you in prison
-or-
They will arrest you and accuse you in the synagogues, and they will take you to prison

you: The word you is plural. It refers here to some of Jesus’ disciples. In this verse Jesus referred to what would happen to some of his disciples in the future. He gave examples of things that people would do to harm them. These things could happen to any of his disciples, not only to those who were with him as he spoke. In some languages it is helpful to indicate this. For example:

⌊some of⌋ you

synagogues: The word synagogues also occurred in 20:46d. See the note there for more information. In this context the focus is on the leaders and other people who met in the synagogues, not just on the synagogue buildings. Be sure that this is clear in your language. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

⌊people of the⌋ prayer-houses
-or-

⌊leaders of the⌋ meeting-places

If you make explicit a phrase such as “of the Jews,” be sure that it does not imply that Jesus was not a Jew.

prisons: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as prisons is a general word. It can refer to guarding a person or to the place where people guard them. It indicates that the disciples will be confined in a place and guarded so that they cannot leave it. Use a natural way in your language to describe this. Some other ways to translate it in English are:

put in prison (Good News Translation)
-or-
imprisoned/confined
-or-
locked/shut in a room and guarded

21:12d

and: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the conjunction and to connect 21:12c with 21:12d in a natural way in English. The Greek text does not have a conjunction. Several English versions start a new sentence here. For example:

They will drag you in front of kings and governors because of my name. (God’s Word)

Begin 21:12d in a natural way in your language.

they will bring you before kings and governors: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bring has several meanings. Here it refers to a person being forced to go with his accusers to a king or governor to be judged. The clause indicates that some of the disciples will be taken to kings or governors for trial. Other ways to translate this are:

you will be placed on trial before kings and governors (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you will be accused before kings and governors (New Living Translation (1996))

In some languages it may be more natural to use an active verb here. For example:

they will lead/bring you to kings and governors for trial
-or-
they will take you ⌊by force⌋ and accuse you to kings and governors

kings: A “king” is a man who rules a place as the supreme ruler. This place can be a city or a tribe or a country. He is appointed according to the laws and customs of the place that he rules. He usually became king because he was the son of a king. A “king” was considered more important than a governor was. A governor was usually appointed by a greater ruler and was responsible to him. If you used the word “king” to describe Herod in 3:1c, you should use the same word here, in the plural form.

Some ways to translate kings are:

rulers
-or-
chiefs

governors: The word governors refers to men who were appointed by a greater leader to rule a particular country. For example, Pilate was the governor of Judea (Mark 15:1). He was a Roman, appointed by the Roman Emperor to govern the Jews. See how you translated the word “governor” in 2:2. Another way to translate governors is:

leaders

© 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.

22:38a

So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.”: This statement implies that two of the disciples had swords with them. Because Jesus mentioned buying a sword in 22:36, they took these two swords and showed them to Jesus. In some languages you may need to include some of this implied information. For example:

The disciples ⌊showed him⌋ two swords ⌊that they had with them⌋. “See, Lord, we have these,” they said.

So they said: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So they said is more literally “and they said.” It continues to refer to the apostles with whom Jesus had eaten the Passover. Refer back to them here in a natural way in your language. After you have translated this chapter, be sure to read it through in your language to see if the references to them are clear and natural.

22:38b

That is enough: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as That is enough is more literally “Enough it-is.” There are three ways to interpret this phrase:

(1) It means, “That is enough talking about this.” It was an idiom used to bring the topic of conversation to an end. Here is another way to translate this:

Enough of that! (Contemporary English Version)

(Contemporary English Version, NET Bible, Good News Translation note, probably Revised English Bible, Berean Standard Bible)

(2) It means, “Two swords are enough ⌊for our needs⌋.” For example:

That will be enough ⌊for us⌋.

(possibly Revised Standard Version, New Century Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, English Standard Version)

(3) It means “Two swords are plenty ⌊since we will not fight⌋.” This is an ironic statement.

For many English versions, it is not possible to be certain which interpretation is being followed. It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jesus did not want his disciples to talk any more about swords. Many commentators support this interpretation. It also fits with what Jesus said in 22:51, after Peter used his sword to try to defend Jesus.

© 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 22:70–71

22:70a

So they all asked: The phrase So they all asked indicates that all the men in the council asked Jesus this question together.

Are You then the Son of God?: The Greek question that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Are You then the Son of God? expects the answer “Yes.” The people asking the question all hoped that Jesus would say “yes.” Then they could say that he was wrongfully claiming to be divine. To the Jews, this would be blasphemy, and the punishment would be death.

Son of God: The Bible uses the title Son of God to express the fact that Jesus has the same nature as God and that he comes from God. God does not have a physical body, and he did not create/produce Jesus the way a human father produces a son. Jesus existed eternally as the Son with his Father.

22:70b

You say that I am: The Berean Standard Bible literally represents the Greek here. The words You and I are both emphatic. Jesus used this emphatic statement to agree that he is the Son of God. Some Bible scholars question whether he agreed directly or indirectly. The context indicates that Jesus agreed directly. He had just said in 22:69 that he would sit at God’s right side.

Some English versions translate the statement in a literal way that is ambiguous. In some languages a literal translation wrongly implies that Jesus denied that he was the Son of God. Be careful to translate Jesus’ statement as agreement, not as a denial.

Some ways to translate this agreement are:

You’re right to say that I am. (God’s Word)
-or-
Yes, you yourselves have correctly said that I am ⌊the Son of God⌋.
-or-
You have understood what I said. ⌊Yes,⌋ I am.

© 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 23:32–34

23:32

In Greek, 23:32 begins with a conjunction that the New Jerusalem Bible translates as “Now.” Most English versions do not translate this conjunction. In this context the conjunction introduces background information about two other men who were led out with Jesus to be crucified. These men began to be led there before Jesus talked to the women in the preceding paragraph. Connect this information to the preceding paragraph in a way that is natural in your language.

Two others, who were criminals, were also led away to be executed with Jesus: The two men led out with Jesus were criminals, but Jesus was not a criminal. Be sure that this is clear in your translation. Some ways to make it clear in English are:

Two other men were also led away with Jesus to be executed. These men were both criminals.
-or-
Two criminals were also led out with him for execution… (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

criminals: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as criminals is a general word that refers to people who do evil things. In this context it refers to men who had broken the laws of the country in some way. Such crimes can include robbery or rebelling against the government. The parallel passages in Matthew 27:38 and Mark 15:27 use a more specific Greek word that is often translated as “robber.”

It is good to translate the word criminals here in a general way that can include crimes like robbery. For example:

evildoers
-or-
lawbreakers

were…led away to be executed with Jesus: The verbs were…led away and to be executed are passive verbs. Some ways to translate them are:

• Use one or more passive verbs. For example:

taken to be killed
-or-
led out…for execution (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Use one or more active verbs and supply a subject like “soldiers” or “Pilate’s men.” For example:

⌊soldiers⌋ led them away with ⌊Jesus⌋ in order to execute them

led away to be executed with Jesus: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as led away is more literally “led.” In this context it indicates that soldiers were forcing Jesus and the two other men to walk to the place of execution. The phrase with Jesus indicates that the soldiers were leading Jesus and the other two men to the place at the same time. Use a natural way in your language to describe this.

© 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.