18:11a

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: There is a textual issue in this clause. that affects the way scholars interpret it. The issue concerns the placement of the phrase by himself:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts indicate that the phrase goes with prayed. For example:

The Pharisee stood and began praying this in regard to himself (New American Standard Bible)

(NET Bible, New International Version, Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts indicate that the phrase goes with stood. For example:

The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed (Good News Translation)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011), Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004), English Standard Version)

(3) Some Greek manuscripts do not translate the phrase. For example:

The Pharisee stood up and prayed (God’s Word)

(God’s Word, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). However, there is also good evidence for option (2). If the major language version in your area chooses it, you may also decide to follow it. You may want to mention the option you do not follow in a footnote. For example:

Some manuscripts have “stood by himself and prayed these things.”

stood by himself: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stood by himself indicates that the Pharisee prayed in a standing position. This was a common way for Jewish men to pray in public places. It does not imply that the Pharisee had previously been sitting or lying down.

prayed: The previous notes recommended that you translate the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “by himself” with the word prayed. There are different ways to interpret the preposition that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “by”:

(1) It means that the Pharisee was talking to God about himself. For example:

prayed about himself (New International Version)

(New International Version, NET Bible)

(2) It means that he was praying to himself. This may indicate that he was praying proudly, silently, or to himself rather than to God. For example:

prayed thus with himself (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, New Jerusalem Bible)

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). It has a clear meaning, and it has good support from scholars.

Interpretation (2) has several variations. English versions use expressions like “to” or “with” that are ambiguous here. Each variation has support from respected scholars. If the major language version in your area uses one of these variations, you may decide to follow it.

18:11b–d

In 18:11b the Pharisee thanked God that he was not like other people. In 18:11c–d he gave specific examples of ways that he was not like them. In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of clauses and give specific examples before the general statement. For example:

11bI thank you, God, that I am not 11cgreedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, 11blike everybody else. 11dI thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. (Good News Translation)

Use a natural order in your language.

18:11b

God: The Pharisee was speaking to God. Use a natural way in your language to address God in prayer. For example:

⌊My⌋ God
-or-
O God

I thank You that I am not like the other men: Here the Pharisee told God what he was thankful for. Some other ways to say this are:

I say thank you that I am not like other men
-or-
I praise you that I am not like other men

This clause introduces a list that gives examples of what other men did. Introduce the list in a natural way in your language. For example:

I say thank you that I am not like other men. As for me, I am not….
-or-
I thank you that I am not like other men. For I do not….

I am not like the other men: The clause I am not like the other men indicates that the Pharisee thought that he was not sinful like other men. He thought that he was more righteous than they were. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

I am not ⌊evil/sinful⌋ like other men
-or-
I ⌊do⌋ not ⌊sin⌋ like other men

The phrase can also be translated without using a negative word like not. For example:

I am different from other men
-or-
I am more ⌊righteous⌋ than other men

the other men: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the other men refers to other people in general. It includes women as well as men. For example:

I am not like other people

18:11c

swindlers, evildoers, adulterers: Here the Pharisee gave three examples of sins that he thought other people committed. The Pharisee implied that all people except him were evil in some way.

In some languages it may be more natural to translate with verbs, adjectives, or short clauses. For example:

…greedy, dishonest, adulterous… (Revised English Bible)
-or-
they rob people, they do evil, and they commit adultery

It is also possible to use negative statements with the Pharisee as the subject. For example:

I’m not a robber or a dishonest person. I haven’t committed adultery. (God’s Word)
-or-
I am not greedy, dishonest, and unfaithful in marriage (Contemporary English Version)

swindlers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as swindlers refers to people who rob or cheat others. It often implies that they take things by force. The word can also refer to people who are greedy for money or possessions. Jesus used a different form of this word in 11:39 to describe Pharisees. There the Berean Standard Bible translates the word as “greed.” Some other ways to translate it are:

robbers (New International Version)
-or-
They cheat people
-or-
I am not greedy (Good News Translation)

evildoers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as evildoers is literally “unjust/unrighteous.” It refers to people who do things that are not right. They act in an unjust way, and they are dishonest. They do not obey God’s law. Some ways to translate it are:

dishonest (Good News Translation)
-or-
unjust (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
unrighteous people (NET Bible)

adulterers: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as adulterers refers to people who have sexual intercourse with someone they are not married to. Some adulterers are married people, and others are not married but they have sex with someone who is married to someone else. In some languages it may be more natural to translate this with a descriptive phrase or clause. For example:

they have sex with people they are not married to
-or-
I do not have sexual relations with anyone I have not married

18:11d

or even like this tax collector: Here the Pharisee referred to the tax collector as a particular example of “other men” (18:11b) who were sinners. He probably did not imply that the tax collector was better or worse than the evildoers whom he mentioned in 18:11c. Some ways to translate this are:

or, for that matter, like this tax-collector (Revised English Bible)
-or-
I’m certainly not like that tax collector! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I am also not like that tax collector.

© 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.

18:43a

Immediately he received his sight: The word Immediately can also be translated as “at once,” “instantly,” or “right away.” The Greek word that is translated by the phrase he received his sight is another form of the word that the blind man used when he said “let me see again” in 18:41b. Here it means “the blind man saw.” He was blind but then he could see. Other ways to translate this clause are:

At once the man was able to see (New Century Version)
-or-
And immediately he regained his sight (NET Bible)

18:43b

and followed Jesus: The blind man began to walk along the road to Jerusalem with Jesus and the rest of the crowd. The verb followed probably also implies that he became one of Jesus’ disciples.

glorifying God: In some languages it may be natural to translate this as direct speech. For example:

shouting, “Glory be to God!”
-or-

⌊he was⌋ exclaiming, “God is great/good!”

18:43c

all the people: The phrase all the people refers to the others who were in the crowd and saw what had happened. They realized that Jesus had healed the blind man and that now he was able to see. Luke is using the word all for emphasis. This word does not refer literally to everyone in the crowd. Another way to translate this is:

Many people saw what had happened. They also praised God. (Easy English Bible)

gave praise to God: In some languages it may be natural to translate this as direct speech. For example:

they also shouted, “Praise God!”
-or-
they also said, “God is great!”

General Comment on 18:36–43

These verses relate conversations between the blind man and the crowd, Jesus and the crowd, and Jesus and the blind man. The conversations contain a mixture of direct and indirect speech. Consider if it is natural in your language to mix direct and indirect speech in this way. If it is not natural, you may wish to use direct speech for everything that is said. An example of direct speech is given for each verse part in the Display, beginning at 18:36a.

© 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 19:32–34

19:32a

So: This verse begins with a Greek conjunction. The Berean Standard Bible and several other versions (English Standard Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004)) translate it as So in order to show that these two disciples went to the village as a result of the instructions that Jesus gave them. Many other versions do not translate this conjunction. Introduce what the disciples did in a natural way in your language.

those who were sent went out: This clause indicates that the two disciples left and went to the next village, just as Jesus had told them to. Here is another way to translate this:

They went off (Contemporary English Version)

those who were sent: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those who were sent is literally “those who had been sent.” It refers to the two disciples whom Jesus had just been talking to. Some English versions translate it simply with the pronoun “they.” Other ways to translate this phrase are:

The two disciples
-or-
The messengers (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
The men Jesus sent (God’s Word)

19:32b

and found it just as Jesus had told them: In Greek the verb found has no object here. The Berean Standard Bible supplies the word it because an object is needed in English. In this context the phrase found…just as is used in a special way. It indicates that the disciples saw that everything was exactly as Jesus told them it would be. They did find the colt tied up. However, the emphasis is on the fact that what Jesus told them happened exactly as he said it would. Some ways to translate this are:

and found everything just as he had told them (Revised English Bible)
-or-
and found it as he had told them (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
and all that Jesus had told them came true
-or-
when they arrived there, it was exactly as Jesus said

Translate it in a way that is 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.

20:16a–b

He will come: The phrase He will come implies that the owner would come to his grape farm where the tenants were. In some languages it may be more natural to say, “He will go.” It may also be necessary in some languages to specify a location. For example:

He will go ⌊to his grape farm⌋

and kill those tenants: The parable probably implies that the owner would go to the vineyard with other men or servants. He would order those men to execute the tenant farmers. Here the word kill refers to a legal punishment. The owner would punish them with death because they had murdered an innocent person. Other ways to translate this are:

and have those tenants put to death
-or-
and execute those tenants

and will give the vineyard to others: The phrase give the vineyard to others indicates that the owner would choose different people to take care of his grape farm for him. It does not indicate that the owner would give the farm away. He would lease the farm to people who would be more faithful to him. Other ways to translate this are:

and lease the vineyard to others (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and turn the vineyard over to other tenants (Good News Translation)

Paragraph 20:16c–19

20:16c

And when the people heard this: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as when the people heard this is more literally “hearing this.” The Berean Standard Bible supplies the subject the people to refer back to the people whom Jesus was speaking to in 20:9. If you need to supply a subject here, refer back to these people in a natural way in your language.

May such a thing never happen!: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as May such a thing never happen! expresses a strong desire or prayer that something would not happen. Some ways to translate it are:

May ⌊God⌋ never let this happen!
-or-
This must never happen! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
May this never happen! (NET Bible)
-or-
That’s unthinkable! (God’s Word)

The text does not specify exactly what the people did not want to happen. However, they probably understood that the grape farmers represented their leaders, and the owner and his son represented God and his son Jesus. The people were horrified that the leaders might become guilty of killing God’s son. They were also horrified that God would have to punish the leaders and get other people to take care of his work.

If you must make some information explicit here, you can refer to the events in 20:16a–b. You can refer to them in either a specific or a general way. For example:

It should not happen ⌊that the farmers do such terrible things and are killed and replaced⌋!
-or-
May ⌊these terrible things⌋ never happen!

© 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.

21:33

In 21:33 Jesus compared two things that are very reliable:

(a) Heaven and earth were reliable. They were likely to exist for a long time. In the Old Testament “heaven and earth” were often spoken of as enduring and firm. (See Isaiah 51:6 and Jeremiah 31:35–36.)

(b) The words of Jesus were more reliable than heaven and earth. When he told his disciples what would happen in the future, they could be sure that those things would happen just as he said.

In some languages a literal translation of this verse may not make the comparison clear. If that is true in your language, you may need to make the comparison more explicit. For example, the TRT suggests:

You can be sure that heaven and earth will pass away, but you can be even more sure the things I’m telling you about will happen. (Translator’s Reference Translation)

21:33a

Heaven and earth: The words Heaven and earth refer to the sky and the earth. For example:

The sky and the earth (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Earth and sky (New Century Version)

Together, the two words Heaven and earth refer to the entire physical universe, which includes all the material things that God created. In this context Heaven does not refer to the place where God lives. See heaven, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

will pass away: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will pass away means “will come to an end” or “will cease to exist.” Other ways to translate this verb are:

will be destroyed (New Century Version)
-or-
will cease to exist

In some languages it may be more natural to use a negative phrase. For example:

won’t last forever (Contemporary English Version)

21:33b

but: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but here introduces a contrast with 21:33a.

My words will never pass away: This clause indicates that the things that Jesus spoke will never be forgotten and will never be proved false. They will certainly happen, just as he said. Another way to translate this is to use a positive expression. For example:

my words will remain forever (New Living Translation (1996))

In some languages it is not natural to say that words pass away or “remain forever.” Use a natural way in your language to indicate that what Jesus said is completely reliable and certain to happen. For example:

what I say will certainly not fail to happen
-or-
what I tell you is completely reliable/trustworthy

My words: The phrase My words refers to all that Jesus ever spoke, including what he had just said about what would happen in the future.

© 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.

22:27a–b

In this verse Jesus again emphasized that his disciples must be great in a different way from worldly rulers. Those rulers seek greatness by demanding honor and obedience. Jesus’ disciples must follow his example and lead people by serving them.

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces two rhetorical questions and a statement that contrasts with it. What Jesus said in this verse supports what he said in 22:25–26. Many English versions also translate the conjunction as “For” or do not have a conjunction. Translate the verse so that it supports 22:25–26 in a natural way in your language.

who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines?: The two questions in this verse are rhetorical questions. Jesus used these questions to help his disciples to think carefully about what he was teaching. The second question gives the answer to the first question.

Some ways to translate these questions are:

• As two rhetorical questions. For example:

For who is the greater: the one at table or the one who serves? The one at table, surely? (New Jerusalem Bible)

• As a combination of questions, statements, or requests. For example:

Now…who is the greatest? Is it the one who sits down to eat or is it the servant who serves him? Well certainly the one who is greatest is the one who sits down.
-or-

⌊Think about⌋ who is greater, the person sitting at the table or the one who serves ⌊him⌋. The person sitting at the table is greater.

Jesus indicated here that it is natural to think that great people are the ones whom other people serve. He used rhetorical questions to prepare his disciples for what he wanted to tell them in 22:27c: He himself was an example of a different kind of greatness. He showed his greatness by serving others.

the one who reclines at the table: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the one who reclines at the table is literally “the one who is reclining.” It refers to a person who is eating/dining. The Greek text does not mention a table explicitly. The Berean Standard Bible supplied this word because it is common for many people in Western cultures to sit at tables to eat. Use a natural way in your language to refer to a person who is eating a meal. Other ways to translate the phrase are:

the one who sits down to eat (Good News Translation)
-or-
the one who is at the table (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the person relaxing as ⌊a servant brings⌋ his dinner

For more information, see the note on “reclined at the table” at 22:14b.

the one who serves: The phrase the one who serves refers to a person who serves a meal. He brings the food to the people at the table. In that culture this task was usually done by a servant. In some cultures it is always the host or hostess who brings the food to the others. If that is true in your culture, you may need to make it explicit that Jesus was referring to a servant. For example:

the servant ⌊who brings him his food⌋

22:27c

But I am among you as one who serves: Here the phrase But I is emphatic. It introduces a contrast with the rulers in 22:25. Jesus contrasted the way he led his disciples with the way that Gentile rulers led people. Jesus led his disciples by serving and helping them. He did not have the attitude of the Gentile leaders, who lorded it over their people.

In some languages it may be necessary to supply some implied information to make the contrast clear. For example:

But ⌊although I am your leader⌋, I am like a servant among you.
-or-
but in spite of that, I your master, I am like a person who serves you.

© 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 22:59–62

22:59a

About an hour later: The phrase About an hour later refers to the time after the second person recognized him. Other ways to translate it are:

When another hour had passed
-or-
About an hour after ⌊he said this⌋

In some languages it may be appropriate to use a more general way to refer to the time. For example:

Then a while later

Use a natural phrase in your language.

another man: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as another refers to someone else, probably to another man. Some other ways to translate it are:

another person
-or-
someone else (Revised English Bible)

insisted: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as insisted means “to declare firmly, to assert.” It indicates here that this third person was certain that his statement about Peter was true: Peter was with Jesus. Here is another way to translate this:

asserted (New International Version)

22:59b

Certainly: The Greek expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Certainly is literally “of a truth.” Translate in a way that indicates that a person is sure about what he saying. For example:

There isn’t any doubt (Good News Translation)
-or-
It’s obvious (God’s Word)
-or-
Of course (Revised English Bible)

this man was with Him: Here the speaker spoke to the other people there. He did not speak directly to Peter. He was talking about Peter and Jesus. Here is another way to translate this:

this man was with Jesus (Good News Translation)

22:59c

for he too is a Galilean: This clause gives the reason why the speaker was so confident that Peter was with Jesus. He was sure of this, because Peter and Jesus both came from Galilee District. The speaker probably knew this because Peter and Jesus spoke with a Galilean accent, which was different from the way the people of Judea spoke. Matthew 26:73 makes this explicit.

In Greek the clause for he too is a Galilean includes a word meaning too or “also,” as in 22:56c and 22:58b. Some other ways to translate the clause are:

…because he also is a Galilean! (Good News Translation)
-or-
They both come from Galilee. (Contemporary English 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.