19:36a

As He rode along: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as As He rode along refers to Jesus riding along on the donkey. He was still traveling on the road to Jerusalem.

19:36b

the people spread: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the people spread is literally “they-spread.” Here “they” probably refers to Jesus’ disciples and the large crowd of disciples mentioned in 19:37b. Matthew 21:8 calls this “a very large crowd.”

Most English versions use a general subject here like “they” or people. It is also possible to translate more specifically to fit with 19:37. For example:

many followers of Jesus

spread their cloaks on the road: People spread their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus so that he would ride over them as the donkey walked along. The people did this to show great honor to him. In many languages, it may be necessary to indicate the meaning of this action. For example:

spread their cloaks on the road ⌊to honor him⌋

It may also be helpful to include a footnote to explain the meaning. For example:

The people spread their cloaks on the road in front of Jesus to show that he was worthy of great honor. They were probably showing that they were ready to submit to him as king. See 2 Kings 9:13.

spread their cloaks: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spread implies that the action was repeated. The people kept putting their coats out in front of Jesus so the donkey would walk on them. Some ways to translate this repeated action are:

people kept spreading their cloaks (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
they were spreading their coats (New American Standard Bible)

cloaks: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cloaks is the same word as in 19:35a–b.

© 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 20:20–26

Jewish leaders tried to trap Jesus with a question about taxes

The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders mentioned in 20:1 sent men to trick Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse him and arrest him. They wanted to cause trouble for him.

The men asked Jesus, “Should the Jews pay taxes to the Roman Emperor Caesar or not?” The word “Caesar” was the title that the Roman people gave to their highest ruler, the emperor. The Romans ruled over the Jews at that time and forced them to pay taxes.

The men’s question was difficult because either a “yes” or a “no” answer would cause problems for Jesus. If Jesus answered, “yes, the Jews should pay taxes to the Romans,” he would make the Jews angry. If he answered “no, they should not pay,” he would make the Roman government angry. But Jesus answered wisely and avoided the trap that the Jewish leaders set for him.

Some examples of headings for this section are:

The Question about Paying Taxes (Good News Translation)
-or-
Paying Taxes to Caesar (New International Version)
-or-
Should people pay taxes to Caesar ⌊or not⌋?

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 22:15–22 and Mark 12:13–17.

Paragraph 20:20–22

20:20a

This verse begins a new event. It tells what the Jewish leaders did after Jesus told his parable. They wanted to arrest him, so they continued to watch him closely, and sent people to try to trick him. Some English versions begin the new event with “Then.” Others have “So” because the event in this section is a result of what happened in the preceding section. Some versions have no conjunction here. Begin this section in a natural way in your language.

So they watched Him closely: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they watched Him closely means “having watched carefully.” The Greek text does not specify who or what the leaders were watching. There are at least two possibilities:

(a) They were watching Jesus. For example:

they watched Him (New American Standard Bible)

(b) They were watching for an opportunity to trap him or arrest him. For example:

they looked for an opportunity (Good News Translation)

These two possibilities have almost the same meaning in this context, and either one is a good translation. The leaders watched Jesus and listened carefully to what he said because they wanted to accuse him of saying something wrong. Then they would have an excuse to arrest him.

they: The pronoun they refers to “scribes and the chief priests,” who were mentioned in 20:19a. In some languages you may be able to use a shorter phrase here. Refer back to them in a natural way in your language.

20:20b

sent spies: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sent spies indicates that the Jewish leaders hired men to get information from Jesus in a deceitful way. The leaders wanted to use that information to accuse him to the authorities. Some other ways to translate this are:

they hired some men and told them to go and deceive Jesus
-or-
They bribed some men…and they sent them to trap Jesus (Good News Translation)

The information about what they were sent to do is made more explicit in 20:20c.

spies: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as spies refers to people who are hired to get information by using deceitful methods. In some languages a word like spies may be used only in certain contexts that do not fit this situation. If that is true in your language, you may need to use a different word or a descriptive phrase. For example:

deceivers
-or-
people to trick/trap Jesus

who pretended to be sincere: The clause who pretended to be sincere tells the method that the leaders wanted the spies to use. The leaders wanted the spies to pretend to be honest. This clause does not imply that the leaders also hired some men who were actually honest. Other ways to translate this clause are:

to pretend they were sincere (Good News Translation)
-or-
and asked/told them to pretend to be sincere
-or-
pretending to be honest men (New Living Translation (2004))

pretended to be sincere: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sincere literally means “honest,” “righteous,” or “upright.” In this context it refers to being sincere, true, or genuine. The spies pretended to be sincere in wanting advice from Jesus. However, they were not sincere. They were trying to deceive him.

20:20c

They were hoping to catch Him in His words: This clause tells the purpose that the Jewish leaders had for sending the spies to Jesus. They wanted to cause Jesus to say something that they could use as a reason to arrest him. Some other ways to say this are:

in order to trap him by what he said (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported (New Living Translation (2004))

The Greek text continues the same sentence from 20:20b. If you begin a new sentence here, as the Berean Standard Bible does, you may need to specify who hoped to catch Jesus. The leaders were the ones who hoped to catch him, and they were using the spies to help them. In some languages it may be necessary to make this clear. For example:

The religious leaders ⌊told the spies⌋ to catch/trap Jesus in something he said.

20:20d

in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor: This clause is another purpose clause. It tells the leaders’ purpose for tricking Jesus into saying something that would trouble the authorities (20:20c). They intended to use what he said to persuade the governor to arrest him and punish him. In some languages it may be necessary to make this purpose more explicit. For example:

so that they might accuse him to the governor, and the governor would use his power and authority ⌊to arrest/punish him⌋

the rule and authority of the governor: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rule and authority have almost the same meaning. The governor had the right to force people to obey the laws. In some languages it may be more natural to express the meaning with only one word or phrase. For example:

the authority of the governor
-or-
to the governor for judgment

In some languages the term governor already indicates that the governor has rule and authority. If that is true in your language, you may be able to leave these ideas implied. For example:

hand him over to the Roman governor (Contemporary English Version)

governor: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as governor is a general word that means “local ruler” or “leader.” Here it refers to the ruler of the province of Judea, who was Pontius Pilate. He ruled under the authority of the emperor. Use an appropriate word 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.

Paragraph 21:37–38

This paragraph is a summary and conclusion to Division 19:28–21:38, “Jesus ministered in Jerusalem.” In some languages there may be a special way to introduce a conclusion such as this. In Greek the paragraph begins with a common conjunction. Some English versions have a conjunction like “Now” or “So.” Introduce the paragraph in a natural way in your language.

21:37a

Every day Jesus taught at the temple: This sentence describes what Jesus did every day of the first part of the last week before he died. He came each day to teach at the temple all day. Use a natural way in your language to refer to actions that a person repeats each day.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

During the day Jesus would teach in the temple courtyard. (God’s Word)
-or-
Every day Jesus went to the Temple to teach… (New Living Translation (2004))

at the temple: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temple refers to the temple building and the walls and courtyards that surrounded it. The temple was in Jerusalem and was the most important place where Jews worshiped God. For more information and translation suggestions, see the note on 18:10a.

In this context Jesus was teaching in the courtyard of the temple, not inside the building. In some languages it may be helpful to specify this. For example:

the temple courtyard

21:37b–c

but every evening He went out to spend the night on the Mount of Olives: This clause tells what Jesus did every evening and night during the first days of the week before he died. It is similar to 21:37a.

Some other ways to translate it are:

and every evening he went off and spent the night on the hill which is called the Mount of Olives (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
and each evening he returned to spend the night on the Mount of Olives (New Living Translation (2004))

Translate the clause in a natural way in your language.

He went out: The phrase He went out indicates that Jesus left the city of Jerusalem. In some languages it is necessary to make that explicit. For example:

he would leave the city (Revised English Bible)

the Mount of Olives: This hill was called the Mount of Olives because it had olive trees growing on it. See the note on 19:29b.

© 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 22:31–38

Jesus predicted that Peter would deny him

In this section Jesus warned Peter that Satan wanted to test the disciples severely. Peter told Jesus that he would always be faithful to him, but Jesus said to him, “This same night you (Peter) will say three times that you do not know me.”

In the second part of the section, Jesus reminded his apostles of the time that he sent them out to preach and heal (chapters 9–10). At that time, they did not need to take anything with them. People welcomed them and took care of them as they preached about Jesus. But now, people would say that Jesus was an evil doer, just as the prophets had written in the Scriptures. So Jesus warned his apostles to prepare for this time of difficulty and danger.

Some other examples of headings for this section are:

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus’ Disciples Will Be Tested (Contemporary English Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 26:31–35, Mark 14:27–31, and John 13:36–38.

Paragraph 22:31–34

22:31a

At the end of the preceding section, Jesus was speaking to all the apostles. Here in 22:31 he spoke to Peter. In many languages it may be helpful to introduce his words to Peter with a short phrase. For example:

Then Jesus said to Peter

When Jesus spoke to Peter in this verse, he used his original name “Simon.” In some languages it is helpful to include the name Simon in the introductory phrase. For example:

And Jesus said to Simon Peter

Simon, Simon: Simon was Peter’s original name. In 6:14 Luke mentioned that Jesus gave Simon the name Peter. After that verse, he is usually called “Simon Peter” in Luke. However, you should not add the name “Peter” to Jesus’ words here. The name Peter means “rock,” and it implies strength and courage. Jesus predicted in this section that Satan was about to sift Simon and the other disciples like wheat.

Jesus said Simon’s name twice to emphasize what he was about to tell Simon. After Simon’s name, the Greek text has a word that versions such as the Revised Standard Version translate as “behold.” This word emphasizes that Jesus wanted Simon to pay special attention to what he was about to say. It does not imply that Simon had not been listening to Jesus before.

Here Jesus was about to warn Simon about a great danger. Languages have different ways to introduce such warnings and to emphasize them. In some languages, it may not be natural to repeat Simon’s name in this context. Be sure to translate the warning in a natural and emphatic way in your language.

Some other ways to do that are:

Simon, listen to me! (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Hey Simon, I have something to say to you.
-or-
Oh Simon, I must warn/tell you about this:
-or-
Listen well, Simon, ⌊and remember this⌋:

22:31b

Satan’s request in this clause is similar to what he requested to do to Job in Job 1:6–12 and 2:1–6.

Satan has asked to: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has asked to means “to request or demand.” Here it indicates that Satan requested or demanded to be allowed to do something. It does not imply that he asked a question. Some other ways to translate this are:

Satan has demanded to (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Satan has demanded the right to (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Satan has requested ⌊opportunity⌋ to

In this context God was the one whom Satan asked for permission. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

Satan has demanded ⌊permission⌋ ⌊from God⌋

The verb has asked to implies that God had agreed to Satan’s request: God agreed that Satan could sift the apostles. In some languages it may be helpful to make God’s agreement explicit. For example:

Satan has received permission (Good News Translation)
-or-
God has given Satan ⌊permission⌋

22:31c

sift each of you like wheat: The phrase sift each of you like wheat is a metaphor. Jesus compared what Satan wanted to do to the apostles with what a farmer does to wheat. A farmer sifts the wheat to separate the good grain from the worthless husks, straw, and other parts of the plant. Satan wanted to cause the apostles to be like the husks and straw. He wanted to cause all the apostles to leave Jesus and stop trusting him.

In some languages people may not understand this metaphor. If that is true in your language, some other ways to translate it are:

• Use a simile that indicates the meaning. For example:

He wants to separate you from me as a farmer separates wheat from husks. (God’s Word)
-or-
Like rice that is winnowed, like that also will be the severity of the temptation that strikes you.

• Use a metaphor that has the same meaning in your language. For example:

to shake you away from me

• Translate the meaning without a figure of speech. For example:

to test you to see if he can cause you to stop trusting/following me
-or-
to try to make you be unfaithful to me

Translate the metaphor in a natural way in your language. It is used in a similar way in Amos 9:9.

sift: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sift means: “to shake in a sieve.” This word occurs only once in the New Testament. Scholars are not sure exactly how the sifting was done or what type of sieve was used. The farmer may have shaken the wheat violently in the sieve to make the husks and straw blow away in the wind. If you keep the metaphor, use appropriate terms in your culture to describe the sifting.

each of you: The pronoun you is plural here. Jesus referred to all the apostles, not only to Peter. If the pronoun in your language does not make this clear, you can indicate it in another way. For example:

you apostles (God’s Word)
-or-
all of you (Revised English Bible)
-or-
each of you (New Living Translation (2004))

wheat: The word wheat refers to a certain type of grain plant and to the grain that the plant produces. Wheat plants have a stalk. On top of the stalk there are clusters of seeds, which are the wheat grains.

In some areas wheat may not be known. If that is true in your area, other ways to translate it are:

• Use a more general term. For example:

grain

• Use a different type of grain that is grown in your area and is similar to wheat. For example:

barley
-or-
rice

This word also occurs in 3:17 and 16:7. See how you translated it there.

© 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 22:63–65

The guards mocked Jesus

In this section the guards mocked and mistreated Jesus. Some other examples of headings for this section are:

Jesus Is Mocked and Beaten (Good News Translation)
-or-
The Mocking and Beating of Jesus (New Revised Standard Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 26:67–68 and Mark 14:65.

Paragraph 22:63–65

22:63a

In this verse there is a change of focus. The focus on Peter ended in 22:62. In this verse Luke began to focus again on what happened to Jesus. Some English versions use the word “Now” to indicate this. In some languages there is a special way to indicate such a change in focus or topic. If that is true in your language, you may use it here.

The men who were holding Jesus: Here, he word holding means “to keep in custody.” These men were in charge of making sure that Jesus did not leave the place in which he was being kept. The men who guarded Jesus were probably members of the temple guard mentioned in 22:52a–d. The Jewish leaders appointed them to watch Jesus and make sure that he did not escape. Here is another way to translate this:

The guards in charge of Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))

22:63b

began to mock Him and beat Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to mock Him and beat Him indicates that the guards continued to ridicule and beat Jesus for some time. The Berean Standard Bible implies this by using the word began. Indicate the continuing action in a natural way in your language. In some languages a simple past form implies this, as well. For example:

made fun of him and beat him (Good News Translation)

mock: The word mock indicates that the guards ridiculed Jesus. They insulted him with both words and actions. Some other ways to translate it are:

ridiculed him
-or-
treated him shamefully
-or-
made fun of him (Good News Translation)

beat: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beat probably refers here to hitting someone repeatedly with the hand or fist. Such beating often causes bruises and other injuries. It is the same word that was used in 20:10d.

© 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.

23:25a–d

he released the one imprisoned for insurrection and murder: This statement indicates that Pilate released the man that the people asked him to release in 23:18. This man was named Barabbas. As 23:19 said, he was in prison for insurrection and murder.

In some languages it may be helpful to supply the name Barabbas here. For example:

He freed Barabbas, who had been put in prison for rioting and murdering, because that’s what they wanted. (God’s Word)

23:25e

and handed Jesus: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and introduces a contrast between what Pilate did for Barabbas in this verse and what he did to Jesus. The word Jesus is emphasized in Greek. One way to translate this contrast is:

But as for Jesus

Translate the contrast in a way that is natural in your language.

over to their will: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as over to their will indicates that Pilate gave Jesus into the control of other people. He allowed them to do what they wanted with Jesus. The word their refers to the Jewish people and their leaders. They wanted Jesus to be executed/killed.

The context implies that Pilate ordered his soldiers to take Jesus and execute him, as the Jewish people wanted. It does not imply that the Jewish people were in charge of the execution.

Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:

Then Pilate allowed Jesus to be taken away so that he would be ⌊killed⌋ as they wanted.
-or-
But Isa was handed over to the soldiers so that the will of the people would be done.

© 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.