SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 1:7

1:7b–8a

Asa: A few English versions (New Revised Standard Version and English Standard Version) spell this name Asaph. Most English versions spell it Asa, as the Berean Standard Bible does. You should follow the spelling of the national language version, but spell it according to the rules of your language.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:18

2:18

Verse 2:18 is a quote from Jeremiah 31:15. You may want to include a footnote with this reference in your translation.

2:18a

A voice is heard: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as voice can also mean “sound.” It refers to the voice (sound) of Rachel weeping and mourning.

The verb is heard is passive.

Here are some ways to translate this clause:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

A voice/sound was heard ⌊by people⌋

• As an active verb. For example:

⌊People⌋ heard the voice ⌊of someone⌋
-or-
A sound comes/came

in Ramah: The word Ramah is the name of a town. It was about eight kilometers (five miles) north of Jerusalem.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in ⌊the town of⌋ Ramah
-or-
from ⌊the village of⌋ Ramah

2:18b

weeping and great mourning: The phrase weeping and great mourning further describes the “voice” in 2:18a. It is not describing a new event. As 2:18c indicates, it was Rachel who was weeping and mourning.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

⌊it was the sound of⌋ weeping and great mourning
-or-

⌊someone was⌋ weeping and mourning

The two words weeping and great mourning have almost the same meaning. In some languages, both words can be translated by one emphatic word or phrase. For example:

loud sobbing
-or-
the sound of bitter weeping (Good News Translation)

weeping: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weeping refers to loud crying. It does not refer to quiet weeping.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

crying (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
wailing (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
much/extreme crying

great mourning: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as great mourning refers to the sounds that people make when they have extreme grief. It is the sounds that people make when a relative has just died.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

loud wailing (NET Bible)
-or-
loud lamentation (English Standard Version)
-or-
weeping loudly (Contemporary English Version)

2:18c

Rachel weeping for her children: This clause identifies the “voice” or “sound” in 2:18a. The “voice” was the sound of Rachel weeping. It is figurative in this context. Rachel represents all the mothers who were weeping for their children who were killed.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

⌊That sound was⌋ Rachel weeping for her children
-or-

⌊It was the voice of⌋ Rachel weeping for her children

Rachel: The word Rachel is the name of a woman. She was the favorite wife of Jacob (Israel). The Jews considered Rachel to be the mother of their nation. She lived more than a thousand years before Jeremiah prophesied, and Jeremiah lived several hundred years before Christ was born. Jeremiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in his lifetime when many Israelites were killed in a war with Babylon. It was fulfilled again when Herod killed many baby boys in Bethlehem.

In some languages, it may be necessary to indicate that it was Rachel’s descendants who were weeping, not actually Rachel herself.

Here is another way to translate Rachel here:

Rachel’s descendants

weeping: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weeping is the same word as in 2:18b. It refers to loud crying, not quiet whimpering.

her children: In the time of Jeremiah and in the time of Christ, the children mentioned were the children of Rachel’s descendants, not her literal children.

Notice that if you translate Rachel as “Rachel’s descendants,” you will have to translate the phrase her children as “their children.”

2:18d

and refusing to be comforted: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as refusing to be comforted also means “not willing to be consoled.” Rachel did not want anyone to help lessen her grief.

The verb comforted is passive.

Here are some ways to translate this entire phrase:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

she refused to be consoled (Revised Standard Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

she did not want anyone to comfort her

2:18e

because: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because introduces the reason for what was said in 2:18a–d.

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:18e before 2:18c. For example:

18eRachel’s children are dead. 18c⌊So⌋ she is weeping for them, 18dand she does not want to be comforted.

they are no more: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they are no more indicates that “the children were dead.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they are dead (Good News Translation)
-or-
her children are dead (New Century Version)

-or-

they were gone (NET Bible)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:10

4:10a

“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared: The Berean Standard Bible places the words Jesus declare in the middle of what Jesus said. This is good English style. However, in some languages it may be more natural to put these words at the beginning of 4:10. For example:

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan!” (English Standard Version)

As in the previous two temptations, Jesus here refused to do what the devil wanted him to do. In some languages, it may be natural to make this explicit. For example:

⌊But⌋ Jesus ⌊refused. He⌋ said to him

Away from Me, Satan!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Away from Me is a command. Jesus commanded Satan to leave him.

Here are some other ways to translate this command:

Go away, Satan! (Good News Translation)
-or-
Go away from me, Satan! (New Century Version)

It may be more natural in your language to have the name first. For example:

Satan, leave me!

Satan: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Satan is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew word which means “enemy.” Satan is one of the devil’s names. This is the first time in Matthew that the devil is referred to by his name Satan.

You should transliterate the word Satan in a way that sounds natural in your language.

4:10b

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as For also means “because.” It introduces the reason clause (4:10c) of a reason-result statement. The result is implied. The implied information is: “I will not worship you.”

result (implied)

⌊I will not worship you,
⌋

reason (4:10c)

for/because it is written that only God is to be worshipped.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• Translate the implied information and the conjunction. For example:

⌊I will not worship you,⌋ for/because it is written…
-or-
It is written…. ⌊So/Therefore I will not worship you.⌋

• Translate “For it is written…” as a separate sentence and leave the conjunction and relationship implied. For example:

It is written in the Scriptures… (New Century Version)
-or-
Scripture says…. (God’s Word)

it is written: As in 4:4a and 4:6b, Jesus used the phrase it is written to introduce words from the Hebrew Scriptures.

Here is another way to translate this:

The scripture says (Good News Translation)

The quote in 4:10c are words that God gave to Moses, and Moses wrote them down. So you could translate this phrase as:

⌊Moses⌋ wrote

4:10c

‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’: This sentence is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:13. These words were a command to each of the people of Israel. In Greek, the verbs Worship and serve and the pronoun your are singular. However, since the command is given to everyone, in some languages it may be more natural to use the plural forms. For example:

You (plur.) must worship the Lord, who is your God, and obey only him.
-or-
People must worship the Lord their God and serve only him.

Jesus quoted this command in order to tell Satan that he would never worship him. He was declaring that he would obey the Scriptures and only worship the Lord God.

Worship…serve: The two verbs Worship and serve are a doublet. This means that these two words mean almost the same thing. To Worship God is to bow before him and adore him. (See the note on “worship me” in 4:9.) To serve God means to do the things that show that you honor him as your God. These two verbs work together to describe how people should act toward God.

Here are some other ways to translate these verbs:

Bow down to the Lord your God and respect only him.
-or-
You must submit to the Lord your God and honor him alone.

General Comment on 4:10b–c

Jesus was not commanding Satan to worship the Lord. In some languages, a literal translation may imply that Jesus was telling Satan what to do. If that is the case in your language, you may need to say explicitly to whom the command was addressed. For example:

⌊This command to the people of Israel⌋ is written ⌊in God’s book⌋: You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone.

Another possibility is to use indirect speech. For example:

The Scripture says that a person must worship the Lord his God and serve only him.

-or-

It is written that we(excl.) must worship the Lord our God and serve him alone.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:17

Section 5:17–20

Jesus came to fulfill Scripture

In this section, Jesus taught that he came into the world to fulfill the prophecies in the Old Testament Scripture (5:17). The Old Testament indicates that the Christ (Messiah) would be the Savior of mankind. God showed that Jesus was the Christ by the many miracles he did through Jesus. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection brought the Scripture to its completion. In this section, Jesus also exhorted his disciples to live righteously (5:19–20).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Teaching about the law
-or-
The fulfillment of the law
-or-
Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Scripture

Paragraph 5:17–20

5:17a

Do not think that: Jesus knew that some Jews would later accuse him of trying to destroy God’s laws. So he said here that they should not think such thoughts.

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

You (plur.) should not think that
-or-
Don’t suppose that (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Do not say in your mind/heart that

I have come: The clause I have come refers to Jesus coming into the world.

So here is another way to translate this clause:

I have come to the earth

This clause does not refer to Jesus’ coming to the mountain where he was preaching.

to abolish: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as abolish means “do away with, make invalid, repeal.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

to destroy (New Century Version)
-or-
to do away with (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
to set aside (God’s Word)

the Law or the Prophets: By itself, the phrase the Law refers to the first five books of the Old Testament. The phrase the Prophets refers to the Old Testament books from Isaiah to Malachi. When these two phrases are used together, they refer to the entire Old Testament including all the books between the law and the Prophets.

Jesus used the conjunction or to indicate that he would abolish no part of the Old Testament.

Here are some other ways to translate these phrases:

⌊the books of⌋ the law ⌊that God gave to Moses⌋ or ⌊the books of⌋ the Prophets
-or-

⌊the books of⌋ the laws ⌊of Moses⌋ or ⌊the books of⌋ the Prophets
-or-

⌊The Scriptures starting from⌋ the laws ⌊given to Moses⌋ ⌊through⌋ ⌊the writings of⌋ the Prophets

5:17b

I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them: In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in 5:17b. For example:

I have come to fulfill them and not to abolish them.

to fulfill them: Here, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to fulfill has a broader meaning than its meaning in previous contexts like 4:14. Here this word includes the aspects of:

(a) to make them come true (as in God’s Word). Jesus made come true the Old Testament prophecies which refer to the promised Messiah.

(b) to complete them (as in the New Jerusalem Bible). Jesus finished the requirements of the Old Testament, like sacrifices. (As such, it is not necessary for us to do these sacrifices again.)

(c) to obey them. Jesus obeyed all the Old Testament commandments (though not always in the way that the religious leaders thought that he should obey them).

(d) to teach their true meaning. Jesus, by his life and teaching, revealed the true meaning and implications of the Old Testament Scriptures. He revealed how to apply the Scriptures.

To adequately translate this word, it may be necessary to include several of the aspects above. For example:

to fulfill them and show/reveal their true meaning
-or-
to complete them and make them come true

-or-

to make their true meaning clear and to cause them to come true

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:1

Section Cluster

6:1–18

Do not do good deeds for people to praise you

In 5:20 Jesus said that his disciples’ righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the Pharisees and the scribes. In 5:21–48 he gave examples of what he meant by this command. But now, beginning in 6:1, Jesus warned his disciples not to do righteous acts with the hope that others will see them and think how good they are. Instead, they are to do their righteous acts secretly, and then God will reward them.

In 6:1–18 Jesus talked about three acts of righteousness:

(a) giving to poor people (6:1–4)

(b) prayer (6:5–15)

Each of these acts of righteousness are discussed in separate sections below.

Section 6:1–4

Jesus taught about giving to poor people

In this section, Jesus taught his disciples that when they give money to poor people, they should do so secretly.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Giving to the needy
-or-
Giving alms

Paragraph 6:1

Verse 6:1 is a summary of 6:1–18. It gives the general rule: Jesus’ disciples should want God’s approval, not human praise.

6:1a

Even though a new chapter begins at 6:1, Jesus continued “the Sermon on the Mount” which he began in chapter 5. In some languages, no introduction is necessary here. In other languages, it may be natural to begin this chapter with something like:

⌊Jesus continued,⌋
-or-

⌊Jesus continued to teach and said,⌋
-or-

⌊But Jesus warned them,⌋

Be careful not to perform: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Be careful not to perform is a strong way to say “Do not do.” The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Be careful refers to being alert or on guard about something. Here the warning is to be alert “not to do something.”

Some languages have other ways to strengthen a command. For example:

Make certain you do not perform (Good News Translation)
-or-
Be careful not to do (New International Version)
-or-
You must never do

your righteous acts: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your righteous acts refers to right/good deeds that are done to honor and worship God. In this context, the phrase specifically refers to giving to the poor (6:2–4), praying (6:5–15), and fasting (6:16–18). It includes other good actions as well.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

your good deeds (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
your deeds which honor God
-or-
your religious duties (Good News Translation)
-or-
something good/upright

The word righteous also occurs in 5:6a.

Jesus expected his followers to do good deeds. His warning here was against doing good works for the wrong reason. In some languages, it may be more natural to first state what Jesus expected, and then state the warning. For example:

When you do good deeds, be careful never to do them only so that other people will see you.

before men: The phrase before men refers to doing something “openly” or “in an obvious way.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in public (Good News Translation)
-or-
to attract attention (God’s Word)
-or-

⌊in order that⌋ people see you
-or-
to impress people

The word men is used in general way in this phrase and refers to people, both men and women.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

before other people (English Standard Version)
-or-
in front of others (New International Version)

6:1b

to be seen by them: The clause to be seen by them implies more than just being seen by other people’s eyes. It implies a desire to be praised by people. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

to be seen ⌊and honored/praised⌋ by them
-or-
to be admired (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
to impress people

The clause to be seen by them is passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

in order that you are seen by them

• Use an active verb. For example:

so that they/people will see you

6:1c

If you do: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If you do can also be translated as “for then” (as in the English Standard Version). It refers to doing good deeds in order that people will see you.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

If you do that (New Century Version)
-or-
In that case
-or-
because then (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
If you do those deeds in that ⌊wrong⌋ way

you will have no reward from your Father in heaven: This clause is like a passive clause. In some languages, it is more natural to use an active clause. For example:

your Father in heaven will not give a reward to you

reward: The word reward refers to a gift given for behavior that God approves of. It could be a special honor or blessing that God gives to that kind of person.

In some languages, it is more natural to use a verb or clause to express this idea. For example:

your Father in heaven will not reward you. (God’s Word)
-or-
your Father in heaven will not honor/bless you

This word also occurs in 5:46a.

your Father in heaven: In this verse, Jesus spoke of God as your Father. Jesus further described God and distinguished him from our earthly father by saying in heaven.

In some languages, the phrase your Father would imply that God was only the father of those to whom Jesus was speaking, but not Jesus’ father. If that is so in your language, you may want to translate this phrase as:

our(incl.) heavenly father

-or-

⌊God⌋ our(incl.) father who lives in heaven

This phrase also occurs in 5:45a. You should translate it here as you did there.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:33

6:33a

But: There is a contrast between 6:31–32 and 6:33. The contrast is between what believers should not seek (food, drink, and clothes) and what they should seek (the kingdom of God). The Berean Standard Bible introduces this contrast with the conjunction But.

Here are some other ways to introduce this contrast:

Instead ⌊of seeking all those things like the Gentiles do⌋
-or-
Instead ⌊of worrying⌋

seek first the kingdom of God: The clause seek first the kingdom of God means that a believer’s priority must be to “desire, want, wish for, or look/search for the things that are important in the kingdom of God.”

The word first in this context refers to priority or importance. It does not refer to time. Jesus’ disciples are to make their greatest concern the kingdom of God. Their greatest concern must not be food, drink, clothes, and other things.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God (Good News Translation)
-or-
The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom (New Century Version)
-or-
concentrate/focus on the things that are important in the kingdom of God
-or-
Make God’s rule ⌊over you⌋ the most important issue ⌊in your life⌋

the kingdom of God: The phrase the kingdom of God refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It also refers to the relationship that God has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king. The phrase the kingdom of God does not refer to a land or country that he rules over.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• As a noun. For example:

the kingdom of God
-or-
God’s kingship
-or-
God’s rule over people

• As a verbal expression. For example:

the way that God rules his people
-or-
the way that God cares for his people as king

See how you translated “kingdom of heaven” in 5:3, 5:19, and 5:20. See also kingdom of heaven in the Glossary for more information.

and His righteousness: The phrase His righteousness refers to “what God requires people to do.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and with what he requires of you (Good News Translation)
-or-
and ⌊seek to live according to⌋ what he considers right/straight
-or-
and live the righteous life that he wants
-or-
and do what he wants (Contemporary English Version)

See the note on 5:6a and 6:1a and consider how you translated righteousness there.

6:33b

and all these things will be added unto you: The phrase all these things refers to the food, drink, and clothes mentioned in 6:25–31. The verb will be added means “will be provided” or “will be given.”

The verb will be added is passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• As a passive. For example:

Then all these things will be provided for you. (God’s Word)
-or-
Then all these other things you need will be given to you. (New Century Version)

• As an active. For example:

and he will provide you with all these other things (Good News Translation)

-or-

and he will give you everything you need (New Living Translation (2004))

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 8:2

8:2a

Suddenly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Suddenly indicates that something extraordinary will happen. Here, the amazing event is that a leper came to Jesus, and Jesus healed him. If you have a way to indicate such an event, you may want to use it here.

Here is another way to translate this word:

And behold (English Standard Version)

a leper: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as leper refers to a person who had one of several different skin diseases. One specific type of skin disease is leprosy.

People believed that these diseases were spread by contact with someone who had the disease. A person who had one of these diseases was considered ritually unclean. According to Jewish law, he was not allowed to associate with other people. He was not allowed to worship in the temple.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

• Use a word or phrase that refers to a person who has leprosy. For example:

a leper man
-or-
a man sick with/from leprosy
-or-
a man with leprosy (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a general phrase that describes the nature or significance of the disease that this person had. For example:

a man suffering from a dreaded skin disease (Good News Translation)
-or-
a man sick with a skin disease
-or-
a man whose skin was rotting

knelt before Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knelt literally means “prostrate before.” This means kneeling and putting one’s face to the ground. Common people did this to people of great authority in order to show them great honor and submission.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

bowed low in front of him (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
got on his knees before Jesus

8:2b

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master.” It was a polite title used when addressing a respected leader.

Here are some other ways to translate Lord:

Sir (Good News Translation)
-or-
Master
-or-
Big/Important person

if You are willing, You can make me clean: This statement was a polite and indirect way for the man to ask Jesus to heal him of his leprosy. In some languages it may be necessary to make the request explicit. For example:

⌊I know that⌋ if you want to, you can heal me. ⌊So please heal me.⌋

Consider how the man would express his request politely in your language.

if You are willing: The clause if You are willing here means “if you want to.” The man believed that Jesus was able to heal him, but he was not sure that Jesus was willing to do so.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

if you want to (Good News Translation)
-or-
if you choose (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-

⌊please,⌋ if you are willing

You can make me clean: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as make…clean has the sense of “healed” or “cured” when used with leprosy.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

you have the power to make me well (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
you can heal me (New Century Version)

According to Jewish law, a person became “ritually unclean” if he had certain diseases such as leprosy. A ritually “unclean” person could not live with other people. He had to live apart from the rest of society. He could not worship in the temple. If anyone came near him, the unclean person had to warn him by shouting out, “Unclean!”

So here the leper not only had a disease, he was “unclean.” (This does not mean that he was physically dirty and needed to be washed.) In order to be completely cleansed from leprosy, there were at least two steps:

(a) he had to be cured/healed, and

(b) he had to be declared clean by a priest and offer sacrifices.

When Jesus told the man to go show himself to the priest and offer the sacrifice (in 8:4b–c), Jesus commanded the man to take care of step b. This shows that when Jesus said “Be clean” (in 8:3b), he was not doing step b. He did not make the man “ritually clean” according to the law of Moses. Rather, Jesus was taking care of step a: healing. Furthermore, when the leper asked Jesus to make him “clean,” he was not asking Jesus to play the role of the priest (step b). When Jesus says “I will,” he meant “I will agree to your request to be healed.” Therefore, in this context, the Greek word is best translated as “healed/cured.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 8:34

8:34a

The Greek of 8:34 begins with a word that is often translated as “behold.” The Berean Standard Bible does not translate this word. It indicates that something extraordinary is going to happen. Here, the amazing event is that the entire town went out to meet Jesus.

The usual translation of this word (suddenly/unexpectedly) does not fit well here. In this context, it may be better to leave this word untranslated, as the Berean Standard Bible does.

the whole town: The phrase the whole town is a figure of speech. It refers to all the people of the town. For example:

everyone from the town (Good News Translation)

The word whole is an exaggeration. Probably most or nearly all of the people of the town went out to see Jesus. If your language does not use exaggeration in a context like this, you may want to translate whole in another way. For example:

most of the ⌊people of⌋ the town
-or-
nearly everyone in the town

went out to meet Jesus: The people of the town probably went out to see Jesus and everything that had happened. They did not go to introduce themselves to Jesus or to learn who he was.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

went out to see Jesus (New Century Version)
-or-
went out to talk with Jesus

8:34b

they begged Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as begged also occurred in 8:31a. In this context, the Greek verb means “urgently ask.” You may want to translate it in the same way as you did in 8:31a.

to leave their region: This phrase is indirect speech. In some languages, it is more natural to translate this as direct speech. For example:

“Please leave our region/territory.”

-or-

“Would you please depart from our area/district?”

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 1:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:18

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:10

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:17

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:33

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 8:2

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 8:34

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