SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023 – Page 26

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 17:15

17:15a

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “owner,” “master,” or “ruler.” In the parallel passages in Mark and Luke, the man addressed Jesus as “Teacher” rather than Lord. This shows that the man was addressing Jesus with respect. He did not necessarily understand that Jesus was the Son of God. So here you should use a term of respect that is natural in that sort of situation. For example:

Sir (Good News Translation)
-or-
Master

have mercy on my son: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mercy means “have pity/compassion” for someone, or “be greatly concerned” for him. The man was pleading with Jesus to do something. He was indirectly asking Jesus to heal his son. He did this in a polite way.

Here are some other ways to translate this request:

have pity on my son (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊please⌋ pity my son ⌊and help him⌋

17:15b

There is a Greek conjunction at the beginning of this clause that some English versions translate as “for.” It introduces the reason for the man’s plea for help.

Here is another way to translate this conjunction:

because (NET Bible)

Many English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate this conjunction here. Instead they let the context indicate the connection. In some languages, it will not be necessary to use a conjunction here either.

He has seizures: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as has seizures refers to a person who has epilepsy. When a person with epilepsy has a seizure, he suffers various things. He loses consciousness, he falls down and may injure himself, and his body stiffens and begins to shake violently. After a while, the person stops shaking and regains consciousness.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

he has attacks/fits/spasms
-or-
he is an epileptic (English Standard Version)
-or-
he has a shaking sickness

This same word occurs in 4:24e.

and is suffering terribly: This clause indicates that the boy’s illness:

(a) caused him great pain

(b) was very severe.

Some English versions focus on (a). Other versions focus on (b). For example:

and is suffering very much (New Century Version)
-or-
and has such terrible attacks (Good News Translation)

17:15c

In Greek, 17:15c begins with a conjunction. This conjunction indicates that what follows explains what the man meant by the phrase “suffering terribly.” Many English versions translate this conjunction as “For.”

Some English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate this conjunction. Instead, they let the context suggest the connection. You should begin 17:15c in a way that is natural in your language.

often falls into the fire or into the water: These clauses together describe the effect that the seizures had on the boy. When he had a seizure, he fell down. He often fell into a fire or into water.

The boy did not always fall into a fire or water. He only fell when he was suffering from a seizure. In some languages, it will be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

⌊when he shakes,⌋ he often falls into a fire or water

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SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 18:20

18:20a

For: Verse 18:20a is the explanation or the reason for what was said in 18:19. The Greek introduces this reason with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For.

Here are some other ways to introduce this reason:

Because
-or-
This is true because (New Century Version)
-or-

⌊That will happen⌋ because

two or three: This phrase refers to “two or three believers.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

two or three of you (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

⌊even⌋ when only two or three people

gather together in My name: The phrase in My name indicates that people are meeting as a group of believers. They have gathered to pray and worship Jesus. They have not just gathered for any reason.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

are assembled in my name (NET Bible)
-or-
gather together as my followers (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
meet because of me

18:20b

there am I: The verb am is present tense. It indicates something that is true at all times, both now and in the future.

Here is a more natural English way to translate this:

I am there (NET Bible)

with them: This phrase means that Jesus is present with them spiritually. His spirit is with them whenever and wherever they met. It does not mean that he is there physically.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

among them (English Standard Version)

-or-

in their midst (Revised Standard Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 18:31

Paragraph 18:31–35

18:31a

In Greek, this verse begins with the same conjunction that occurs in 18:29a. This conjunction indicates that 18:31 is the result of what the servant did in 18:30.

Here are some other ways to begin this verse:

When this happened
-or-
As a result

Most English versions do not translate this word. They allow the context to suggest the connection. In some languages, a conjunction will not be necessary here either.

When his fellow servants saw: The phrase fellow servants refers to other people who were all servants of the same king. The pronoun his refers to either the first servant or the second servant. It is also possible to translate this clause in a general way. For example:

When the other servants saw (Good News Translation)

Probably some, not all, of the servants saw what had happened. In some languages, it may be more natural to say:

When some of the other servants saw (New Living Translation (2004))

fellow servants: This is the same word that occurs in 18:28b.

what had happened: This phrase can also be translated as “the things that happened.” It is not clear whether the other servants saw only the argument between the two servants, or whether they also saw how the king forgave the first servant. They probably knew about all these things even if they did not actually see them with their eyes. So translate this phrase in a general way. For example:

saw this (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
saw what had taken place (English Standard Version)
-or-
saw ⌊these things/events⌋

18:31b

they were greatly distressed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as distressed also means “sad,” “sorrowful,” and “grieved.” The servants were very upset that the first servant did not show any compassion toward the second servant. The king had showed him such great compassion to him. But he did not show compassion to someone else.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they were very upset (NET Bible)
-or-
they were shocked

18:31c

they went: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as went can also mean “came.” For example:

and came (New American Standard Bible)

Here you should use the verb that is most natural in this context.

and recounted: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as recounted means “fully explained” something. Here is another way to translate this verb:

and told (New International Version)

all of this: This phrase refers to the things that the first servant had done to the second servant.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

everything that ⌊the first servant⌋ had done
-or-
the whole affair (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
all that ⌊the first servant⌋ did ⌊to the second servant⌋⌋

to their master: The word master refers to the king.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

the king/chief

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 19:28

19:28a

Truly I tell you: This same expression occurs in 19:23a. You should translate it here as you did there. For example:

I assure you that
-or-
Listen to this:
-or-
Let me tell you this:

19:28b

in the renewal of all things: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the renewal of all things is more literally “rebirth.” It refers to the age to come (see 12:32) when God makes the world new again.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

In the age when all things are renewed (NET Bible)
-or-
in the world to come (God’s Word)
-or-
in the New Age (Good News Translation)
-or-
when ⌊God⌋ makes the world/earth new again

19:28c

the Son of Man: Jesus used the phrase the Son of Man to refer to himself. In some languages, it may be necessary to add the pronoun “I” to show that Jesus was referring to himself. For example:

⌊I,⌋ the Son of Man

In Matthew, this phrase first occurs in 8:20b. See the Note there for more information on translating it.

sits on His glorious throne: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as His glorious throne is more literally “throne of his glory” (as in the New Revised Standard Version). This phrase does not only mean that the throne itself is glorious. It means that the person (Jesus) who sits on the throne is glorious. When Jesus sits on this throne, it shows that he has power and authority.

Also, Jesus will sit on this throne to rule. He will not sit on this throne because he needs to rest. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

will sit on his great throne (New Century Version)
-or-
will sit on his chief chair in glory/greatness ⌊to rule⌋
-or-
will sit with his authority/power on his chair/stool ⌊to rule⌋

In some languages, there may be a special verb that describes a chief sitting to rule. It may not be necessary to also translate the word throne. For example:

will sit in/with power to rule

glorious: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as glorious is more literally “of glory.” Here it refers to the greatness and power of the person who sits on the throne.

throne: A throne is a special chair on which a king sits. He sits on this chair to judge and rule and show that he has authority.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

king’s chair
-or-
chief’s stool

19:28d

you who have followed Me: This clause refers to the twelve disciples whom Jesus chose.

Here is another way to translate it:

you, my followers (God’s Word)
-or-
you twelve followers of mine (Good News Translation)
-or-
you, my disciples

will also sit on twelve thrones: The word thrones here is the same as in 19:28c. Translate it here in the same way.

19:28e

judging: There are two ways to interpret the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as judging:

(1) It refers to governing/ruling. According to this interpretation, it refers to using authority over a period of time. It is similar to Moses judging/ruling the people of Israel for forty years. For example:

to rule (Good News Translation)

(2) It refers to deciding whether people are guilty or innocent, and deciding how the guilty people must be punished. According to this interpretation, it refers to a single event on judgment day. The disciples will judge Israel. They will condemn some of the people of Israel for rejecting Christ.

If you can translate this word with a term that includes both interpretations, you should do that. If you must make a choice, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Jesus promised his disciples a reward for abandoning everything to follow him. That reward is that they will reign with him.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

rule/reign
-or-
govern

the twelve tribes of Israel: The word tribes refers to “clans.” The twelve clans started from the twelve sons of Israel who founded the nation of Israel.

Here the word tribes does not refer to distinct ethnic groups who spoke different languages and had different customs.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the twelve clans of Israel

-or-

the people who descended from the twelve sons of Israel

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 20:30

20:30a

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated literally means “look” or “see.” Some English versions translate it as “behold.” This word brings attention to the words that follow. If you have an expression in your language that someone uses when he wants to bring attention to something that he is about to say, you should consider using it here.

Most English versions, including the Berean Standard Bible, do not translate this word here. See 19:16a and 19:27a for a similar context for this word.

there were two blind men: The Greek phrase the Berean Standard Bible translates as two blind men is more literally “two blind ones.” Most English versions translate this as two blind men. However, it is also possible that one of the two people was a woman. If possible, keep it as general as possible. For instance:

two blind people

sitting beside the road: Blind people in that part of the world usually had to beg for gifts from others in order to be able to eat. Worshipers going up to the Passover festival in Jerusalem were likely to give such gifts as a religious service. That is why these blind people were sitting beside the road.

The parallel passages in Mark and Luke use the word “beg.” However, Matthew does not make their begging explicit. If necessary, you can add a footnote to explain why the blind people were sitting beside the road. Here is a sample footnote:

These blind people were sitting beside the road in order to beg for gifts from the people going up to the Passover celebration.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

sitting by/beside the road
-or-
On the side of the road sat

20:30b

When they heard that Jesus was passing by: The verb heard could indicate that:

(a) these two people overheard the crowd talk about Jesus, or

(b) someone actually told them Jesus was passing by.

It is even possible that both happened.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they heard ⌊the crowd saying⌋ that Jesus was coming that way
-or-
when someone told them that Jesus was passing by
-or-
Someone said, “Jesus is going past,” so

they cried out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cried out means “shouted.” The context implies that they shouted like this so that Jesus would hear them. They were not shouting in an angry or impolite way.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

they shouted (New International Version)
-or-
they began to shout (Good News Translation)

20:30c

Lord: There is a textual issue with the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord:

Some Greek manuscripts include this word. Most English versions follow these manuscripts. For example:

Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David! (New Revised Standard Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, New International Version, NET Bible, New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, God’s Word)

Other Greek manuscripts do not include this word. Only a few English versions follow these manuscripts. For example:

Have mercy on us, Son of David! (Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible)

It is recommended that you follow option (1) and the majority of English versions.

The word Lord means “master.” It was a polite form that people used when they addressed a respected leader.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

sir (Good News Translation)
-or-
Big man

Son of David: This phrase is a title that means that Jesus was a descendant of King David. The Jews used this title to refer to the Messiah (Christ), because God promised that the Messiah would be a descendant of David (Isaiah 9:6–7, 11:1–5, Jeremiah 23:5). In some languages, it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

the Descendant of ⌊King⌋ David
-or-
the ⌊promised⌋ Son/Descendant of ⌊King⌋ David

In some languages, it may be helpful to add a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

God promised that one of King David’s descendants would be the Messiah (Isaiah 9:6–7, 11:1–5, Jeremiah 23:5). The Jews were expecting this promised person to come, and they referred to him by the title “Son of David.”

This same phrase is in 9:27b. Translate it the same way in both places.

have mercy on us: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have mercy on means “have compassion/pity for.” It is the kind of thing that beggars would ask of people as they went past. The blind people were asking Jesus to help them in some way.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Have pity on us (Revised English Bible)
-or-
pity us ⌊and help/heal⌋ us

-or-

show kindness to us

This expression is also in 9:27b. You should translate it the same way in both places.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 22:28

22:28a

In the resurrection: The resurrection refers to the time when God will cause people who have died to live again. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

when people rise from the dead (New Century Version)
-or-
When God raises people from death (Contemporary English Version)

therefore: The Greek conjunction that the English Standard Version translates as therefore means that the Sadducees wanted Jesus to draw a conclusion. In some languages, it is natural to put this word first in 22:28. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

So
-or-
So tell us (New Living Translation (2004))

of the seven, whose wife will she be: The phrase of the seven refers to the seven brothers. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

among the seven brothers, whose wife will she be
-or-
she will be the wife of which one of the seven brothers
-or-
which one of the seven brothers will be her husband

22:28b

For: This conjunction introduces the reason why the Sadducees think that the idea of a resurrection is absurd. They seem to think there is no good answer to the problem their story presents. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Since (New International Version)
-or-
Because it is true that

they all had her: The pronoun they all refers to all seven of the brothers. The Greek verb that the English Standard Version translates as had implies that they married her or “had her as a wife.” Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

all seven men had married her (New Century Version)

-or-

She had been married to all seven brothers. (Contemporary English Version)

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 1:1

Section 1:1–17

A list of Jesus’ ancestors

Matthew began his book by listing the names of Jesus’ ancestors. He did this to show that Jesus came from the family line of King David and Abraham. By doing this, Matthew showed his readers that the Messiah had come and that he was Jesus.

In this list, Matthew divided the names into three groups of fourteen. In order to get fourteen names in each of the three groups, Matthew omitted several names. (Omitting names to achieve numerical groups was a common practice at that time.) So sometimes the word “father” actually refers to the grandfather. As a result, it may be better in some languages to translate the word “father” with a more general term such as “ancestor.”

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The ancestors of Jesus
-or-
Matthew wrote/gave ⌊the list of⌋ the family line of Jesus

There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 3:23–38.

Paragraph 1:1

In this paragraph Matthew introduced the list of family names.

1:1a

This is the record of the genealogy: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the record of the genealogy also means the “list of the ancestors” (as in the Good News Translation).

In Greek, there is no verb in 1:1. Many languages will need to supply a verb here as the Berean Standard Bible has done. For example:

This is the list of ancestors of Jesus Christ (God’s Word)
-or-
Here are the names of the ancestors of Jesus Christ

of Jesus Christ: In the phrase Jesus Christ, Jesus is a personal name and Christ is a title. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” The words Christ and Messiah have the same meaning.

Make sure that your translation does not imply that the word Christ is the surname of Jesus.

To make it clear that Christ is a title, you may want to:

• Put the title before the name. For example:

Christ Jesus

• Translate it as Messiah. For example:

Messiah Jesus
-or-
Jesus the Messiah

• Indicate in some other way that Christ is a title. One way to do this in English is to use the article “the” before a title. For example:

Jesus the Christ

Christ: The word Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah.” “Messiah” refers to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. The words Christ and Messiah have the same meaning.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• Transliterate Christ and indicate in some way that it is a title. For example:

the Kristi

• Transliterate Christ and include a phrase that explains the meaning. For example:

Karisiti, the appointed one
-or-
Cristo, the Savior whom God promised to send

• Use a title or a descriptive phrase in your language that has the same meaning as Christ. For example:

Messiah
-or-
Promised Deliverer
-or-
The Rescuer-King whom God sent

If you do not indicate the meaning of Christ in the text, you may want to include a footnote to explain the meaning of Christ. Or you may want to explain the meaning in a glossary. For example:

The word/title “Christ” refers to the King and Savior whom God had promised to send.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:13

Section 2:13–15

Jesus’ family escaped to Egypt

In this section, Matthew showed how God protected Jesus by warning Joseph to take him to Egypt. Matthew also showed how the move to Egypt fulfilled scripture.

Egypt is a country to the south of Judea. 1,500 years before Jesus’ time, the people of Israel had lived in Egypt (Exodus 12:40). Then Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt. Many years later, God said, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1). This prophecy referred back to when God brought the nation of Israel out of Egypt (Exodus 12:41–42). This prophecy also referred ahead to the time when God would call his Son Jesus out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus’ Parents Take Him to Egypt (New Century Version)
-or-
The escape to Egypt

Paragraph 2:13–15

2:13a

When the Magi had gone: This section begins with a time clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When the Magi had gone. This clause refers to the wise men leaving Mary and Joseph and Jesus to return to their own country.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

After they had left (Good News Translation)
-or-
After the wise men had gone (Contemporary English Version)

2:13b

The Greek of 2:13b begins with a words that is often translated as “behold.” It literally means “look” or “see.” This word focuses attention on what follows and indicates that it is important, unexpected, or amazing. In this passage, an angel unexpectedly appeared to Joseph in a dream. If you have a term that gets the attention of people that is natural in this context, you should consider using it here.

Here are some ways to translate this:

behold, (English Standard Version)
-or-
Unexpectedly
-or-
Then strangely

This same word occurs in 2:1c and 2:9b.

an angel of the Lord: The phrase an angel of the Lord refers here to an angel that the Lord (God) sent.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

an angel who came from the Lord God
-or-
an angel who was sent by God

This same phrase occurs in 1:20.

angel: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as angel means “messenger.” It refers to a supernatural, spiritual being who serves God.

Here are some ways to translate this term:

• Use a descriptive word or phrase. For example:

messenger ⌊from God⌋
-or-

⌊holy⌋ spirit-being

• Use a local term that fits the biblical meaning.

• In some areas the churches may already be using a borrowed term or a transliterated word for angel. Be sure that this term fits the biblical meaning. If some people do not understand the right meaning from this term, you may need to indicate the meaning in some way. For example:

an angelos messenger ⌊from God⌋
-or-
a sacred ⌊angelos⌋ spirit

See angel, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for more information.

the Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the Lord refers here to God.

appeared to Joseph: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as appeared can also mean “became visible” or “was revealed.” The angel appeared to Joseph while he was dreaming. This indicates that in his dream, Joseph saw an angel.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

showed/revealed himself to Joseph
-or-
Joseph saw an angel

in a dream: Joseph was sleeping, and he saw the angel while he was dreaming.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in a dream ⌊while he slept⌋
-or-
He dreamed that an angel of the Lord appeared to him

2:13c

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:13c after 2:13e. See the General Comment after 2:13e for an example.

Get up!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Get up! refers to rising from a bed or rising after being asleep. Another way to translate this word is:

Get up (New International Version)

Take the Child and His mother: The phrase His mother refers to Jesus’ mother Mary.

Here are some ways to make this clearer:

take the child and the child’s mother
-or-
take the child and your wife
-or-
take Mary and Jesus

and flee: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as flee refers to moving quickly away from danger.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

escape (New International Version)
-or-
go quickly
-or-
hurry and go

to Egypt: The word Egypt is the name of a country located south and west of Judea. It was at least 240 kilometers from Bethlehem to the border of Egypt. It took more than a week to walk there.

Here is another way to translate this word:

⌊the country/land of⌋ Egypt

2:13d

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:13d after 2:13e. See the General Comment after 2:13e for an example.

Stay there until I tell you: The angel will one day tell Joseph to return. It may be more natural in your language to include that implied information. For example:

Stay there until I tell you to return (Contemporary English Version)

2:13e

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 2:13e before 2:13c–d. See the General Comment below for an example.

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the basis for the command that they should flee to Egypt and stay there. 13c–dEscape to Egypt and stay there 13efor/because Herod wants to kill the child.

Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:

because
-or-
The reason is

Herod is going to search for the Child: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is going to search for indicates that Herod intended to search soon for the Child. Herod would not do the actual searching, but would send his soldiers to do it for him.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Herod intends to search for the child (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Herod is about ⌊to send his soldiers⌋ to search for the child

to kill Him: The phrase to kill Him means “in order to kill him.” It tells Herod’s purpose in searching for Jesus.

General Comment on 2:13c–e

In some languages, it may be more natural to put the basis (in 2:13e) before the command (in 2:13c–d). For example:

He said, 13e“Herod is going to search for the child to kill him. 13c⌊So⌋ get up, take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. 13dStay there until I tell you.”

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 17:15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 18:20

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 18:31

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 19:28

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 20:30

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 22:28

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 1:1

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:13

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