6:21

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the basis for the commands in 6:19–20. Jesus commanded his followers:

19aDo not lay up treasures on earth, 20abut lay up treasures in heaven. 21For/Because where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

In some languages, it is more natural to put the basis for the commands (in 6:21) before the commands. For example:

21Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 19⌊So/Therefore,⌋ do not lay up for yourselves…

In some languages, no conjunction or phrase is needed to introduce 6:21.

where your treasure is, there your heart will be also: This sentence refers to the fact that a person’s thoughts and actions will be focused on those things that he values most. A person who desires material things will spend his life trying to accumulate material things. A person who desires things that please God will spend his life trying to please God.

Here are some other ways to translate this sentence:

The place where your treasures are stored, at that same place will also be your heart/thoughts

-or-

Your thoughts will want to be at the place where the things you value are.

heart: The word the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart refers to your inner life, your thoughts and desires. For the word heart, use a term that is normally used in your language for “inner life.” It may be a different organ such as “liver” or “throat.” Or it may be a more general term such as “insides” or “spirit.” See how you translated heart in 5:8.

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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.

7:19

Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire: The verbs cut down and thrown are passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• Use passive verbs. For example:

Every tree that produces bad fruit will be chopped down and burned. (Contemporary English Version)

• Use active verbs. For example:

If a tree does not bear good fruit, ⌊people⌋ will cut it down and throw it into a fire

© 2023 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.

8:22a

But Jesus told him: There is a contrast between the way we might expect Jesus to respond to the man, and the way Jesus actually responded. The Berean Standard Bible and some English versions indicate this contrast with the word But.

8:22b

Follow Me: Here Jesus used the word Follow in both a literal and spiritual sense. He commanded the man to go with him, and he commanded the man to become his disciple.

In 8:21a, this man is already called one of Jesus’ disciples. The people who followed Jesus had varying degrees of seriousness or commitment. So here Jesus was probably telling the man to become a committed disciple.

Here are some other ways to translate this command:

Follow me ⌊and become my disciple⌋
-or-
Come with me ⌊and be my true disciple⌋

The command Follow Me probably implies that Jesus commanded the man to follow him immediately, not in the future. In some languages, it may be good to make this explicit. For example:

Follow me now. (New Living Translation (2004))

8:22c

let the dead bury their own dead: This saying is like a proverb. It is short, and its meaning is not immediately obvious. One thing that makes it difficult is that the word dead is used in two different senses.

The first time dead occurs, it is used in a spiritual sense. It refers to people who are spiritually dead. They are people who do not know God. The second time dead occurs, it is used in its normal sense. It refers to physically dead people. So Jesus said that spiritually dead people should bury those who are physically dead.

In Jewish culture, it was very important for a son to properly bury his father. So Jesus’ statement would have shocked this man. Jesus used this statement to tell the man that he should not allow burial customs (or other customs) to hinder him from following the Lord.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Translate it literally and keep the saying like a proverb. For example:

let the people who are dead bury their own dead (New Century Version)

If you follow this option, it may be helpful to add a footnote. Here are some sample footnotes:

The first word “dead” refers to people who do not follow Jesus. They are “dead” to the kingdom of God. They can take the time to bury dead people. Jesus used this saying to tell the man that his customs, such as burial customs, must not hinder him from following Jesus.

• Explain the meaning in the text. For example:

Leave those who are ⌊like⌋ dead people to bury those who have died.
-or-
Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead. (New Living Translation (2004))

-or-

Let the people who do not believe in me bury their own ⌊kind when they are⌋ dead.

their own dead: The phrase their own dead would normally refer to people from their own families. However, in this context it may refer more specifically to people who are spiritually dead like them. When such people die physically and need to be buried, others who are spiritually dead should bury them.

Here is another way to translate this:

their own ⌊kind when they are⌋ dead

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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 9:20–22

9:20a

Suddenly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Suddenly indicates that something extraordinary will happen. Here, what is unexpected is that while they were going to the ruler’s house, a woman came and touched Jesus’ robe.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

And behold (English Standard Version)
-or-
unexpectedly
-or-
Just then (New International Version)

a woman: In some languages, it is necessary to introduce a new main participant in a certain way. In that case the woman should be introduced in a way that is natural in the language. For example:

⌊There was⌋ a ⌊certain⌋ woman. She had a bleeding sickness for twelve years. ⌊While Jesus was on his way⌋, she suddenly…

who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as suffered from bleeding is more literally “bleeding.” The word suffered is not in Greek.

The Greek does not indicate where the woman was bleeding from. She was probably bleeding from the womb at times that were not normal. For politeness sake, the Greek term is general. She had started bleeding twelve years prior to this time and probably bled most of the twelve years.

In some languages, there is a term for this kind of bleeding. In other languages, it is more natural to use a polite form (euphemism). Here is an example of each:

who had been bleeding for twelve years (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
who had continual menstrual bleeding for twelve years

General Comment on 9:20a

The clause “who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years” is information about the woman. In English, such information is often put in a relative clause, as it is here. In some languages, it may be more natural to give this information in a separate sentence. Notice how the following examples give the information about the woman:

Then a woman came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his clothes. She had been suffering from chronic bleeding for twelve years. (God’s Word)
-or-
There was a certain woman. She had been bleeding for twelve years. She approached Jesus from behind and touched the edge of his clothes.

9:20b

came up behind Him: This expression indicates that the woman approached Jesus from behind. She had probably been following Jesus, and she walked quickly so she could get close enough to him to touch his clothes.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

came close to him from the rear
-or-
approached him from behind (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

Tassels on a Jewish man’s prayer shawl

touched the fringe of His cloak: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fringe probably refers to one of the “tassels” that were attached to Jesus’ clothes. The Jews made these tassels by tying strings together, and they attached these tassels to the four corners of their outer clothes. When they saw these tassels, they were supposed to remember to follow God’s commandments. (Num. 15:37–38; Deut. 22:12).

Like any male Jew, Jesus probably wore tassels. The woman probably touched this part of Jesus’ clothing so he would not feel the touch.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

• Translate it with a word or phrase that refers specifically to tassels. For example:

touched the strings/threads on the hem of his clothes

• Translate it with a word or phrase that refers generally to the hem or edge of his clothes. For example:

touched the edge of his clothes (God’s Word)
-or-
touched the hem/border of his robe

cloak: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cloak is a general word that means clothing. In this context, this word refers to the outer layer of clothing.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

garment (English Standard Version)
-or-
clothes (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
robe (New Living Translation (2004))

-or-

coat (New Century Version)

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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.

10:14a

And if anyone will not welcome you: This clause refers to someone or even the whole town (10:14b) refusing to give hospitality to the disciples.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

And if some home or town will not welcome you (Good News Translation)
-or-
Whoever does not take care of you
-or-
And whoever refuses to give you hospitality

or heed your words: This phrase is the second thing that the household or town refuses to do: they will not listen to what the disciples say. It refers to these people not listening to the good news about Jesus. It does not refer to words in general. For example:

listen to your message (Contemporary English Version)

10:14b

shake the dust off your feet: Here Jesus told his disciples to shake or remove the dust that was on their feet (and sandals). They probably did this by shaking their feet or brushing off the dust with their hands.

This was a cultural gesture that had a symbolic meaning. When a Jewish person shook the dust of a place off of his feet, it indicated that he did not have any relationship with the people in that place. It showed that he rejected those people.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Explain it in the text. For example:

shake the dust off your feet ⌊to show that you reject them⌋

• Explain it in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

When the Jews wanted to show that they had rejected a place, they had a custom of shaking the dust off their feet.

when you leave that home or town: In Greek, this clause occurs before the command to “shake the dust off your feet.” This clause may also be translated as part of that command. For example:

leave that house or city, and shake its dust off your feet (God’s Word)

© 2023 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.

12:6

I tell you: The words I tell you emphasize the words that follow.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Use a phrase before Jesus’ statement. For example:

I say to you
-or-
I assure you
-or-
I can guarantee (God’s Word)

• Include an emphatic word or phrase such as “certainly” within the following statement. For example:

something greater than the temple is certainly here

that something greater than the temple is here: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as something probably refers to Jesus. In some languages, it is possible for Jesus to refer to himself as something. In other languages, it will be more natural to say:

one greater than the temple is here (New International Version)
-or-
someone more important than the temple is here

greater: In this context, the word greater refers to higher in status and not to bigger in size. Jesus was more important than the temple.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

more important (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
more valuable

-or-

with/of greater authority

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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 12:38–45

Jesus rebuked those who asked for a sign

In this section, the conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders increases. Jesus had already said several times that he was someone special. He said that he was greater than the temple (12:6). He said that he was Lord of the Sabbath (12:8). In this section, the religious leaders wanted to see a miraculous sign to confirm that he was really from God.

Jesus rebuked the religious leaders for asking for a sign, and he refused to give them an immediate sign. A sign would come later. It would be the sign of Jonah. By referring to the sign of Jonah, Jesus meant that he would be in the grave three days (12:40) before God resurrected him. He then told two stories and said that he was greater than Jonah and Solomon. Jesus warned them that if they did not recognize God’s work among them, they would be condemned.

Finally, Jesus told a story to warn the religious leaders of the spiritual dangers that faced them if they did not have the Holy Spirit in their lives.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The religious leaders ask for a sign/miracle
-or-
The sign of Jonah

There is a parallel passage for 12:38–42 in Luke 11:29–32. There is a parallel passage for 12:43–45 in Luke 11:24–26.

Paragraph 12:38–42

12:38a

Then: The events in this section probably happened soon after the events in the previous section. The Greek indicates how closely these events happened with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then.

Here are some other ways to begin this section:

After that
-or-
Next

scribes: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as scribes can also be translated as “teacher of the law” (as in the New International Version). This word also occurs in 9:3a. You should translate it here as you did there. For help in translating this word, see the note at 2:4a.

Pharisees: This word also occurs in 12:24a.

said to Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible leaves untranslated here means “answered.” It indicates that the scribes and Pharisees responded to Jesus’ words in 12:34–37. It does not indicate that they were answering a question.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

answered him, saying (English Standard Version)
-or-
said (Contemporary English Version)

12:38b

Teacher: Here, the word Teacher refers to a religious teacher. It was a polite title for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. Use a title that is an appropriate way to address a religious teacher in your culture. It should not refer only to a school teacher.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Sir
-or-
Master

This word also occurs in 8:19b.

we want to see a sign from You: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sign refers to a special miracle which is regarded as having some special meaning. (This is the first time in Matthew that this word occurs.) The Pharisees and scribes had already seen Jesus heal many sick people. So they were not just asking Jesus to do another miracle of healing. They wanted Jesus to do a special miracle to make it plain that God had sent him.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

we want you to show us a sign from heaven (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
we want you to show us a miraculous sign to prove that you are from God (New Living Translation (1996))

-or-

please do a miracle that will show us that God has sent you

© 2023 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.