SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023 – Page 32

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 22:19

22:19a

Show me: The Greek verb that the English Standard Version translates as Show means to display something.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

Let me see (Contemporary English Version)

the coin for the tax: There was a specific type of money required to pay the tax. This was not a request for just any sort of money. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

a coin used for paying the tax (New Century Version)
-or-
the money you pay the tax with (New Jerusalem Bible)

the tax: This is the same word as in 22:17b. Translate it the same way here.

22:19b

And they brought him: The Greek verb that the English Standard Version translates as brought means “bring to, offer, or present.” It is possible that someone in the group who questioned Jesus had one of these coins with him and simply presented it.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

They handed him (Revised English Bible)

a denarius: This was a coin made out of silver. It was the usual wage a worker would receive for a day’s work. This was a specific type of coin used for the tax.

Here are some ways to translate this word:

• Transliterate it. For example:

a denarius (New International Version)

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

a silver coin (Contemporary English Version)

-or-

a Roman coin (New Living Translation (2004))

This word is also in 18:28b.

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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 1:3-4

1:3a

Perez and Zerah: Both Perez and Zerah are male names.

by Tamar: The phrase by Tamar indicates that Tamar was the mother of both Perez and Zerah.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

whose mother was Tamar (New International Version)
-or-
(their mother was Tamar) (Good News Translation)
-or-
The mother of these two men was Tamar

Matthew mentioned mothers four times in this list of ancestors: 1:3a, 1:5a, 1:5b, 1:6b. All the rest of the names in this genealogy are names of the fathers or male ancestors.

1:3b

Ram: Most English versions spell this name Ram. A few versions (New Revised Standard Version and King James Version) spell it Aram. You should follow the spelling of the national language version, but spell it according to the rules of your language.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:15

2:15

Matthew interrupts his story here and gives his audience some background information. Verse 2:15 tells about what would happen later after Herod died. But verse 2:16 says that Herod had not yet died.

2:15a

where he stayed until the death of Herod: There is some implied information here. It is that Mary and the baby Jesus all lived in Egypt with Joseph until King Herod died. Then they went back to Israel shortly after Herod’s death. You may want to include some of this implied information in your translation. For example:

where he stayed ⌊with the child and the child’s mother⌋

2:15b

This fulfilled: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This fulfilled is literally “in order to be fulfilled.” This phrase indicates purpose. God told Joseph to take the child and his mother and leave Egypt (2:13), in order to fulfill what he (the Lord) had said through the prophet (2:15).

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

This happened to fulfill
-or-
This was done to make come true (Good News Translation)

fulfilled: As the previous note suggested, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fulfilled is literally “be fulfilled.” This word means “came true” or “happened.” God spoke the words of 2:15c hundreds of years before Jesus was born. And now those words came true regarding Jesus.

In the Greek, the verb “was fulfilled” is passive.

Here are some ways to translate this verb:

• As a passive verb. For example:

In this way what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet was fulfilled (NET Bible)

• As an active verb, as in the Berean Standard Bible. For example:

⌊When God told Joseph to take the child and his mother and leave Egypt,⌋ this fulfilled

• As a stative verb. For example:

came true (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
happened

what the Lord had spoken through the prophet: The phrase what the Lord had spoken through the prophet refers to the words/message that the Lord God told the prophet Hosea to tell the people. Hosea then spoke these words to the people. He also wrote them down.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the message that the Lord God spoke through the prophet. He said,
-or-
the words that the Lord told the prophet to say to the people. He said,

This same clause also occurs in 1:22. You should translate it the same way in both places.

prophet: The word prophet also occurs in 1:22 and 2:5. Also see prophet in the Glossary.

2:15c

Verse 2:15c is a quote from Hosea 11:1. You may want to include this information in a footnote.

Out of Egypt I called My Son: This clause means that Jesus was in the country of Egypt when God told Joseph to leave and bring his family back to Israel.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I called my son ⌊to come⌋ out of Egypt
-or-
I told/commanded my son to leave/exit Egypt

-or-

I summoned my son to return from Egypt

Out of Egypt: The phrase Out of Egypt refers to the “Son” being in Egypt when God “called” him. It does not refer to the location of God when he said these words.

The phrase Out of Egypt is emphasized in the Greek. That is the reason that it is put first in the Berean Standard Bible. If you have a natural way to emphasize the phrase Out of Egypt in your language, you may want to do so.

I called: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called refers to telling someone to come.

My Son: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as My Son refers to Jesus here. However, this is a quote from the Old Testament long before Jesus was born. So do not translate this as “my son Jesus.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:7

4:7a

There is a contrast between 4:6 and 4:7. The contrast is between the devil’s desire and Jesus’ desire. Jesus refused to do what the devil wanted him to do.

In Greek, there is no conjunction at the beginning of this verse. But it may be more natural in your language to have a conjunction here as in 4:4a. For example:

But…

Jesus replied: Here Jesus replied/responded to the devil’s attempt to make him sin. Jesus refused to do what the devil wanted him to do.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus replied/responded
-or-

⌊But⌋ Jesus ⌊refused. He⌋ said…

It is also written: The phrase It is…written is the same as in 4:4a. See how you translated it in 4:4 and in 4:6.

4:7b

Do not put the Lord your God to the test: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Do not put the Lord your God to the test means “Do not test the Lord your God” (as in the New Living Translation (1996)).

Here in 4:7b, Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16. God had forbidden people to test him. In this context, Jesus meant that jumping down from the temple would be testing God to rescue him. That would have been a sin. Jesus would have been taking an unnecessary risk in order to prove that God would do a miracle to protect him.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

You must not test the LORD your God. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Do not force the Lord your God to show/prove his power

These words were a command to each of the people of Israel. In Greek, the verb Do not put and the pronoun your are singular. However, since the command is given to everyone, in some languages it may be more natural to use plural forms. For example:

Do not test the Lord your (plur.) God.
-or-

We must not test the Lord our God.
-or-

People must not test the Lord their God

the Lord your God: The phrase the Lord your God indicates that the Lord is the God with whom people have a relationship. It implies that the Lord guides and cares for them as God, and they worship and serve him.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Lord, who is your God
-or-
your Lord/Master God
-or-
God who is your Lord/Master

In some languages, the phrase your God is not natural. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the Lord God, whom you ⌊worship/serve⌋
-or-
God the Lord, who ⌊cares for⌋ you

-or-

the Lord, the God whom you ⌊worship⌋

General Comment on 4:7a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate the quotation from the Scriptures as indirect speech. For example:

The Scriptures say that no one should test the Lord their God.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:14

Paragraph 5:14–16

5:14a

You are the light of the world: The phrase the light of the world is a metaphor. In this metaphor, Jesus compares his disciples to light. One way that light and the disciples are similar is that both help people in darkness. Light shines for people in darkness and shows them the path. In the same way, believers speak and live God’s truth to people in spiritual darkness and show them the path to God.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

You are like light for the world

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit the way that they are similar. For example:

You show the people of the world the way to God as a light shows them their path

• Explain the meaning in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

Jesus compared his disciples to light. A light shines for those in darkness and shows them their path. In the same way, Jesus’ disciples should show the path to God to people in spiritual darkness.

You: As in 5:13a, the pronoun You is plural in Greek.

the world: The term the world refers to “the people of the world.” It means the same thing as “the earth” in 5:13a.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

everyone in the world
-or-
the people in/of the world

5:14b

A city on a hill cannot be hidden: This clause is like a saying or proverb. A city located on a hill is in plain view. No one can hide it or keep people from seeing it.

city: In this context, the word city refers generally to cities, towns, or villages. For example:

town (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

on a hill: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as hill is the same word translated as “mountain” in 5:1. Since people do not usually build cities on tall mountains, the Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek word as hill.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

located on a hill (NET Bible)
-or-
built on a hill (Good News Translation)
-or-
built on top of a hill (Contemporary English Version)

cannot be hidden: The verb be hidden is passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

cannot be hidden (NET Bible)

• Use an active verb. For example:

⌊they/people⌋ cannot hide it

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:46

5:46a

The Greek of 5:46a begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “for.” It introduces one basis/reason for the commands to “love your enemies” (in 5:44a) and “pray for them” (in 5:44b). We are commanded to love our enemies and pray for them for/because we will not have a reward if we pray only for those who love us.

The Berean Standard Bible and many English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that you should not expect a reward for loving those people who love you.

Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? (God’s Word)
-or-
Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? (Good News Translation)

• As a statement. For example:

If you love only the people who love you, you will get no reward. (New Century Version)
-or-
If you only show kindness to those who are kind to you, God will not reward you.

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

love: See love in the note at 5:43b above.

what reward will you get: In this context, 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.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

what gift will you get
-or-
will God pay you for that
-or-

⌊God⌋ will not do something special for you ⌊for doing that⌋

5:46b

Do not even tax collectors do the same?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that even the tax collectors love the people who love them. The point is that no one expected God to reward corrupt people such as tax collectors. So if Jesus’ followers expected God to reward them, they must be better than people like tax collectors.

Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? (NET Bible)
-or-
Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (Revised Standard Version)

• As a statement. For example:

Even the tax-collectors do as much as that. (Revised English Bible)
-or-
Even the tax collectors love those people who love them.

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

tax collectors: The term tax collectors refers to Jews who collected taxes from their fellow Jews. These Jews were employed by the conquering Romans to do this. The Romans did not pay them wages. Rather they allowed the tax collectors to take extra taxes as their pay. But many tax collectors took a lot extra and made themselves rich. So most Jews considered them to be traitors who worked for an oppressive foreign power They also considered them to be thieves as well. And since they had contact with the Gentile Romans, they were also considered to be religiously contaminated (“unclean”).

You may need a footnote explaining tax collectors. Here is a sample footnote:

Tax collectors were hated by their fellow Jews for three reasons:

(1) They often unjustly took extra money from people and kept it for themselves and became rich.

(2) They worked for the Roman oppressors.

(3) Because of their frequent contact with the Romans (non-Jews), they were considered to be ritually contaminated (“unclean”).

If people in your area will not think of tax collectors as bad people, you may want to include that implied information. For example:

corrupt tax collectors (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

⌊evil⌋ tax collectors

Here are some other ways to translate tax collectors:

people who collect taxes

-or-

people who gather money ⌊from other people⌋ for the government

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:30

6:30

In Greek and the Berean Standard Bible, 6:30 is one long, complicated sentence. It contains several clauses. It also contains a rhetorical question. In some languages, it will be more natural to divide this long sentence into several shorter sentences. The God’s Word is one example of an English version that divides this sentence into three sentences. Compare the Berean Standard Bible and the God’s Word below:

30aIf that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 30bwhich is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, 30cwill He not much more clothe you, 30dO you of little faith? (Berean Standard Bible)

30aThat’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. 30bToday it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. 30cSo how much more will he clothe you people 30dwho have so little faith? (God’s Word)

It is also possible to divide this long sentence into four shorter sentences. For example:

30aThat’s the way God clothes the grass of the field. 30bToday it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an oven. 30cWill he not clothe you even more? 30dYou have so little faith!

Before you translate this verse, consider how many sentences you should have and what is the most natural order to put them in.

6:30a

If: The Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as If can also be translated as “Since.” This is because the following statement is accepted as a fact.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

But if (English Standard Version)
-or-
Since

that is how God clothes the grass of the field: The clause that is how God clothes the grass of the field means that “God clothes the grass of the field in that way.” This is the way mentioned in 6:29. In other words, “God clothes grass/plants in a way that is more beautiful than Solomon’s clothes.” This means that “God causes plants to have flowers/blossoms that are more beautiful than the expensive clothes that Solomon wore.” God does not actually give clothes to the plants, but he makes them look beautiful.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. (God’s Word)
-or-
God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
God causes plants to have very beautiful flowers/blossoms

the grass of the field: The phrase the grass of the field is a Jewish way of saying “wild grass/plants.” This refers to plants that grow in the countryside without being cultivated. It includes flowers like lilies (in 6:28b). It does not just refer to green grass.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

wild grass (NET Bible)
-or-
wildflowers (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
plants/weeds

6:30b

which is here today and tomorrow: The word today in this context means “for a short time,” and not a literal day. In the same way the word tomorrow here means “soon.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

that are here today and gone tomorrow (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
here for a short time and then
-or-
live for only a few days and shortly after
-or-
that last only a very short time before they die

is thrown into the furnace: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as furnace refers to a dome-like structure made of clay. Some English versions translate this word as “oven” (English Standard Version). People would heat it with wood to cook or bake food or warm themselves.

The verb is thrown is passive.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• As a passive. For example:

burned up in the oven (Good News Translation)
-or-
is tossed into the fire to heat the oven (NET Bible)
-or-
and thrown into a fire (Contemporary English Version)

• As an active. For example:

⌊people⌋ put into an furnace ⌊to burn⌋
-or-

⌊people⌋ throw into the fire

6:30c

will He not much more clothe you…?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that God will certainly provide clothing for his people. God values people much more than grass, so he will provide for people’s needs even more than he provides beauty for the wild grasses.

Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? (Good News Translation)
-or-
He will much more surely provide clothes for you, won’t he?

• As a statement. For example:

So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. (New Century Version)
-or-
You can know more certainly that God will provide the clothes you need to wear

Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.

6:30d

O you of little faith?: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as O you of little faith describes the people listening and speaks directly to them.

The NET Bible also uses a phrase here to speak directly to the disciples (“you people of little faith”). If this is natural in your language, then follow the Berean Standard Bible or NET Bible. But if it is not natural in your language to speak directly to a person or persons and at the same time describe them, you may use a complete clause. For example:

You have such little faith!
-or-
How little faith you have! (Revised English Bible)
-or-
You trust/believe ⌊in God⌋ so little!

-or-

Why do you have such little faith? (Contemporary English Version)

See also believe, Meaning 2 in the Glossary.

General Comment on 6:30d

In some languages, it may be more natural to put 6:30d at the beginning of the verse. For example:

30dYou ⌊people⌋ of such little faith. 30aIf God ⌊beautifully⌋ clothes the wild grass in that way, 30bwhich is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the ovens, 30cthen will he not much more surely provide clothing for you?

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 7:28

Paragraph 7:28–29

Verses 7:28–29 refer to what happened immediately after Jesus finished the Sermon on the Mount.

A few English versions have a section heading here. Usually a section includes more than two verses. But you may want to have a new section here for the new topic.

Here are some possible headings for this section:

The crowds were amazed ⌊at his teaching⌋
-or-
The Authority of Jesus (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus’ teaching ⌊has authority⌋

7:28a

When Jesus had finished saying these things: The phrase saying these things refers to everything that Jesus said in 5:3–7:27.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

When Jesus finished speaking (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
When Jesus finished teaching/preaching

7:28b

the crowds: In Greek the word for crowds is plural to indicate a very large number of people. They were the same crowds as in 5:1a.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

those same crowds
-or-
the very large group of people ⌊which had gathered⌋

astonished: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as astonished means that the people were very surprised. Jesus’ teaching was very different from what they expected. It was a more powerful teaching than what they had heard from other Jewish teachers.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

surprised (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
astounded
-or-
amazed (New International Version)

at His teaching: The phrase at His teaching refers to:

(a) the things that Jesus taught. He taught them things that they had never heard before.

(b) the way/manner that he taught. He taught with authority.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

by his teaching (NET Bible)
-or-
at the way he taught (Good News Translation)

-or-

by what he said

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 22:19

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 1:3-4

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2:15

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:14

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:46

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:30

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 7:28

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