Section 12:33–37

Your words show whether you are good or bad

In this section, Jesus continued to respond to the Pharisees’ accusation that he cast out evil spirits by the power of Satan. First, he said that the Pharisees needed to be consistent in their beliefs about him. Then he warned them that God would judge them for the words that they said.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

A tree is known by its fruit
-or-
A tree and its fruit
-or-
People know you by your words (New Century Version)

Paragraph 12:33–37

This paragraph begins a new section. In this paragraph Jesus continued speaking. In some languages, it may be natural to make it explicit that Jesus continued speaking. For example:

⌊Jesus continued and said,⌋

12:33a–b

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad: This is a metaphor. There are many ways to interpret this metaphor. Here are some of the main interpretations:

(1) Jesus compared himself to a tree. According to this interpretation, the verb make has the sense of a mental process of thinking, considering, judging, or believing. Also, the verb make is the implied verb in the phrase “⌊make⌋ its fruit good.”

Jesus told the Pharisees that they needed to be consistent in their beliefs about him (the tree) and his healings (fruit). They needed to consider both him and his works to be either good or bad. They could not say that his healings were good, then turn around and say that he himself was bad.

Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:

Make the tree and its fruit good, or make the tree and its fruit bad.
-or-
Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree bad and its fruit bad. (The Simplified English Bible)

(2) Jesus compared the Pharisees to a tree. According to this interpretation, the verb make has the sense of change/repent. Also, the full form of the second clause would be “and ⌊then⌋ its fruit ⌊will be⌋ good.”

Jesus told the Pharisees that they needed to repent. They needed to change themselves. That would be like making a tree good. Then their works (fruit) would also be good.

Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:

Make a tree good, and then its fruit will be good (God’s Word)
-or-
Make ⌊yourselves,⌋ the tree, good, then ⌊your deeds,⌋ the fruit will also be good

(3) Jesus compared people to two types of trees: a good tree and a bad tree. According to this interpretation, Jesus used this metaphor in the same way as he used similar metaphors in other places where he talked about a tree and its fruit. He was saying that both he and his deeds are good, and the Pharisees are bad.

Here are some ways to translate this verse according to this interpretation:

If you make a tree good, its fruit will also be good.
-or-
If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. (New Living Translation (2004))

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Among the main interpretations, this one fits best with the grammar and context of Matthew. Most English versions translate this verse quite literally. Even though they may appear to follow interpretation (1), it is not certain. If possible, you should translate this verse in a general way so that any of the above interpretations are possible.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Make the tree and its fruit good, or make the tree and its fruit bad.

• Translate the meaning of the verb make. For example:

Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. (The Simple English Bible)
-or-
Either consider the tree good and its fruit good, or consider the tree rotten and its fruit rotten. (Common English Bible)
-or-

⌊You must make your opinion of a tree and of its fruit the same.⌋ If you regard a tree as good, then you must also regard its fruit as good. If you regard a tree as bad, then you must also regard its fruit as bad.

• Make the topic of the metaphor explicit. For example:

You must decide whether ⌊I,⌋ the tree, and ⌊my deeds,⌋ the fruit, are good, or ⌊whether I and my deeds are⌋ bad.

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

⌊You must have the same opinion of both me and my deeds.⌋ Decide whether I and my deeds are good, or whether they are bad.

12:33b

make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bad is literally “rotten, unusable, unwholesome.” If possible, you should use an adjective that can be used to refer to both a bad tree and bad fruit. For example:

rotten
-or-
not good

In some languages, it may be necessary to use a different adjective to describe a tree and its fruit. For example:

bad tree and fruit that is not good/sweet

12:33c

for: Verse 12:33c is the basis for the command in 12:33a–b. The Greek introduces this basis with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for.

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, a conjunction will not be necessary here either.

In some languages, it may be more natural to put the basis before the command. For example:

cA tree is known by its fruit, a⌊so⌋ make a tree and its fruit good, bor make a tree and its fruit bad.

a tree is known by its fruit: The verb is known refers to looking at the fruit and easily knowing the kind of tree it is.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

is recognized (New International Version)
-or-
is shown
-or-
is distinguished

This clause is passive. Here are some other ways to translate it:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

a tree is recognized by its fruit (New International Version)
-or-
a tree is known because of its fruit

• Use an active verb. For example:

⌊people⌋ know/recognize a tree by its fruit

-or-

The fruit of a tree shows what kind of tree it is.

© 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.

13:15

In 13:14, God talks to the people. In 13:15, God talks about them. So the pronouns change from “you” to “they.”

If people in your area think that 13:15 refers to a different group of people, you may want to:

• Add a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

The words in 13:15 are still directed toward the Jews.

• Change the pronouns in 13:14 from “you” to “they” so they are the same as in 13:15. For example:

14b
This people will listen and listen, but not understand; 14cthey will look and look, but not see, (Good News Translation)

13:15a

For: Verse 13:15 is the reason for the people not understanding what they see and hear (13:14). 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 (Good News Translation)
-or-

⌊They will be like that⌋ because

In some languages, the context can imply the connection, and it will not be necessary to translate the conjunction.

this people’s heart has grown callous: The word heart refers to a person’s inner being. It includes the mind, the emotions, and the will. In this context, the word heart probably refers specifically to the mind.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as callous is more literally “thick” or “fat.” People with “thick/fat hearts” are people who understand things slowly. When it comes to spiritual things, they are not mentally sharp. They have become this way because they have deliberately refused to listen to the truth.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

• Translate it using another expression. For example:

the minds of these people have become slow/closed
-or-
the minds of these people do not work/function well

• Translate the meaning more directly. For example:

These people understand slowly
-or-
These people have difficulty understanding ⌊the truth⌋

this people’s: The phrase this people’s refers to all the Jewish people as a group.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

this people-group’s
-or-
this nation’s

13:15b

they hardly hear with their ears: This clause indicates that the Jews have reached a point where they have difficulty hearing/understanding spiritual truths. This does not indicate that they are physically deaf.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they are hard of hearing (NET Bible)
-or-
they do not hear/understand ⌊God’s truth⌋ well

The phrase with their ears is already included in the meaning of the verb hear. In some languages, it may be more natural not to translate the phrase with their ears (as in the examples above).

13:15c

they have closed their eyes: This clause indicates that the Jews have deliberately closed their eyes to the truth. They refuse to see it.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they refuse to see/understand
-or-
they have closed their eyes ⌊to the truth⌋

13:15d

Otherwise they might see with their eyes: The Greek conjunction the Berean Standard Bible translates as Otherwise expresses negative purpose. It means “in order not to.” These people shut their eyes so that they would not see.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

so that they would not see with their eyes (NET Bible)
-or-
in order not to see/understand
-or-
to avoid using their eyes to see (New Jerusalem Bible)

hear with their ears: The conjunction “otherwise” also applies to this clause. In other words:

and ⌊so that they would not⌋ hear with the ears

The phrase with their ears is already included in the meaning of the verb hear. It may be more natural in your language to leave the phrase with their ears implied.

13:15e

understand with their hearts: The conjunction “otherwise” also applies to this clause. In other words:

and ⌊so that they would not⌋ understand with their heart

As in 13:15a, the word hearts refers to their minds. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

their mind understand (Revised English Bible)

In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate the phrase with their heart. For example:

or understand (Contemporary English Version)

13:15f

and turn: The verb turn here refers to repenting.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

turn to me (Revised English Bible)
-or-
changing their ways (New Jerusalem Bible)

The conjunction “otherwise” from 13:15d also applies to this verb. In other words:

and ⌊so that they would not⌋ turn

In some languages, it will be natural to begin a new sentence here. Here are some ways to do that:

⌊They also did those things so that they would not⌋ turn/repent
-or-

⌊They did not want to⌋ turn ⌊to me⌋

13:15g

and I would heal them: This clause goes together with the verb “turn” in 13:15f.

Here are some ways to translate it:

and ⌊let⌋ me heal them
-or-
for healing (God’s Word)

-or-

and be healed (New Century Version)

The verb heal probably refers to spiritual healing. But it may also refer to physical healing. For that reason, it is best to translate it literally.

© 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.

Paragraph 13:47–50

The parable of the net in this paragraph has a similar meaning to the parable of the weeds. In both parables, Jesus told us that good and bad people will live together for a while. But in the end, the angels will separate them.

13:47a

Once again: The words Once again introduce another parable about the kingdom of heaven. This same word occurs in 13:45a. You should translate it here as you did there. For example:

Also (Good News Translation)

the kingdom of heaven is like a net: This clause is a simile. It compares the kingdom of heaven/God to a fishing net. The point of similarity in this comparison is that both are spread over a variety of things. A net catches a variety of fish. The message of the kingdom will be preached to a variety of people both good and bad.

net: This net was a large net that fishermen used to catch fish. It required at least two people to use. It had floats along the top and weights along the bottom. They spread the net in the water and then pulled it to the shore or a boat.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

fish net
-or-
dragnet

13:47b

that was cast into the sea: The net was cast so that it spread out before falling into the water. This is the normal way to put this type of net into the water. Be sure not to use a word that implies that the fishermen threw their nets away.

The verb was cast is passive. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

that was let down into the lake (New International Version)
-or-
that was put into the lake (New Century Version)

• Use an active verb. For example:

Some fishermen throw their net out in the lake (Good News Translation)

the sea: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sea here is a general word that can also be translated as “lake” (as in the New International Version). The English word “sea” often implies salt water. But the Greek word can refer to a freshwater lake.

caught all kinds of fish: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as caught refers to catching fish. For example:

caught all kinds of fish (New International Version)

-or-

caught many different kinds of fish (New Century Version)

In the parable, this phrase refers to the message of the kingdom being broadcast to both good and bad people.

© 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.

14:21a–b

About five thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children: In addition to the five thousand men who ate the food, there were also women and children there who also ate. No one counted the women and children in the crowd. But someone estimated that there were About five thousand men. There were probably as many women and children as men, or perhaps more.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

The number of men who ate was about five thousand, not counting the women and children. (Good News Translation)

-or-

There were about five thousand men who ate the food. They did not count the number of women and children ⌊who also ate⌋.

© 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.

15:17

Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a mild rebuke. It also emphasizes that whatever enters the mouth is not important. It is not important because it goes into the stomach and then out of the body.

Here are some other ways to translate this rebuke and emphasis:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? (Contemporary English Version)

• As a statement. For example:

Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then goes out of the body. (New Century Version)

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

15:17a

Do you not yet realize: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as realize means “understand.” For example:

Don’t you understand? (Good News Translation)
-or-
Don’t you know (Contemporary English Version)

whatever enters the mouth: This expression refers to the food that a person puts into his mouth. For example:

the food that enters the mouth (New Century Version)
-or-
the food you put into your mouth (Contemporary English Version)

15:17b

is eliminated: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is eliminated is literally “goes out into the latrine.” The Berean Standard Bible uses a euphemism here for the literal Greek words. (A euphemism is a figure of speech that substitutes acceptable words for words that may embarrass or offend people.)

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use a euphemism. For example:

then goes out of the body (New Century Version)
-or-
is eliminated (New American Standard Bible)

• Translate it more literally. For example:

then passes out into the sewer (NET Bible)

-or-

then into a toilet (God’s Word)

You should use a term that will be acceptably polite when your translation is read aloud in church. You should not use a term that only applies to a modern toilet.

© 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.

16:10a

Or: The word Or indicates that there is a second part to Jesus’ question. In some languages, it will be natural to repeat some of the words in the first part of the question. For example:

Do you not remember…

the seven loaves for the four thousand: This phrase refers to the miracle when Jesus fed four thousand men plus women and children. Matthew wrote about this story in 15:33–38.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Or the seven loaves ⌊which fed⌋ the four thousand ⌊men⌋.
-or-
Or ⌊do you not remember⌋ ⌊the feeding of⌋ four thousand ⌊men⌋ with seven loaves ⌊of bread⌋
-or-

⌊Also,⌋ ⌊have you forgotten how I fed⌋ four thousand ⌊men⌋ with seven loaves of bread?

16:10b

and: Verses 16:10a and 16:10b contain two more things that the disciples should have been thinking about. These two things are joined by the conjunction and.

In some languages, it will be more natural to make 16:10b a separate question. For example:

⌊Do you not remember⌋ how many baskets you gathered?

how many basketfuls you gathered: This clause is just like 16:9c, except that the Greek word for basketfuls is different. Here, the word for basketfuls refers to a larger type of basket than the kind in 16:9c. If your language has words for two different sizes of baskets, use the word for the larger one here.

If your language has one word for all kinds of baskets, you may want to include a descriptive word. For example:

how many large baskets you gathered

The word for this larger type of basket also occurs in 15:37b. You should translate it here as you did there.

© 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.

Section 17:14–20

Jesus healed a boy whom a demon controlled

In 10:1 Jesus had given power to his twelve disciples to cast out demons and heal sick people. Then the disciples went out in groups of two and did those things (Mark 6:7–13). But in this section, they could not cast out a demon that caused a boy to have severe physical problems. Only Jesus was able to force the demon to leave the boy. This story shows that the disciples’ faith was not yet strong.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus Cures A Demon-Possessed Boy (God’s Word)
-or-
The Healing of a Boy With a Demon (New International Version)

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 9:14–29 and at Luke 9:37–43.

Paragraph 17:14–18

17:14a

This is the beginning of a new section. The Greek begins this new section with a conjunction that usually joins the next event to the previous one. Many English versions translate this conjunction as “and,” but the Berean Standard Bible does not translate the word here.

You should begin this new section in a way that is natural in your language.

they came to the crowd: This clause implies that Jesus and his disciples came up to the edge of a crowd of people. They reached these people after walking down the mountain.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus and his disciples ⌊descended and⌋ arrived at a crowd ⌊of people⌋
-or-
when ⌊they arrived at the bottom of the mountain,⌋ they came to a crowd ⌊of people⌋

17:14b

a man: This man was most likely a Jewish man from the surrounding area. He was not a disciple of Jesus.

came up to Jesus: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as came up means “approached.”

Here is another way to translate these words:

approached him/Jesus

17:14c

and knelt before Him: The man got on his knees in front of Jesus to show that he understood that Jesus was more important than he was. He wanted to show his own humility and his respect for Jesus. He did this in front of Jesus to show that he wanted to talk with him.

In some cultures, these things are shown by bowing down in front of the person. For example:

and bowed before him (New Century Version)

© 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.