SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023 – Page 6

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.

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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.”

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:5

Paragraph 4:5–7

In this paragraph, Matthew reported the second way that the devil tempted Jesus. In this paragraph, the devil tempted Jesus to put himself in danger. If Jesus had put himself in danger, he would have been testing God to save him from danger. This would have been a sinful thing for Jesus to do.

4:5a

Then: The conjunction Then introduces a new part of the story. It also indicates that 4:5 happened after 4:4. The Greek text does not indicate how much time passed between these two stories. Use a general term that indicates that the events in this paragraph happened after the events in 4:3–4.

This same word occurs in 4:1a.

the devil took Him to the holy city: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took refers to someone taking along another person. The devil went to Jerusalem and took Jesus with him. You should not imply that the devil used physical force to take Jesus along with him.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

the devil went to the holy city and took Jesus ⌊with him⌋
-or-
the devil led Jesus to the holy city (New Century Version)
-or-
the devil went with Jesus to the holy city

the holy city: The phrase the holy city refers to Jerusalem. You may want to include this implied information. For example:

Jerusalem, the Holy City (Good News Translation)
-or-
the holy city of Jerusalem (New Century Version)

4:5b

and set Him: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as set Him also means “placed him.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

caused him to stand
-or-
had him stand (New International Version)
-or-
put him (New Century Version)

The Greek text does not indicate whether the devil was with Jesus on top of the temple. So it is best to leave this point vague. If you must indicate where the devil was, remember that he had a conversation with Jesus. So he was probably close.

the pinnacle of the temple: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the pinnacle of the temple probably refers to the top of one of the temple towers. Towers were built into the wall of the temple complex. If a man fell or jumped off from there, he would die when he hit the ground.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the highest part of the temple (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the roof of the temple

temple: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temple refers to the temple building and the walls and courtyards that surrounded it. The temple was in Jerusalem and was the most important place where Jews worshiped God.

Here are some other ways to translate the word temple:

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

house/building of God
-or-
place of sacrifice
-or-
house/place of worship
-or-
holy/sacred house

• If your language has a word for “temple,” consider using it. But you may need to modify it by saying:

temple of the Jews/Lord

Be sure to use a different term from the one you have chosen for “synagogue.” There was only one temple, but there were many synagogues.

See the word temple, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for more information.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:12

5:12

Before you translate 5:12, consider what is the most natural order in your language for the clauses in this verse. In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the Berean Standard Bible. Compare the Berean Standard Bible with the other examples below.

12aRejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; 12bfor in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you. (Berean Standard Bible)

12aYour reward in heaven is great. ⌊So⌋ rejoice and be glad. 12bFor/Because they persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way.
-or-

12bThey persecuted the prophets who were before you in the same way. 12a⌊So⌋ rejoice and be glad. Your reward in heaven is great.

5:12a

Rejoice and be glad: The two Greek verbs that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Rejoice and be glad are a doublet. This means that the two words mean basically the same thing. Saying the same thing in two different ways is a Hebrew way of making the command stronger.

Your language may be able to indicate a stronger command in the same way. But it may be more natural in your language to emphasize it in some other way. For example:

Be very happy/glad
-or-
You (plur.) should be extremely glad/joyful
-or-
Be glad then, yes, be tremendously glad (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

because: The conjunction because introduces the reason why the disciples and the crowd should rejoice. They should rejoice because God will give them a big reward in heaven. For example:

because you have a great reward in heaven (God’s Word)

In some languages, no conjunction is necessary here. For example:

You will have a great reward in heaven. (Contemporary English Version)

In other languages, it will be more natural to change the order of the clauses in 5:12a. For example:

Your reward is great in heaven. ⌊So⌋ rejoice and be glad.

great is your reward in heaven: The phrase great is your reward in heaven means “you will receive something of great value when you go to heaven.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

a great reward awaits you in heaven (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
you have a great reward waiting for you in heaven (New Century Version)

-or?

⌊God⌋ will reward/honor you very much in heaven.

reward: The word reward normally refers to something good that people receive because of something that they have done. Here, the meaning of reward focuses on being honored for being faithful to Jesus.

Here are some other ways to translate the word reward:

payment
-or-
gift
-or-
honor

heaven: Here the word heaven refers to the place where God lives.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

the place where God is
-or-
paradise

5:12b

In some languages, it will be more natural to put 5:12b before 5:12a. See the example above under 5:12.

for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason why people who were insulted, persecuted, and spoken against should rejoice and be glad. They should rejoice and be glad because Jesus is praising them. He is praising them by comparing them to the Old Testament prophets.

In some languages, it is not necessary to put a conjunction here. For example:

People did these same things to the prophets who lived long ago. (Contemporary English Version)

in the same way: The phrase in the same way introduces a comparison. Jesus was saying that people would do evil to Jesus’ disciples just as people had done evil to the prophets years earlier.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

like that
-or-
so (English Standard Version)
-or-
what people do to you, that is what they did

they: The pronoun they refers to the people who persecuted the prophets many years before Jesus. The pronoun is also connected to the “people” of 5:11 because there are people in every generation who oppose God and mistreat his followers. You may be able to use the pronoun they with that connection here. But it may be more natural in your language to explain the connection. For example:

those same kind of people
-or-
people like them

persecuted: The word persecuted means to “treat someone cruelly and cause the person to suffer.” This same word occurs in 5:10a and 5:11a.

the prophets: The word prophets refers to men who spoke on behalf of God. They told people what God revealed to them. God gave some prophets power to work miracles. These miracles helped people realize that God sent the prophets.

Here are some other ways to translate prophets:

spokesmen for God
-or-
men who speak God’s words
-or-
God’s message-speakers

When choosing a term for prophets, consider how you will distinguish prophets from other words which are similar in meaning, such as “angels,” “apostles,” and “preachers.”

The word “prophet” also occurs in 1:22 and 4:14. See also prophet in the Glossary.

before you: The words before you refer to time. These prophets lived hundreds of years before the time when the disciples lived.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

who lived before you (Good News Translation)
-or-
who lived long ago (Contemporary English Version)

-or-

These prophets lived long before your time

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:7

6:7a

And when you pray, do not babble on: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as babble on refers to “speaking meaningless words” or “speaking without thinking.” In this context it probably includes excessive repetition.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

do not use a lot of words that have no meaning/value
-or-
do not continually repeat and repeat
-or-
do not pray a long time without thinking what you are saying

like pagans: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as like pagans refers to “people who were not Jews.” Such people worshiped idols, not the true God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

non-Jews ⌊who do not worship God⌋
-or-
those people who don’t know God (New Century Version)

6:7b

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the reason that Gentiles pray long prayers.

7aThe Gentiles heap up empty phrases, 7bbecause they think that they will be heard because they use so many words.

In some languages, it is not necessary to have a conjunction here. For example:

They think God likes to hear long prayers. (Contemporary English Version)

In other languages, it is more natural to put the reason first. For example:

7bThe Gentiles think that they will be heard because of their many words. 7a⌊So⌋ when they pray, they heap up empty phrases. Do not pray like them.

they think: The Greek word the Berean Standard Bible translates as think means “imagine something to be true.” In this case, they are mistaken in what they think. It may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

they ⌊mistakenly⌋ think/suppose
-or-
they believe ⌊wrongly⌋
-or-
they assume…. ⌊But they are wrong.⌋

by their many words: These Gentiles think that their “gods” will listen to them if they use many words and make their prayers long.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

because of their many words
-or-
by using many words (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
when/if they pray a long time

they will be heard: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they will be heard is passive. The “god” or “gods/idols” that these people pray to are the ones that “hear.”

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

they will be heard (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
their prayers will be heard

• Use an active verb. For example:

their gods will hear them (Good News Translation)

-or-

whomever they are praying to will hear them

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 7:5

7:5a

You hypocrite!: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hypocrite literally refers to actors (in the theater). Figuratively it refers to people who pretend to be something that they are not. They say that they believe one thing, but they do something different. Or they appear religious or spiritual on the outside, but they do not have true hearts that desire to please God.

The Berean Standard Bible has added the word You here. In Greek, only the word hypocrite occurs here. For example:

Hypocrite! (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Pretender!

The word hypocrite also occurs in 6:2 and 6:16.

7:5b–c

beam…speck: As in 7:3–4, the words beam and speck are metaphors referring to large sins and small sins. Because this is the third verse with these metaphors, you can probably keep the metaphors without making the meaning explicit.

7:5c

brother’s: Be careful to translate the word brother’s as you did in 7:3a and 7:4a.

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Source: SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 2023

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

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 4:5

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 5:12

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 6:7

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 7:5

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