Section 22:41–46 Jesus asked a question about the Christ

In the final section of this chapter, Jesus is the one who asked a question. Many of the Jews, including the Pharisees, expected God to send the Christ (Messiah) at some point. They knew that there were several passages in the Scriptures (our Old Testament) which pointed towards the Messiah. In this section, Jesus asked them a question about the ancestry of the Messiah. Then he used Psalm 110 to suggest that they did not really understand who the Messiah was. The problem he brought up was related to who called whom “Lord.”

The word “Lord” occurs in the ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament to refer to Yahweh. The word “lord” is also the translation for a human master.

Some English versions use the word Lord (in all capital letters)

In Exodus 3:14 God identified himself to Moses with a name. This name is sometimes written in English as Yahweh. That name occurs throughout the Old Testament. However, the Jews had a strong prohibition against pronouncing it out loud since they might make a mistake and violate the third commandment (see Exodus 20:7). So whenever they read an Old Testament passage that contained this name, they substituted the Hebrew word for “lord/master.” In the ancient Greek translations of the Old Testament that the New Testament authors used, the word that the English Standard Version translates as lord was substituted. In the rest of the New Testament the same Greek word is often used to refer to God. Many English versions have followed the same pattern, although they will use all caps when it refers to God (Lord) but not when it refers to a person (Lord).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Whose son is the Messiah? (New Living Translation (2004))

There are parallel passages for this passage in Mark 12:35–37 and Luke 20:41–44.

Paragraph 22:41–42

22:41

Now: The Greek conjunction that the English Standard Version here translates as Now is the one which can indicate a change. Here there is a change of person asking a question. In the previous section, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus a question. Here Jesus asked them a question.

Many English versions do not translate this conjunction. You should do what is natural in your language to begin a new section.

Here is another way to begin this section:

Then (New Living Translation (2004))

while the Pharisees were gathered together: This clause refers to the same gathering of the Pharisees as in 22:34b. It means that the following conversation happened during the same meeting as the previous section. Here is another way to translate this clause:

while the Pharisees were still gathered together

Jesus asked them a question: In Greek, this clause is more literally “Jesus asked them” (as in the New International Version). The phrase a question was added by the English Standard Version for clarity.

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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.

3:3a

The Greek of 3:3a begins with conjunction that is often translated as “for.” This word often introduces a reason. However, here it introduces some information about John the Baptist. Do not translate this verse as if it were the reason for 3:2. The Berean Standard Bible and many English versions do not translate this conjunction.

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: This clause means that God, through the prophet Isaiah, had spoken about John the Baptist. Many years before this time, the prophet Isaiah (in Isaiah 40:3) had prophesied about John the Baptist.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

This was the man whom ⌊God’s⌋ prophet Isaiah spoke about
-or-

⌊God,⌋ through the prophet Isaiah, spoke about this man ⌊when he wrote⌋

spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: See 1:22 and 2:23b for a similar phrase and consider how you translated it there.

3:3b

A voice of one calling in the wilderness: In the Berean Standard Bible, as in the Greek, this is not a complete sentence. In some languages, it may be necessary to make it into a complete sentence by including another form of the word calling. (See the note below for the meaning of calling in this context.) Isaiah was talking about something that would happen seven hundred years later. So you should use the verb form that is natural for a prophecy about the future. In English it is possible to use either the present or the future tense. For example:

There is a voice crying in the desert.
-or-
A voice will cry out in the desert.

A voice of one calling: The voice is the voice of a person. Someone was calling out in order to proclaim a message.

The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as calling means “shout or call out loudly.” Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

A man is shouting
-or-
Someone will call out

the wilderness: The word wilderness is the same word as in 3:1b. See how you translated it there.

3:3c–d

Before you translate 3:3c–d, there are at least two issues to consider:

Issue 1: Parallelism

Verse 3:3c–d is a Hebrew form of poetry called a parallelism. In a parallelism, an idea is repeated. In this particular parallelism, the idea in 3:3c is repeated and made more specific in 3:3d.

The parallel parts in 3:3c–d that are similar in meaning are shown here:

3c
Prepare the way for the Lord,

3d
make straight paths for Him.

In some languages, people will think that the parallel parts in 3:3c–d describe different events. In other words, they will think that “Prepare the way” and “make paths straight” describe different events.

If that is true in your language, you should:

• Indicate that both expressions refer to the same thing. For example:

3cPrepare the way for the Lord,

3d
⌊I repeat more specifically,⌋ make straight paths for Him

• Combine the parallel parts. For example:

Prepare straight paths for the Lord

Issue 2: Metaphor

In addition, 3:3c–d uses metaphors. In these metaphors, the person in the wilderness asked the people to prepare their hearts to receive the Lord. He did this by comparing preparing their hearts to preparing a road to welcome the Lord.

In biblical times, when someone important was about to visit a town, the people living there would make sure that the road was prepared for him to travel on. It had to be smooth and straight. This was a way to welcome and honor an important visitor. In the same way, people should prepare their hearts to receive and welcome the Lord. See below for some translation advice.

3:3c

Prepare the way for the Lord: This clause is the first part of the parallelism. It means approximately the same thing as 3:3d. The difference is that it is more general.

This clause is also a metaphor. In this metaphor, the person in the wilderness told the people to prepare themselves to receive/welcome the Lord. He compared preparing their hearts (or themselves) to preparing a way/road for the Lord to come. He was not literally commanding the people to make their roads better.

The way that “hearts” and “way/road” are similar is that people need to prepare these things to welcome the Lord.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor and explain the meaning in a footnote. A possible footnote would be:

This is a metaphor. Matthew quoted Isaiah as saying that the people needed to get ready for the Lord to come. They needed to repent and prepare their hearts and lives for his coming. Isaiah compared this to improving a road to receive the Lord.

• Change the metaphors to similes. For example:

Prepare ⌊yourselves⌋ for the Lord ⌊like you prepare⌋ a road ⌊for an important person⌋
-or-

⌊Just as you⌋ prepare a road ⌊for a king when he comes,⌋ ⌊prepare your hearts⌋ for the Lord ⌊to come⌋.

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

Prepare ⌊yourselves⌋ to ⌊receive⌋ the Lord
-or-
Make the necessary changes in your life to receive/welcome the Lord

This verse refers to people preparing themselves in a moral and spiritual way. Your translation should not imply that they should prepare themselves only in a physical way, such as cleaning their houses.

way: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as way refers to a “road/path.” In this metaphor, a person’s heart or life is compared to a “road” or “path.”

the Lord: Here the word Lord refers to the “Lord God.” Matthew understood this to mean that God would come to Israel in the person of Jesus the Messiah.

3:3d

make straight paths for Him: This clause is the second part of the parallelism. It means approximately the same thing as 3:3c. The difference is that it is more specific.

This clause also repeats the metaphor in 3:3c. In this metaphor, the person in the wilderness told the people to make their hearts (themselves) correct so that they could receive and welcome the Lord. He compared making themselves correct to making straight paths for the Lord. He was not literally commanding the people to make their paths straight.

The way that “hearts” and paths are similar is that people need to prepare these things to welcome the Lord.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor and explain the meaning in a footnote. A possible footnote is presented above in 3:3c.

• Change the metaphors to similes. For example:

⌊Just as you⌋ make straight paths ⌊for a king⌋ ⌊make yourselves straight/correct⌋ for the Lord ⌊to come⌋.

• Translate the meaning without the metaphor. For example:

Make yourselves ready for him

You should translate 3:3d in a similar way to 3:3c.

straight paths: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as paths is a synonym of “way/road” in 3:3c. If your language translates both “road” and “path” with the same word, you can repeat it. Or you can use the pronoun “them” or “it.” For example:

3cPrepare the road for the Lord, 3dmake the road straight for him.

-or-

3cPrepare the road for the Lord, 3dmake it straight for him.

© 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 4:18–22

Jesus chose his first four disciples

This section describes two related events that happened near Lake Galilee during the early part of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. First Jesus asked Peter and his brother Andrew to become his disciples. Later he asked James and his brother John to become his disciples. All four of these men were fishermen. These became four of his twelve disciples.

Here are some other headings for this section:

Jesus chose four fishermen to be his disciples
-or-
Jesus asked four men to follow him

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 1:16–20 and Luke 5:1–11.

Paragraph 4:18–20

4:18a–e

Verse 4:18b–e gives four pieces of information about Simon and Andrew:

18bthey were brothers

18ctheir names were Simon and Andrew

18dthey were casting their net into the lake

18ethey were fishermen

You should put these four pieces of information in the order that is most natural in your language for introducing these new characters. Here is one example of a way to reorder:

18aAs Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, 18ehe saw two fishermen 18dwho were casting their net into the lake. 18bThey were brothers, 18cand their names were Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew.

4:18a

As Jesus was walking: This clause describes the setting for the story that follows. In some languages, it may be natural to introduce this story with a time word or phrase. For example:

One day as Jesus was walking (New Living Translation (2004))

beside the Sea of Galilee: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as beside indicates that Jesus was walking close to the Sea of Galilee. Here are some other ways to translate this word:

by the Sea of Galilee (English Standard Version)
-or-
along the Sea of Galilee (God’s Word)
-or-
along the shore of Lake Galilee (Contemporary English Version)

the Sea of Galilee: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible here translates as Sea is the same word that is translated as “sea” in 4:13. You should translate it here as you did there.

4:18b

He saw two brothers: The phrase two brothers refers to two men who were brothers of one another. These men were not brothers of Jesus.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

he saw a man and his brother
-or-
he saw two men who were brothers

Simon was the older brother of Andrew. If your language needs to indicate whether it is an older or a younger brother, you can say:

he saw a man and his ⌊younger⌋ brother

4:18c

Simon called Peter: This phrase indicates that Simon had another name. This other name was Peter.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Simon who was ⌊also⌋ called/named Peter
-or-
Simon, also known as Peter (Contemporary English Version)

and his brother Andrew: Some languages use different words for brother or “sibling,” depending on:

(a) whether a person is younger or older

(b) whether a person is the brother of a woman or brother of a man

(c) whether they are brothers of the same father or mother

(d) whether it is important to specify whether a sibling is male or female

Most scholars assume that Peter was the older brother, because he was mentioned first in this passage. We may also assume that Peter and Andrew had the same father and mother. For Peter’s brother Andrew, use whatever term is natural in your language to refer to a younger male sibling with the same father and mother. For example:

his younger brother Andrew

4:18d

They were casting a net into the sea: In Greek, the phrase casting a net is a single word. It describes someone who stands on shore or in a boat and repeatedly throws a net into the water to catch fish. The net mentioned here was made of string or thread knotted together. The net was circular with small weights attached around its edge to make it sink quickly. It was small enough for one man to handle.

In some languages, it may be difficult to translate the idea of throwing a net into the water. In these languages, it may be necessary to use a more general expression. For example:

catching fish…with a net (Good News Translation)
-or-
fishing with a net (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
catching fish

Be sure not to use an expression that implies that Simon and Andrew were throwing their nets away.

into the sea: In areas where people are familiar with net fishing, it may be redundant to include the words into the sea. That information will be clear from the context. So you can leave it implicit. In other areas, it may be necessary to include this information. Do whatever is clear and natural in your language.

4:18e

for: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces some additional background information about Simon and Andrew. This information is that these men were fishermen. In some languages, it will be more natural to put this information at another part of the verse. See the note above on 4:18a–e for an example.

Some English versions translate this word as “because.” However, 4:18e is not a direct reason for 4:18d.

they were fishermen: The word fishermen refers to men whose job is to catch fish and sell them.

If your translation of “casting a net” in 4:18d already made explicit a phrase such as “to catch fish,” you may not need to repeat that information here. You may be able to say:

that was their work

Their work was to throw a net into the lake to catch fish. They earned their living by fishing. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

their work was fishing

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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 5:25–26

In 5:25–26 in the Greek text, the pronouns for “you” or “your” are all singular. But the teaching applies to all of Jesus’ followers. So in some languages, it is more natural to use the plural form of “you” here.

5:25a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of the clauses in 5:25a–b. Compare the Berean Standard Bible with the New Living Translation (2004) and New Century Version below.

25aReconcile quickly with your adversary, 25bwhile you are still on the way to court (Berean Standard Bible)

25bWhen you are on the way to court 25awith your adversary, settle your differences quickly. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

25bIf your enemy is taking you to court, 25abecome friends quickly, 25bbefore you go to court. (New Century Version)

5:25a

Reconcile: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Reconcile means “settle matters” or “make friends.” A believer who has wronged someone must resolve the problem.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Make friends (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Settle matters (New International Version)
-or-
settle the dispute (Good News Translation)
-or-
make peace

quickly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as quickly means “at once, without delay.” In this context, it refers to settling matters before court begins.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

while there is time (Good News Translation)
-or-
immediately
-or-
before you arrive at the court

your adversary: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as your adversary refers to the person who is against you. He is the person taking you to court to accuse you before the judge.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

accuser (English Standard Version)
-or-
opponent (God’s Word)
-or-
enemy (New Century Version)
-or-
the one who has accused you of wrong

5:25b

while you are still on the way to court: The Greek text that the Berean Standard Bible translates as while you are still on the way to court is literally “while you are with him on the road.” The Berean Standard Bible has added the words to court. By doing this, the Berean Standard Bible makes it clear that “your adversary” is the one who initiated the court case. Your adversary has accused you of doing something wrong. The two of you are going to court so that the judge can hear your case. This clause does not mean that your enemy is literally carrying or dragging you to court.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

while you are on the way to court with him (God’s Word)
-or-
as he is taking you to where the judge is
-or-
while there is time, before you get to court (Good News Translation)

5:25c

Otherwise, he may hand you over to the judge: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Otherwise can also be translated as “so that not” or “lest.”

This clause and 5:25d indicate what will happen if matters are not settled quickly. You may need to translate this clause somewhat differently in order to make it clear. For example:

so that your opponent will not hand you over to the judge
-or-
lest, your accuser hand you over to the judge (English Standard Version)
-or-
If you do not ⌊settle matters quickly⌋, he will hand you over to the judge

hand you over to the judge: The words hand you over refer to putting someone under the power or authority of another. This accuser will bring you before the judge, and the judge will decide how to punish you.

Here are some other ways to translate these words:

will deliver/take you to the judge
-or-
will give/bring you to the judge
-or-
will cause you to appear before the judge

5:25d

and the judge may hand you over to the officer: In the Greek, this phrase is literally “and the judge to the officer.” There is an ellipsis here. The words may hand you over are implied from 5:25c.

officer: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as officer refers to a policeman or similar official who fulfills the judge’s orders. He has the authority to put someone in jail or set him free, as the judge tells him to.

Here are some other ways to translate officer:

guard (English Standard Version)
-or-
warden (NET Bible)
-or-
person in charge of prisoners

5:25e

you may be thrown into prison: The verb be thrown is passive. The guard in 5:25d obeys the order of the judge and puts the believer in prison. Some ways to translate this clause are:

• Use a passive verb. For example:

you will be put in jail (Good News Translation)
-or-
you will be locked up

• Use an active verb. For example:

he will put you in prison

-or-

who will put you in jail (Contemporary English 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.

6:20a

But: There is a contrast between 6:19 and 6:20. The contrast is between storing up treasure on earth (6:19) and storing up treasures in heaven (6:20).

Here are some ways to introduce this contrast:

but (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Instead (Good News Translation)
-or-
Rather

store up for yourselves: This phrase is identical to the phrase in 6:19a. Translate it here as you did there.

treasures in heaven: The phrase treasures in heaven is parallel to and contrasts with the phrase “treasures on earth” in 6:19a. If possible, use the same word for “treasures” here as in 6:19a.

This verse does not specifically say what these treasures are, but it probably includes rewards from God. God will reward his people for doing their “acts of righteousness” such as giving to the needy (6:2–4), praying (6:5–8), and fasting (6:16–18), and doing all these in secret.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Use the same word for treasures as in 6:19a. Such a word can be used to refer to figurative or spiritual treasures. Here are some examples:

treasures
-or-
wealth

• Use a word or expression that refers to spiritual treasures. For example:

rewards in heaven by doing good
-or-
that which is worth much in heaven

6:20b–c

where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal: Except for the negatives do not, the words of this clause are the same as those in 6:19b–c. The negative do not is also implied before steal. You should translate this clause the same way as you did there, but add the negatives.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

where there are no moths and no rust to destroy them, and no thieves to steal them

-or-

Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. (New Living Translation (1996))

© 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.

7:18a–b

Verse 7:18 is a Jewish way to emphasize 7:17. It does this by stating that the opposites of 7:17a–b do not happen.

cannot bear…cannot bear: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cannot is more literally “not able.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

does not

-or-

is not possible

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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 8:21–22

8:21a

Another of His disciples: The phrase Another of His disciples refers to a man who was one of the larger group who was following Jesus. He was not one of the twelve disciples.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Another ⌊man who was one⌋ of the ⌊many⌋ disciples ⌊of Jesus⌋
-or-
Another man, one of Jesus’ followers (New Century Version)
-or-
Another disciple (Contemporary English Version)

As is shown in 8:21b, this man was not yet a serious disciple of Jesus. So here a word like “follower” may be a good way to translate the word “disciple.”

disciples: The word disciples means “learners” who are in a relationship with a teacher. The learners commit themselves to their teacher in order to learn from him and live according to his teaching and example. In the New Testament, disciples refer specifically to people who were learning from a religious teacher. Disciples often lived with their teacher and followed him wherever he went.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

• Use a word or phrase that refers to people who learn from a teacher or expert. It is helpful if the word or phrase also implies that the learners are often with their teacher. For example:

students
-or-
apprentices

Be careful not to use a word that would refer only to students in a school or classroom.

• Use a word or phrase that refers to people who follow a teacher or leader by obeying his teaching. It is helpful if this word or phrase also implies learning from the teacher and actually following the teacher wherever he goes. For example:

followers
-or-
those who are committed/faithful (to a teacher/leader)

• Use a word or phrase that includes both the idea of learning from someone and also of having close association with him. For example:

companions whom Jesus taught

See how you translated disciples in 5:1c. Or see disciple in the Glossary for more information.

8:21b

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord means “master.” It was a polite title used when addressing a respected leader.

This word also occurs in 8:2b. You will probably want to translate it here as you did there.

first let me go and bury my father: This clause is an idiom. It means “let me go and help my father until he dies and I bury him.” The man implied that he wanted to seriously follow Jesus, but at a later time. That later time was possibly years in the future. He first wanted to go take care of his father.

In some languages a literal translation would not clearly indicate or imply that meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to explain the meaning in the text. For example:

⌊I will follow you, but⌋ first let me go and bury my father.

-or-

⌊I want to really follow you, but⌋ first let me go ⌊home⌋ ⌊until⌋ my father ⌊dies so I can⌋ bury him.

© 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.