11:3a

to ask Him: This clause implies that the disciples left John and went to where Jesus was to ask the question. In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of this explicit. For example:

⌊When they arrived,⌋ they asked him

Are You the One who was to come: This is a real question. John’s disciples certainly asked Jesus this question in a polite way. In some languages, a literal translation of the question may sound impolite. It may be necessary to begin the question with a term of respect. For example:

⌊Master/Teacher,⌋ are you the one who is to come…?
-or-

⌊Please,⌋ are you the one who is to come…?

the One who was to come: In this context, the phrase the One who was to come refers to “the Christ.” The Old Testament prophets had said that the Christ would come. John too was a prophet. He said that the Christ would come and that Jesus was the Christ. But for some unknown reason, when he was in prison, he began to doubt that Jesus was the Christ.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

are you the one whom ⌊God said⌋ will come…?
-or-
are you the person whom ⌊we were told⌋ would come ⌊to save us⌋…?
-or-

⌊The prophets said that⌋ someone would come ⌊to save us⌋. Are you that person?

You may want to add a footnote to explain these words. Here is a sample footnote:

Based on Old Testament prophesies, the Jews were expecting God to send a special person to save them. This person was called “the Christ.” The words “the one who was to come” refer to the Christ.

11:3b

we: The pronoun we refers to all the Jews, not only John’s disciples. Many Jews expected the Christ to come and lead them to victory over the Romans. Jesus was not included in the pronoun we, because they were asking Jesus if he was the Christ.

look for someone else: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as look for means “expect” or “wait for.” The Jews were waiting for the person whom God had promised to send to them. This person was called “the Christ.” But many Jews were expecting the Christ to come and win earthly victory over their enemies. Jesus was not fulfilling those popular expectations.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

wait for another (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
expect someone else

-or-

continue looking 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.

12:37

Before you begin translating this verse, think about the most natural way to translate it in your language. This verse has two parallel parts:

aby your words you will be aquitted

bby your words you will be condemned

In some languages, it will be natural to combine these two parts. For example:

The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
they will be told that they are either innocent or guilty because of the things they have said. (Contemporary English Version)

12:37a

This clause continues to refer to what will happen on the day of judgment.

For: Verse 12:37 explains what Jesus said in 12:36. The Greek introduces this explanation with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For.

Here are some other ways to introduce this explanation:

Let me explain further
-or-

⌊That is true⌋ because

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

by your words you will be acquitted: This clause means that your words will determine whether God declares you innocent. In other words, on judgment day, God will examine your words and declare you either innocent or guilty. If you have spoken good words, God will declare you “not guilty.”

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

• Use a passive verb. For example:

By your words you will be declared innocent (God’s Word)
-or-
A person will be declared innocent because of the words that he has said

• Use an active verb. For example:

⌊God⌋ will judge you and declare you innocent because of the words you have said
-or-

⌊God⌋ will use the words that a person has said to judge him innocent

your words you: In 12:36, Jesus spoke of “men”/people. Here in 12:37 he switched and used the singular pronouns your and you. But 12:37 still has a general application to all people. The pronoun you was not meant for only a single person in the crowd listening to Jesus. In some languages, it will be more natural to continue to use “people” or the singular “a person” here in 12:37. For example:

⌊God⌋ will judge and declare a person innocent based on his words.

12:37b

and: Each person will be declared either innocent or guilty. It may be more natural in some languages to use “or” instead of and here. For example:

or by your words you will be declared guilty (God’s Word)

by your words you will be condemned: This clause is parallel to the clause in 12:37a. It means that your words will determine whether God declares you guilty. In other words, on judgment day, God will examine your words and declare you either innocent or guilty. If you have spoken careless words, God will declare you “guilty.”

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

Use a passive verb. For example:

by your words you will be declared guilty (God’s Word)
-or-
a person will be declared guilty because of the words that he has said

Use an active verb. For example:

⌊God⌋ will judge you and declare you guilty because of the words you have said
-or-

⌊God⌋ will use the words that a person has said to judge/declare him guilty

condemned: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as condemned means “declared guilty.”

Here are some other ways to translate condemned:

declare…guilty (Good News Translation)

-or-

judged as evil/sinful

This word also occurs in 12:7c.

© 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.

13:19

Before you translate 13:19, carefully consider the most natural way in your language to order the clauses. In some languages, it will be more natural to put 13:19e first. Putting this clause first will follow the same order as in 13:20, 13:22, and 13:23. Compare the example below:

aWhen anyone hears the word of the kingdom band does not understand it, cthe evil one comes and snatches away dwhat has been sown in his heart. eThis is what was sown along the path. (English Standard Version)
-or-

eThe path/road that the seeds fell upon represents apeople who hear the message about the kingdom, bbut they do not understand its meaning. cThen the evil one comes and causes them to forget dthe message they heard.

13:19a

When anyone hears the message: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as message is more literally “word,” but also means “talk,” “news.”

In some languages, it may be natural to use the plural “people” instead of a singular noun. For example:

When some people hear the word
-or-
Those who hear the message (Good News Translation)

the kingdom: The word kingdom refers to “the kingdom of God” or “kingdom of heaven” as Matthew often wrote. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

the kingdom ⌊of God⌋
-or-

⌊God’s⌋ rule/kingship

For advice on translating the phrase “the kingdom of God,” see the note at 12:28b.

13:19b

but does not understand it: There is a contrast here that the Berean Standard Bible indicates with the conjunction but. The contrast is between hearing the message and understanding it.

13:19c

the evil one: This phrase refers to Satan. He is compared to birds (in 13:4c) who come and eat the seed along the path.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Translate this phrase literally and include a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:

“The evil one” refers to Satan, the leader of demons.

• Include the name Satan in the text. For example:

the evil one, ⌊namely⌋ Satan,
-or-
Satan, the evil one,

• Use the name only. For example:

Satan

snatches away: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as snatches away means “remove forcefully.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

• Keep the metaphor of a bird and Satan taking away the seed. For example:

grabs
-or-
seizes
-or-
takes away (New Century Version)

• Explain the meaning of the metaphor. Satan snatches away the seed/word in the sense that he makes the person “forget” what they have heard. For example:

causes them to forget

13:19d

what was sown in his heart: This phrase explains what Jesus meant in 13:3b when he said that the farmer sows seed that falls along a path. The seed represents the message of the kingdom. Sowing the seed represents telling/announcing the message. The soil along a path represents the heart of certain people.

Notice that in this explanation, the phrase what was sown keeps the metaphor. This phrase refers to the message about the kingdom. On the other hand, the phrase in his heart explains part of the metaphor.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• In some languages, it is possible to mix the metaphor and the meaning. For example:

what was planted in that person’s heart (New Century Version)

• In other languages, it will be necessary to explain the entire metaphor. For example:

the message which was put in his heart/mind

• In other languages, it will be necessary to leave in his heart untranslated. For example:

the message that he heard
-or-
the message that ⌊someone⌋ told him

in his heart: The word heart refers to the inner being of a person.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

in his mind
-or-
in him (God’s Word)

As mentioned above, in some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this phrase.

13:19e

This is the seed sown along the path: This clause indicates that 13:19a–d is the explanation of what happened when seed fell in the soil along/on the path.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

This is like the seed sown by the road-side (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
This is what the seed planted along the road illustrates (God’s Word)
-or-
That is ⌊the meaning of what happened to⌋ the seed which ⌊the farmer⌋ sowed/scattered on the path.

Your translation should not indicate that the seed represents the person who hears the message. The seed is the message.

This: The word This refers back to what Jesus just said in 13:19a–d. In some languages, it may be more natural to use “that” here.

sown: Here are some other ways to translate this word:

planted (God’s Word)

-or-

scattered/thrown

along the path: If you translated along the path in 13:4b as “on the path,” you should do the same thing here.

© 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 13:51–52

Jesus told the parable about the owner of a house

In this parable, Jesus compared Christian teachers to a house owner who shares his riches with others. Christian teachings are like the house owner’s riches. These teachers will teach to others the things that they have learned about the scriptures at that time (the Old Testament). They will also teach others the new things that Jesus had been teaching them.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus told the parable of the head of a house
-or-
New and Old Treasures (Contemporary English Version)

This parable occurs only in Matthew.

Paragraph 13:51–52

13:51a

Have you understood: The pronoun you refers to Jesus’ disciples. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. It may also be necessary to make explicit that Jesus was talking. For example:

⌊Jesus asked the disciples⌋ , “Have you understood”

all these things: This phrase refers to Jesus’ teachings through the parables in 13:3–50.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

all those teachings
-or-
all that I have said to you

13:51b

“Yes,” they answered: The pronoun they refers to his disciples.

In some languages, it may be more natural to translate this as indirect speech. For example:

They told him that they did understand.

© 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.

14:25a

During the fourth watch of the night: This phrase refers to the time between 3:00–6:00 a.m. This phrase comes from the work of soldiers who stand guard for three hours at a time during the night. The first soldiers begin at 6:00 pm.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Between three and six o’clock in the morning (Good News Translation)
-or-
A little while before morning (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Sometime before dawn

14:25b

Jesus went out to them: Jesus approached the disciples who were in the boat. If people in your area will think that the pronoun them refers to the crowd, you may want to use the words “the disciples” instead.

walking on the sea: In this miracle, Jesus was walking on the surface of the water as if walking on dry ground.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

walking on ⌊the surface of⌋ the lake

-or-

walking on top of the water

© 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 15:21–28

A Gentile woman strongly believed in Jesus

In this section, Jesus left his own country and met a Gentile woman. This woman had a daughter who was possessed by a demon. At first, Jesus refused to help the woman. He told her that his ministry was to the Jews. But the woman showed persistence and great faith. Jesus rewarded her faith by healing her daughter. He did the healing from a distance by only speaking some words.

This story follows the story about the spiritually “blind” Pharisees. It shows that Gentiles can also have true faith. While Jesus was on the earth, his ministry was primarily to the Jews. But he also ministered to Gentiles.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The Faith of a Gentile Woman (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Jesus Helps a Non-Jewish Woman (New Century Version)

There is a parallel passage for this section in Mark 7:24–30.

Paragraph 15:21–28

15:21a

The story in 15:21–28 began sometime after the story in 15:1–20 ended. The Greek text does not indicate how much time passed between these two stories. In some languages, it is natural to begin a story with a time word or phrase. If your language is like that, use an expression here that is not too specific. For example:

Then (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
After that

Leaving that place, Jesus: This clause means that Jesus left the area of Gennesaret. He had been in Gennesaret since 14:34. The fact that he went to the district of Tyre and Sidon means that he also left the district of Galilee. That meant that he also left the country of the Jews.

The disciples are with Jesus in 15:23. So the disciples also left the area with him.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus left that place (Good News Translation)
-or-
Jesus left Galilee (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Jesus ⌊and his disciples⌋ left there

15:21b

withdrew: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as withdrew in this context means “left,” “moved away,” or “went to a safe place.” He withdrew from the conflict with the Pharisees. This word also occurs in 12:15a and 14:13b.

The distance he traveled is about 40–50 kilometers (25–30 miles) and over some hills and down to the seacoast. It is a walk of several days.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

and went away (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
went (NET Bible)

the district of Tyre and Sidon: Tyre and Sidon were towns in the country of Phoenicia. Phoenicia was not a Jewish country. The phrase the district of Tyre and Sidon refers to the land around these towns.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

the area of Tyre and Sidon (New Century Version)
-or-
the region of Tyre and Sidon (God’s Word)

-or-

the territory near the cities of Tyre and Sidon (Good News Translation)

© 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.

16:14a–c

Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets: The disciples’ answer indicates that the people thought that Jesus was a prophet. They also thought that he was a prophet who had already died and had come back to life.

The ideas that the people had about Jesus show that no one was quite sure who he was. Many Jews thought that at the end of the world, God would raise up certain prophets for special reasons. Since people thought that Jesus was one of these prophets, they must have expected the end to come soon. But they apparently were not clear exactly who he was or what role he would play.

If people in your area are not familiar with these prophets, you may want to:

• Include some implied information. For example:

Some people say ⌊that you are⌋ John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or some other prophet ⌊whom God has raised to life again⌋.

• Include a footnote. For example:

At the time Jesus asked the question, none of these prophets were alive. Many Jews thought that at the end of the world, God would raise up certain prophets like John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah, for special reasons.

16:14a

Some say: The words “you are” are implied. In some languages, it may be natural to make these words explicit. For example:

Some ⌊people⌋ say ⌊that you are⌋
-or-
Certain ⌊people⌋ think ⌊that you are⌋

John the Baptist: You should translate John the Baptist here as you did in 3:1a.

16:14b

others say: These words indicate that people had different ideas about who Jesus was. A second group of people thought that Jesus was the prophet Elijah.

The words “you are” are implied. In some languages, it may be natural to make these words explicit. For example:

other ⌊people⌋ say/think ⌊that you are⌋

Elijah: Elijah was a prophet who lived more than 500 years before Jesus. In some languages, it may be natural to make this more explicit. For example:

⌊the prophet⌋ Elijah

16:14c

and still others: These words indicate that there was a third opinion. A third group of people thought that Jesus was the prophet Jeremiah or one of the other prophets. In English, one way to indicate a third group is with the word still like the Berean Standard Bible.

The words “you are” are implied. In some languages, it may be natural to make these words explicit. For example:

and other ⌊people⌋ say/think ⌊that you are⌋

Jeremiah: Jeremiah was a prophet who lived more than 500 years before Jesus. In some languages, it may be natural to make this more explicit. For example:

⌊the prophet⌋ Jeremiah

or one of the prophets: John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah were prophets. So this phrase refers to other prophets.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

some other prophet (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.