SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Timothy 2003 – Page 3

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:6

4:6a

For I: In the same way that Paul used a pronoun and conjunction in 4:5a to highlight what Timothy was to do in contrast to the false teachers, so here he begins this thought in Greek with the pronoun meaning I and a conjunction. The pronoun emphasizes Paul’s situation compared to Timothy’s.

The Greek conjunction gar, “for,” indicates that 4:6 gives the reason why Paul had given Timothy the commands in 4:5. Timothy needed to “fulfill” his “ministry” because Paul would not be alive much longer to help him.

being poured out like a drink offering: The phrase being poured out like a drink offering is the Berean Standard Bible translation of one Greek verb. This verb is found only here and in Philippians 2:17. It literally means “being poured out” and describes one particular type or part of a Jewish sacrifice.

Exodus 29:38–41 describes the ritual for offering sacrifices to God each morning and evening. The sacrifice included a lamb, an offering of grain mixed with oil, and a specific quantity of wine, which a priest “poured out” or “poured over” the other things. The wine that the priest poured out was called the “drink offering.” It was the final part of the entire sacrifice.

In this verse, Paul used the word meaning “being poured out” in a figurative sense. Paul considered his entire life to be a sacrifice to God. This part of his life was the final part of that sacrifice, just as the drink offering was the final part of an animal sacrifice. In other words, Paul was saying that he would die soon.

When translating this phrase, you have several possibilities:

• Use the figure of speech, but add a phrase to “being poured out” so that the meaning will be easier to understand. The Berean Standard Bible and most other English versions do this. For example, Contemporary English Version says:

My life is like a drink offering being poured out on the altar.

• Explain the figure of speech. You can say something like,

Just as the offering of wine is poured out at the end of the sacrifice, even so my life is at its end.

• Replace the figure of speech with the direct meaning. If you cannot retain the figure, you can say something like,

My life is already ending….
-or-
My life and work for God are ending….

4:6b

and the time of my departure is at hand: The phrase my departure is a euphemism for “my death.” Paul wrote these words to Timothy because the Romans had condemned him to die, and he knew that they planned to kill him soon.

General Comment on 4:6

In some languages is may be more natural to reorder 4:6a and 4:6b. For instance, you could say:

^6bI am about to die; ^6amy life is like a drink offering that is being poured out as a sacrifice.

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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.

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:3

Section 1:3–18

Paul encouraged Timothy to continue doing the work that God gave him to do

Paragraph 1:3–7

1:3a

I serve: The word serve here refers to serving or working for God in a religious way. It might be better to use a word that means “worship.” For example, the Revised English Bible says:

I worship with a clear conscience.

1:3b

with a clear conscience: The phrase with a clear conscience can be understood as referring:

(1) only to Paul. “I serve God as my ancestors did. I serve him with a clear conscience.”

(2) to both Paul and his forefathers. “I serve God with a clear conscience. My ancestors also served God with a clear conscience.”

In most English translations, it is unclear whether the phrase with a clear conscience refers only to Paul or to both Paul and his forefathers. However, if possible in your language, translate in a way that people will understand the first interpretation. One reason for choosing interpretation (1) is that in this verse Paul was writing about his personal claim that he was an apostle. He was not necessarily claiming that his ancestors also had clear consciences.

a clear conscience: A person’s conscience is the part of a person that helps him know what is right and what is wrong to think or do. A conscience causes a person to feel ashamed or guilty if he does wrong, and makes him feel good when he does what is right.

Paul was implying that, although he was in prison, he was not there because he had committed a crime. On the contrary, he had been put in prison because he was trying to do what would please God. Paul was convinced that he had not done anything wrong. He did not feel guilty, so his conscience was clear.

forefathers: Another word for forefathers is “ancestors.” The word forefathers refers to a person’s relatives who were born before his parents and probably even before his grandparents.

1:3c

as I constantly remember you night and day in my prayers: This is a way of saying that Paul prayed very frequently and when he prayed, he always prayed for Timothy.

constantly: The Greek word that most English versions translate as constantly is emphasized in the Greek text. In the Display, this emphasis is shown by putting the word constantly before the verb “pray.”

night and day: Scholars differ as to whether the phrase night and day is connected to 1:3 or 1:4.

(1) Most English versions understand this phrase to belong to I constantly remember you… in my prayers in 1:3. For example, the New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says:

Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.

See also Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, New Revised Standard Version, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, Contemporary English Version.

(2) A few translations have punctuated the sentence in such a way that this phrase belongs with “I long to see you” at the beginning of 1:4. For example, the Revised Standard Version says:

⁴As I remember your tears, I long night and day to see you,

See also Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1) as do the majority of translations.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:22

Paragraph 2:22–26

In this paragraph, Paul instructed Timothy regarding how he could be a “container” that God can use.

2:22a

This verse begins with the Greek conjunction de, which can be translated But (NET Bible, New Century Version) or “so” (Revised Standard Version). It indicates that Paul was changing his topic from the figure of speech about the different containers and their uses to another topic. Many English versions, including Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision) and Good News Translation, do not translate this conjunction, but indicate the change of topic by beginning a new paragraph.

Flee from: Other ways to translate the verb phrase Flee from are “run from,” “stay away from,” or “avoid.”

In the figure of speech about the containers in a large house, Paul had indirectly encouraged Timothy. Here with the verb Flee he directly commanded him. If the change seems too abrupt, perhaps your language has a way to mark this change. One way to do this is to begin the command with “Timothy” as you will see in the first Meaning Line of the Display.

youthful passions: The phrase youthful passions means “the evil things that young people want to do.” The New Living Translation (2004 Revision) translates this phrase “youthful lusts” and the New International Version (2011 Revision) translates it as “evil desires of youth.”

passions: Other ways of translating the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as passions are “desires” and “impulses.” Paul was probably referring to sexual desires. He may also have been referring to selfish ambition, impatience, and doing unwise, impulsive things.

2:22b

pursue: The verb pursue is the opposite of “flee” in 2:22a. Flee means “to run away from,” and pursue means “to run towards.” Paul used these two verbs figuratively. He used “flee” to mean, “do not…” and pursue to mean, “make an effort to….” The New Living Translation (2004 Revision) says: “Follow anything that makes you want to do right.”

The four abstract nouns that follow the word pursue describe character traits that Paul urged Timothy to develop. It may be necessary for you to use verb phrases or complete clauses to express what these abstract nouns mean.

righteousness: Because Paul was talking about character traits here, righteousness in this context probably refers to the way that we behave. It means “to live in a way that God considers right, and to do what is right and just to other people.” Paul was probably not talking here about the righteousness that God attributes to us because we trust in Jesus Christ. That kind of righteousness does not depend on our good character or on anything that we have done or could do.

2:22c

faith: It is not clear in which sense Paul used this word here. There are two interpretations:

(1) It means “faithfulness,” that is, being honest, truthful, and dependable either toward God or other people.

(2) It means “belief or trust in God.”

If possible, translate in a general way so that people could understand both interpretations. If that is not possible and you must make a choice, choose interpretation (1).

love: In this context, love refers to love for other people, not love for God.

peace: The word peace refers to living in harmony with other people.

2:22d

together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart: Scholars disagree about what this phrase goes with. There are two interpretations:

(1) It applies to all four nouns that follow the verb “pursue.” So both Timothy and those who call on the Lord are to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

(2) It applies only to the word peace. So Timothy is to live in peace with those who call on the Lord.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).

those who call on the Lord: This phrase means “people who pray to the Lord.” It refers to those who follow the Lord and worship him. It is similar to the phrase “everyone who confesses the name of the Lord” in 2:19d.

the Lord: Here the Lord probably refers to God.

a pure heart: The term pure heart means “sincerely” or “without deceit.” In many languages there is an idiom to express this aspect of a person’s character. Consider whether your language also uses an idiom. Use it if it is appropriate.

General Comment on 2:22

One possible way to translate 2:22 is to put 2:22d earlier in the verse as follows:

Timothy, run away from the evil things that other young men do. You and those who worship the Lord with clean hearts should search for ways to do what is right, faithful, loving, and peaceful.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:17

4:17a

But the Lord stood by me: In 4:16–17, Paul contrasted those who deserted him with the Lord, who had not deserted him. To express the contrast, you might be able to say,

The Lord, however, stood by me….

the Lord: The word Lord here probably refers to Christ.

stood by me: The words stood by me are a figure of speech that mean that Jesus stayed with him to help him. Use this figure of speech in your translation if people understand it. Or, your language may have an expression that describes a person who is not afraid to be the only one with you when the authorities accuse you of having done something wrong.

4:17b

so that through me the message would be fully proclaimed: The judge asked Paul what his enemies had accused him of doing. The judge’s questions gave Paul an opportunity to clearly tell the good news about Jesus Christ to the judge and to all the other people who were in the court on that day.

4:17c

and all the Gentiles would hear it: There were people from many different nations in Rome, in addition to the Roman citizens. Some Jews were present. But most of the people there were Gentiles (that is, non-Jews). Therefore, when the judge gave Paul the opportunity to defend himself in the court of the Roman government, many non-Jews heard him preach the gospel.

4:17d

So I was delivered from the mouth of the lion: The clause I was delivered from the mouth of the lion is a very dramatic metaphor which means:

I was delivered from death
-or-
Christ saved me from death.

This was a live figure of speech at the time when Paul wrote, because the Roman government sometimes punished people by forcing them to stand in an arena where lions could attack them and kill them.

This was Paul’s way of saying that the Roman judge did not condemn him to death. The Roman judge could have decided that Paul must die. But Christ rescued Paul from this very great danger by causing the judge to decide to let him live. Paul compared this to being in a place where a lion was going to attack him, and Christ rescued him immediately before the lion could attack him.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:14

1:14a

Guard: The word Guard here means to “defend against attack.”

the treasure entrusted to you: The words treasure entrusted to you are a translation of one Greek word. This is the same Greek word that Paul used in 1:12d. This word usually refers to money or land that a person entrusted to another person to keep safe. Here Paul used the word treasure to refer to the good news about Jesus Christ. Paul combined these two ideas to tell Timothy to “defend the gospel against attack from enemies.”

1:14b

with the help of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us: Paul told Timothy how he was to protect the true message. Timothy was going to be able to protect the message because he had the Holy Spirit living in him just as Paul did. The Holy Spirit would help him.

with the help of the Holy Spirit: This phrase explains how Paul wanted Timothy to guard the treasure that was entrusted to him. It means, “guard with the help of the Holy Spirit.” This is why the New International Version (2011 Revision) adds the word “guard” in 1:14b. You should do what is more natural in your language—one longer sentence (see Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation), or two shorter clauses or sentences with the verb repeated.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:8

3:8a

Just as Jannes and Jambres: In 3:8, Paul returned to talking about the false teachers. He compared them to two men who opposed Moses.

Because these men lived long before Paul and Timothy, it may also be helpful to begin this verse with a time phrase such as “long ago….”

Jannes and Jambres: Jannes and Jambres are the names of the two magicians who performed false miracles in front of Moses and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Their names are not mentioned in the Old Testament, but they are known from Jewish tradition. (See Exodus 7:11–22 and Exodus 8:7–19.) These two magicians wanted to show Pharaoh that their power was as great as the power that Moses had from the true God.

In your translation, it may be helpful to add a footnote explaining briefly what Paul meant when he referred to Jannes and Jambres. For example:

These men were magicians who opposed Moses in Pharaoh’s court. (See Exodus 7:11–22.)

opposed Moses: The word opposed means “to be against” or “to resist.”

3:8b

so also these men: Here these men refers to the false teachers that Paul mentioned in 3:6a.

oppose the truth: These men opposed the truth by teaching false doctrines, so that people would not hear or pay attention to the true message about Jesus Christ. Another way to express this idea is “these men hinder/prevent others from hearing the truth.”

the truth: The phrase the truth refers to the gospel.

General Comment on 3:8a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reverse the order of the comparison. Here is an example:

These teachers oppose the truth just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses.

3:8c

In 3:8c Paul was further describing the “men” in 3:8b. The Berean Standard Bible indicates this by beginning a new sentence.

They are depraved in mind: In 3:8c–d, Paul used two phrases to describe the men who opposed the gospel. This is the first description.

depraved: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as depraved also means “corrupt” or “ruined.” Paul used a form of this Greek word in 1 Timothy 6:5.

3:8d

and disqualified from the faith: This statement is the second description of those men who opposed the truth.

disqualified: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as disqualified means “not passing the test,” “failed,” “rejected,” “worthless,” or “unfit.” It is the opposite of the word “approved” in 2:15a. Good News Translation says: “who are failures in the faith.”

The word disqualified refers back to the word “men” in 3:8c, not the word “faith.” So this word means “disqualified men” or “worthless men.”

from the faith: This phrase in Greek literally means “concerning the faith.” These men may have been useful to their community in other ways, but they were worthless concerning the Christian faith.

the faith: In this context the faith refers to the teachings or doctrines of the Christian religion and the standards of right and wrong that are associated with it.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:8

Paragraph 2:8–13

Paul continued his letter by reminding Timothy to endure suffering. He reminded Timothy that Jesus suffered and that Paul himself was suffering.

2:8a

Remember: The form of the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Remember contains the meaning of doing something continually. So, in this context, it means, “to continue to think about.” God’s Word expresses this clearly:

Always think about Jesus Christ.

Paul was not implying that Timothy might forget Jesus or facts about him. He wanted to remind Timothy to think about Jesus Christ continually.

Jesus Christ: This is one of the few places in Paul’s letters to Timothy that the order of the names is Jesus Christ instead of Christ Jesus. It is recommended that you keep the same order as in the Greek and the Berean Standard Bible. See the discussion on the order in 1:1a.

2:8b

raised from the dead: This is a passive clause. In some languages, it may be necessary to say, “whom God raised from the dead” or “whom God caused to live again.”

2:8c

descended from David: One of Jesus’ ancestors was King David. It was especially important to the Jews that Jesus was a descendant of David, because they knew that the Messiah would be a “descendant (son) of David.”

General Comment on 2:8b–c

In some languages, it may be necessary to reverse the order of 2:8b and 2:8c so that they are in chronological order. This would read as:

^8cHe was descended from David and ^8bhe was raised from the dead.

2:8d

as proclaimed by my gospel: The phrase my gospel refers to the message that Paul preached about Jesus. By using the phrase my gospel Paul did not mean that the gospel belonged to him or that it originated from him. In some languages, it may be necessary to say “this is the message that I preached.”

General Comment on 2:8

The second theme of this letter is that Timothy should faithfully preach the true message about Jesus Christ and not allow other teachings to contradict it or to take its place. In the congregation in Ephesus, some who said they were believers were trying to teach a different message. (See 2:14–18.)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:7

4:7

In this verse, Paul uses three vivid clauses to summarize all the events of his life and ministry as an apostle. These phrases emphasize Paul’s perseverance.

The clauses are short and parallel in form. This makes them easy to remember and recite. If it is possible in your language, use a similar structure in each of these clauses.

4:7a

I have fought the good fight: Scholars have different opinions about the meaning of the Greek here.

(1) It means a fight. For example, the Berean Standard Bible says:

I have fought the good fight.

See New International Version (2011 Revision), Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004 Revision), Contemporary English Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, and New Century Version.

(2) It means a race. For example, Good News Translation says,

I have done my best in the race.

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2003

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:6

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:3

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:22

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:17

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 1:14

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 3:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 2:8

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Timothy 4:7

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