6:23a

And he swore to her: There is a textual issue in this verse. In some Greek manuscripts, this clause includes a Greek word that can mean “many times” or “solemnly.” This Greek word can intensify the oath or mean that the king used many oaths:

(1) Most Greek manuscripts do not have this Greek word, and most English versions do not translate this word.

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Contemporary English Version, New Jerusalem Bible, New Living Translation, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, God’s Word, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, Revised English Bible, NET Bible)

(2) Other Greek manuscripts have this Greek word. This is followed by only a few English versions. For example, the Good News Bible says:

With many vows he said to her…

(New Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible)

You should follow option (1), since it has the support of the majority of manuscripts, including some of the oldest and most reliable manuscripts. (Metzger (page 77), UBS4 (page 141), and Swanson (page 89).) Also, most English versions follow this option.

he swore to her: Herod emphasized what he said in 6:22c–d by making an oath/vow to Herodias. The oath that Herod used was not written down. Use a general phrase for making an oath or a vow.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

he promised with a solemn oath
-or-
he promised with/by a vow/pledge
-or-
He swore an oath to her (God’s Word)

In some languages it may be natural to translate the oath as direct speech. For example:

“I swear this to you,” he promised

6:23b

Whatever you ask of me, I will give you: Herod repeated what he said in 6:22c–d.

6:23c

up to half my kingdom: Here Herod added to what he said the first time in 6:22c–d. He made his promise sound much more generous by using the words up to half my kingdom. These words were probably a well-known saying to show generosity.

up to: The Greek word translated by the Berean Standard Bible as up to means “as much as” or “to the amount/extent of.”

half my kingdom: Herod did not really have the authority to give any of his kingdom to another person. However, he still said this, whether he meant it or not. If it is difficult to translate the expression half my kingdom in your language, you could say:

half of my land/country
-or-
half of all that I rule over

General Comment on 6:23a–c

In some languages it may be natural to translate what Herod promised using indirect speech. For example:

And he promised her with an oath to give her whatever she asked him, up to half his kingdom.
-or-
And he swore that he would give her whatever she asked him, up to half his kingdom.

© 2008 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.

6:55a–b

The events described in this verse occurred over a period of time and involved different groups of people. The people who recognized Jesus (6:54b) hurried to tell others in nearby towns that Jesus had arrived. Those people then told others that Jesus had arrived, until the news spread throughout the whole region. In each place that people heard the news, the people there carried the sick from their village to wherever Jesus was.

6:55a

ran through that whole region: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ran through that means “ran about” or “hurried around.” The people probably did not literally run the entire way. Rather, they hurried or went quickly to the nearby towns and told the people that Jesus had come. From there the news spread to all the towns and villages in that area.

The New Jerusalem Bible has another way to translate this clause:

they started hurrying all through the countryside

6:55b

carrying the sick on mats: People put the sick people on mats in order to carry them to wherever Jesus was.

mats: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mats refers to a stretcher or pallet that was strong enough to use for carrying a person. It would probably be sturdier than the type of woven mat that is used in many places in the world.

This word also occurs in 2:4c.

to wherever they heard He was: Jesus was traveling from place to place and teaching people about the kingdom of God. Whenever people heard that Jesus was in a certain place, they carried their sick people to him.

they heard: The word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as they heard is literally “they were hearing.” It indicates that people kept hearing new reports of where Jesus had gone.

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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.

7:32a–c

In this verse some people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and had a speech defect. The Greek text does not specify the cause of these disabilities, but they were probably caused by disease or injury. (Lane, page 266.) Your translation should not imply that the man was demon-possessed.

7:32a

In Greek this verse begins with the common connector that is often translated as “and.” It introduces what happened after Jesus and his disciples arrived near the Sea of Galilee. Use a natural way in your language to connect 7:31 and 7:32. For example:

There (New International Version)
-or-
While he was there (New Century Version)

Some people brought: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Some people brought is literally “they brought.” In 7:33, these people are referred to as “a crowd.” In some languages it may be more natural to use the same term here. Use a term that is natural in your language to introduce this group of people.

to Him: The pronoun Him refers to Jesus.

a man who was deaf: The word deaf means “unable to hear.”

7:32b

and hardly able to speak: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as hardly able to speak literally means “to speak with difficulty.” It indicates here that the man was unable to speak clearly. He was probably not completely mute, but other people could not understand his speech easily. (There are two interpretations: (1) He had a speech impediment; (2) He could not speak intelligibly. Many commentaries support each view, but all the English versions on TW support (1).)

Here are some other ways to translate this:

could not talk plainly (New Century Version)
-or-
had difficulty speaking (NET Bible)
-or-
had a speech defect (God’s Word)

General Comment on 7:32a–b

The deaf man is in focus in this story. Because of this, it may be more natural to introduce him before you introduce the people who brought him. For example:

A certain man was there. He was deaf and could hardly speak. Some people brought him to Jesus.
-or-
A man who was deaf and could hardly talk was brought by some people to Jesus.

7:32c

they: The pronoun they refers to the same people who brought the man to Jesus.

begged: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as begged indicates that the people made an earnest request.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

earnestly asked
-or-
pleaded

Refer to how you translated this same word in 5:10. (The same verb parakale? is also used in 5:17–18 and 5:23a, but in the latter verse an intensifying word is added.)

Jesus: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus is literally “him,” as in the Revised Standard Version. The Berean Standard Bible uses the word Jesus so that it is clear that the people are speaking with Jesus, not with the deaf man. Refer to Jesus in a way that is natural in your language.

to place His hand on him: The people asked Jesus to place His hand on him in order to heal the man. If the purpose of their request is not clear in your language, it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example, the New Living Translation says:

to lay his hands on the man to heal him

place His hand: The text does not say where Jesus should place His hand. In some languages it may be more natural to use a general expression. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

to touch him

© 2008 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.

8:28

In this verse the disciples indicated that the people thought that Jesus was a prophet. All of the people whom they mentioned were prophets who had already died.

8:28a

Some say John the Baptist: In this part of the verse the disciples answered Jesus’ question in a natural way. They left some information implied because the meaning was clear from his question. In some languages it may be natural to make some or all of the information explicit. For example:

Some of the people say that you are John the Baptist

John the Baptist: This man, John, was called the Baptist because he baptized people. See how you translated John the Baptist in 6:14d and 6:25b.

8:28b

others say Elijah: In this part of the verse the disciples again left some information in their answer implied. In some languages it may be natural to make this information explicit. For example:

Other people say that you are Elijah

Elijah: Elijah was a prophet who lived more than five hundred years before Jesus. If people in your area do not know about Elijah, you may want to:

• Include some implied information in the text. For example:

Elijah the prophet

• Include a footnote to give information about him. Here is an example of a footnote:

Elijah was a prophet who lived more than five hundred years before Jesus. Jews thought that Elijah would return before the Messiah. They based this belief on Malachi 4:5–6.

8:28c

and still others, one of the prophets: The word still here indicates that the disciples were mentioning a third group of people who had another opinion. In this part of the verse the disciples again left some of the information in their reply implied. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit, as in the previous two verse parts. For example:

and some other people say that you are one of the prophets

one of the prophets: In this context the prophets refers to men whom God sent in Old Testament times to speak his messages to people. Many of them did miracles that showed that God was with them. The Jews knew many stories of these men and what they had done by God’s power. Some of the Jews thought that Jesus was one of these prophets. Since Elijah was also a prophet, it may be natural to translate this as:

one of the other prophets

prophets: The word prophets refers to men who speak on behalf of God. A prophet tells people what God has revealed to him, and he also gives them messages from God.

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 translate other words which are similar in meaning such as “angel,” “apostle,” and “preacher.”

While prophets did foretell the future, this was not their only function. Avoid using a word that focuses on telling the future.

See how you translated this word in 1:2a and 6:4. See also prophet in the Glossary for more information.

© 2008 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.

9:35a

Sitting down: The words Sitting down indicate that Jesus was getting ready to teach. It does not mean that Jesus was tired or wanted to rest. In some languages, it may be necessary to make this explicit. For example:

Sitting down to teach
-or-
So Jesus sat down to teach

Jesus called the Twelve: The word called indicates that Jesus summoned the disciples to come and listen.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

told the twelve disciples to gather around him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
summoned the twelve disciples
-or-
called the Twelve to him (New Jerusalem Bible)

the Twelve: The phrase the Twelve refers to Jesus’ twelve disciples. The Good News Bible says:

the twelve disciples

See how you translated this phrase in 4:10a.

9:35b–d

If anyone wants to be first, he must be the last of all and the servant of all: The words first and last refer to ranking or status. They refer to the most and least important person. These words do not refer to time (like the first one to come) or location (like the first one in a line).

Here are some other ways to translate this:

Whoever wants to be first must place himself last of all and be the servant of all. (Good News Bible)
-or-
Whoever wants to be the most important person must take the last place and be a servant to everyone else. (God’s Word)
-or-
If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others! (Contemporary English Version)

anyone: The word anyone implies anyone among you. A follower of Christ who wants to become the leader of other believers must take the position of the least important servant. He must serve his companions.

the servant of all: The expression the servant of all refers to serving or helping other people. It does not refer to taking a job as a servant.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

serve all others
-or-
be like a servant of everyone else

© 2008 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.

10:18a

Why do you call Me good?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a mild rebuke. It probably indicates that Jesus wanted the man to think about what it meant to say that Jesus was good. He wanted the man to think about who Jesus was.

There are at least two ways to translate this rebuke:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

What do you mean when you say that I am good?
-or-
What is your reason for saying that I am good?

• As a statement. For example:

You should consider what you mean when you say that I am good.

Use whichever form is most natural to express this rebuke in your language.

Jesus replied: The Berean Standard Bible places the words Jesus replied in the middle of Jesus’ response. In Greek, Jesus replied comes before the rhetorical question. Put the words Jesus replied in a place that is natural in your language.

10:18b

No one is good except God alone: The expression No one is good except God alone means “God is the only one who is truly good.” Jesus was not saying here that he himself was sinful. He was encouraging the rich man to think about what he meant when he called Jesus “good.”

Here are some other ways to translate this expression:

Absolutely no one is good but God only.
-or-
Only God is truly good. (New Living Translation)

General Comment on 10:18a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of 10:18a and 10:18b. For example:

Jesus answered, 18b“No one is good except God alone. 18aSo why do you call me good?”

© 2008 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.

10:50a

Throwing off his cloak: The blind man’s actions in this verse imply that he hurried. He took off his cloak and dropped it without being careful about where it fell. He did this in order to move more quickly to Jesus.

cloak: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as cloak refers to a long, loose outer garment like a coat or robe. Your translation of this word should refer to a garment that a person could remove in public without being inappropriate. For example:

coat (New Century Version)
-or-
robe

In some languages it may be necessary to use a descriptive phrase. For example:

his long over-shirt
-or-
his outer clothing

See how you translated this word in 5:27b.

10:50b

Bartimaeus jumped up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as jumped up means to stand up very quickly. The text implies that Bartimaeus was seated when he jumped to his feet. In some languages it is not natural to use a verb like “jump” when a person is seated.

Here are some other ways to express the meaning:

quickly stood
-or-
got up as fast as he could

and came to Jesus: Because Jesus is the main person in the story, you may be able to use the verb came to Jesus as in the Greek and the Berean Standard Bible. If not, use the verb “went” or whatever is natural in your language in such a context.

© 2008 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.