Translation commentary on Matthew 16:22

And indicates that the narrative is continuing. “Then” will be good in some languages, or it may be more natural to drop the transition (so Good News Translation).

Took (so also Moffatt) may have the more specific meaning “took … aside” (Good News Translation, New American Bible, New International Version) or “led him away from the others.” New English Bible translates “took him by the arm,” and Barclay “caught hold of him.”

Rebuke (so also New English Bible, New International Version) is difficult to render in English at a common language level. Both An American Translation and Moffatt translate “reprove,” while Phillips, Jerusalem Bible, and New American Bible have “remonstrate with.” Barclay attempts to go in the direction of a more dynamic equivalent: “sternly forbade him to talk like that.” Other possibilities are “scold him for talking like that” and “tell him he shouldn’t talk like that.” Elsewhere in the Gospel the verb is used six times: 8.26; 12.16; 16.20; 17.18; 19.13; 20.31.

God forbid (so also Moffatt, Barclay) is supplied with an object in Good News Translation: “God forbid it.” More literally the expression is “Mercy to you,” but in such a context the “mercy” would be interpreted as originating from God. New English Bible translates “Heaven forbid!” and New Jerusalem Bible “Heaven preserve you.” Both An American Translation and Phillips have “God bless you,” while New International Version renders by the one word “Never.” Similar expressions are “May God never permit that this happen” and “May God stop this from happening.” New American Bible joins this with the next sentence, This shall never happen to you, and translates “May you be spared, Master! God forbid that any such thing ever happen to you!”

This shall never happen to you is best interpreted as a negative expression equivalent to God forbid of the previous sentence. It is possible to unite the two sentences into one, especially in languages where repetition tends to diminish the effect: “May God never let this happen to you.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 16:22



16:22a

Peter took Him aside: These words mean that Peter took/led Jesus a short distance away from the other disciples. He did this to speak to Jesus in private.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

took him on one side (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
led/pulled him to the side

began to: In this context, the words began to mean “started but did not finish.” It probably implies that Peter wanted to say more, but Jesus interrupted him.

Here is another way to translate this:

started to (New Jerusalem Bible)

rebuke Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as rebuke also means “scold.” Peter scolded Jesus because of what Jesus had said. It shows how strongly Peter felt.

The Jews of that time expected that the Messiah would be a victorious military leader. Peter probably did not think that the Messiah would die before he accomplished that victory. So he told Jesus not to say these things about himself.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

scolded him
-or-
told him to stop talking like that (Contemporary English Version)

16:22b

Far be it from You, Lord!: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Far be it from You is more literally “Mercy to you.” This implies, “May God be merciful and spare you from this.” Another way to say it is, “May God never allow this to happen to you.” It is an expression of shock and denial.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

God save you from those things, Lord! (New Century Version)
-or-
Lord, may God forbid it!

This shall never happen to You!: This clause means almost the same thing as “Far be it from You.” Saying the same thing in two ways makes Peter’s words stronger.

Peter was shocked and sad to think that Jesus might suffer and die. The Greek uses two negative words to make this clause very strongly negative.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

In no way will that happen to you!

-or-

Those things will never happen to you! (New Century Version)

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