45so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.
Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 5:43-48:
From ancient times, it’s been said: “Love friends. Hate enemies!”
But I tell you to love your enemies
and pray for everyone who mistreats you.
That’s how to behave like children of your Father above,
who provides rain and sunshine for everyone, good or evil.
Do you love only those who love you?
Are you good only to your friends?
So what? Even the worst of people are good to their friends.
I tell you to always behave like children of your Father above!
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, o-rare-ru (おられる) or “is/be present” is used.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
To be sons (or, children) of God in the biblical sense is to reflect the character and likeness of God, for which the second half of the verse provides specific illustrations. For example, the Father in heaven provides sun and rain for all people, without discriminating between the bad and the good. In the same way, if Jesus’ followers are to prove that they are sons of God, they must show love to their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. Sons is meant to include both men and women.
So that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven is a fairly literal rendering of the Greek text. Anchor Bible is barely one step away from a literal rendering by beginning a new sentence with this verse: “In this way you will become sons of your heavenly Father….” The more precise meaning of the verb be in the context is “will show that you are.” This is the basis of New American Bible (“This will prove that you are sons of your heavenly Father”), An American Translation (“so that you may show yourselves true sons of your Father in heaven”), and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“So you will prove yourselves to be children of your Father in heaven”). Another way is to say “so that people will know (or, see) that you are children of God, your Father in heaven.”
Your Father who is in heaven is the same expression used in verse 16.
For further notes on the phrase “son of God” or “child of God,” see Matthew 5.9. Here translators may also say “that you are like children to God” or “that God considers you his children.” However, it may be best to show the real meaning of the phrase with a translation such as “so that you may show that you are like God, your Father in heaven.”
Evil … unjust are synonyms, as are good … just, as the illustration below will demonstrate. Such an arrangement is called a chiastic arrangement, after the name of the Greek letter chi, which is in the shape of an “X.” A similar structure is also used in 6.24 and 7.6. (See structure|fig:Table_MAT5-45.jpg.)
In translation it may be advisable to rearrange the order so that the parallelisms will show up more clearly; for example, “evil and unjust” in one line, with “good and just” in the other. Or, the entire structure may be translated “For he provides sunshine and rain for good people and bad people alike.”
The adjective just is first used in 1.19 (see comments there); unjust is its opposite, as evil is the opposite of good. Elsewhere in Matthew good is used in 7.11 (twice), 17, 18; 12.34, 35 (twice); 19.16, 17 (twice). The adjective evil was used in verses 11, 37, 39; elsewhere in the Sermon on the Mount it is used in 6.13, 23; 7.11, 17, 18.
The expression his sun may have to be expressed as “the sun he created.” The phrase makes his sun rise can be translated literally, or as “he provides the sun” or “he gives sunshine.”
The evil and the good are “evil (or, bad) people” and “good people,” and similarly, the just and the unjust are “people who do right” and “people who do evil,” or “people who obey God’s Law” and “people who disobey God’s Law.”
We suggested above that translators often restructure the passage so that their readers can follow the thoughts more easily. For example, it may be rendered “for he makes his sun rise and the rain fall on the evil people who do not obey God’s Law just as he does on the good people who are faithful to obey.” Another way is “As far as providing the blessings of sunshine and rain to people, he treats all alike, both the good people and the bad, both those who obey his laws and those who do not.”
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 .
that: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that introduces the purpose for loving enemies and praying for them (5:44a–b). We should pray for our enemies so that we will be like our Father.
Here are some other ways to translate this conjunction:
so that (English Standard Version)
-or-
in order that
-or-
In this way (God’s Word)
-or-
If you do this (New Century Version)
you may be sons of your Father in heaven: The words be sons indicate that believers who love their enemies and pray for them are acting like their Father in heaven. The word sons is general and refers to both men and women.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
you show that you are children of your Father in heaven (God’s Word)
-or-
you may be like your Father in heaven (NET Bible)
-or-
you will be acting like your Father in heaven (Contemporary English Version)
your Father in heaven: Here, Jesus spoke of God as your Father. Jesus further described God and distinguished him from our earthly father by saying in heaven.
In some languages, the phrase your Father would imply that God was only the father of those to whom Jesus was speaking, but not Jesus’ father. If that is so in your language, you may want to translate this phrase as:
our(incl.) heavenly father
-or-
⌊God⌋ our(incl.) father who lives in heaven
heaven: The word heaven also occurs in 5:34b.
5:45b
The Greek of 5:45b begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “for.” It introduces an explanation of 5:45a. When we pray for our enemies, we are sons of our Father (5:45a). ⌊We are acting like him⌋ in the sense that he also does good to both evil and good people (5:45b).
The Berean Standard Bible and some English versions do not translate the conjunction. The meaning is implied in these versions. If you have a word or phrase that introduces an explanation, consider using it here.
He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good: The phrases the evil and the good refer to “evil people” and “good people.” For example:
on good people and on evil people (New Century Version)
This clause indicates that God loves all people. An example of his love is that he causes the sun to rise and shine on both evil people and good people.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
He makes his sun rise on people whether they are good or evil (God’s Word)
-or-
He causes the sun to rise and shine on both good people and evil people
His sun: The phrase His sun is a literal translation of the Greek. In some languages, it may be more natural to say:
the sun he created
-or-
the sun (NET Bible)
5:45c
sends rain: This is the second example of God’s love. The words sends rain refer to God causing the rain to fall on both groups.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
the righteous: The phrase the righteous refers to people who do what is right and good in God’s sight.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
ones who do right (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
people who live as God requires
-or-
upright people
This phrase refers to the same group referred to by the phrase “the good” above. Your translation should allow for this phrase to refer to the same or similar group as the phrase “the good.” For example:
and ⌊he⌋ sends rain on ⌊these⌋ upright people
the unrighteous: The phrase the unrighteous refers to people who do not do what is right and good in God’s sight.
Here are some other ways to translate the unrighteous:
ones who do wrong (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
people who do not live as God requires
-or-
people who do not obey God
This phrase refers to the same group referred to by the phrase “the evil” above. Your translation should allow for this phrase to refer to the same or similar group as the phrase “the evil.” For example:
⌊these⌋ people who do wrong
-or-
the ones who do wrong (Contemporary English Version)
General Comment on 5:45b–c
The Berean Standard Bible follows the poetic form of the Greek text with the order of the phrases:
45bthe evil and the good…
45cthe righteous and the unrighteous…
Repeating two similar phrases in opposite order is a poetic form in the Greek. But some versions repeat the two similar phrases in the same order. For example:
both good and bad people… (Contemporary English Version)
the ones who do right and…the ones who do wrong
Use an order that is most natural in your language.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.