Translation commentary on Matthew 9:11

Most modern translations do not slavishly follow the form of the Semitic Greek and do not retain the And at the beginning of this structure.

For Pharisees, see comments on 3.7. Note that the text says the Pharisees, as if they had already been mentioned or were assumed to be present wherever Jesus went. Since they have not been mentioned, “Some Pharisees” as in Good News Translation may be better.

For stylistic reasons, with tax collectors and sinners is translated “with such people” by Good News Translation.

The question of the Pharisees is a rhetorical one. They are not so much asking for information as they are criticizing what Jesus is doing. The teachers of the Jewish religion had many regulations regarding eating. Anyone who willingly sat with outcasts indicated his acceptance of them and in a sense identified himself with them. To convey the tone of criticism, some translators have said “Your teacher eats with tax collectors and other sinners. Is that proper?”

Many languages must have an object with eat, possibly “eat food” or “eat a meal.”

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 9:11

9:11a

the Pharisees: The word Pharisees refers to men who were members of a particular Jewish religious group. The Pharisees believed that it was necessary to strictly obey all the laws of the Old Testament. It was also very important to them to carefully obey many other religious laws that they added. They also said that other people must obey these laws.

The Pharisees and the Sadducees were the two most influential religious groups of the time. There were many more Pharisees than Sadducees.

Here are some other ways to translate Pharisees:

• Transliterate the word Pharisees according to the sounds of your language and indicate that it refers to a group of people. For example:

Farisi members
-or-
Parise adherents

• Transliterate the word Pharisees and indicate that it refers to a group of people with certain beliefs. For example:

people belonging to the Farise religious sect/group
-or-
members of the Jewish group called the Farasi

This word Pharisees also occurs in 3:7a and 5:20a.

Also, not all the Pharisees were there. In some languages, it is more natural to follow the Good News Translation which says:

Some Pharisees (Good News Translation)

saw this: The word this refers to Jesus and his disciples eating with tax collectors and sinners. In some languages, it may be more natural to use the word “that” or to describe what they saw. For example:

saw that/it
-or-
saw them all eating together
-or-
observed what was happening

9:11b

Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a rebuke. The Pharisees rebuked and criticized Jesus for associating with sinners. Eating with them showed that he accepted them. The Pharisees also believed that a religious person would become unclean/impure if he ate with a sinner. They wanted everyone to realize that it was wrong for Jesus to eat with these types of people, and they did not approve of it.

Here are some other ways to translate this rebuke:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

How is it that your teacher eats with tax collectors and ⌊other⌋ sinful people?
-or-
Why does your teacher eat with such wicked people?

• As a statement. For example:

It is wrong for your teacher to eat with tax collectors and ⌊other⌋ sinners!
-or-
Jesus should not be eating with such sinful people.

Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.

tax collectors and sinners: Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

• Translate it the same way as you did in 9:10b.

• Shorten it. For example:

with such people (Good News Translation)

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