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OET (OET-LV) But you_all_came_out to_see what?
A_man having_been_dressed in fine clothes?
Behold, the ones wearing the fine clothes in the houses of_the kings
OET (OET-RV) Yes, what did you all go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? People in palaces wear fine clothes.
Long before Jesus was born, God spoke of a messenger who would prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 3:1). John the Baptist was that messenger. When John’s ministry was ending, he began to doubt that Jesus was the Messiah. So John sent some of his disciples to verify that Jesus was the Messiah (11:3). Jesus indicated that his miracles and preaching were proof that he was the expected Messiah whom God spoke of (11:4–5).
Jesus then showed that John was very important in God’s eyes (11:7–14).
Jesus and John did God’s work in very different ways, but most people refused to listen to either person (11:16–19).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The question of John the Baptist
Jesus talked about John the Baptizer
Messengers from John the Baptist (NRSV)
Jesus and John the Baptizer’s actions prove who they are
There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 7:18–35.
Otherwise, what did you go out to see?
If not, then, what kind of person did you go out to see?
So when you went into the wilderness, did you go to see
When you went into the desert, you certainly did not go to see
Otherwise: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as Otherwise is more literally “But what” (as in the KJV and NASB). This phrase indicates a contrast. The contrast is between going out to see a man wavering like a reed (11:7c–d) and the type of person whom the people really went out to the desert to see.
By using a contrastive phrase in Greek here, Jesus made it clear that he answered “no” to the rhetorical question in 11:7c. The people certainly did not go out to see that kind of man. Then Jesus asked a similar question here.
To help the transition from “no” to the question which follows, you may want to add “so” or “then.” Here is another way to translate this:
No? Then what did you go out to see? (REB)
what did you go out to see?: This rhetorical question is almost identical to the rhetorical question in 11:7c, but it does not contain the phrase “into the wilderness.” This rhetorical question together with the rhetorical question in 11:8b emphasize who John was not.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphatic statement:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
What kind of man did you go out to see? (CEV)
When you went out to see John, what kind of man did you expect to see?
As the introductory clause in a rhetorical question or statement. For example:
When you went out, did you go to see…
When you went out, you certainly did not go to see…
Use a natural way in your language to translate this type of expression.
A man dressed in fine clothes?
Did you(plur) go to see a man who wears expensive clothes?
a man who wears beautiful clothes? No!
a man dressed in clothes that rich people wear.
A man dressed in fine clothes?: Some words from the previous sentence are implied but not repeated here. It may be more natural in your language to include some or all the implied words. For example:
Did you go to see a man dressed in soft clothes?
This is also a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that they did not go out to see a man dressed in fine clothes.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Was he a man dressed in soft clothes?
Did you go to see a man dressed in soft clothes? No!
As a statement. For example:
You certainly did not go out to see a man dressed in soft clothes.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
dressed in fine clothes: This phrase refers to the soft, expensive clothes that rich people wore. John’s clothes were made of camel hair and were rough. Jesus contrasted the soft and luxurious lifestyle of kings and their officials with John’s rough and difficult life in the desert.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
dressed in expensive clothes (NLT)
wearing clothes that rich people wear
Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.
No, people who wear expensive clothes are in the houses of kings.
People who dress like that live in kings’ palaces.
Look: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Look emphasizes the words that follow. Some languages emphasize a sentence with a word or phrase at the beginning. Other languages do it with a word or phrase at the end. For example:
Of course not! Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses, aren’t they?
Emphasize the following words in a way that is natural in your language.
those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces: This clause refers to the king and his family. They are people who are rich and wear expensive, fine clothes.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Those who wear fine clothes are in royal palaces. (GW)
People who dress like that live in the king’s palace. (CEV)
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
ἀλλὰ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλά τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν Ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον Ἰδού οἱ τά μαλακά φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων)
The word But introduces a contrast with the possibility that Jesus asked about in the previous verse. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast, or you could leave But untranslated. Alternate translation: [If not that,] or [So,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
ἀλλὰ τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν? ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλά τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν Ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον Ἰδού οἱ τά μαλακά φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων)
Jesus is using the question form to teach the crowds about John. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate these questions as statements or exclamations. Alternate translation: [Surely you did not go out to see a man dressed in soft clothing!] or [I know what you went out to see. It was not a man dressed in soft clothing.]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλά τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν Ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον Ἰδού οἱ τά μαλακά φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων)
Luke assumes that readers will know that John wore crude, rugged clothing. Like his residence in the desert, his clothing was a symbolic protest against the established order. As such, it would have been offensive rather than attractive. So no one would have gone out just to see a person dressed that way. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [A man wearing splendid clothing? You would not have gone to hear John if that was what you wanted to see.]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἐν & ἠμφιεσμένον
in & ˓having_been˒_dressed
If your language does not use this passive form, you could express the idea in active form or in another way that is natural in your language. Alternate translation: [who had put on]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
μαλακοῖς & τὰ μαλακὰ
fine_‹clothes› & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλά τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν Ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον Ἰδού οἱ τά μαλακά φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων)
The term soft clothing refers to luxurious or expensive clothes, since normal clothing was rough. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [splendid clothing … splendid clothing] or [expensive clothing … expensive clothing]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἰδοὺ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἀλλά τί ἐξήλθατε ἰδεῖν Ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἠμφιεσμένον Ἰδού οἱ τά μαλακά φοροῦντες ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων)
The word behold draws the attention of the audience and asks them to listen carefully. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express behold with a word or phrase that asks the audience to listen, or you could draw the audience’s attention in another way. Alternate translation: [Listen] or [As you know]
OET (OET-LV) But you_all_came_out to_see what?
A_man having_been_dressed in fine clothes?
Behold, the ones wearing the fine clothes in the houses of_the kings
OET (OET-RV) Yes, what did you all go out to see? A man wearing fine clothes? People in palaces wear fine clothes.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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