MAT 17:21 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

17:21

(NASB) [But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”]

But the only way to force out that kind of demon is by praying and going without eating. (CEV footnote)
That kind of spirit comes out only if you use prayer and give up eating. (NCV footnote)

There is a textual issue here. The best Greek manuscripts do not have the words in 17:21. Most English versions do not include these words in the text. They include this verse only as a footnote. This verse was probably added later to make this story in the book of Matthew be like the story in the book of Mark.

It is good to include this verse only as a footnote, as many English versions do. Here is an example footnote:

Only some of the later Greek manuscripts include 17:21, which says: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

(See below for help in translating this verse.)

If the major language version in your area includes this verse in the text, you may want to include it in brackets. For example:

[But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”] (NASB)

If you put 17:21 in a footnote, here are several ways to number the verses:

At the beginning of 17:20, put the verse numbers 20–21. Put the footnote marker at the end. For example:
^20–21Jesus replied: (CEV)
It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you. ‡
Put in the number 21 after the last word of 17:20, and have the footnote marker after it. For example:
²⁰Jesus answered, “Because your faith is too small. I tell you the truth, if your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. All things will be possible for you.” ²¹‡ (NCV)
Do not include verse number 21. Put the footnote marker after verse 20. For example:
²⁰He told them, “Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ‡ (GW)

(NASB) But this kind: The phrase this kind refers to “this kind of demon.” For example, the GW footnote says:

However, this kind of demon (GW)

(NASB) does not go out: These words refer to “casting out” the demon. For example, the CEV footnote says:

to force out (CEV)

(NASB) except by prayer and fasting: These words means that “only prayer and fasting” will force that type of demon out of a person. For example, the NCV footnote says:

only if you use prayer and give up eating (NCV)

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-textvariants

Τοῦτο δὲ τὸ γένος οὐκ ἐκπορεύεται εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ

(Touto de to genos ouk ekporeuetai ei maʸ en proseuⱪaʸ kai naʸsteia)

See the discussion of textual issues at the end of the introduction to this chapter to decide whether to include this verse in your translation. The notes below discuss translation issues in this verse, for those who decide to include it.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

Τοῦτο & τὸ γένος

(Touto & to genos)

Here Jesus implies that he is speaking about a kind of demon. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [this kind of demon]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

οὐκ ἐκπορεύεται εἰ μὴ ἐν προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ

(ouk ekporeuetai ei maʸ en proseuⱪaʸ kai naʸsteia)

If, in your language, it would appear that Jesus was making a statement here and then contradicting it, you could reword this to avoid using an exception clause. Alternate translation: [only goes out by prayer and fasting]

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)

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.

OET interlinear MAT 17:21

SR Greek word order (including unused variant words in grey)

17:21

OET-LV English word order (‘Reverse’ interlinear)