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OET (OET-LV) But in_order_that we_may_ not _offend them, having_been_gone to sea, throw a_fish_hook and take_up the first fish having_gone_up, and having_opened_up the mouth of_it, you_will_be_finding a_stater, having_taken that, give to_them for me and you.
OET (OET-RV) “but so that we don’t offend them, go down to the lake and throw in a line. Pull out the first fish that you hook, and when you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin that’ll be enough to pay the tax for both of us.”
In this section, Jesus taught Peter an important lesson about his relationship to his heavenly father. He used a question about paying the temple tax to show Peter that both he and Jesus were sons of the Father. That meant that they really did not need to pay this tax. But Jesus did not want to offend people over this issue. So he did a miracle to provide the money to pay the tax.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus Talks About Paying Taxes (NCV)
Payment of the Temple Tax (NLT)
The Temple Tax (NET)
“But so that we may not offend them,
But in order that we(incl) not make them upset with us,
But we(incl) do not want to make them angry at us for/by not paying the tax. So
But if we(incl) do not pay, the tax collectors will be irritated with us. We do not want that to happen, so
But: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between what Jesus implied (that he and Peter should not be required to pay the tax), and what he commanded Peter to do (pay the tax for both of them). The BSB indicates this contrast with the conjunction But.
Here is another way to indicate this contrast:
However (ESV)
If people in your area do not understand this contrast, you may want to:
Make the contrast explicit in the text. For example:
So then we are also exempt. However
Likewise we are not required to pay. But This implied information can be put at the end of 17:26 (as in the Display), or at the beginning of 17:27.
Explain the contrast in a footnote. Here is a sample footnote:
Jesus implied that God did not require Jesus and his followers to pay this tax for the temple.
so that we may not offend them: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as offend them also means “shock” or “anger.” It refers to someone doing something that causes others to be upset with him. If Jesus had refused to pay the temple tax, the tax collectors would have been angry or upset with him.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
so that we don’t offend them (NET)
we don’t want to upset these tax collectors (NCV)
we don’t want them to be angry/irritated at us by not paying the tax
If we do not pay the tax, these men will be upset with us. We don’t want to do that.
them: The pronoun them refers to the tax collectors.
Here are some other ways to translate this pronoun:
these people (GNT)
these tax collectors (NCV)
go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch.
go to the lake and throw out your fishing line. Take the first fish you catch,
go to the lake and go fishing. After the first fish bites, take it,
go to the sea: The Greek word that the BSB translates as sea refers to a large freshwater lake. It was Lake Galilee which was also called the Sea of Galilee. This lake is 23 kilometers long and 10 kilometers wide (14 miles long and 6 miles wide).
Here is another way to translate this clause:
go to the lake (NIV)
The word sea last occurred in 15:29b. You should translate it here as you did there.
cast a hook: The Greek words that the BSB translates as cast a hook are more literally “throw a fishhook.” Jesus told Peter to catch a fish using a hook that a small rope or string was tied to. You should use your natural expression for catching a fish in this way.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
throw out your fishing line
fish with a line/hook
If your culture does not fish in this way, use a general expression for catching a fish. For example:
catch a fish
go fishing
take the first fish you catch: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as fish you catch probably refers to a fish swimming up from deep water to bite the hook. You should translate the idea of catching a fish in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
Take the first fish that comes up (ESV)
Take the first fish that bites (JBP)
When you open its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin.
open its mouth and you will find/see a large coin.
and open its mouth. There you will find a coin that is worth the temple tax for two people.
you will find a four-drachma coin: The Greek word that the BSB translates as four-drachma coin is the name of a Greek coin called a stater. This coin was worth enough to pay the temple tax for two people.
Here is another way to translate this word:
a coin (GW)
a large silver coin (NLT)
a coin worth enough for my Temple tax and yours (GNT)
Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.”
Take that coin and give it to the tax collectors to pay for my tax and for yours.”
Go and give that coin to the men who collect the tax. It will pay for you and me.”
Take it and give it to them: The pronoun it refers to the coin. The pronoun them refers to the tax collectors.
Here is another way to translate this clause:
Take that coin and give it to the tax collectors (NCV)
for My tax and yours: The coin was worth enough to pay the temple tax for Jesus and Peter.
The BSB follows the Greek order and says My tax and yours. In some languages, it is more natural to say “you and me.” (See the CEV below.) You should follow the order that is most natural in your language.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
to pay your taxes and mine (CEV)
and pay the tax for both of us (NLT)
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
Here the word But introduces what Jesus wants Peter to do in contrast to what he has said about how “the sons are free” (see [17:26](../17/26.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces this kind of contrast. Alternate translation: [Despite that,] or [Even though that is true,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
μὴ σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
Here Jesus speaks as if he and Peter were lumps or rocks that the tax collectors might stumble on. He means that the tax collectors might be offended by him and Peter if they did not pay the tax. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [we might not offend them]
Note 3 topic: writing-pronouns
αὐτούς & αὐτοῖς
them & ˱to˲_them
The pronoun them in both places refers to the people who were collecting taxes. If this is not clear for your readers, you could refer to these people more directly. Alternate translation: [the ones collecting the tax … to the ones collecting the tax] or [the tax collectors … to the tax collectors]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / go
πορευθεὶς
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
In a context such as this, your language might say “come” instead of gone. Alternate translation: [having come]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / yousingular
βάλε & ἆρον & εὑρήσεις & δὸς & σοῦ
cast & take_up & ˱you˲_˓will_be˒_finding & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
Because Jesus is speaking to Peter, the commands and the word you throughout this verse are singular.
Note 6 topic: translate-unknown
βάλε ἄγκιστρον
cast ˓a˒_fish_hook
A fishhook is a small, sharp, curved object that fishermen would tie to the end of a rope or line in order to hook and catch fish. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of fishing implement, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could refer more generally to fishing. Alternate translation: [cast your line] or [go fishing]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὸν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθὺν ἆρον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
Here Jesus means that Peter should take the first fish that he catches with his fishhook. The fish would need to come up from further down in the water to be caught on the hook. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [take the first fish that you catch]
Note 8 topic: translate-bmoney
στατῆρα
˓a˒_stater
A shekel was a silver coin equivalent to about four drachmas (see [17:24](../17/24.md)), that is, about four days’ wages. You could try to express this amount in terms of current monetary values, but that might cause your Bible translation to become outdated and inaccurate since those values can change over time. So instead, you might state something more general or give the equivalent in wages. Alternate translation: [a four-drachma coin] or [a coin worth four days’ wages]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἀντὶ ἐμοῦ καὶ σοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἵνα Δέ μή σκανδαλίσωμεν αὐτούς πορευθείς εἰς θάλασσαν βάλε ἄγκιστρον καί τόν ἀναβάντα πρῶτον ἰχθύν ἆρον καί ἀνοίξας τό στόμα αὐτοῦ εὑρήσεις στατῆρα ἐκεῖνον λαβών δός αὐτοῖς ἀντί ἐμοῦ καί σοῦ)
Here Jesus means that this coin will pay for both his and Peter’s two-drachma tax. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [as payment for my tax and your tax]
OET (OET-LV) But in_order_that we_may_ not _offend them, having_been_gone to sea, throw a_fish_hook and take_up the first fish having_gone_up, and having_opened_up the mouth of_it, you_will_be_finding a_stater, having_taken that, give to_them for me and you.
OET (OET-RV) “but so that we don’t offend them, go down to the lake and throw in a line. Pull out the first fish that you hook, and when you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin that’ll be enough to pay the tax for both of us.”
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.