MAT 18:11 Interlinear View

18:11 Some Greek manuscripts add in the text of Luke 19:10 here: because the son of humanity came to look for those who are lost, and save them.

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 18:10–14: Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep

In this section, Jesus told a type of parable. In this parable, a shepherd rejoices more over finding one sheep that wandered away than over a large flock of sheep that did not wander. This parable shows that every believer is important to God. This section also shows that one believer should not look down on another one.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Jesus used a lost sheep as an illustration

The parable about a lost sheep

There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 15:3–7.

18:11

[[For the Son of Man came to save the lost.]] (ESV footnote)

[[For the Son of Man came to save those people who are lost.]]
[[I say this because I, the Son of Man, came into the world to rescue those people who live like they are lost.]]

There is a textual issue here. Verse 18:11 is not present in some of the earliest and best Greek manuscripts of Matthew. It was probably added in some of the later Greek manuscripts based on Luke 19:10. Many English translations are like the BSB, ESV, and NIV and do not include this verse as part of the text. They have it only as a footnote.

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 18:11. It says: For the Son of Man came to save the lost.

(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:

[For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] (NASB)

If you put 18:11 in a footnote, here are several ways to number the verses:

At the beginning of 18:10, put the verse numbers 10–11. Put the footnote marker at the end. For example:
^10–11Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven. ‡ (CEV)
Put in the number 11 after the last word of 18:10, and have the footnote marker after it. For example:
¹⁰Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven. ¹¹‡ (NCV)
Do not include verse number 11 in the text. Put it in the footnote. Put the footnote marker after verse 10. For example:
¹⁰Be careful not to despise these little ones. I can guarantee that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven. ‡ (GW)

the Son of Man: Jesus used this phrase to refer to himself. In some languages, this phrase by itself would refer to someone other than Jesus. If that is true in your language, consider translating it as:

I, the Son of Man

This phrase last occurred in 17:22b.

save: In this context, the word save refers to rescuing people from sin and eternal punishment so that they are reconciled to God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

rescue

deliver

In some languages it may be necessary to say what a person is saved from or for. For example:

rescue from sin

help so they can have life with God

the lost: The Greek phrase that the ESV translates as the lost is used in a figurative way here. It refers to people who have sinned against God and are not able to reconcile with him unless they receive help.

In some languages a literal translation may not communicate the right meaning. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this:

Use a simile to indicate that the word lost is used in a figurative way. For example:
people who live/act as if they are lost
Use a simile and make the meaning explicit. For example:
those who are like people who are lost because they do not know the way to God
Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
people who need help to reconcile with God

In some languages there are similar figures of speech that could be used here. For example:

people who are far from God

those who have strayed away from the true path

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-textvariants

Ἦλθεν γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός

(Aʸlthen gar ho huios tou anthrōpou sōsai to apolōlos)

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: grammar-connect-words-phrases

γὰρ

(gar)

Here, the word For introduces another reason why the disciples should not despise little ones (see [18:10](../18/10.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces a reason or basis for a claim, or you could leave For untranslated. Alternate translation: [Indeed,] or [Even further,]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου

(ho huios tou anthrōpou)

Here Jesus speaks about himself in the third person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use the first person. Alternate translation: [I, who am the Son of Man,]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

Ἦλθεν

(Aʸlthen)

Here, the word came refers to Jesus entering this world as a human to do what God called him to do. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [came to this world] or [began to live here]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸ ἀπολωλός

(to apolōlos)

Here Jesus speaks of some people as if they are lost. He means that they are not following God and need help. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [the one that has been far from God] or [the one that is not following God]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun

τὸ ἀπολωλός

(to apolōlos)

The phrase the one that had been lost represents lost people in general, not one particular lost person. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [anyone that has been lost]

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

18:11 Some Greek manuscripts add in the text of Luke 19:10 here: because the son of humanity came to look for those who are lost, and save them.

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 18:11

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

Section 18:10–14: Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep

18:11

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