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OET (OET-LV) And the apprentices/followers having_heard, were_being_ exceedingly _astonished saying:
Who consequently is_able to_be_saved?
OET (OET-RV) When his apprentices heard that, they were very surprised and asked, “Well, who can be saved then?”
In this section, a young man asked Jesus what he must do to get eternal life. Jesus gave him a standard answer, which was to obey God’s commands.
The young man apparently felt that this was not enough and asked what else he should do (19:20). Then Jesus told him to sell his possessions, give the money to the poor, and follow him. The young man was rich, and he was not willing to sell his things. So he left.
Jesus then used the rich young man as an example. He explained that riches make it difficult to enter the kingdom (19:23–24). The saying of a camel going through the eye of a needle was probably a well-known proverb about something impossible to do. Without God making it possible, neither a rich person nor anyone else is able to enter the kingdom (19:26).
Jesus also gave a promise that those whom he asked to leave their possessions and family behind to serve him would receive great rewards (19:29).
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The Rich Young Man (NIV)
A rich young man’s questions
There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 10:17–31 and Luke 18:18–30.
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished
When the disciples heard this, they were very amazed.
The disciples heard that and were completely surprised.
When the disciples heard this: The word this refers to Jesus’ words of 19:23–24.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Hearing these/those words, the disciples
The disciples heard that and
they were greatly astonished: The Greek word that the BSB translates as astonished means “amazed to the point of being overwhelmed.” In this context it is made even stronger by the word that the BSB translates as greatly.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they were completely amazed (GNT)
they were greatly surprised (CEV)
The Jews of that time thought that riches were an extra blessing from God. So the disciples were surprised that Jesus taught that riches made it hard for someone to enter the kingdom of God.
and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
They said, “In that case, who is able to be saved?”
They said to him, “What!? Then will anyone get/receive salvation from punishment?”
They said to Jesus, “What!? Then no one can be saved!”
Who then can be saved?: This is a rhetorical question. It has two functions: surprise and emphasis. The disciples used this question to express how surprised/astonished they were at Jesus’ comment in 19:26a. And Jesus’ response in 19:26b–c shows that he understood the disciples to emphatically imply “Then no one can be saved!”
Here are some other ways to translate this surprise and emphasis:
As one or two rhetorical questions. For example:
Then who in the world can be saved? (NLT)
What!? Then can anyone be saved?
As an expression of surprise followed by an emphatic statement. For example:
What!? Then no one can be saved!
As an emphatic statement. For example:
Then no one can be saved!
Translate this surprise and emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
Who…can be saved: The word saved means “rescued from danger or trouble.” In this context, it refers to being saved from punishment and destruction. It means the same as “enter the kingdom of heaven/God” in 19:23–24 and “obtain eternal life” in 19:16b.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Who…can be saved from punishment?
Who…can enter the kingdom of God?
Who…can get eternal life?
This is a passive clause. Here are some other ways to translate it:
Use a passive verb. For example:
Who…can be saved?
Use an active verb. For example:
Who…are the people who will get/receive salvation?
Who…can enter the kingdom?
See how you translated the word saved in 1:21c and 10:22b.
then: The Greek word that the BSB translates as then introduces a conclusion based on what Jesus just said. Here it is not a time word.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
In that case
If that’s true
If it’s like that
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀκούσαντες Δέ οἱ μαθηταί ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι)
The word Now introduces the next thing that happened. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces the next event, or you could leave Now untranslated. Alternate translation: [Then]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
ἀκούσαντες & οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες
˓having˒_heard & the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀκούσαντες Δέ οἱ μαθηταί ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι)
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. If you need to say who did the action, it is clear from the context that it was what Jesus said. Alternate translation: [what the disciples heard astonished them greatly, and they said]
Note 3 topic: writing-quotations
λέγοντες
saying
Consider natural ways of introducing direct quotations in your language. Alternate translation: [and they said]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀκούσαντες Δέ οἱ μαθηταί ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι)
The disciples are using the question form to express their astonishment. If you would not use the question form for this purpose in your language, you could translate this as a statement or an exclamation. Alternate translation: [It seems then that no one is able to be saved.] or [No one then is able to be saved!]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀκούσαντες Δέ οἱ μαθηταί ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι)
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. If you need to say who would do the action, it is clear from the context that it would be God. Alternate translation: [Who then can receive salvation] or [Whom then will God save]
Note 6 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
τίς ἄρα
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἀκούσαντες Δέ οἱ μαθηταί ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα λέγοντες Τίς ἄρα δύναται σωθῆναι)
The word then indicates that the disciples ask this question in response to what Jesus just said. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make that idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [If that is true, who] or [Given that, who]
OET (OET-LV) And the apprentices/followers having_heard, were_being_ exceedingly _astonished saying:
Who consequently is_able to_be_saved?
OET (OET-RV) When his apprentices heard that, they were very surprised and asked, “Well, who can be saved then?”
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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