MAT 3:8 Interlinear View

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: John the Baptist taught people to repent and obey God

The story starting at 3:1 occurred about twenty-eight years after 2:23. Matthew did not tell what happened during those twenty-eight years. But he restarted the story at this time in Jesus’ life because Jesus was ready to begin the work that God gave him to do. He began at the time God chose for him.

John the Baptist was the last prophet before Jesus. The story of how John was born is in Luke chapter 1. He was the prophet whom God said would come (3:3). John wore the kind of clothes prophets often wore (3:4). He baptized people who repented. John preached that Jesus would be greater than he was (3:11).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The work of John the Baptist/Baptizer

The work of John who baptized people

John the Baptizer preached repentance and submission to God’s rule

John the Baptizer prepared people to receive the Lord

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 1:1, Luke 3:1–18 and John 1:19–28.

Paragraph 3:7–10

In this paragraph, John the Baptist spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

3:8

Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

Produce fruit that shows that you^(plur) have repented.
Just as trees bear fruit and thus show what kind of trees they are, so you^(plur) must do the things that show that you have abandoned your sins.
Do the acts/things that show that you^(plur) have really turned away from sin and turned to God.

In this verse John told the Pharisees and Sadducees what they should do in response to his rebuke in 3:7c. They should repent and show their repentance by thinking and acting the way God wanted them to.

then: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as then connects this verse to 3:7. Many English versions do not translate this conjunction here.

Here are some other ways to translate this connection:

Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance (NET)

In order to escape judgment, you should…

If you want to avoid God’s punishment, you must…

Connect these two verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Produce fruit…in keeping with repentance: The phrase Produce fruit is a metaphor. A person’s good moral conduct is compared to fruit. They are similar in that both are the result and evidence of something. Fruit is the result and evidence of the type of tree it came from. A holy life is the result and evidence of someone who has truly repented.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Translate it literally. For example:
Produce fruit that shows that you have repented.
Repent and produce the fruit that shows it.
Translate it as a simile and make the point of comparison explicit. For example:
Just as trees bear/produce fruit and show what kind of trees they are, so you must do the things/acts that show that you have really repented.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Behave in a way that shows that you have repented.
Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. (NLT96)

in keeping with: The Greek word that the BSB translates as in keeping with is literally “worthy of.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

that will show (GNT)

that proves (NET)

that accompanies

that corresponds to

that goes together with

repentance: The Greek word that the BSB translates as repentance means “a change of a person’s mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible it refers specifically to a change of mind and heart about sin and about God. The person who repents is sorry for his past sins. John was saying that these people should quit sinning and instead obey God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

you have left/abandoned your sins

you have really turned from your sins and turned to God (NLT96)

you really have changed your hearts and lives (NCV)

The verb form of this word occurs in 3:2a.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποιήσατε Οὖν καρπόν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας)

The word Therefore introduces an exhortation based on what John said in rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees in the previous verse (see [3:7](../03/07.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an exhortation based on a previous rebuke. Alternate translation: [Instead] or [But here is what you should do:]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ποιήσατε & καρπὸν

produce & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποιήσατε Οὖν καρπόν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας)

Here, John is speaking of people behaving in certain ways as if they were trees producing fruit. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [act in ways] or [perform deeds]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας

worthy ¬the ˱of˲_repentance

Here, John is using the possessive form to describe fruit that matches or goes along with repentance. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [that goes along with repentance] or [that shows repentance]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς μετανοίας

¬the ˱of˲_repentance

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of repentance, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [of repenting] or [of people who repent]

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 3:8

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

Section 3:1–12: John the Baptist taught people to repent and obey God

Paragraph 3:7–10

3:8

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