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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
Mat C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21 C22 C23 C24 C25 C26 C27 C28
Mat 6 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33 V34
For many years, English versions and Christians have commonly referred to Matthew 5–7 as “The Sermon on the Mount.” In some translations, it may be helpful to include a heading for chapters 5–7 that is on a level above the section heading for 5:1–12.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
The Sermon on the Mountain
The sermon that Jesus preached on a mountain
Jesus taught people on the side of a mountain/hill
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Who of you can add even one hour to the length of your life by worrying?
If you worry, can you live even a short time longer? No!
Worrying is useless. None of you by worrying can add even a little amount of time to how long he lives.
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?: This is a rhetorical question that expects the answer “no one can.” Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that worrying is not helpful or beneficial because people are certainly not able to live longer by worrying.
Here are some ways to translate this emphasis:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Can any of you add a single hour to your life by worrying? (GW)
Can worry make you live longer? (CEV)
Even if you worry, can that make you live even one hour longer?
As a statement. For example:
You cannot add any time to your life by worrying about it. (NCV)
Worrying is useless. It cannot make you live even a minute longer.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
a single hour: The Greek words that the BSB translates as a single hour refers to a short length of time.The Greek word that the BSB translates as “hour” is ambiguous. It normally refers to a measurement of length or height. It is about 46 centimeters. That is why the KJV translates this verse as “Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?” However, this word can also refer to a measurement of time. If it refers to the height of a person, it would be a sizeable amount. If it refers to time, it would be a small amount. In this context, a small amount of time makes more sense. Most English versions translate it like the BSB as a small amount of time. So the BSB translates it as a single hour.
Here is a more general way to translate this phrase:
any more time
a single moment (NLT)
to his life: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as to his life refers to the length of a person’s life.
Here is another way to translate this phrase:
to his span of life (ESV)
In some languages, it will be more natural to translate life as the verb “live.” For example:
Can any of you live a bit longer by worrying about it? (GNT)
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Δέ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπί τήν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα)
Here, the word But introduces a development in what Jesus is saying. The word does not introduce a contrast. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different word or phrase that introduces a development, or you could leave But untranslated. Alternate translation: [Indeed,] or [Further,]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
τίς & ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα?
who & of you_all worrying ˓is˒_able ˓to˒_add (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Δέ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπί τήν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα)
Jesus is using the question form to show that people cannot add to their lifespan by being anxious. 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: [none of you, being anxious, is able to add one cubit to his lifespan.] or [not one you, being anxious, can ever add one cubit to his lifespan!]
Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-logic-goal
μεριμνῶν
worrying
Here, the phrase being anxious provides the means by which a person might try to add one cubit to his or her lifespan. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this connection more explicit. Alternate translation: [by being anxious]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ τὴν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα?
˓is˒_able ˓to˒_add (Some words not found in SR-GNT: τίς Δέ ἐξ ὑμῶν μεριμνῶν δύναται προσθεῖναι ἐπί τήν ἡλικίαν αὐτοῦ πῆχυν ἕνα)
Here Jesus is speaking of a person’s lifespan as if it were measured in length rather than in time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state the meaning plainly Alternate translation: [is able to make his lifespan any longer] or [is able to add any time to his lifespan]
Note 5 topic: translate-bdistance
πῆχυν ἕνα
hour one
A cubit is a measure of length equal to about half a meter or about a foot and a half. If it would be helpful to your readers, you could express this length using the measure that is customary in your culture.
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
αὐτοῦ
˱of˲_him
Although the term his is masculine, Jesus is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [his or her]
6:25-34 Jesus taught an anxiety-free existence of simple trust in God for provisions. Jesus’ disciples had abandoned all (4:18-22; 9:9; 10:5-14); Jesus gave them comforting reassurance that God would provide for their needs.
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.