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OET (OET-LV) But if the god is_ thus _dressing the grass of_the field being today, and tomorrow being_thrown into the_furnace, not by_much more for_you_all, little_faith ones?
OET (OET-RV) So if God dresses the plants in the fields that are here today and thrown away tomorrow, won’t he care much more for you, you people with little faith?
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
In Greek and the BSB, 6:30 is one long, complicated sentence. It contains several clauses. It also contains a rhetorical question. In some languages, it will be more natural to divide this long sentence into several shorter sentences. The GW is one example of an English version that divides this sentence into three sentences. Compare the BSB and the GW below:
30aIf that is how God clothes the grass of the field, 30bwhich is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, 30cwill He not much more clothe you, 30dO you of little faith? (BSB)
30aThat’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. 30bToday it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an incinerator. 30cSo how much more will he clothe you people 30dwho have so little faith? (GW)
It is also possible to divide this long sentence into four shorter sentences. For example:
30aThat’s the way God clothes the grass of the field. 30bToday it’s alive, and tomorrow it’s thrown into an oven. 30cWill he not clothe you even more? 30dYou have so little faith!
Before you translate this verse, consider how many sentences you should have and what is the most natural order to put them in.
If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,
If God clothes the grass in the countryside/bush like that,
If/Since God makes wild grass so beautiful,
God causes plants/weeds to have very beautiful flowers/blossoms.
If: The Greek words that the BSB translates as If can also be translated as “Since.” This is because the following statement is accepted as a fact.
Here are some other ways to translate these words:
But if (ESV)
Since
that is how God clothes the grass of the field: The clause that is how God clothes the grass of the field means that “God clothes the grass of the field in that way.” This is the way mentioned in 6:29. In other words, “God clothes grass/plants in a way that is more beautiful than Solomon’s clothes.” This means that “God causes plants to have flowers/blossoms that are more beautiful than the expensive clothes that Solomon wore.” God does not actually give clothes to the plants, but he makes them look beautiful.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
That’s the way God clothes the grass in the field. (GW)
God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields (CEV)
God causes plants to have very beautiful flowers/blossoms
the grass of the field: The phrase the grass of the field is a Jewish way of saying “wild grass/plants.” This refers to plants that grow in the countryside without being cultivated. It includes flowers like lilies (in 6:28b). It does not just refer to green grass.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
wild grass (NET)
wildflowers (NLT)
plants/weeds
which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace,
which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into an oven to burn,
which only lives for a few days and then is put on a fire to burn,
He does it even though they only live for a little while, and then soon dry up and people burn them up.
which is here today and tomorrow: The word today in this context means “for a short time,” and not a literal day. In the same way the word tomorrow here means “soon.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
that are here today and gone tomorrow (NLT96)
here for a short time and then
live for only a few days and shortly after
that last only a very short time before they die
is thrown into the furnace: The Greek word that the BSB translates as furnace refers to a dome-like structure made of clay. Some English versions translate this word as “oven” (ESV). People would heat it with wood to cook or bake food or warm themselves.
The verb is thrown is passive.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
As a passive. For example:
burned up in the oven (GNT)
is tossed into the fire to heat the oven (NET)
and thrown into a fire (CEV)
As an active. For example:
people put into an furnace to burn
people throw into the fire
will He not much more clothe you,
will he not much more surely provide clothing for you?(plur)
So he will even more surely provide the clothes you(plur) need!
will He not much more clothe you…?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that God will certainly provide clothing for his people. God values people much more than grass, so he will provide for people’s needs even more than he provides beauty for the wild grasses.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis:
As a rhetorical question. For example:
Won’t he be all the more sure to clothe you? (GNT)
He will much more surely provide clothes for you, won’t he?
As a statement. For example:
So you can be even more sure that God will clothe you. (NCV)
You can know more certainly that God will provide the clothes you need to wear
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
O you of little faith?
You(plur) people have such little faith!
You(plur) trust/believe in him so little!
O you of little faith?: The Greek word that the BSB translates as O you of little faith describes the people listening and speaks directly to them.
The NET also uses a phrase here to speak directly to the disciples (“you people of little faith”). If this is natural in your language, then follow the BSB or NET. But if it is not natural in your language to speak directly to a person or persons and at the same time describe them, you may use a complete clause. For example:
You have such little faith!
How little faith you have! (REB)
You trust/believe in God so little!
Why do you have such little faith? (CEV)
See also believe, Meaning 2 in the Glossary.
In some languages, it may be more natural to put 6:30d at the beginning of the verse. For example:
30dYou people of such little faith. 30aIf God beautifully clothes the wild grass in that way, 30bwhich is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the ovens, 30cthen will he not much more surely provide clothing for you?
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
δὲ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
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: grammar-connect-condition-fact
εἰ
if
Jesus speaks as if this were a hypothetical situation, but he means that it must be true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Jesus is saying is uncertain, then you can translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: [since] or [given that]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ & ὁ Θεὸς οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Here, the word thus refers back to what Jesus said in the previous verse about plants having more glory than Solomon ([6:29](../06/29.md)). You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [God clothes the grass of the field like that] or [God clothes the grass of the field more gloriously than Solomon]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ & ἀμφιέννυσιν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Jesus speaks of God making the grass beautiful as if God were putting beautiful clothing on it. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable figure of speech or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [makes the grass of the field beautiful]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / possession
τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Here, Jesus is using the possessive form to describe grass that grows in the field. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [the grass that you see in the field]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
χόρτον
grass
While Jesus uses a term that typically means grass, in this context he must implicitly mean wild plants in general, since he is referring back to the wild lilies he has just mentioned. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a general term for plants. Alternate translation: [plants] or [vegetation]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / genericnoun
τοῦ ἀγροῦ
˱of˲_the field
The word field represents fields in general, not one particular field. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different expression. Alternate translation: [of the fields]
Note 8 topic: grammar-connect-logic-contrast
σήμερον ὄντα, καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον
today being (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Here, the word existing introduces a clause that states something that is unexpected for things that God clothes. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces something that is unexpected. Alternate translation: [although it exists today and tomorrow is thrown into an oven] or [despite the fact that it exists today and tomorrow is thrown into an oven]
Note 9 topic: figures-of-speech / hypo
σήμερον ὄντα, καὶ αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον
today being (Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Here Jesus means that grass is growing today, but someone may take it tomorrow and burn it. He speaks in this way to emphasize that grass often does not last for a long time and is not very valuable. He does not mean that this always happens to grass. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that indicates that grass only lasts for a short time and is not valuable. Alternate translation: [growing now but soon being thrown into an oven] or [existing at the moment but quickly being thrown into an oven]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον
into ˓the˒_furnace ˓being˒_cast
Here Jesus refers to how dried plant matter would be burned as fuel for heating and cooking. You could include this information if that would be helpful to your readers. Alternate translation: [being thrown into an oven as fuel] or [being burned in an oven]
Note 11 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
βαλλόμενον
˓being˒_cast
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, you could use an indefinite subject. Alternate translation: [someone throwing it] or [people throwing it]
Note 12 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Jesus is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [will he not much more clothe]
Note 13 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς, ὀλιγόπιστοι?
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: εἰ Δέ τόν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ σήμερον ὄντα καί αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βαλλόμενον ὁ Θεός οὕτως ἀμφιέννυσιν οὒ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς ὀλιγόπιστοι)
Jesus is using the question form to show his disciples that God will give them the clothes they need. 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: [he will much more clothe you, ones of little faith.] or [he will definitely clothe you, ones of little faith!]
OET (OET-LV) But if the god is_ thus _dressing the grass of_the field being today, and tomorrow being_thrown into the_furnace, not by_much more for_you_all, little_faith ones?
OET (OET-RV) So if God dresses the plants in the fields that are here today and thrown away tomorrow, won’t he care much more for you, you people with little faith?
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.