MAT 9:37 Interlinear View

1. Greek word
2. Greek lemma
3. OET-LV words
4. OET-RV words
5. Strongs
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Τότε
2. tote
3. Then
4. -
5. 51190
6. D·······
7. then
8. then
9. S
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5535
1. λέγει
2. legō
3. he is saying
4. said
5. 30040
6. VIPA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
8. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; R5483; Person=Jesus
11. 5536
1. τοῖς
2. ho
3. to the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····DMP
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5537
1. μαθηταῖς
2. mathētēs
3. apprentices/followers
4. -
5. 31010
6. N····DMP
7. apprentices/followers
8. disciples
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; F5548
11. 5538
1. αὐτοῦ
2. autos
3. of him
4. his
5. 8460
6. R···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; R5483; Person=Jesus
11. 5539
1. ὁ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5540
1. Μέν
2. men
3. On one hand
4. -
5. 33030
6. C·······
7. on_one_hand
8. on_one_hand
9. D
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5541
1. θερισμός
2. therismos
3. harvest is
4. harvest
5. 23260
6. N····NMS
7. harvest ‹is›
8. harvest ‹is›
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5542
1. πολύς
2. polus
3. great
4. large
5. 41830
6. S····NMS
7. great
8. great
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5543
1. οἱ
2. ho
3. the
4. -
5. 35880
6. E····NMP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5544
1. δέ
2. de
3. on the other hand
4. -
5. 11610
6. C·······
7. on_the_other_hand
8. on_the_other_hand
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5545
1. ἐργάται
2. ergatēs
3. workers are
4. workers
5. 20400
6. N····NMP
7. workers ‹are›
8. workers ‹are›
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5546
1. ὀλίγοι
2. oligos
3. few
4. -
5. 36410
6. S····NMP
7. few
8. few
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5547

SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 9:35–38: The harvest is plentiful, the workers are few

This short section is a transitional section. The section begins with what is probably a summary of Jesus’ activities in chapters 5–9: he traveled around teaching, preaching, and healing people. The section ends with a call to pray to God to send more workers into the harvest. This is an introduction to Jesus sending out the twelve disciples in chapter 10.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The need for more workers in God’s kingdom

Jesus’ workers are few

Jesus Has Pity on People (CEV)

9:37a

Then He said to His disciples,

Then he/Jesus said to his disciples,

9:37b

“The harvest is plentiful,

“The crops that are ready to harvest are abundant,
“There are many people to harvest, (NCV)
“Many people are ready to believe in me like lots of grain is ripe for harvest.

9:37a–b

The harvest is plentiful: This is the first part of an extended metaphor. In this part, people who are ready to believe are like fruit/grain that is ready to be picked/cut and put in a safe place. There are many of these people just like the ripe fruit/grain is plentiful.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
The harvest is large (GNT)
The grain/fruit is ripe, and it is plentiful.
The time to pick the grain has arrived, and the grain is abundant.
Keep the metaphor and put the meaning in a footnote. A sample footnote is below under General Comment on 9:37–38.
Make the topic explicit. For example:
There are many people to harvest (NCV)
Change the metaphor to a simile and make the parts explicit. For example:
Many people are ready to believe in me like lots of crops that are ready to be harvested.

9:37c

but the workers are few.

but there are few people to do the harvesting.
but only a few workers to help harvest them. (NCV)
But there are few people to tell them the good news about me like there are few workers to gather/bring in the grain.

but: There is a contrast here. The contrast is between the large number of people needed to harvest the plentiful harvest, and the actual number of people available. The BSB indicates this contrast with the conjunction but.

the workers are few: This is the second part of the metaphor. In this part, the few people who are available to tell people the good news are compared to the few laborers/workers who are available to harvest the crop.

Here are some other ways to translate this part of the metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
there are few workers to gather it in (GNT)
there are not many harvesters
Change the metaphor to a simile and make the parts explicit. For example:
But there are few people to tell them the good news about me like there are few workers to harvest the crops.

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: translate-tense

λέγει

˱he˲_˓is˒_saying

To call attention to a development in the story, Matthew uses the present tense in past narration. If it would not be natural to do that in your language, you could use the past tense in your translation. Alternate translation: [he said]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / exmetaphor

ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς πολύς, οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι

the (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Τότε λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ὁ Μέν θερισμός πολύς οἱ δέ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι)

Jesus speaks of people who will believe as if they were a harvest, and he speaks of those who proclaim the good news as if they were laborers who help with the harvest. He means that there are many people who are ready to believe, but there are only a few people proclaiming the good news. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [There are many people who will believe in me, but only a few people are proclaiming the good news. It is as if there were a plentiful harvest but only a few laborers]

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

1. OET-LV words
2. OET-RV words
3. Strongs
4. Greek word
5. Greek lemma
6. Role/Morphology
7. OET Gloss
8. VLT Gloss
9. CAPS codes
10. Confidence
11. OET tags
12. OET word #
1. Then
2. -
3. 51190
4. S
5. tote
6. D-·······
7. then
8. then
9. S
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5535
1. he is saying
2. said
3. 30040
5. legō
6. V-IPA3··S
7. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
8. ˱he˲ ˓is˒ saying
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; R5483; Person=Jesus
11. 5536
1. to the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····DMP
7. ˱to˲ the
8. ˱to˲ the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5537
1. apprentices/followers
2. -
3. 31010
5. mathētēs
6. N-····DMP
7. apprentices/followers
8. disciples
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; F5548
11. 5538
1. of him
2. his
3. 8460
5. autos
6. R-···3GMS
7. ˱of˲ him
8. ˱of˲ him
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee; R5483; Person=Jesus
11. 5539
1. On one hand
2. -
3. 33030
4. D
5. men
6. C-·······
7. on_one_hand
8. on_one_hand
9. D
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5541
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NMS
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5540
1. harvest is
2. harvest
3. 23260
5. therismos
6. N-····NMS
7. harvest ‹is›
8. harvest ‹is›
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5542
1. great
2. large
3. 41830
5. polus
6. S-····NMS
7. great
8. great
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5543
1. on the other hand
2. -
3. 11610
5. de
6. C-·······
7. on_the_other_hand
8. on_the_other_hand
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5545
1. the
2. -
3. 35880
5. ho
6. E-····NMP
7. the
8. the
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5544
1. workers are
2. workers
3. 20400
5. ergatēs
6. N-····NMP
7. workers ‹are›
8. workers ‹are›
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5546
1. few
2. -
3. 36410
5. oligos
6. S-····NMP
7. few
8. few
9. -
10. Y31; T3rd_Tour_of_Galilee
11. 5547

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.