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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) so Yeshua said, “In other countries, the kings are the masters over the people and they call themselves ‘benefactors’ of those they have authority over.![]()
OET-LV And he said to_them:
The kings of_the pagans are_mastering of_them, and the ones having_authority over_them:
are_being_called benefactors.
![]()
SR-GNT Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, “Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν, ‘εὐεργέται’, καλοῦνται. ‡
(Ho de eipen autois, “Hoi basileis tōn ethnōn kurieuousin autōn, kai hoi exousiazontes autōn, ‘euergetai’, kalountai.)
Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT But he said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and the ones having authority over them are called Benefactors.
UST Jesus responded to them, “The kings of the Gentile nations like to show people that they are powerful. Yet they give themselves the name ‘Ones Who Help the People.’
BSB So [Jesus] declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.
MSB (Same as BSB above)
BLB And He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles rule over them, and those exercising authority over them are called benefactors.
AICNT But {he}[fn] said to them, “The kings of the nations rule over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors.
22:25, he: Some manuscripts read “Jesus.” Latin(ff2)
OEB Jesus, however, said, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their oppressors are styled “Benefactors.”
WEBBE He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
WMBB (Same as above)
NET So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’
LSV And He said to them, “The kings of the nations exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority on them are called benefactors;
FBV Jesus told them, “Foreign kings lord it over their subjects, and those having power even want people to call them ‘benefactors.’
TCNT So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors.
T4T So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the non-Jews enjoy showing that they are powerful. Yet they give themselves the title, ‘ones who help the people.’
LEB So he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles[fn] lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called benefactors.
22:25 The same Greek word can be translated “nations” or “Gentiles” depending on the context
BBE And he said, The kings of the Gentiles are lords over them, and those who have authority are given names of honour.
Moff But Jesus said to them,
⇔ "The kings of the Gentiles rule over them,
⇔ and their authorities take the name of "Benefactor":
Wymth But He said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles are their masters, and those who exercise authority over them are called Benefactors.
ASV And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors.
DRA And he said to them: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and they that have power over them, are called beneficent.
YLT And he said to them, 'The kings of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those exercising authority upon them are called benefactors;
Drby And he said to them, The kings of the nations rule over them, and they that exercise authority over them are called benefactors.
RV And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors.
SLT And he said to them, The kings of the nations rule over them; and they exercising power over them are called benefactors.
Wbstr And he said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them, are called benefactors.
KJB-1769 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors.
KJB-1611 And hee saide vnto them, The Kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship ouer them, & they that exercise authoritie vpon them, are called benefactors.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from capitalisation and punctuation)
Bshps And he saide vnto them: The kinges of nations raigne ouer them, and they that haue aucthoritie vpo them, are called gracious Lordes.
(And he said unto them: The kings of nations reign over them, and they that have authority upon them, are called gracious Lords.)
Gnva But hee saide vnto them, The Kings of the Gentiles reigne ouer them, and they that beare rule ouer them, are called bountifull.
(But he said unto them, The Kings of the Gentiles reign over them, and they that bear rule over them, are called bountifull. )
Cvdl But he sayde vnto them: The kynges of ye worlde haue domynion ouer ye people, and they that beare rule ouer the, are called gracious lordes.
(But he said unto them: The kings of ye/you_all world have domynion over ye/you_all people, and they that bear rule over them, are called gracious lords.)
TNT And he sayde vnto them: the kynges of the getyls raygne over them and they that beare rule over them are called gracious lordes.
(And he said unto them: the kings of the getyls reign over them and they that bear rule over them are called gracious lords. )
Wycl But he seide to hem, Kyngis of hethen men ben lordis of hem, and thei that han power on hem ben clepid good doeris, but ye not so;
(But he said to hem, Kyngis of heathen men been lords of hem, and they that have power on hem been called good doeris, but ye/you_all not so;)
Luth Er aber sprach zu ihnen: Die weltlichen Könige herrschen, und die Gewaltigen heißt man gnädige Herren.
(He but spoke to/for to_them: The weltlichen king(s) reign/prevail, and the mighty_(ones) is_called man gracious gentlemen.)
ClVg Dixit autem eis: Reges gentium dominantur eorum: et qui potestatem habent super eos, benefici vocantur.[fn]
(He/She_said however to_them: Reges nations dominantur their: and who/which power they_have over them, benefici are_called. )
22.25 Dixit autem eis. Pius magister non initæ contentionis arguit, sed formam humilitatis quam sequantur, describit; quasi dicat: Vos more sæcularium per prælationem pervenire vultis ad regni possessionem, sed ad summam virtutum non potentia venitur, sed humilitate. Necesse est autem ut correctionem subditus et matrem pietas, et patrem exhibeat disciplina, aut ne districtio rigida, aut pietas sit remissa.
22.25 He/She_said however to_them. Pius teacher not/no initæ contentionis argues, but form humility how follow, describes; as_if let_him_say: You(pl) more secular through prelatesonem to_arrive do_you_want to of_the_kingdom possession, but to sum/total virtues not/no power is_coming, but humility. Necesse it_is however as correction I_submitus and mother pietas, and father exhibeat discipline, or not districtio rigida, or pietas be remissa.
UGNT ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν, εὐεργέται, καλοῦνται.
(ho de eipen autois, hoi basileis tōn ethnōn kurieuousin autōn, kai hoi exousiazontes autōn, euergetai, kalountai.)
SBL-GNT ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν εὐεργέται καλοῦνται.
(ho de eipen autois; Hoi basileis tōn ethnōn kurieuousin autōn kai hoi exousiazontes autōn euergetai kalountai.)
RP-GNT Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν εὐεργέται καλοῦνται.
(Ho de eipen autois, Hoi basileis tōn ethnōn kurieuousin autōn, kai hoi exousiazontes autōn euergetai kalountai.)
TC-GNT Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν εὐεργέται καλοῦνται.
(Ho de eipen autois, Hoi basileis tōn ethnōn kurieuousin autōn, kai hoi exousiazontes autōn euergetai kalountai. )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).
22:25 friends of the people: This translates a Greek word that refers to the practice of rulers bestowing gifts and favors on their subjects to gain loyalty and honor. Jesus contrasted the world’s leadership style—military power, coercion, and bribery—with his own servant leadership in sacrificing himself for others.
In this section Jesus’ apostles began to argue about which of them was the greatest. Because of this argument, Jesus taught them that leaders among his disciples should be different from other leaders who are not his disciples. His disciples should be servants and not harsh, arrogant leaders. This instruction applies not only to Jesus’ twelve apostles but to everyone who becomes a leader among Jesus’ other followers.
The apostles had a similar argument in 9:46 and Mark 9:34. In 9:46 this argument occurred just after Jesus had predicted in 9:44 that he would be betrayed. The similar argument here in Section 22:24–30 is also mentioned immediately after Jesus said that he would be betrayed.
Some examples of heading for this section are:
Jesus again teaches humility (JBP)
The Argument about Greatness (GNT)
Jesus taught that the one who serves others is the greatest among them
Some English versions, such as the NIV, do not have a section heading here. You may divide the sections in the way that is most helpful for the people in your area.
In this verse Jesus spoke about kings and other people in authority among the Gentiles. He made two parallel statements that have almost the same meaning. What Jesus said about kings in 22:25a applies also to others in authority. What he said in 22:25b about the authorities also applies to kings. One way to make this clear is to connect kings and those in authority as a compound subject. For example:
Jesus told them, “In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’” (NLT)
Jesus said to them, “The kings and others who rule on the earth, they force what they want from those they are ruling and they also want/like to be nicknamed Merciful.”Kankanaey back translation on TW.
Translate the parallel statements in a clear way in your language.
So Jesus declared, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them,
But Jesus told them: “Among the Gentiles, kings rule/dominate their people as lords.
Jesus replied, “Pagan/Non-Jewish rulers want complete authority over their people,
Then Jesus answered, “The kings/chiefs of people who are not Jews rule them strictly
So: In Greek, this verse begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “and” or “but.” It introduces what Jesus said to the apostles about their argument. What he said contrasted with their desire to be great. The BSB translates this conjunction as So here, but other English versions use “But,” “Then,” “And,” or do not use a conjunction. Introduce Jesus’ response in a natural way in your language.
The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as lord it over indicates here that the Gentile kings rule their people as lords. They use their authority to control the people and demand obedience. Like the Greek verb, the English phrase lord it over them implies that they rule the people too strictly and want too much honor. Some other ways to translate this part of the verse are:
The kings of the pagans have power over their people (GNT)
Among the Gentiles, their kings dominate them
The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them (RSV)
In some languages there may be an idiom to describe this type of ruling. Translate it in a natural way in your language. This word also occurred in Mark 10:42. See how you translated it there.
the Gentiles: The Greek word that the BSB translates as the Gentiles literally means “the peoples.” The Jews used this term to refer to the other people (and nations) of the world. Here Jesus used it to refer to the peoples or nations who do not follow God. He was not focusing on the contrast between Jews and Gentiles. Some ways to translate the Gentiles in this context are:
The kings of nations (GW)
Foreign kings (CEV)
The kings of the pagans (GNT)
In this world the kings (NLT)
and those in authority over them call themselves benefactors.
Leaders enforce their authority, and then want to be called ‘Helpers of the People.’
and like to be known as benevolent/generous leaders.
and dominate them. Then the kings/chiefs want the people to praise them as kind/generous.
and: In Greek this verse begins with the common conjunction that the BSB translates as and. It introduces a statement that is very similar to 22:25a. Use a natural way in your language to introduce a parallel statement like this. You may want to refer again to the note on 22:25a–b.
those in authority over them: The phrase those in authority over them has almost the same meaning as the phrase “lord it over them.” It refers here to leaders who have authority over people and use it to control them. It often implies the idea of ruling them harshly or oppressing them. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
enforce their authority over people
use their authority to make people obey them
call themselves benefactors: There are two ways to interpret the Greek verb that the BSB translates as call themselves in this context:
It indicates that other people call them benefactors. For example:
are called benefactors (RSV)
are given the title Benefactor (REB) (RSV, REB, NLT, NET, NJB, KJV, NASB, ESV, JBP)
It indicates that the rulers call themselves benefactors. For example:
those in authority call themselves friends of the people (GW) (BSB, GW, NIV, CEV)
The GNT is ambiguous. If you have to choose between the two interpretations, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The Gentile rulers encouraged or required their subjects to call them benefactors. The NCV makes this explicit:
and those who have authority over others like to be called “friends of the people” (NCV)
benefactors: The title benefactors means “Doers of Good.” It implies that the leaders wanted people to praise them. They wanted people to say that they were generous and helped their people. Other ways to translate benefactors are:
Friends of the People (GNT)
those who help the peopleWestern Bukidnon Manobo back translation on TW.
MercifulKankanaey back translation on TW.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν
the_‹ones› (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καί οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν Εὐεργέται καλοῦνται)
Here Jesus assumes that his disciples will know that by the nations he means the people groups who are not Jews. Alternate translation: [The kings of the Gentiles]
κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν
˓are˒_lording ˱of˲_them
Alternate translation: [order them around] or [are arrogant and domineering]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / irony
εὐεργέται, καλοῦνται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καί οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν Εὐεργέται καλοῦνται)
The subjects of these rulers did not call them this spontaneously and gratefully. Rather, the rulers gave themselves this title, even though they were not really ruling in a way that was good for their subjects, as Jesus says in the first part of this sentence. Jesus is mentioning the title to emphasize how undeserved it is. Alternate translation: [nevertheless give themselves the title of Benefactor]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
καλοῦνται
˓are_being˒_called
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express this with an active form, and you could state who is doing the action. Alternate translation: [call themselves] or [give themselves the title]
Note 4 topic: translate-names
εὐεργέται
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῶν ἐθνῶν κυριεύουσιν αὐτῶν καί οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτῶν Εὐεργέται καλοῦνται)
This is a title that several rulers of this time had given themselves. Your language may have an equivalent title. If not, you could express the meaning with an equivalent expression, as UST does. Alternate translation: [the Good]

Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; John 13-19
On the Thursday before he was crucified, Jesus had arranged to share the Passover meal with his disciples in an upper room, traditionally thought to be located in the Essene Quarter of Jerusalem. After they finished the meal, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus often met with his disciples. There Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ own disciples, betrayed him to soldiers sent from the High Priest, and they took Jesus to the High Priest’s residence. In the morning the leading priests and teachers of the law put Jesus on trial and found him guilty of blasphemy. The council sent Jesus to stand trial for treason before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who resided at the Praetorium while in Jerusalem. The Praetorium was likely located at the former residence of Herod the Great, who had died over 30 years earlier. When Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, he sent him to Herod Antipas, who had jurisdiction over Galilee. But when Jesus gave no answer to Herod’s many questions, Herod and his soldiers sent him back to Pilate, who conceded to the people’s demands that Jesus be crucified. Jesus was forced to carry his cross out of the city gate to Golgotha, meaning Skull Hill, referring to what may have been a small unquarried hill in the middle of an old quarry just outside the gate. After Jesus was unable to carry his cross any further, a man named Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry it for him. There at Golgotha they crucified Jesus. After Jesus died, his body was hurriedly taken down before nightfall and placed in a newly cut, rock tomb owned by Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish high council. This tomb was likely located at the perimeter of the old quarry.