MAT 12:20 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, red:negative.
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 He will not break a bruised reed;
⇔  and he will not quench a smoking flax,
⇔  until he casts out justice to victory,

UST He will be gentle with weak people.
⇔ He will be kind to feeble people.
⇔ He will do those things until he successfully completes doing what is right.

BSB A bruised reed He will not break,
⇔ and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,
⇔ till He leads justice to victory.

BLB A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, until He leads justice to victory.

AICNT A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish, until he brings forth judgment to victory.

OEB a bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not quench, until he has brought the judgment to a victorious issue,

WEBBE He won’t break a bruised reed.
⇔ He won’t quench a smoking flax,
⇔ until he leads justice to victory.

WMBB (Same as above)

NET He will not break a bruised reed or extinguish a smoldering wick,
⇔  until he brings justice to victory.

LSV A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench,
Until He may put forth judgment to victory,

FBV He won't break a damaged reed,
¶ And he won't extinguish a smoking wick,
¶ Until he has proved that his judgment is right,[fn]

12:20 Or “has brought victory to justice.”

TCNT A bruised reed he will not break,
⇔ and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,
⇔ until he brings justice to victory.

T4T Until he has justly judged the people who trust in him and has declared them not guilty, he will not destroy anyone who is weak like a smashed stalk [MET], nor will he silence anyone who is as helpless as a smoldering linen wick [MET, DOU].

LEB • A crushed reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not extinguish,
• until he brings justice to victory.

BBE The crushed stem will not be broken by him; and the feebly burning light will he not put out, till he has made righteousness overcome all.

Moff He will not break the bruised reed,
⇔ he will not put out the smouldering flax,
⇔ till he carries religion to victory:

Wymth A crushed reed He will not utterly break, nor will He quench the still smouldering wick, until He has led on Justice to victory.

ASV A bruised reed shall he not break,
⇔ And smoking flax shall he not quench,
⇔ Till he send forth judgment unto victory.

DRA The bruised reed he shall not break: and smoking flax he shall not extinguish: till he send forth judgment unto victory.

YLT a bruised reed he shall not break, and smoking flax he shall not quench, till he may put forth judgment to victory,

Drby a bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he bring forth judgment unto victory;

RV A bruised reed shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgment unto victory.
(A bruised red shall he not break, And smoking flax shall he not quench, Till he send forth judgement unto victory. )

SLT He shall not break a bruised reed, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he should draw forth judgment to victory.

Wbstr A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he shall send forth judgment to victory.

KJB-1769 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
(A bruised red shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgement unto victory. )

KJB-1611 A bruised reed shal he not breake, and smoking flaxe shall he not quench, till he send forth iudgment vnto victory.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps A bruised reede shall he not breake, and smokyng flaxe shall he not quenche, tyll he sende foorth iudgement vnto victorie:
(A bruised reede shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quenche, till he send forth judgement unto victorie:)

Gnva A bruised reede shall he not breake, and smoking flaxe shall he not quenche, till he bring forth iudgement vnto victorie.
(A bruised reede shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quenche, till he bring forth judgement unto victorie. )

Cvdl A brosed rede shal he not breake, and flax that beginneth to burne shal he not quench, tyll he sende forth iudgment vnto victory.
(A brosed read shall he not break, and flax that beginneth to burn shall he not quench, till he send forth judgement unto victory.)

TNT a brosed rede shall he not breacke and flaxe that begynneth to burne he shall not queche tyll he sende forth iudgement vnto victory
(a brosed read shall he not breacke and flax that beginneth to burn he shall not queche till he send forth judgement unto victory )

Wycl A brisid rehed he shal not breke, and he schal not quenche smokynge flax, til he caste out doom to victorie;
(A brisid rehed he shall not break, and he shall not quench smoking flax, till he cast/threw out judgement to victorie;)

Luth Das zerstoßene Rohr wird er nicht zerbrechen und den glimmenden Docht wird er nicht auslöschen, bis daß er ausführe das Gericht zum Sieg.
(The crushed Rohr becomes he not break/shatter and the glimmenden Butt becomes he not wipe_out, until that he ausführe the court(n)/justice for_the victory.)

ClVg arundinem quassatam non confringet, et linum fumigans non extinguet, donec ejiciat ad victoriam judicium:[fn]
(reedm quassatam not/no will_break, and linen/flax fumigans not/no extinguet, until eyiciat to victory judgement: )

12.20 Arundinem. Judæos, omni vento cedentes, qui ab invicem discrepando dissipati sunt, non mox damnabit, sed supportabit. Arundinem quassatam. Qui peccanti non porrigit manum, nec portat onus fratris, quassatum calamum confringit. Et qui fidei modicam scintillam contemnit in parvulis, linum fumigans exstinguit: quod Christus non fecit, qui potius venit quærere quod perierat; patientiam namque servavit, donec judicium quod in eo agebatur, ad victoriam perveniret, et expulso mundi principe ad regnum rediret, in dextera Patris sedens, donec ponat inimicos sub pedibus. Linum fumigans. Gentes, quas naturalis legis ardore fere exstincto fumus erroris amarissimus, et odoris noxius involvit: quas non exstinxit, sed de parva scintilla in magnum ardorem ignis Dei suscitavit. Donec. Tandiu prædicatio ejus nullis insidiis superata mundo lucet, donec ponat in terra judicium, et impleatur: Fiat voluntas tua, sicut in cœlo et in terra.

12.20 Arundinem. Yudahos, all with_the_wind they_will_yieldes, who/which away each_other discrepando dissipati are, not/no soon damnabit, but supportabit. Arundinem quassatam. Who peccanti not/no porrigit hand, but_not carries burden/load brother's, quassatum calamum confringit. And who/which of_faith modicam scintillam despises in/into/on little_ones, linen/flax fumigans exstinguit: that Christ/Messiah not/no he_did, who/which rather he_came to_seek/search_for that had_perished; patience for_indeed/truly he_kept, until judgement that in/into/on by_him was_being_done, to victory to_arrivet, and expulso world prince to kingdom rediret, in/into/on right_hand Father's sedens, until put enemies under feet. Linum fumigans. Gentes, which naturalis law with_ardour/enthusiasm almost exstincto smoke/steam error amarissimus, and smell night/darknessius involvit: which not/no extinguished, but from/about small scintilla in/into/on magnum ardour/enthusiasm fire of_God raised. Until. Tandiu preaching his nones insidiis overcomesa to_the_world shines, until put in/into/on earth/land judgement, and be_fulfilled: Let_it_happen will/desire(n) your, like in/into/on sky and in/into/on earth/land.

UGNT κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
(kalamon suntetrimmenon ou kateaxei, kai linon tufomenon ou sbesei, heōs an ekbalaʸ eis nikos taʸn krisin.)

SBL-GNT κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
(kalamon suntetrimmenon ou kateaxei kai linon tufomenon ou sbesei, heōs an ekbalaʸ eis nikos taʸn krisin.)

RP-GNT Κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει· ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
(Kalamon suntetrimmenon ou kateaxei, kai linon tufomenon ou sbesei; heōs an ekbalaʸ eis nikos taʸn krisin.)

TC-GNT Κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει,
⇔ καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει·
⇔ ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν.
(Kalamon suntetrimmenon ou kateaxei,
⇔ kai linon tufomenon ou sbesei;
⇔ heōs an ekbalaʸ eis nikos taʸn krisin. )

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 12:15–21: Jesus is the Servant whom God chose

About seven hundred years before Jesus was born, God told the prophet Isaiah that the Christ would be kind and gentle and would announce God’s way of saving people and making them righteous (Isaiah 42:1–4). And Jesus fulfilled that prophecy (12:17–21).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

God’s Chosen Servant (NIV)

Jesus Is God’s Chosen Servant (NCV)

Jesus fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah had said

12:20a

A bruised reed He will not break,

A damaged reed, he will not break off,
He will not harm anyone who is weak/hurt like a damaged reed.
He will be gentle with those who are weak/hurt.

A bruised reed He will not break: This is a metaphor. In this metaphor, a person who is hurt in some way or who is spiritually weak is compared to A bruised reed. (See the explanation of A bruised reed below). Reeds were very common, and normally, people would throw away such a reed. But Jesus is compared to a person that will not break/bend the reed. This means that he will be gentle with such a person and help him. He will not hurt or damage him.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
He will not break off a bent reed (GNT)
He will not break a crushed blade of grass (NCV)
He will not destroy a damaged reed
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
Those who are weak like a bruised reed, he will not harm
Anyone who is hurt like a bruised reed, he will help him
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
He will not crush those who are weak (NLT96)
He will be gentle with those who are weak

bruised reed: Reeds are tall grasses that have long, hollow stems which can be easily crushed or broken. A bruised reed would be one that is damaged and almost broken off.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

bent/damaged reed

partially cut/broken piece of grass

12:20b

and a smoldering wick He will not extinguish,

and a wick about to burn out, he will not extinguish it.
Anyone who has problems is like a smoldering wick. He will not harm him.
He will encourage the person who has no hope.

a smoldering wick He will not extinguish: This is a metaphor. The meaning of this metaphor is similar to the meaning of the metaphor in 12:20a. In this metaphor, a person who is hurt in some way or who is spiritually weak is compared to the wick of a lamp. This wick is smoking, but not burning with a bright flame. Normally, people would cut off such a wick and throw it away. But Jesus is compared to a person who will not quench the flame. This means that he will be gentle with such a person and help him. He will not hurt him.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Keep the metaphor. For example:
He will not even put out a smoking wick (GW)
Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:
A person who has many problems is like a smoldering wick. He will not extinguish it/him.
Anyone who is hurt like a smoldering wick, he will not smother/harm him
Translate the meaning of the metaphor. For example:
He will be gentle with anyone who is in pain.
He will encourage the person who has no hope.

a smoldering wick: A wick is the part of a lamp which burns. The phrase a smoldering wick refers to a wick which is burning red and smoking but without a flame.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

a smoking wick (GW)

a weak flame (NCV)

not extinguish: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as extinguish refers to putting out a fire/flame.

Here is another way to translate this verb:

quench (ESV)

12:20c

till He leads justice to victory.

He will do/be like this until he makes justice win over evil.
He will continue doing so until he causes everyone to receive what he deserves.

till: The servant will continue to be gentle (12:18d–20b) till he leads justice to victory. In some languages, it may be necessary to make some of this explicit. For example:

He will be like that until

He will continue to be gentle until

This does not imply that after he brings justice to victory, he will no longer be gentle.

He leads justice to victory: This is a figure of speech. In this figure of speech, justice is talked about as if it were a person who wins a victory. Justice wins a battle with evil. Jesus is the person who makes this victory possible.

In other words, one day Jesus will establish justice. He will fairly judge and punish people who are evil, and he will fairly judge and reward people who are righteous. In this sense, he will cause justice to be victorious over evil.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Keep the figure of speech. For example:
he will cause justice to be victorious (NLT)
he makes justice win the victory (NCV)
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
he will make sure that justice is done (CEV)
he will be successful in causing everyone to receive what he deserves
until he causes all things to be done justly

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / parallelism

κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει

˓a˒_reed ˓having_been˒_bruised (Some words not found in SR-GNT: κάλαμον συντετριμμένον Οὒ κατεάξει καί λίνον τυφόμενον οὒ σβέσει ἕως ἄν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τήν κρίσιν)

These two clauses mean basically the same thing. The second emphasizes the meaning of the first by repeating the same idea with different words. Hebrew poetry was based on this kind of repetition, and it would be good to show this to your readers by including both phrases in your translation rather than combining them. However, if it would be helpful to your readers, you could connect the phrases with a word other than and in order to show that the second phrase is repeating the first one, not saying something additional. Alternate translation: [He will not break a bruised reed; yes, he will not quench a smoking flax]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει

The author of the quotation speaks of weak or suffering people as if they were a bruised or damaged reed. He means that Jesus will not ignore or hurt these people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or use plain language. Alternate translation: [He will not hurt suffering people, which would be like breaking a bruised reed] or [He will not hurt suffering people]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει

˓a˒_wick ˓being˒_smoldering (Some words not found in SR-GNT: κάλαμον συντετριμμένον Οὒ κατεάξει καί λίνον τυφόμενον οὒ σβέσει ἕως ἄν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τήν κρίσιν)

The author of the quotation speaks of weak or suffering people as if they were a smoking flax. He means that Jesus will not ignore or hurt these people. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea in simile form or use plain language. Alternate translation: [He will not ignore injured people, which would be like quenching a smoking flax] or [He will not ignore injured people]

Note 4 topic: translate-unknown

λίνον τυφόμενον

˓a˒_wick ˓being˒_smoldering

A flax is a piece of cloth or thread made out of parts of the flax plant. People in the author’s culture would use these pieces of cloth or thread as lamp wicks. If the flax was smoking, it was not burning properly and would normally be thrown away and replaced. If your readers would not be familiar with this type of cloth and its use, you could use the name of something similar in your area or you could use a more general term. Alternate translation: [a smoldering wick] or [a lamp that is barely burning]

Note 5 topic: grammar-connect-time-sequential

ἕως

until

The word until indicates that the servant will continue to act as this verse describes up to the time when the goal of justice is accomplished. It does not mean that the servant will start acting differently at that time. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that indicates a duration of time up to a point in the future. Alternate translation: [up to the time when]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

ἐκβάλῃ & τὴν κρίσιν

˱he˲_˓may˒_send_forth & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: κάλαμον συντετριμμένον Οὒ κατεάξει καί λίνον τυφόμενον οὒ σβέσει ἕως ἄν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τήν κρίσιν)

The phrase casts out indicates that the servant is producing justice or causing justice to happen. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a comparable phrase or state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [he produces justice] or [he causes justice to happen]

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

εἰς νῖκος

to victory

The phrase to victory could mean that justice: (1) is accomplished successfully. Alternate translation: [successfully] or [completely] (2) lasts forever. Alternate translation: [forever]

Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν

˱he˲_˓may˒_send_forth to victory (Some words not found in SR-GNT: κάλαμον συντετριμμένον Οὒ κατεάξει καί λίνον τυφόμενον οὒ σβέσει ἕως ἄν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τήν κρίσιν)

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the ideas of justice or victory, you could express the same ideas in another way. Make sure that your translation fits with the choices you made in the previous two notes. Alternate translation: [he successfully accomplishes what is just] or [he makes everything just forever]

Parallel MAT 12:20

Section 12:15–21: Jesus is the Servant whom God chose

12:20a

12:20b

12:20c