UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 17 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

7. Further opposition to Jesus and misunderstanding of the kingdom of God (13:53-17:27) * Jesus is transfigured (17:1–8) * The disciples ask about Elijah (17:9–13) * Jesus heals an epileptic boy (17:14–21) * Jesus predicts his suffering and death (17:22–23) * The two-drachma tax (17:24–27)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

“transfigured”

In 17:1–8, Matthew describes how Jesus was “transfigured.” This word indicates that Jesus looked very different to the disciples. Matthew does not tell us all the ways in which Jesus looked different, but he does say that Jesus’ face “shone as the sun” and that his clothes became very white. What this means is that the disciples were able to see some of the glory and majesty that Jesus has as God’s Son. Make sure that your translation shows that Jesus looked great and glorious.

Elijah

When Jesus was transfigured, the disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with him. Later, they ask Jesus about Elijah. They refer specifically to what the scribes say about a prophecy in Malachi 4:5–6, which indicates that God will send “Elijah” to prepare the way before God comes to judge his enemies and reward his people. Malachi is referring to a prophet who lived even earlier. This prophet, named Elijah, performed many miracles and spoke messages from God (see 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 2:1–17). The disciples ask about whether this Elijah is supposed to come before the Messiah does. Jesus says that this is true, and he talks about this “Elijah” in a way that shows the disciples that John the Baptist was “Elijah.” He means that John fulfills the prophecy in Malachi that someone like the prophet Elijah will prepare the way before God comes to judge and reward people. If your readers would not know the prophecy in Malachi or the stories about the prophet Elijah, you may need to include some of this information in your translation or in a footnote. (See: elijah)

The epileptic boy

In 17:14–21, Matthew tells a story about how Jesus healed a boy. Matthew first describes this boy as an “epileptic,” which refers to a disease that causes people to pass out and move uncontrollably. Later on, however, Matthew makes it clear that a demon is causing the boy’s sickness. You should only make this clear when Matthew does. See the notes on these verses for ways to refer to the disease and how to introduce the demon.

The two-drachma tax

During this time period, Jewish men were expected to pay a tax of two drachmas to the leaders, who would use the money to keep the Jewish temple operating properly. A drachma was about a day’s wages for a hired worker. When Jesus told Peter how to pay the tax, he said that he would find a coin worth four drachmas (a shekel) in the mouth of a fish he would catch. This coin would be enough to pay both Peter’s and Jesus’ taxes. You could include some of this information in your translation or in a footnote.

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Many of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in speeches that Jesus gives to the disciples. Because of this, the majority of forms of “you” in this chapter are plural. You should assume forms of “you” are plural unless a note specifies that the form is singular. (See: figs-yousingular)

Verse 21

Some of the earliest manuscripts do not include anything for 17:21. Some early manuscripts and many later manuscripts include the following words: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” Since the earliest manuscripts do not include these words, the ULT and UST include these words in brackets. If a translation of the Bible exists in your region, you may wish to use the reading that it uses. If a translation of the Bible does not exist in your region, you may wish to omit these words. If it would be helpful, you could put the words in brackets or in a footnote. (See: translate-textvariants)