UTN uW Translation Notes:

Matthew 27 General Notes

Structure and Formatting

11. The crucifixion of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection (26:1-28:19) * The Jewish council sends Jesus to Pilate, the governor (27:1–2) * Judas repents and kills himself (27:3–10) * Jesus’ trial before Pilate, the governor (27:11–26) * Jesus is crucified (27:27–56) * The soldiers mock Jesus (27:27–31) * Jesus is crucified, and people mock him (27:32–44) * Jesus dies (27:45–56) * Joseph of Arimathea buries Jesus’ body (27:57–61) * The chief priests and Pharisees secure Jesus’ tomb (27:62–66)

Religious and Cultural Concepts in This Chapter

The prophecy about the 30 pieces of silver and the field of the potter

In 27:3–8, Matthew tells the story of how Judas returned the 30 pieces of silver that the Jewish leaders had paid him to hand Jesus over. The leaders used that money to buy “the field of the potter” as a burial ground for foreigners. Then, in 27:9–10, Matthew indicates that these events “fulfilled” what the prophet Jeremiah spoke. Then, Matthew summarizes or paraphrases Zechariah 11:12–13, Jeremiah 19:1–13, and Jeremiah 32:6–9. These passages speak about a potter, 30 pieces of silver, or someone buying a field. Since Matthew indicates that he is referring to what Jeremiah said, you too should indicate that these words come from Jeremiah. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a form that indicates that Matthew is summarizing or paraphrasing from another text.

The drinks that people offered to Jesus

In 27:34, the soldiers offer Jesus “wine mixed with gall.” In 27:48, someone offers Jesus “vinegar.” In both cases, scholars debate whether people offered these drinks to help Jesus by easing the pain or quenching his thirst or whether they offered these drinks to torment Jesus by giving him a bad-tasting drink. Since it is not obvious what the purpose of the drinks were, if possible express the idea in such a way that your readers could draw either conclusion. If it would be helpful for your readers, you could include some extra information in a footnote. See the notes on these verses for translation options.

Calling Elijah

In 27:46, Jesus calls out “Eli, Eli,” which is how Jesus said “My God, my God” in his language. Some of the people standing there misheard him and thought that he was calling out to “Elijah,” a prophet with a name that sounds like “Eli.” There is a story about this Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11–12, where God takes him into heaven. So, some people believed that Elijah did not die and would someday return. The people who thought Jesus was calling to Elijah thought that he was asking Elijah to return and rescue him. If your readers would not understand why the people standing near Jesus speak about Elijah, you could include some extra information in your translation or include this information in a footnote. (See: elijah)

The curtain of the temple tearing from top to bottom

The “curtain” to which Matthew refers in 27:51 could be either the curtain that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the temple, or it could be the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the rest of the temple area. Matthew indicates that this curtain tore from the top to the bottom, which means that a person did not do it. Christians debate what the tearing of this curtain might have symbolized. There are at least three major options:1. the tearing of the curtain could indicate that access to God is now available to everyone.2. the tearing of the curtain could indicate that God is going to destroy the temple.3. the tearing of the curtain could indicate that God is about to do something powerful.Since Matthew does not explain what the tearing of the curtain means, you should not explain it in your translation. However, if it would be helpful for your readers, you could include what it might mean in a footnote.

The tomb of Joseph of Arimathea

The tomb in which Jesus was buried (27:60) was the kind of tomb in which wealthy Jewish families buried their dead. It was an large hole or room cut into a rock. It had a flat place on one side where they could place the body after they had put oil and spices on it and wrapped it in cloth. Then they would roll a large rock in front of the tomb so no one could see inside or enter.

Sealing the tomb

In 27:66, Matthew indicates that the chief priests and Pharisees “sealed” Jesus tomb. This means that they used something, probably wax on which they put a special symbol, to mark the stone that closed the tomb. It is not clear exactly where they put the “seal.” They might have attached it to the edge of the stone. They might have tied a rope around the stone and put the “seal” there. However, it was done, anyone who wanted to open the tomb would have to damage the “seal,” and the chief priests and Pharisees would know that someone had broken in. If your readers would not understand what the chief priests and Pharisees did, you could use a descriptive phrase or include some of this information in a footnote. (See: seal)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Sarcasm

In this chapter, people mock Jesus several times. First, in 27:28–29, the soldiers pretend like Jesus is a king. They give him a scarlet robe, a crown of thorns, and a reed, and they pretend to greet him as a king. They do not actually believe that Jesus is a king, so they are doing these things sarcastically to make fun of Jesus. Second, in 27:40–43, people walking by and the Jewish leaders tell Jesus to save himself, to come down from the cross, and to wait for God to rescue him. They do not actually believe that he can do these things, so they are speaking sarcastically to make fun of Jesus. Make sure that it is clear in your translation that these are sarcastic actions done to make fun of Jesus. See the notes on these verses for translation options. (See: figs-irony)

Translation Issues in This Chapter

Singular and plural forms of “you”

Most of the forms of “you” in this chapter appear in conversations, and many of the conversations are with one person. Because of this, the majority of the forms of “you” in this chapter are singular. So, you should assume forms of “you” are singular unless a note specifies that the form is plural. (See: figs-yousingular)

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?

In 27:46, Matthew spells out the sounds of the words that Jesus spoke in his own language. The words “lama sabachthani” are Aramaic, but it is unclear whether the words “Eli, Eli” are Aramaic or Hebrew. Either way, Matthew translates the words later on in the verse as “My God, my God, why did you forsake me?” You can express the idea as Matthew did by spelling out how the words sound and then translating their meaning in your language. (See: translate-transliterate)