MAT 3:8 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.)

OET (OET-RV) Turning from your sins should be accompanied by evidence that you’ve changed.

Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, pink:genitive/possessor.
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).

UST You need to do the things that show that you have truly rejected your previous sinful way of living!

AICNT Therefore, produce fruit worthy of repentance

OEB Let your life, then, prove your repentance;

WEBBE Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

WMBB (Same as above)

NET Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance,

LSV Bear, therefore, fruits worthy of conversion,

FBV Show by what you do that you have truly repented,[fn]

3:8 Literally, “Produce fruit worthy of repentance.”

TCNT Produce [fn]fruit consistent with repentance.

3:8 fruit ¦ fruits TR

T4T Do what is appropriate [IDM] for people who have truly turned away from their sinful behavior before you come to me in order to be baptized {that I baptize you}.

LEB Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance!

BBE Let your change of heart be seen in your works:

Moff Now, produce fruit that answers to your repentance,

Wymth Therefore let your lives prove your change of heart;

ASV Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

DRA Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of penance.

YLT bear, therefore, fruits worthy of the reformation,

Drby Produce therefore fruit worthy of repentance.

RV Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance:

SLT Do ye therefore fruit worthy of repentance.

Wbstr Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

KJB-1769 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

KJB-1611 Bring forth therefore fruits [fn]meet for repentance.
(Same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation and footnotes)

3:8 Or, answerable to amendment of life.

Bshps Bryng foorth therefore fruites meete for repentaunce.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above, apart from punctuation)

Gnva Bring foorth therefore fruite worthy amendment of life.
(Bring forth therefore fruit worthy amendment of life. )

Cvdl Bewarre, brynge forth due frutes of pennaunce.
(Bewarre, bring forth due fruits of pennaunce.)

TNT Brynge forth therfore the frutes belongynge to repentaunce.
(Bring forth therefore the fruits belonging to repentance. )

Wycl Therfor do ye worthi fruyte of penaunce,
(Therefore do ye/you_all worthy fruyte of penance,)

Luth Sehet zu, tut rechtschaffene Früchte der Buße!
(Behold to/for, does righteouse fruit the/of_the Buße!)

ClVg Facite ergo fructum dignum pœnitentiæ.[fn]
(Facite therefore fruit worthy of_repentance. )

3.8 Facite ergo fructus dignos. BEDA. Quasi diceret: Quare prius venena non deponitis, ut sic ad baptismum, etc., usque ad gratia est quæ sentit, sentiens quærit sanctitatem.

3.8 Facite therefore fruit worthy. BEDA. As_if would_say: Why first/before poisons not/no deponitis, as so to baptism, etc., until to grace it_is which feels, sentiens seeks sanctitatem.

UGNT ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας.
(poiaʸsate oun karpon axion taʸs metanoias.)

SBL-GNT ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας
(poiaʸsate oun karpon axion taʸs metanoias)

RP-GNT Ποιήσατε οὖν καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας·
(Poiaʸsate oun karpon axion taʸs metanoias;)

TC-GNT Ποιήσατε οὖν [fn]καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας·
(Poiaʸsate oun karpon axion taʸs metanoias; )

3:8 καρπον αξιον ¦ καρπους αξιους TR

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

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 3:1–12: John the Baptist taught people to repent and obey God

The story starting at 3:1 occurred about twenty-eight years after 2:23. Matthew did not tell what happened during those twenty-eight years. But he restarted the story at this time in Jesus’ life because Jesus was ready to begin the work that God gave him to do. He began at the time God chose for him.

John the Baptist was the last prophet before Jesus. The story of how John was born is in Luke chapter 1. He was the prophet whom God said would come (3:3). John wore the kind of clothes prophets often wore (3:4). He baptized people who repented. John preached that Jesus would be greater than he was (3:11).

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

The work of John the Baptist/Baptizer

The work of John who baptized people

John the Baptizer preached repentance and submission to God’s rule

John the Baptizer prepared people to receive the Lord

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 1:1, Luke 3:1–18 and John 1:19–28.

Paragraph 3:7–10

In this paragraph, John the Baptist spoke to the Pharisees and Sadducees.

3:8

Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

Produce fruit that shows that you^(plur) have repented.
Just as trees bear fruit and thus show what kind of trees they are, so you^(plur) must do the things that show that you have abandoned your sins.
Do the acts/things that show that you^(plur) have really turned away from sin and turned to God.

In this verse John told the Pharisees and Sadducees what they should do in response to his rebuke in 3:7c. They should repent and show their repentance by thinking and acting the way God wanted them to.

then: The Greek conjunction that the BSB translates as then connects this verse to 3:7. Many English versions do not translate this conjunction here.

Here are some other ways to translate this connection:

Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance (NET)

In order to escape judgment, you should…

If you want to avoid God’s punishment, you must…

Connect these two verses in a way that is natural in your language.

Produce fruit…in keeping with repentance: The phrase Produce fruit is a metaphor. A person’s good moral conduct is compared to fruit. They are similar in that both are the result and evidence of something. Fruit is the result and evidence of the type of tree it came from. A holy life is the result and evidence of someone who has truly repented.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

Translate it literally. For example:
Produce fruit that shows that you have repented.
Repent and produce the fruit that shows it.
Translate it as a simile and make the point of comparison explicit. For example:
Just as trees bear/produce fruit and show what kind of trees they are, so you must do the things/acts that show that you have really repented.
Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:
Behave in a way that shows that you have repented.
Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God. (NLT96)

in keeping with: The Greek word that the BSB translates as in keeping with is literally “worthy of.”

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

that will show (GNT)

that proves (NET)

that accompanies

that corresponds to

that goes together with

repentance: The Greek word that the BSB translates as repentance means “a change of a person’s mind, heart, or will.” In the Bible it refers specifically to a change of mind and heart about sin and about God. The person who repents is sorry for his past sins. John was saying that these people should quit sinning and instead obey God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

you have left/abandoned your sins

you have really turned from your sins and turned to God (NLT96)

you really have changed your hearts and lives (NCV)

The verb form of this word occurs in 3:2a.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result

οὖν

(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποιήσατε Οὖν καρπόν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας)

The word Therefore introduces an exhortation based on what John said in rebuking the Pharisees and Sadducees in the previous verse (see [3:7](../03/07.md)). If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that introduces an exhortation based on a previous rebuke. Alternate translation: [Instead] or [But here is what you should do:]

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

ποιήσατε & καρπὸν

produce & (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ποιήσατε Οὖν καρπόν ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας)

Here, John is speaking of people behaving in certain ways as if they were trees producing fruit. If it would be clearer in your language, you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [act in ways] or [perform deeds]

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / possession

ἄξιον τῆς μετανοίας

worthy ¬the ˱of˲_repentance

Here, John is using the possessive form to describe fruit that matches or goes along with repentance. If this is not clear in your language, you could express the idea in another way. Alternate translation: [that goes along with repentance] or [that shows repentance]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

τῆς μετανοίας

¬the ˱of˲_repentance

If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of repentance, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [of repenting] or [of people who repent]

Parallel MAT 3:8

Section 3:1–12: John the Baptist taught people to repent and obey God

Paragraph 3:7–10

3:8