The idea of looking and beholding is common in Scripture. We frequently encounter the English word “behold” as a translation of the Greek ἰδοὺ (idou). It’s a singular imperative form of a word that means “see,” so this phrase literally means something like “look.” This word “behold” is used in …

The Gospels make frequent mention of demonic possession, but they pose an interesting linguistic difficulty because the Greeks had an entirely different view of such possession than that held by Christians today. In the Gospel According to Matthew 8:14–22 (NABRE), we encounter Jesus healing people who are possessed by demons. …

How would you define goodness? This week, we encounter two different words that can be translated as “good” in the Gospel According to Matthew 7:17. I’ve translated this verse as: “In this way, every good tree makes quality fruits, but the rotten tree makes wicked fruits.” The first word used to …

The Greek word translated in the Gospel According to Matthew 7:6 (NABRE) as holy or sacred is a common word with important Christian meaning. The word, ἅγιος (hagios), means dedicated to the gods, and it ultimately became the Greek word used to describe the Christian view of holiness. This word in …

In the Gospel According to Matthew 6:30 (NABRE), we encounter “you of little faith.” This phrase demonstrates one of the more interesting things about the Greek language that doesn’t often translate cleanly into English. In Greek, it’s possible to take two or more words and to mash them together to …

What does it mean for a person to disguise his or her face when fasting? Twice in this week’s translation, we run into an interesting Greek word,  ἀφανίζω (aphanizo), and in both cases, the word means something several steps removed from its root meaning. The verb itself contains the prefix …

One of the best-known passages in the New Testament is the Lord’s Prayer. Catholics often refer to this prayer as the “Our Father.” There are a number of differences between the way I would choose to translate this prayer and the common English text of the prayer. One such difference falls in …

Have you ever considered a prayer as a form of barter? Perhaps no translation issue is more relevant to our Christian lives today than the idea of prayer expressed in the Gospel According to Matthew 5:44. I’ve translated this verse as: “I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and offer prayers on …

This week I’ve chosen to translate the Gospel According to Matthew 5:37 as: “Let your word yes be yes and no be no. More than these things is from wickedness.” The word I chose to translate as “wickedness” sometimes also is translated as “the Evil One” due to an ambiguity in the …

The Gospel According to Matthew 5:28 (NABRE) contains a New Testament teaching on lust: “But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” The adverb that here is translated as “with lust,” in Greek is the …