4:38a–b

But Jesus was in the stern: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as stern is a technical term. It refers to the back end of a boat. For example, the Good News Bible says:

Jesus was in the back of the boat

Languages have different ways to refer to the stern of a boat. For example:

foot
-or-
tail

Use a word that is natural in your language. Be careful not to use an expression that implies that Jesus was behind the boat.

But: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But is a common conjunction that connects 4:38a to 4:37. It is often translated as “and.” In this context, there is some contrast (contra expectation) between what Jesus was doing (sleeping) and what we expected him to be doing (something other than sleeping such as helping the disciples). Because of this, the Berean Standard Bible and others versions such as the Revised Standard Version and New Jerusalem Bible translate this conjunction as But. However, other versions, such as the New International Version, do not translate this conjunction at all. Connect these verse parts in a way that is natural in your language.

sleeping on the cushion: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sleeping on the cushion means that Jesus was sleeping and his head was on a cushion/pillow. In some languages it may be natural to make that explicit. For example, the Good News Bible says:

sleeping with his head on a pillow

General Comment on 4:37–38a

Jesus began sleeping before the wind storm came. It may be more natural in your language to use “began sleeping” rather than “was sleeping” in this context. It that is true, you may want to mention this event before 4:37. For example:

38aJesus began to sleep with his head on a cushion in the back of the boat. 37aA furious squall came up, 37band the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.

Jesus continued sleeping during the wind storm and waves. Your translation should clearly indicate that Jesus continued sleeping.

4:38b

So they woke Him and said: The Greek text does not specify how the disciples woke Jesus. They probably woke him by speaking to him. In this case the disciples were afraid, so they probably shouted the words in 4:38c. The New Living Translation says:

The disciples woke him up, shouting

Translate this clause in a way that naturally expresses the drama and emotion of the context.

4:38c

Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?: This is a rhetorical question. It is really a plea for Jesus to help them. It may also be a rebuke. Translate this sentence in a way which shows that the disciples wanted Jesus to help them and save them from potentially drowning. They were also possibly rebuking him because he had not already helped them.

Here are some other ways to translate this:

• As a rhetorical question. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

Teacher, don’t you care that we’re about to drown?

• As a statement. For example:

Teacher, you act like you do not care that we are about to drown. Please do something!
-or-
Teacher, we are about to drown and you do not seem to care! Help us!

Teacher: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. In some languages the appropriate way to address a religious teacher may be:

Sir Teacher
-or-
Sir
-or-
Master

Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a school teacher.

we are perishing: If your language has exclusive and inclusive pronouns, you will need to decide which pronoun to use here. Each pronoun implies different things:

(1) The pronoun we(incl) implies that the disciples were afraid that both they and Jesus would drown. It also implies that Jesus did not care if he and they all drowned.

(2) The wordwe(excl) implies that the disciples were afraid that they, but not Jesus, would drown. It also implies that Jesus did not care if the disciples drowned but he would probably save himself from drowning.

It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). The disciples probably thought that everyone in the boat was in equal danger of drowning. They would not have expected Jesus to save himself but let them (the disciples) drown. (The UBS Handbook (page 153) says that “we” refers to the disciples. The TRT (page 56) suggests that we(excl) is more likely in view of Mt. 8:25 (the same story). However, both the UBS Handbook for Luke (page 342) and Translator’s Guide for Luke (page 136) recommend we(incl). The disciples may have been concerned primarily for their own welfare, but it is unlikely that they would have expected Jesus to selfishly save only himself. Philippine language versions on TW use inclusive.)

perishing: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perishing refers to dying because of not being able to breathe under water. The New International Version translates this word as “drown.” In some languages it may be natural to translate it simply as:

die

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