11:50a–c

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the clauses of 11:50. See the General Comment on 11:50a–c at the end of 11:50c for a way to reorder this verse.

11:50a

In 11:49c Jesus ended his quotation of what God said. In 11:50 he began again to speak directly without a quotation. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit. Two ways to do this are:

• Supply a quote formula at the end of 11:49c. For example:

“…they will persecute.” ⌊That is what God said.⌋

• Supply a quote formula at the beginning of 11:50a. For example:

⌊Jesus continued,⌋ “Therefore…”

Express this in a way that is most natural in your language.

As a result: Scholars have interpreted the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as As a result in two different ways:

(1) It indicates result and introduces what would happen to the Jews as a result of their persecution of God’s messengers. For example:

So the people living now will be charged with the murder of every prophet (God’s Word)

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Century Version, God’s Word, New Living Translation (2004))

(2) It indicates purpose and introduces the purpose of God in sending messengers. For example:

so that the blood of all the prophets…may be charged against this generation (New American Standard Bible)

(New Jerusalem Bible, NET Bible, New American Standard Bible, and probably King James Version and Revised Standard Version)

It is recommended that you choose interpretation (1). It fits better with the change of speaker from God to Jesus. Jesus began to speak in his own words and told what would be the result of what happened. (The Contemporary English Version and New Living Translation (2004) do not translate this word.)

this generation: The phrase this generation refers to the people living at the time when Jesus was on earth. But it refers in particular to the Jews. Another way to translate this is:

the people of this time (Good News Translation)

Because this included the people to whom Jesus was talking, some versions translate this as “you.” For example:

you who live now (New Century Version)

The phrase “this generation” last occurred in 11:32a.

will be charged: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be charged means “will be declared guilty of.” It means that God will consider these people responsible for the murder of his prophets. He will require them to answer to him for what had happened. It is also implied that they were in some way guilty of these murders and that God would punish them. One way to make this explicit is:

will be punished (Good News Translation)

11:50b

with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed: In this context blood is a figure of speech that refers to a violent death. Jewish people shed (or spilled, or poured out) the blood of the prophets when they killed them. God was going to punish the Jewish people of Jesus’ generation for these murders.

If you need to supply a subject and say who shed their blood, you could supply “your ancestors.” For example:

for the deaths of all the prophets ⌊that your(plur) ancestors⌋ killed

11:50c

since the foundation of the world: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the foundation of the world can also be translated as “the creation of the world.” In this context it refers to the time when God created the first people.

General Comment on 11:50a–c

In some languages, it will be more natural to change the order of certain parts of 11:50. For example:

50cFrom the creation of the world, 50bthe blood of the prophets has been shed. 50aThis generation will be held responsible for these deaths.
-or-

50cFrom the time God created the world, 50byour ancestors have killed the prophets. 50aYou people of today will be held responsible for their/these deaths.

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