2:23a
He was delivered up by God’s set plan and foreknowledge: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as by indicates that Jesus was delivered up in accordance with God’s set plan and foreknowledge. His death happened as the fulfillment of a plan God had previously made. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
This man was handed over to you in accordance with God’s set purpose and foreknowledge
-or-
God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Jesus was given to you…But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen. (New Century Version)
He was delivered up: Some English versions add the words “to you” in indicate to whom Jesus was delivered up. For example:
This man was handed over to you (New International Version)
The Greek does not have the phrase “to you,” so it is recommended that you follow the Berean Standard Bible and not include these words.
However, in some languages it is more natural to indicate to/by whom Jesus was delivered. Perhaps Judas and the crowd handing him over is meant here, but more likely this clause refers to the Jewish leaders handing Jesus over to the Romans, because 2:23b explains that the Jews killed Jesus through lawless men.
The clause is passive. Some languages must use an active clause. For example:
You handed this man over
He: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He is literally “this one.” It is emphasized in the Greek. For example:
This man, ⌊Jesus,⌋
was delivered up: This phrase refers to putting someone under the control of someone else.
God’s set plan: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as set plan refers to deciding something and being determined in that decision. God decided, and would not change his mind, that the Jewish leaders should be responsible for killing Jesus. That was the purpose of putting Jesus in their hands. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the predetermined plan…of God (New American Standard Bible)
-or-
the definite plan…of God (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
God’s determined purpose
foreknowledge: This word indicates that God knew beforehand what the Jewish leaders would do to Jesus. Here are some other ways to translate this word:
he knew all this would happen (New Century Version)
-or-
he knew it would be fulfilled
-or-
knew beforehand
2:23b
you…put Him to death: This is an English idiom that means “killed him.”
by the hands of the lawless: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible literally translates as by the hands of indicates that the Jewish leaders wanted Jesus killed and had the lawless kill him. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
with the help of wicked men (New International Version)
-or-
by using wicked men to do it
the lawless: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as the lawless is literally “lawless men” (as in the Revised Standard Version). This word describes the Romans. They followed their own law but they did not follow God’s law. It implies that they are lawless or sinful. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
men outside the Law (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
sinful men (Good News Translation)
2:23c
by nailing Him to the cross: The soldiers probably drove nails through Jesus’ wrists just below his hands, and they also drove a nail or nails through his feet. In this way they fastened him to the wooden cross which they placed upright in the ground.
the cross: A cross refers to two large wooden boards or beams that were attached to each other. Roman soldiers used crosses to kill criminals. They nailed or tied a criminal to these wooden beams, then set them upright. They did this in order to cause the criminal to die slowly and painfully.
The word cross comes from the fact that the beams were crossed and attached. This made the shape of a † (or sometimes a T).
In many languages there may be no word for cross. If that is true in your language, you may need to use a descriptive phrase. For example:
board/wood of death
-or-
crossed-beam(s) of death
-or-
a tree for killing people
-or-
a stake/plank to which they fasten/nail someone to kill him
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