11:12

Or: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Or introduces another example that is similar in structure and meaning to the question in 11:11. In some languages, an alternate example like this may need to be introduced in another way. A specific connecting word like “or” may not be needed. For example:

Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
If/Suppose also that he asks you for an egg, will you give him a scorpion?

if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?: This is also a rhetorical question. It also expects a negative answer. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that no father would ever give his son a scorpion instead of an egg. Jesus was stating that no father would deliberately give his son something that is harmful to him.

Some ways to translate this sentence and emphasize it are:

• As a rhetorical question. For example:

Or if your son asks for an egg, will you give him a scorpion?
-or-
Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! (New Living Translation (2004))

• As a statement. For example:

If your son asks for an egg, you will certainly not give him a scorpion!

Translate this emphasis in a way that is most natural in your language.

an egg: An egg here refers to a chicken’s egg. An egg was another food suitable for children. In some languages it may be helpful to make explicit that the son wanted an egg in order to eat it. For example:

if he asks for an egg ⌊to eat⌋

If people in your area do not eat eggs, you can substitute some other type of food. If you do use a cultural substitute, you should include a footnote saying:

Jesus actually said ⌊a chicken⌋ egg. People in Israel regularly ate eggs.

a scorpion: A scorpion is a small creature, ranging from 1.3 to 20 centimeters long (½ inch to 8 inches long). It has eight legs and a poisonous stinger in its tail. No one in the Jewish culture of Jesus’ time would have eaten a scorpion (it was forbidden by Jewish law). If scorpions are not known in your culture, some ways to translate the word scorpion are:

• Use a general descriptive phrase. For example:

dangerous stinging things

• Use something in your culture that is similar to scorpions. For example:

centipedes

You may want to include a picture of a scorpion in your translation.

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