13:25a

13:25 explains why many people will not be able to enter God’s kingdom. It is because the time will come when the owner will close the door. Consider whether it is necessary in your language to introduce this explanation with an explicit word or phrase. For example:

⌊The reason is that⌋…

After the master of the house gets up and shuts the door: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as After is literally “from (the time) when.” It refers to the period of time in the future starting from when the owner of the house closes the door.

gets up: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as gets up probably implies here that the owner gets up from the table where he has been sitting with the other guests (see 13:29). However, his position (sitting or standing) is not in focus here. In some languages it may be more natural to leave this information implied.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

After the homeowner gets up and closes the door (God’s Word)
-or-
When the master of the house has locked the door (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Starting from when the head of the household goes and shuts the door

It is implied from the context that after the door is closed, it will be too late for anyone to enter. In some languages it may be more natural to make this information explicit and to start the next verse part with a new sentence. For example:

…it will be too late. You will stand outside… (New Living Translation (2004))

General Comment on 13:24a–25a

In some languages it may be more natural to reorder the information in these verse parts. You may want to put the information about the owner closing the door before the conclusion that many will be unable to enter. For example:

24aMake every effort to enter the narrow door to God’s kingdom ⌊while it is still open⌋. 25aBecause when the owner closes the door, 24bI assure you that many people will try to enter, but they will not be able to.

13:25b

you will stand outside knocking: The word you refers to anyone who does not enter the house before the owner closes the door. One way to make this clear is to say:

you(plur) who are ⌊still⌋ outside will stand ⌊there⌋ knocking

In some languages it will be clear from the preceding context that the people who are knocking are standing outside the house. If it is unnaturally redundant to make this information explicit, you may leave it implicit. For example:

you will knock and say/plead

knocking: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as knocking is more literally “knocking at the door.” Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate it that way. You may translate “the door” literally or leave it implicit as the Berean Standard Bible has done, whichever is more natural in your language.

In Jesus’ time people knocked on a door in order to ask to be let in. If in your culture people make some other sign, other ways to translate it are:

• Explain the meaning of knocking. For example:

knocking ⌊to be let in⌋

• Use a word from your culture that means the same thing. For example:

coughing
-or-
calling out

13:25c

saying: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek term here literally as saying. A colorful way to translate this in order to add interest to the story is:

pleading (New International Version, New Living Translation (2004))

Use the verb that is natural in your language for introducing a request.

Lord: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Lord is the same title of respect that is translated as Lord in 13:23a. You should use a title that is appropriate for addressing the owner of a house.

open the door for us: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as open the door for us is more literally “open to us.” Some English versions, such as the Revised Standard Version, translate it that way. Use a natural expression in your language for requesting to enter someone’s house.

In some languages it will be necessary to make explicit that this is a request, not a command. For example:

Sir, please let us enter!

13:25d

But he will reply, ‘I do not know where you are from’: This clause probably means that the homeowner did not know what family these people belonged to. He was refusing to acknowledge any relationship with these people. He was saying that they did not belong to him or his family. He was not talking about the town or place that these people came from. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I don’t know who you are. (God’s Word)
-or-
I don’t know a thing about you! (Contemporary English Version)

In some languages it may be more natural to translate this direct quote as an indirect quote. For example:

But ⌊the owner of the house⌋ will refuse to acknowledge that he knows you.

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