7:33a

So: The word So in the Berean Standard Bible introduces what Jesus did first as a result of the crowd’s request. Other English versions use the connector “And” to introduce this result. Other translations do not use any connector. Use a natural way in your language to introduce this event.

took him aside privately, away from the crowd: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took him aside privately, away from the crowd is literally “took him aside from the crowd off alone.” Notice that the Greek uses three expressions to emphasize that Jesus wanted to be alone with the man:

(a) took him aside,

(b) from the crowd,

(c) off alone.

Some English versions also use three expressions. For example:

taking him aside from the multitude privately (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
took him away from the crowd to be alone with him (God’s Word)

In some languages, it may be more natural to combine these three expressions into two. For example, the New International Version says:

took him aside, away from the crowd

crowd: This crowd refers to the same group of people who brought the man to Jesus.

7:33b–34

These verses describe the actions that Jesus did as he healed the man. In some languages there are special ways to describe procedures like this. For example, special connectors like “next” or special verb forms may be used. Use natural ways in your language to tell about these actions.

7:33b

This part of the verse tells the first action that Jesus did as he healed the man. In some languages it may be helpful to use a connector to introduce this action.

put His fingers into the man’s ears: This phrase probably indicates that Jesus used his fingertips to touch the openings of the man’s ears.

7:33c

Then: The word Then introduces the second action that Jesus did as he healed the man. In some languages there may be a special connector to use here, but in other languages a connector may not be needed. Do what is natural in your language.

He spit: It is not clear from the text where Jesus spit. Scholars suggest two possibilities:

(1) Jesus spit on his own finger or fingers. For example, the New Living Translation, 1996 edition says:

Then, spitting onto his own fingers

(2) Jesus spit on the ground.

Most English versions do not specify where Jesus spit. However, if it is important in your language to indicate a location, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). This interpretation has more support in the commentaries. (The word “fingers” was the direct object in the previous clause, so many commentators assume “fingers” to be the implied direct object in this clause.)

and touched the man’s tongue: Jesus probably used his own spittle to touch the man’s tongue. In some languages it may be necessary to make this information explicit. For example:

he touched the man’s tongue with his own spittle

General Comment on 7:33b–c

In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that Jesus used the same finger that he spit on to touch the man’s tongue. For example:

Jesus spit on his own finger and used it to touch the man’s tongue.

© 2008 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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