SIL Translator’s Notes on 2 Peter 2000 – Page 6

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:11

1:11

you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: The literal meaning of the Greek is “entrance into the kingdom will be richly provided for you.” The basic meaning of this is obvious: God will gladly allow you to enter heaven which is here described as the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Modern versions try to express the idea of “lavish” in different ways. For example:

you will be given the full right to enter (Good News Translation)
-or-
a rich welcome awaits you (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
you will be afforded full and free admission (New English Bible)

eternal kingdom: Christ will reign as king forever, and believers will remain forever with him.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:12

Paragraph 1:12–15

Peter wanted to remind the people who would read this letter of some important truths. He wrote these truths in a letter because he thought that he would soon die. He wanted people to be able to re-read his letters after he had died and to remember what he had taught them.

1:12

the truth you now have: This refers to the Christian message which Christian leaders had taught the believers to whom Peter was writing this letter.

In some languages, a clause that starts with “even though” has to come at the beginning of the sentence. The Display of 1:12 shows one way to do this. Here is another possible way to translate this verse:

I know that you already know these things, and that you are firmly believing the true words that you have learned. But even so, I want to remind you about them again.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:13

1:13

I live in the tent of my body: The Greeks often referred to the body as a “tent,” which is the same as saying that the body is a temporary house for the soul. Here Peter meant simply “while I am still alive.” Unless your language has a similar way of talking about being alive, it will be better if you translate the meaning directly. For example:

as long as I am still alive (Good News Translation)

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:14

1:14a

this tent will soon be laid aside: Here Peter described dying as this tent will soon be laid aside. As in verse 13, unless you have a metaphor in your language that speaks of death in a very similar way, it will be better to translate the meaning directly rather than using a metaphor. So you can say, “I will soon die.”

General Comment about 1:13–14: In some languages, it may be necessary to reorder verses 13 and 14. A possible way of translating the reordered verses is:

Our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me that I will soon die. Therefore I think that it is right for me to continue to remind you of these things now while I am still alive.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:15

1:15

after my departure: Peter spoke of his death as a “departure.” It will be better to translate the meaning directly as “death,” because a literal translation may cause people who read it to think that Peter was physically leaving the place where he was.

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:1

Section 1:1–2

Peter greeted the people to whom he was writing

The letter begins in the usual way that letters began which Christians at that time wrote. First, the person who was writing the letter wrote his name: Simon Peter (verse 1a). Then he wrote the name or description of the people receiving the letter (verse 1b). After that, he included a Christian greeting (verse 2).

Paragraph 1:1–2

1:1a

Simon Peter: It will be clearer to include more information here, like this: “I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter.” Or you could add, “I am writing” in 1:1b. The Greek text and some English versions spell Simon according to the Hebrew spelling: Simeon. But it will be clearer for your readers if you spell Simon in the usual way in your language.

Peter described himself as a “servant” (a literal English translation of the Greek is “slave”) and an “apostle” of Jesus Christ. The word “apostle” means a person that someone sends to speak on his behalf. Peter described himself like this in order to remind the people who read his letter that God had given him the right to teach them. Peter was reminding them of this so that they would consider what he would say to be both true and very important, and so that they would obey him when he told them to do things.

1:1b

To those who…: Peter did not write the names of those he was writing to, but it is likely that they were the same group that received his first letter (1 Peter 1:1), because in 3:1 he said that he was now writing to them for the second time. Here Peter simply described the people to whom he was writing as those who trusted in Jesus in the same way that he and the other apostles did.

righteousness: This refers to Christ’s goodness and uprightness. All that he does is right, just and fair. So he enables anyone, not only Jews but people of any race, to believe in him and to become part of his own people.

our God and Savior: These terms probably both refer to Jesus. That is how most versions interpret this phrase.

faith: Most scholars think this refers to the power to believe and trust in Jesus. This is the most likely meaning. But some think that it refers to the teaching that Christians believed, and which Christians had taught to other people who were becoming Christians since the time when the apostles first taught these things (see 3:2b).

as precious as: The Greek word used here can have two meanings:

(1) “of equal privilege”. This is the most common meaning of the word. It means that the faith that those reading Peter’s letter have is not inferior to the faith of the apostles. It is the same kind of faith. For example:

for equal standing (Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version)

(Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version)

(2) “of equal value”. This is usually translated as Berean Standard Bible: “a faith as precious as ours.”

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation)

It is recommended that you follow the first interpretation (1).

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:17

1:17a

For: Peter again used this word to link what he would say next with what he had said before. The Display of 1:17a shows one way to translate what Peter meant here.

honor and glory: These two words, honor and glory, are very similar in meaning. Some commentaries say two separate things are referred to: that “honor” refers to what God said and that “glory” refers to how Jesus shone brightly at the time that Peter was talking about. However other scholars think that they are a pair of words that Peter used together in this sentence in order to emphasize in a special way how much God honored Jesus. If that is how Peter used these words, it is possible to translate them together. For example:

greatly honored
-or-
truly honored (Contemporary English Version)

God the Father: This is what the Greek text and most English versions say. If in your language, you need to make clear who God is the father of, you should translate this:

God his Father (Living Bible)

1:17b

the Majestic Glory: Most commentaries say that this is a way of referring to God without mentioning his name. If you accept this interpretation, you should translate carefully in a way that ensures that both the voice and the Majestic Glory clearly refer to God the Father. One way to do this is to say “God who is very glorious” or “God who has great glory.”

However, other people think that the Majestic Glory referred to the bright cloud that the men who wrote the Gospel accounts spoke about (see Matthew 17:5).

1:17c

This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: Peter quotes here the words that God the Father (speaking as a voice from heaven) spoke to Jesus, his Son, as recorded in the gospels. Check your translation of these words in Matthew 3:17 and 17:5 (similar in Mark 9:7 and Luke 3:22.) You should translate them the same way here.

This is My beloved Son: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as This is My beloved Son is literally “This is my son the beloved.” The words “the beloved” indicate here that Jesus was God the Father’s one and only dear son. This phrase does not imply that God has other sons whom he did not love.

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

This is my own dear Son (Good News Translation)
-or-
This is my dearly loved Son (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
This person is my son. I love him.

My beloved Son: The phrase My…Son describes the relationship that Jesus had with God the Father. “God’s Son” or “the Son of God” is a title that was often used to refer to a savior who would be a descendant of King David. God would send this savior to rescue his people. This person was often referred to as the “Messiah” or “Christ.”

The title “the Son of God” also indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. The relationship between God the Father and Jesus, his Son, is similar in some way to the relationship between human fathers and sons. God the Father does not have a physical body. He did not have a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. The Son of God existed eternally as the Son with his Father.

In areas where people do not understand the title “the Son of God” in this way, you may want to include a footnote that explains the correct meaning. Here is a suggested footnote:

This title refers to Jesus. It indicates that Jesus has the same nature and character as God. It does not mean that God the Father had a sexual relationship with Mary that resulted in her becoming pregnant and giving birth to Jesus. Mary became pregnant with Jesus in a miraculous way by the Holy Spirit of God.

In some languages, it is natural to speak of a son as a “child,” without specifying male or female. If that is true in your language, you may use a more general term, such as:

my Child (A translation of the title “the Son of God” must include a familial term such as “son” or “child.” Translations such as “the man who is God,” “the divine man,” or “the God man” are not acceptable, since they do not retain familial language. Examples of acceptable translation options include “the Son who comes from God,” and “the divine/unique/eternal Son of God.”)

Other verses will usually make clear that Jesus was a male child. If you use a phrase such as “my male child,” be sure that it does not imply that God had another child who was female.

in whom I am well pleased: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I am well pleased means “I am delighted” or “I am very pleased/satisfied.”

Some other ways to translate this clause are:

He makes me very happy/pleased.
-or-
in him I take great delight (NET Bible)
-or-
he makes my heart glad

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SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:18

1:18

Peter emphasized that “we ourselves” heard this voice, so you should emphasize “we” in your translation also. If your language has a special pronoun that people use to emphasize “we,” you should use that pronoun here.

holy mountain: The mountain was holy because of what happened there. If the only word available in your language means “pure, clean,” then it is better to say “God’s mountain.”

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Source: SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 2000

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:11

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:12

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:13

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:14

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:15

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:1

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:17

SIL Translator's Notes on 2 Peter 1:18

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