Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — Matthew 1–28 (English → Assamese)
Methodology
This analysis follows the PRD Phase 1 Step 1 mandate: full-book coverage of Matthew in the original Koine Greek, chapter 1 to chapter 28, with the core passage (Matthew 5:1–12) receiving exhaustive verse-by-verse treatment. Every load-bearing theological term is documented with: original word (Greek, transliterated), literal meaning, semantic range, English variants (as rendered across major English versions — KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB), contextual theological meaning in Matthew, and destination-language (Assamese) rendering risk.
Any term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json / bible_term_registry.json must be reused exactly and is marked [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM] below. New terms required for Matthew’s distinctive vocabulary are marked [NEW — MATTHEW] and are proposed for addition to the Language Package in 08_core_glossary.md.
A recurring structural risk across this book: Matthew’s Jewish-Palestinian setting, genealogical/Davidic material, and eschatological discourse intersect heavily with Assamese Vaishnavite (Ekasarana Dharma) categories already flagged in the Romans baseline (অৱতাৰ, মুক্তি, মোক্ষ, ধৰ্ম, গুৰু, নামঘৰ, ভক্ত/সন্ত) — and introduce new collision risks specific to Matthew: the Hindu cosmological realm স্বৰ্গ (Svarga), the guru-শিষ্য (guru-disciple) lineage pattern, and the Assam-specific Shakta blood-sacrifice tradition centered at Kamakhya. These are flagged explicitly wherever they arise.
PART 1 — CORE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes), Verse by Verse
Matthew 5:1
Greek: Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος… καὶ προσῆλθαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ
- μαθηταί (mathētai) — “disciples”
- Literal meaning: “learners,” those who follow a teacher and adopt his way of life.
- Semantic range: student, apprentice, follower, adherent.
- English variants: disciples (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB, uniform).
- Contextual theological meaning: Those who have already responded to Jesus’ call (4:18–22) and now receive his authoritative teaching. Foundational to the discipleship doctrine developed across the book.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শিষ্য (xissyo). Risk: High. শিষ্য is the standard Indic Bible term for “disciple,” but it is also the exact term for a student in the guru-শিষ্য (guru-disciple) succession central to Sankardev’s Ekasarana Dharma and its Satradhikar lineage — the same institutional pattern the baseline TM already flagged for “apostle” (rejecting গুৰু) and “saints” (rejecting সন্ত/ভক্ত). A mandatory translator note is required at first use: Christian discipleship is personal, living allegiance to Jesus as risen Lord, not induction into a human guru-lineage or Satra institution.
- ὄρος (oros) — “mountain” — Low risk; narrative/typological (new-Moses, new-Sinai overtones); no glossary action needed but worth noting in teaching material as a “new Moses” motif tied to the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine.
Matthew 5:2
Greek: καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων
- ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken), from διδάσκω (didaskō) — “was teaching”
- Literal meaning: to instruct, to cause to learn.
- Semantic range: teach, instruct authoritatively, train.
- English variants: taught (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: introduces the Sermon on the Mount as authoritative teaching (cf. 7:28–29, “the crowds were astonished… he taught them as one who had authority”). Central to the “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শিক্ষা দিছিল (xikkha dixil). Risk: Medium. Must not be flattened to a generic “advice-giving” register; pair consistently with the authority (ἐξουσία) term family developed at 7:29 and 21:23 to preserve the doctrinal weight.
Matthew 5:3
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
- μακάριοι (makarioi), from μακάριος (makarios) — “blessed”
- Literal meaning: fortunate, flourishing, to be congratulated because of one’s state before God.
- Semantic range: happy, blessed, favored, fortunate (but never merely “lucky”).
- English variants: blessed (KJV/ESV/NASB); happy (some paraphrases, rejected as too subjective/circumstantial).
- Contextual theological meaning: pronounces a settled divine verdict of favor on those in the stated condition, not a psychological feeling or good fortune. Opens each of the nine Beatitudes.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ধন্য (dhonyo). Risk: High. ধন্য is the established Assamese Christian rendering (parallel to Hebrew Psalm 1’s אַשְׁרֵי) and must be clearly distinguished from ভাগ্যৱান্ (fortunate/lucky, tied to fate/কপাল, already rejected elsewhere in the baseline for “election” and “providence”). ধন্য names God’s own pronouncement of favor, not accidental good luck or karma-earned merit.
- πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) — “poor in spirit”
- Literal meaning: destitute/beggarly with respect to one’s spirit.
- Semantic range: economically poor (πτωχός alone); here qualified by τῷ πνεύματι to mean spiritually destitute, utterly dependent on God, devoid of self-sufficient merit.
- English variants: poor in spirit (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB, uniform).
- Contextual theological meaning: the posture of complete spiritual bankruptcy and dependence that receives the kingdom — the opposite of self-achieved religious standing.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render আত্মিক দৰিদ্ৰ (atmik dôridro). Risk: Medium. Must not be read as literal material poverty alone, nor as ascetic self-impoverishment practiced as a merit-earning discipline (paralleling Satra bhakat renunciation, already flagged under baseline’s “separation unto God’s service” doctrine note). The phrase names an inward posture of dependence, not a vow of poverty.
- βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) — “kingdom of heaven”
- Literal meaning: the reign/kingship/sovereignty of the heavens.
- Semantic range: God’s present and coming sovereign rule; in Matthew’s idiom, functionally equivalent to “kingdom of God” (used by Mark/Luke and occasionally by Matthew himself, e.g., 12:28, 19:24, 21:31, 21:43), reflecting a Jewish scribal circumlocution avoiding direct use of the divine name.
- English variants: kingdom of heaven (KJV/ESV/NASB); kingdom of God is used interchangeably in some study Bibles’ notes.
- Contextual theological meaning: the central organizing announcement of Jesus’ ministry in Matthew — God’s reign breaking into history in Jesus, to be consummated at his return. This is the theological anchor of the whole curriculum’s first doctrine.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য (svargôrajyô), reserving ঈশ্বৰৰ ৰাজ্য [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM] for Matthew’s four “kingdom of God” instances, with an explicit translator note that both phrases name the same reality. Risk: Critical — new risk class beyond the baseline’s Medium-risk kingdom_of_god entry. স্বৰ্গ (Svarga) is a specific, named realm in Assamese Hindu cosmology — the temporary heavenly abode of the god Indra, attained by merit and departed from again through further rebirth within সংসাৰ. Every occurrence of স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য (32 occurrences across Matthew) risks being heard as this Svarga concept unless a distinguishing note accompanies first use in every document: the kingdom of heaven is God’s own eternal, sovereign, in-breaking reign inaugurated in Christ — not a temporary celestial reward-realm within a cycle of rebirth.
Matthew 5:4
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.
- πενθοῦντες (penthountes), from πενθέω (pentheō) — “those who mourn”
- Literal meaning: to grieve, to lament (often with public/ritual expression of grief).
- Semantic range: mourn over loss, mourn over sin, mourn over the brokenness of the present age.
- English variants: mourn (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: grief over sin and over the world’s brokenness under the reign of evil, which God himself will personally console.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শোক কৰা (xok kôra). Risk: Low.
- παρακληθήσονται (paraklēthēsontai), from παρακαλέω (parakaleō) — “shall be comforted”
- Literal meaning: to be called alongside, comforted, consoled.
- Semantic range: comfort, console, encourage, exhort (context-dependent; cf. baseline exhort [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: উৎসাহিত কৰা], which covers the encouragement sense).
- English variants: comforted (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: God himself is the consoler; the passive verb implies divine action, a “divine passive.”
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] In this consolation sense, render শান্তনা পাব (xantona pabo), distinct from উৎসাহিত কৰা (used for building-up/encouragement elsewhere). Risk: Low.
Matthew 5:5
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν.
- πραεῖς (praeis), from πραΰς (praus) — “the meek”
- Literal meaning: gentle, humble, unassuming in strength — power under control, not weakness.
- Semantic range: meek, gentle, humble, mild.
- English variants: meek (KJV/NASB); humble (some modern renderings, e.g., NIV footnote).
- Contextual theological meaning: not passivity or timidity but a disposition of humble trust in God rather than self-assertion, echoing Psalm 37:11.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render মৃদুশীল (mridushil) or নম্ৰ (nômrô). Risk: Medium. Must not collapse into a purely social-etiquette sense of “politeness”; needs a note clarifying this is strength held in trustful submission to God, not weakness.
- κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (klēronomēsousin tēn gēn) — “shall inherit the earth”
- Literal meaning: will receive as an inheritance/allotted portion the land/earth.
- Semantic range: inherit, receive as allotted portion; γῆ can mean “land” (the promised land, echoing OT covenant land-inheritance) or “earth” (the whole created order, eschatologically renewed).
- English variants: inherit the earth (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: eschatological reversal — those who do not grasp for power or territory now will receive the whole renewed creation in the age to come.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পৃথিৱী উত্তৰাধিকাৰত পাব (prithibi uttôradhikarôt pabo). Risk: Medium. Care is needed not to reduce this to a this-worldly territorial promise (a live sensitivity in Assam’s own history of contested land and regional sovereignty, already flagged in the baseline’s kingdom_of_god entry) but to retain the eschatological, new-creation horizon.
Matthew 5:6
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.
- πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες (peinōntes kai dipsōntes) — “hunger and thirst”
- Literal meaning: to be physically hungry/thirsty, used metaphorically for intense longing.
- Semantic range: physical hunger/thirst; metaphorical intense desire or craving.
- English variants: hunger and thirst (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: an urgent, all-consuming longing — not a leisurely interest — for righteousness.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render ধাৰ্মিকতাৰ বাবে ভোক-পিয়াস লাগা (dharmikôtar babe bhok-piyax laga). Risk: Low.
- δικαιοσύνην (dikaiosynēn) — “righteousness”
- [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ধাৰ্মিকতা, dharmikôta — Risk: Critical] — exact reuse required.
- Contextual note specific to Matthew: here righteousness names both the right standing before God and the transformed life-pattern that flows from it (cf. 5:20, 6:33) — Matthew’s ethical-relational emphasis complements Romans’ forensic emphasis without contradicting it. NEVER ধৰ্ম, per baseline.
- Contextual theological meaning: the object of the deepest human hunger is not material security or ritual merit but a right relationship with God and its resulting way of life.
- χορτασθήσονται (chortasthēsontai) — “shall be satisfied/filled”
- Literal meaning: to be fed to the full, satisfied (originally of animals fed to fullness).
- English variants: filled (ESV/NIV); satisfied (NASB); filled (KJV).
- Contextual theological meaning: God himself will fully satisfy this hunger — an assurance, not a possibility.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render পূৰ্ণ হব (purno hôbo). Risk: Low.
Matthew 5:7
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.
- ἐλεήμονες (eleēmones), from ἔλεος (eleos) — “the merciful”
- Literal meaning: showing compassionate mercy toward those in need or distress.
- Semantic range: merciful, compassionate, showing pity/kindness.
- English variants: merciful (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: those who extend to others the same undeserved compassion God extends to them — anticipates 18:21–35 (the unforgiving servant).
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render দয়ালু (dôyalu), from দয়া (dôya). Risk: Medium. The baseline restricts দয়া to ordinary compassion/mercy in non-salvific contexts (reserving অনুগ্ৰহ for saving grace); that restriction is respected here since ἔλεος in the Beatitudes names interpersonal mercy, not the forensic gift of justification. No conflict with the baseline’s grace entry, but the distinction should be reinforced in teaching notes so learners do not confuse দয়া here with অনুগ্ৰহ (grace) discussed elsewhere in the curriculum.
Matthew 5:8
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται.
- καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) — “pure in heart”
- Literal meaning: clean/unmixed with respect to the inner person (καρδία, the seat of will, thought, and desire in Hebraic anthropology).
- Semantic range: ritually clean (κατά τὸ σῶμα, of the body) vs. morally/inwardly clean (τῇ καρδίᾳ, of the heart) — Matthew specifies the latter.
- English variants: pure in heart (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: undivided moral and spiritual integrity, not external ritual purity — a theme sharpened later at 15:1–20 (what truly defiles).
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শুদ্ধ হৃদয় (shuddho hridôy). Risk: Medium. Must be clearly distinguished from ritual/ceremonial cleanliness (শুচি, already flagged as distinct from পবিত্ৰ in the baseline’s “holy” entry) — this is inward moral integrity before God, not ritual bathing, caste-purity status, or entry-purity customs associated with Namghar access.
- τὸν Θεὸν ὄψονται (ton Theon opsontai) — “shall see God”
- Contextual theological meaning: the beatific, relational vision of God, the ultimate hope of covenant fellowship — not a mystical merging of the self into an impersonal Absolute (Vedantic ব্ৰহ্ম, already excluded in the baseline’s Holy Spirit entry) but continued personal communion between distinct persons, God and the redeemed believer.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render ঈশ্বৰক দেখা পাব (Iswôrok dekha pabo). Risk: Medium, requiring the distinguishing note above.
Matthew 5:9
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται.
- εἰρηνοποιοί (eirēnopoioi) — “peacemakers”
- Literal meaning: those who make/produce εἰρήνη (peace).
- Semantic range: reconcilers, those who actively establish peace (not merely passive peace-lovers).
- English variants: peacemakers (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: active agents of reconciliation, reflecting God’s own reconciling character; connects to peace [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: শান্তি — Risk: Medium], the relational, covenantal peace with God (Romans 5:1), here extended to peace actively made among people.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render শান্তি স্থাপনকৰোঁতা (xanti sthapônkorõta). Risk: Medium, retaining the same distinction the baseline requires for শান্তি: relational/covenantal peace, not merely the meditative calm sought through naam-kirtan or japa.
- υἱοὶ Θεοῦ κληθήσονται (huioi Theou klēthēsontai) — “shall be called sons of God”
- κληθήσονται, from καλέω — [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: called — মতা, Risk: High]. Here the future passive names a status conferred by God, not a title achieved.
- υἱοὶ Θεοῦ (“sons of God,” plural, of believers) must be kept terminologically distinct from ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM — Risk: Critical], which the baseline reserves for Christ’s unique, eternal Sonship. Here the plural describes derivative filial status granted to peacemaking disciples — consistent with the baseline’s separate adoption [পোহাপুত্ৰ স্বৰূপে গ্ৰহণ] doctrine, not a claim of equality with the Son.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render ঈশ্বৰৰ সন্তান বুলি কোৱা হ’ব (Iswôror xontan buli kowa hôbo) (using সন্তান, “children,” for the plural believer-sense) to keep পুত্ৰ reserved for Christ’s unique title. Risk: High.
Matthew 5:10
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
- δεδιωγμένοι (dediōgmenoi), from διώκω (diōkō) — “persecuted”
- Literal meaning: pursued, chased, harassed, persecuted.
- Semantic range: persecute, pursue with hostility, harass for one’s beliefs.
- English variants: persecuted (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: suffering hostility specifically because of righteousness/allegiance to Christ — directly relevant to the curriculum’s “Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus” doctrine, developed further at 10:16–39 and 24:9.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render তাড়না পোৱা (tarona powa). Risk: Medium.
- Repetition of βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν — see 5:3 above; same Critical-risk rendering স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য applies, forming an inclusio that frames the whole Beatitudes unit (5:3, 5:10) around the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:11–12
Greek: Μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ᾿ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ. χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.
- ὀνειδίσωσιν (oneidisōsin) — “revile/insult”
- Literal meaning: to reproach, heap insult upon.
- Semantic range: insult, revile, mock, defame.
- English variants: revile (ESV/NASB); insult (NIV); revile (KJV).
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render নিন্দা কৰা (ninda kôra). Risk: Low.
- ψευδόμενοι (pseudomenoi) — “falsely”
- Contextual theological meaning: distinguishes righteous suffering under false accusation from deserved consequence for actual wrongdoing — an important pastoral distinction for believers facing social hostility.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render ভাঁঠিয়াকৈ (bhathiyakoi, “falsely”). Risk: Low.
- χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (chairete kai agalliasthe) — “rejoice and be glad”
- Literal meaning: rejoice (ordinary joy) and exult/be exceedingly glad (intensified, often worship-associated joy).
- Contextual theological meaning: a paradoxical command to rejoice precisely amid persecution, grounded in eschatological reward, not present circumstance.
- Destination-language rendering risk: Render আনন্দ কৰক আৰু উল্লাসিত হৈ থাকক (anondô kôrôk aru ullasitô hoi thakôk). Risk: Low.
- μισθὸς (misthos) — “reward”
- Literal meaning: wages, pay, recompense for work rendered.
- Semantic range: wages/pay (commercial); reward/recompense (moral-theological, as here and 6:1–6, 20:8).
- English variants: reward (KJV/ESV/NIV/NASB).
- Contextual theological meaning: God’s gracious recompense for faithful endurance, not a merit-wage earned independent of grace — must be held together with grace [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: অনুগ্ৰহ — Risk: High] so that “reward” is not misread as a merit-transaction of the boon-for-devotion (বৰ) type the baseline explicitly rejects for grace.
- Destination-language rendering risk: [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পুৰস্কাৰ (puroskar). Risk: Medium. A translator note is advisable wherever μισθός appears in ethical exhortation (5:12, 6:1–6, 16, 19:29, 20:8) clarifying that this reward flows from grace-based sonship, not independent merit accumulation (contrast with কৰ্মফল, “fruit of karma,” already excluded under the baseline’s grace and providence entries).
- προφήτας (prophētas) — “prophets” — [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ভাববাদী — Risk: Low]. Contextual note: the disciples’ persecution is placed in continuity with the persecution of the OT prophets, reinforcing the Fulfillment-of-Prophecy doctrine’s historical, linear framing (not a cyclical dharma-restoration pattern).
PART 2 — WHOLE-BOOK CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY (Matthew 1–28)
Chapter 1 — Genealogy and Birth of the Messiah
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christ/Messiah Χριστός / Μεσσίας (Christos) “Anointed One” | title of the promised Davidic deliverer Christ, Messiah | 1:1 opens the book naming Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hope | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: মচীহ — Critical] |
| Son of David (genealogical) υἱὸς Δαυίδ / σπέρμα Δαυίδ ”David’s son/seed” | royal lineage descent son of David, seed of David | 1:1, 1:6, 1:17, 1:20 ground Jesus in the Davidic covenant line | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: দায়ূদৰ বংশৰ — High] for lineage; see ch.9/ch.21 for the distinct titular use দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ |
| Holy Spirit Πνεῦμα Ἅγιον ”Holy Spirit” | the Spirit’s role in the virginal conception Holy Spirit/Holy Ghost | 1:18, 1:20 — the Spirit’s direct agency in Jesus’ conception, without human paternity | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: পবিত্ৰ আত্মা — Critical] |
| Save from sins σῴζω/ἁμαρτίαι (sōzō/hamartiai) “to save/deliver” from “sins” | rescue from moral guilt before God ”he will save his people from their sins” | 1:21 — states the very purpose of the incarnation; names Jesus (Ἰησοῦς = “YHWH saves”) | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: পৰিত্ৰাণ (save/salvation) — Critical; পাপ (sin) — High] |
| Virgin παρθένος (parthenos) “virgin, unmarried woman” | virginity/chastity; in Isaiah 7:14 LXX, a sign of miraculous divine action virgin | 1:23 — citing Isaiah 7:14, establishing the miraculous, non-ordinary origin of Jesus | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render কুমাৰী (kumari). Risk: High. Must convey a genuine biological virgin conceiving miraculously by the Holy Spirit’s direct act — not a euphemism, and not analogous to any Puranic narrative of divine-human union (e.g., avatar birth narratives); pair with the Immanuel/incarnation note below. |
| Immanuel Ἐμμανουήλ (Emmanouēl) “God with us” (Hebrew עִמָּנוּ אֵל) | a name/title expressing God’s personal presence Immanuel | 1:23 — the theological center of the birth narrative: God himself has come to dwell with his people | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render ইমানুয়েল (Imanuel), transliterated, with gloss “ঈশ্বৰ আমাৰ সৈতে আছে” (“God is with us”). Risk: Critical. This directly names the doctrine of দেহধাৰণ [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM — Critical] — the eternal Son permanently and uniquely taking human nature. A mandatory translator note distinguishing this once-for-all incarnation from Krishna’s repeatable avatar-descent (as the baseline already requires for দেহধাৰণ) must accompany the first occurrence of Immanuel, since this verse is often the very first place a new Assamese reader encounters the incarnation doctrine in Matthew. |
| Angel ἄγγελος (angelos) “messenger” | heavenly messenger of God angel | 1:20, 1:24 — God’s messenger directing Joseph | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render দূত (dut) or স্বৰ্গৰ দূত (svargôr dut, “heaven’s messenger”). Risk: Low. Distinguish from দূত already rejected as a rendering for “apostle” in the baseline (apostle carries commissioned authority; angel here is a heavenly messenger — the same base word দূত is acceptable for “angel” since no apostleship claim is implied). |
Chapter 2 — The Magi, Herod, and the Flight to Egypt
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magi/wise men μάγοι (magoi) astrologer-priests, court sages (from the Persian/Median priestly caste) | wise men, astrologers, magicians wise men, Magi | 2:1–12 — Gentile sages who recognize and worship the newborn king through a star | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পণ্ডিত (pôndit, “learned men”) rather than জ্যোতিষী (jyotixi, astrologer). Risk: Medium. The baseline already excludes জ্যোতিষী for “prophet” due to fortune-telling/occult associations; the same caution applies here, since Assamese readers could otherwise read this episode as endorsing astrology as a valid path to divine truth. A brief note that God providentially used a star to guide seekers — not that stargazing itself is a legitimate spiritual practice — is recommended. |
| Worship (of the child) προσκυνέω (proskyneō) “to bow down, prostrate, do homage” | ranges from respectful homage to a superior/king to full religious worship of deity worship, homage, bow down | 2:2, 2:8, 2:11 — the Magi’s act, ambiguous between royal homage and worship of a divine king; contrast with the fuller post-resurrection worship of Jesus in ch. 28 | [NEW — MATTHEW] See consolidated entry under Chapter 28 below; here render প্ৰণিপাত কৰা (pronipat kora), reserving the fuller আৰাধনা কৰা (aradhona kora) for unambiguous divine worship. Risk: High — see doctrinal note in Chapter 28 entry. |
| Fulfillment formula ἵνα/ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν (hina/hopōs plērōthē to rhēthen) “that it might be fulfilled, what was spoken” | recurring editorial formula introducing an OT citation as historically fulfilled ”that it might be fulfilled,” “this was to fulfill” | 2:15, 2:17–18, 2:23 (and again at 1:22, 4:14, 8:17, 12:17, 13:35, 21:4, 26:56, 27:9) — Matthew’s signature formula anchoring Jesus’ life in linear OT fulfillment | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render যাতে…পূৰণ হয় (jate…puron hoy). Risk: High. Central to the Fulfillment-of-Prophecy doctrine; must convey a single, linear, historical fulfillment of a specific prior promise — never a cyclical dharma-restoration pattern in which a deity periodically re-enacts a similar redemptive role across ages (the same risk already flagged for দেহধাৰণ). |
Chapter 3 — John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repent/repentance μετανοέω / μετάνοια (metanoeō/metanoia) “to change one’s mind,” a turning of the whole person | inward turning from sin toward God, with resulting change of life repent, repentance | 3:2, 3:8, 3:11 — John’s call preparing for the kingdom’s arrival | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render মন পালটন (mon paltôn) / verb মন পালটোৱা (mon paltowa). Risk: High. Must convey a genuine inward, God-ward reorientation of the whole person, not (a) mere emotional regret, or (b) a Hindu-devotional act of prāyaścitta (ritual penance/austerity performed to offset demerit) which the target audience may otherwise assume is functionally equivalent. |
| Kingdom of heaven (announced) βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν — | — — | 3:2 — “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” John’s proclamation | See Chapter 5/core-passage entry — স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য, Risk: Critical. First narrative occurrence; mandatory translator note applies here as well. |
| Baptism βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω (baptisma/baptizō) “immersion, dipping” | ritual washing; in John’s usage, a public rite marking repentance in preparation for the Messiah; later, Christian baptism into the triune name (28:19) baptism, baptize | 3:6, 3:11, 3:13–16 — John’s baptism of repentance, and Jesus’ own baptism | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render বাপ্তিস্ম (baptism, transliterated) / verb বাপ্তাইজ কৰা (baptaij kora), the established Assamese Christian loanword. Risk: High. Must be clearly distinguished from Hindu ritual bathing for merit or purification (e.g., পুণ্য স্নান, tirtha-snana at sacred rivers such as the Brahmaputra) — biblical baptism signifies repentance and, later, union with Christ’s death and resurrection (cf. Romans 6, already in the curriculum’s parent package), not a merit-earning ablution. |
| Voice from heaven / beloved Son φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν… ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός ”a voice from the heavens… my beloved Son” | divine attestation of Sonship ”This is my beloved Son” | 3:17 — the Father’s direct verbal testimony to the Son at the baptism, a Trinitarian moment | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ — Critical; পিতা — Critical; পবিত্ৰ আত্মা — Critical]. All three persons of the Trinity are present in this single scene; treat with full Critical-tier care. |
Chapter 4 — Temptation, and the Call of the First Disciples
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devil/Satan διάβολος (diabolos) / σατανᾶς (satanas) “slanderer/accuser” / “adversary” | the personal, malevolent spiritual enemy of God and humanity the devil, Satan, the tempter | 4:1, 4:5, 4:8, 4:10 — Jesus’ wilderness temptation | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শয়তান (Xoytan), transliterated. Risk: Medium. Established Assamese Christian term; must be presented as a single, personal, defeated enemy, not one of many impersonal malevolent spirits (bhoot-preta) within Assamese folk cosmology, nor as a metaphor for an impersonal principle of evil. |
| Temptation πειρασμός / πειράζω (peirasmos/peirazō) “testing, trial” | can mean a hostile enticement to sin, or a divinely permitted testing of character temptation, trial, test | 4:1, 4:3, 4:7 — the wilderness temptation narrative | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পৰীক্ষা (porikkha). Risk: Low-Medium. Context must clarify whether the sense is “enticement to sin” (as here) or “trial/testing” (as in 6:13’s Lord’s Prayer petition, “lead us not into temptation”). |
| Worship (Satan’s demand) προσκυνέω — | — — | 4:9–10 — Satan demands worship; Jesus’ reply, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13, restricts προσκυνέω and λατρεύω (serve) to God alone | Reinforces the Critical-risk worship entry (see Chapter 28): here the text itself supplies the theological safeguard — worship belongs to God alone, a useful anchor verse for teaching the distinction. |
| Fishers of men / follow me δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου (deute opisō mou) “come after me” | a call to allegiance and vocational transformation ”follow me,” “fishers of men” | 4:19–22 — the call of the first disciples, model for the discipleship-cost doctrine | Connects to শিষ্য (disciple) — see Chapter 5 core-passage entry. |
Chapter 5 (5:13–48) — Salt, Light, the Law, and the Antitheses
(5:1–12 treated exhaustively above as the core passage.)
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fulfill the Law πληρῶσαι (plērōsai), from πληρόω ”to fill up, complete, bring to its intended fullness” | fulfill, complete, accomplish the intended purpose of ”I have not come to abolish… but to fulfill” | 5:17 — Jesus’ programmatic statement on his relationship to the Law and Prophets; foundational to both Fulfillment-of-Prophecy and Authority-of-Teaching doctrines | See Chapter 2 entry — পূৰণ কৰা, Risk: High. Must be distinguished from “abolish” (καταλύω), reinforcing that Jesus brings the Law to its intended completion rather than discarding or merely repeating it in another cycle. |
| Law νόμος (nomos) “Law” — Torah/Mosaic Law | — — | 5:17–18 — “the Law and the Prophets” | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: বিধান — High]. NEVER ধৰ্ম, per baseline. |
| Righteousness (exceeding the Pharisees) δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) — | — — | 5:20 — “unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees” — the curriculum’s named doctrine, “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ধাৰ্মিকতা — Critical]. Contextual note: Matthew 5:20 sharpens this into a comparative, ethical-relational sense (surpassing external legal compliance), which must be taught alongside, not against, the forensic sense already established in the Romans package — the two are complementary facets of one doctrine, not competing definitions. |
| ”You have heard it said… but I say to you” (authority formula) ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη… ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν ”you heard that it was said… but I say to you” | recurring rhetorical formula asserting Jesus’ own authoritative voice alongside/above the received legal tradition the six “antitheses” (5:21–48) | This formula is the linguistic backbone of the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine: Jesus speaks with an authority equal to, and interpretively superior to, the Torah’s own textual tradition | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render তোমালোকে শুনিছা যে…কিন্তু মই তোমালোকক কৌ (tomaloke xunisa je… kintu moi tomalokok kou). Risk: High. Must preserve Jesus speaking in his own authoritative voice, not merely citing or interpreting a prior teacher’s ruling as one more scribal opinion among others — the force of ἐξουσία (see ch. 7) is implicit here. |
| Perfect τέλειος (teleios) “complete, whole, mature” | moral/relational completeness, wholehearted covenant faithfulness ”be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” | 5:48 — the climax of the antitheses, calling disciples to reflect God’s own comprehensive covenant love (including love of enemies) | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render সম্পূৰ্ণ (sompurno). Risk: Medium. Must not be read as the Hindu/Vedantic goal of a liberated, perfected soul (সিদ্ধ/জীৱন্মুক্ত) attained through yogic or ascetic practice; here it names wholehearted, comprehensive covenant love that mirrors God’s own character, received and lived out by grace, not self-achieved spiritual attainment. |
Chapter 6 — The Lord’s Prayer, Fasting, and Treasure
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hypocrite ὑποκριτής (hypokritēs) “stage actor, one who wears a mask” | one who performs righteousness for human observation rather than from the heart hypocrite | 6:2, 6:5, 6:16 — those who pray/fast/give for outward show | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render কপটী (kôpôti). Risk: Medium. Recurs heavily in ch. 23 (woes to Pharisees); should be kept distinct from general social insincerity — it names specifically religious performance for human approval rather than God’s approval. |
| Father (in prayer) πατήρ (patēr) — | — — | 6:9 — “Our Father in heaven,” opening the Lord’s Prayer; also 6:1, 6:4, 6:6, 6:8, 6:14–15, 6:18, 6:26, 6:32 | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: পিতা — Critical]. Chapter 6 is the single densest concentration of this term in the Gospel; consistency here is essential for the Great Commission’s Trinitarian formula (ch. 28) to land coherently later. |
| Kingdom (Lord’s Prayer petition) ἡ βασιλεία σου (hē basileia sou) “your kingdom” | — — | 6:10 — “your kingdom come” | Same স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য / ঈশ্বৰৰ ৰাজ্য treatment as above; here the petition explicitly asks for the kingdom’s active in-breaking, reinforcing that it is not a static heavenly location. |
| Debts/trespasses (forgiveness) ὀφειλήματα (opheilēmata) “debts, what is owed” | moral debt/offense, used metaphorically for sin debts, trespasses, sins | 6:12 — “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ধৰুৱা (dhôruwa, “debt”), functioning as a synonym field with পাপ [REUSED — High]. Risk: Low-Medium. The debt-metaphor should be retained (not flattened directly to পাপ) to preserve the relational, reciprocal-forgiveness logic of the petition. |
| Mammon μαμωνᾶς (mamōnas) Aramaic loanword: “wealth, riches” (personified) | money/material wealth treated as a rival master mammon, money, wealth | 6:24 — “you cannot serve God and mammon” | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ধন-সম্পত্তি (dhôn-sompôtti) or retain transliteration মামোনা. Risk: Low. |
| Treasure in heaven θησαυρὸς ἐν οὐρανῷ (thēsauros en ouranō) “treasure in heaven” | eternal, imperishable reward with God, contrasted with perishable earthly wealth treasure in heaven | 6:19–21 | Connects to μισθός/reward entry (core passage 5:12) and the Critical-risk স্বৰ্গ/heaven collision flagged under kingdom of heaven — a note that “heaven” here names God’s imperishable realm, not the temporary Svarga, is again advisable. |
Chapter 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, and True Discipleship
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judge κρίνω (krinō) “to judge, decide, discern” | render a verdict; can mean condemn presumptuously (7:1) or exercise proper discernment (7:6, 15–20) judge | 7:1–5 — “judge not, that you be not judged” | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render বিচাৰ কৰা (bicar kora). Risk: Medium. Foundational vocabulary for the later Judgment-and-End-of-Age doctrine (ch. 24–25); here the sense is prohibiting self-righteous condemnation of others, not a denial that God himself judges rightly. |
| False prophets ψευδοπροφῆται (pseudoprophētai) “false prophets” | those who falsely claim divine authorization false prophets | 7:15 — “beware of false prophets… wolves in sheep’s clothing” | Built on [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ভাববাদী — Low] negated with ভুৱা (bhuwa, “false”): ভুৱা ভাববাদী. Risk: Medium, given recurrence in the eschatological discourse (24:11, 24) where false-messiah/false-prophet claims intensify. |
| Narrow gate ἡ στενὴ πύλη (hē stenē pylē) “the narrow gate” | the demanding, exclusive path of true discipleship, contrasted with the wide easy path to destruction narrow gate, narrow way | 7:13–14 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render সংকীৰ্ণ দুৱাৰ (xôngkirno duwar). Risk: Low-Medium. Connects to the Discipleship-Cost doctrine developed further at 16:24–26 and 19:16–30. |
| Authority (crowd’s astonishment) ἐξουσία (exousia) “authority, delegated right/power to act” | official authority, jurisdiction, power vested in a person or office authority, power | 7:29 — “he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render অধিকাৰ (odhikar). Risk: High. The single load-bearing term for the “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine, recurring at 8:9, 9:6, 9:8, 10:1, 21:23–27, 28:18. Must convey a delegated, divine authority inherent to Jesus himself, not merely social prestige, scribal expertise, or rhetorical skill — and must not be rendered with vocabulary suggesting Satradhikar institutional office or guru-status authority. |
Chapter 8 — Healings, a Centurion’s Faith, and the Cost of Following
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faith πίστις (pistis) — | — — | 8:10 — the centurion’s faith, commended by Jesus as exemplary | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: বিশ্বাস — High]. Object of faith (Jesus’ authoritative word) must remain clear, per baseline note. |
| Authority (military analogy) ἐξουσία — | — — | 8:9 — the centurion’s own analogy of command authority illuminates Jesus’ authority | See Chapter 7 entry; reinforced here. |
| Son of Man ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (ho huios tou anthrōpou) “the son of man” | (a) a generic Semitic idiom for “a human being”; (b) in Daniel 7:13–14, a specific, exalted, divinely-authorized eschatological figure who receives everlasting dominion from God; Jesus’ preferred self-designation combines both senses ”Son of Man” | 8:20 — “the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head,” Jesus’ characteristic self-title used ~30 times in Matthew, spanning humility (8:20), authority (9:6, 12:8), suffering (17:22), and eschatological glory (24:30, 25:31, 26:64) | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render মানুহৰ পুত্ৰ (manuhôr putrô). Risk: Critical. The literal Assamese rendering could be misread as merely emphasizing Jesus’ ordinary humanity (true but radically incomplete), losing the Daniel 7 background in which this title claims divine authority to judge and reign forever. A translator note explaining the Daniel 7 background is required at first occurrence, and the term must be kept terminologically distinct from ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ (Son of God) — both are true of Jesus, but they emphasize different, complementary aspects of his identity and must not be collapsed into one another or treated as synonyms. |
| Demon/unclean spirit δαιμόνιον (daimonion) / πνεῦμα ἀκάθαρτον ”little deity/spirit” (Greek, morally neutral in pagan usage) / “unclean spirit” | in NT usage, always a malevolent, personal spiritual being under Satan’s authority demon, unclean spirit, evil spirit | 8:16, 8:28–34 — Jesus’ authority over demons | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render অপবিত্ৰ আত্মা (opobitrô atma) or ভূত (bhut). Risk: High. ভূত carries strong folk connotations of ancestral or wandering ghosts in Assamese belief, which is not equivalent to a fallen spiritual being under organized demonic authority; prefer অপবিত্ৰ আত্মা (built on the already-established পবিত্ৰ root, negated) for theological precision, reserving ভূত for looser narrative register only with a clarifying note. |
Chapter 9 — Forgiveness of Sins, New Wine, and the Harvest
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authority to forgive sins ἐξουσίαν ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας ”authority to release/forgive sins” | — — | 9:6, 9:8 — the paralytic’s healing demonstrates the Son of Man’s authority to forgive sins, a divine prerogative | Combines অধিকাৰ [High] and পাপ [REUSED — High]; theologically Critical because it asserts Jesus exercises an authority Scripture reserves to God alone (cf. 9:3, the scribes’ charge of blasphemy) — connects directly to the Deity-of-Christ doctrine inherited from the Romans package. |
| Son of David (titular, first crowd-address use) υἱὸς Δαυίδ — | — — | 9:27 — two blind men cry “Son of David, have mercy on us,” the first of several such messianic appeals (also 12:23, 15:22, 20:30–31, 21:9, 21:15) | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ (Dayudôr putrô), distinct from the lineage phrase দায়ূদৰ বংশৰ [REUSED — High] used in the genealogy. Risk: High. This is a direct messianic title invoked in petition/acclamation, not merely a genealogical descriptor; it must be recognized by the reader as a recognition of Jesus’ messianic identity (cf. ch. 1 doctrine notes on the Davidic Covenant), and must not be assimilated to any other regional royal-lineage or guru-successor title. |
| Mercy (not sacrifice) ἔλεος (eleos) — | — — | 9:13 — quoting Hosea 6:6, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice” | Builds on দয়া [Medium] from the core passage (5:7); here explicitly contrasted with ritual temple sacrifice, an important text for teaching against a merit-transaction view of religious practice — worth flagging alongside the ch. 26 blood/sacrifice note below. |
| Harvest / laborers θερισμός (therismos) “harvest” | eschatological metaphor for the gathered mission field and its urgency ”the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” | 9:37–38 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render শস্য চপোৱা (xoxyo côpowa) metaphor. Risk: Low. Feeds into the Great Commission doctrine (ch. 28). |
Chapter 10 — The Sending of the Twelve
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apostles/the Twelve ἀπόστολοι (apostoloi) — | — — | 10:2 — the only explicit use of “apostle” in Matthew, naming the Twelve | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: প্ৰেৰিত — Medium]. NEVER গুৰু, per baseline. |
| Sending / mission charge ἀποστέλλω (apostellō) “to send out with a commission” | authorized sending ”sent them out” | 10:5 | Root cognate of প্ৰেৰিত; connects to the Great Commission doctrine developed fully at 28:18–20. |
| Cross / take up cross σταυρός (stauros) / ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ ”stake, cross” (Roman execution instrument) / “having taken up his cross” | literal instrument of Roman execution; metaphorically, total self-denying allegiance even unto death cross, take up the cross | 10:38 (and again 16:24) — “whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render ক্ৰুচ (krus), transliterated, established Assamese Christian loanword; “take up the cross” = ক্ৰুচ বহন কৰা (krus bôhon kora). Risk: High. Central to the Discipleship-and-Cost-of-Following doctrine. Must not be softened into a generic metaphor for “life’s burdens/hardships,” nor assimilated to ascetic self-mortification practiced for merit (Satra bhakat austerity); it names willing, costly, total allegiance to Jesus even to the point of death, following the pattern Jesus himself will walk in ch. 27. |
| Lose life / find life ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ… εὑρήσει αὐτήν ”will lose his soul/life… will find it” | ψυχή ranges over “life,” “self,” “soul” depending on context lose his life, find his life | 10:39 (and 16:25) | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ψυχή here as প্ৰাণ (pran, “life/self”) rather than আত্মা. Risk: Medium. Keeping প্ৰাণ distinct from আত্মা (reserved for পবিত্ৰ আত্মা, the Holy Spirit, and for the “soul” in other contexts) avoids implying a Vedantic ātman (an eternal individual soul ultimately identical with an impersonal Absolute); this text is about self-denying allegiance to Christ, not metaphysical self-realization. |
| Sparrows / Father’s care τὰ στρουθία… ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ”the sparrows… your Father” | God’s personal, providential care even over the smallest creatures ”not one sparrow falls… your Father knows” | 10:29–31 | Connects to [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ঈশ্বৰৰ বিধান (providence) — High]; must convey personal divine care, never impersonal fate/karma. |
Chapter 11 — John the Baptist’s Question and Jesus’ Yoke
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| The one who is to come ὁ ἐρχόμενος (ho erchomenos) “the one coming” | messianic-expectation formula ”the Coming One,” “he who is to come” | 11:3 — John’s question, “are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” | Connects directly to মচীহ [Critical] and the Messianic-Promise doctrine; render যি জন আহিব লাগে (ji jon ahibo lage). Risk: High. |
| Easy yoke / rest ζυγός (zygos) / ἀνάπαυσις (anapausis) “yoke” (a wooden crossbar for draft animals, also a rabbinic metaphor for “the yoke of the Law/Torah-study”) / “rest” | Jesus offers his own “yoke” (teaching/discipleship) as light, in implicit contrast to the burdensome yoke of Pharisaic legal interpretation ”my yoke is easy… you will find rest for your souls” | 11:28–30 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render যুৱঁ যুগ (jug) may cause confusion (see below) — prefer যুৱলি (juwôli, “yoke,” an agricultural implement term); “rest” = বিশ্ৰাম (bisram). Risk: Medium. Caution: the Sanskritic/Hindu term যুগ (yug), meaning a cosmic age within the cyclical four-yuga scheme, is a near-homophone risk in careless rendering; ensure যুৱলি (the ox-yoke implement) is used, not যুগ, to avoid inadvertent cyclical-time connotations bleeding into this text. |
Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies and the Sign of Jonah
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sabbath σάββατον (sabbaton) “Sabbath, seventh-day rest” | the OT weekly day of rest and worship Sabbath | 12:1–14 — Jesus’ Lord-of-the-Sabbath controversies | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render বিশ্ৰাম বাৰ (bisram bar). Risk: Medium. Established Assamese Bible term; care needed only that it not be treated as identical to a generic weekly holiday. |
| Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath κύριός ἐστιν τοῦ σαββάτου ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου — | — — | 12:8 | Combines প্ৰভু [Critical] and মানুহৰ পুত্ৰ [Critical] — a direct claim to divine authority over a core Mosaic institution; treat as Critical. |
| Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα ”slander/blasphemy against the Spirit” | the unforgivable sin of willfully attributing the Spirit’s clearly-evidenced work to Satan ”unforgivable sin,” “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” | 12:31–32 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পবিত্ৰ আত্মাৰ বিৰুদ্ধে নিন্দা (pobitrô atmar biruddhe ninda), using [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: পবিত্ৰ আত্মা — Critical]. Risk: Critical. Needs careful pastoral handling to avoid inducing unwarranted fear in genuinely repentant believers; a brief explanatory note distinguishing this specific willful, hardened rejection from ordinary doubt or sin is recommended for teaching material. |
| Sign of Jonah τὸ σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ ”the sign of Jonah” | typological prophecy: Jonah’s three days in the fish prefigure Jesus’ three days in the tomb ”sign of Jonah” | 12:39–40 | Connects Fulfillment-of-Prophecy doctrine to the coming Resurrection doctrine (ch. 28); render যোনাৰ চিন (Jonar cin). Risk: Medium. |
Chapter 13 — The Kingdom Parables
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parable παραβολή (parabolē) “a placing beside,” a comparison/illustrative story | figurative teaching form comparing kingdom realities to ordinary life parable | 13:3ff — the parable discourse, Matthew’s longest single collection of parables | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render দৃষ্টান্ত (dristanto). Risk: Low-Medium. Standard Assamese Bible term; note only that it should not be confused with generic folk-story genre (নীতিকথা) which may carry moral-fable rather than kingdom-revelatory connotations. |
| Mysteries of the kingdom τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας (ta mystēria tēs basileias) “the mysteries/secrets of the kingdom” | truths formerly hidden, now disclosed by Jesus to those who receive him in faith ”the secrets of the kingdom of heaven” | 13:11 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ৰাজ্যৰ নিগূঢ় সত্য (rajyôr nigurho xotyô). Risk: Medium. Must not be assimilated to esoteric secret teachings reserved for advanced initiates within a guru-lineage or tantric-style initiatory framework; these “mysteries” are revealed plainly by Jesus to all who respond in faith, restricted only by unbelief, not by rank or initiation level. |
| Kingdom of heaven (parabolic repetition) βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν — | — — | 13:24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47, 52 — the seven-fold repeated formula “the kingdom of heaven is like…” | Same স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য, Critical treatment; ch. 13 is the single densest concentration of the phrase in the Gospel and the primary teaching chapter for the Kingdom-of-Heaven doctrine. |
Chapter 14 — Feeding of the Five Thousand; Death of John the Baptist
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compassion σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai) “to be moved in one’s inward parts (σπλάγχνα, viscera),” to feel deep compassion | visceral, gut-level compassion prompting action ”he had compassion on them” | 14:14 (also 9:36, 15:32, 20:34) | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render করুণাৰে ভৰি পৰা (koruonare bhori pora) or দয়া কৰা. Risk: Low. No major syncretism risk; note only the intensity of the term (deep, gut-level feeling) versus generic দয়া. |
All other Chapter 14 vocabulary (faith, Son of God confession by disciples at 14:33) reuses terms already established in earlier chapters — no additional new load-bearing terms.
Chapter 15 — Tradition, Defilement, and the Canaanite Woman’s Faith
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tradition of the elders ἡ παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ”the tradition handed down from the elders” | inherited oral legal tradition, distinct from written Torah ”the tradition of the elders” | 15:2–6 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render পূৰ্বপুৰুষৰ পৰম্পৰা (purbôpurux’ôr pôrompôra). Risk: Medium. Connects to the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine: Jesus subordinates inherited human tradition to the direct will of God, a distinction worth drawing carefully in a culture where guru-paramparā (unbroken teacher-lineage tradition) itself carries strong independent authority. |
| Defile κοινόω (koinoō) “to make common/unclean” | ritual or moral defilement ”defile” | 15:11, 18, 20 — “it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth” | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render অশুচি কৰা (oxuci kora), using the same root already distinguished from পবিত্ৰ in the baseline’s “holy” entry. Risk: Medium. Reinforces the core-passage’s “pure in heart” teaching (5:8): moral/heart purity, not ritual food-purity, is decisive — an important text for an audience with strong caste/ritual-purity food categories. |
Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession and the Founding of the Church
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος — | — — | 16:16 — Peter’s confession, the theological climax of the first half of Matthew | Combines মচীহ [Critical] and ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ [Critical]; “the living God” (τοῦ ζῶντος) should be rendered জীৱন্ত ঈশ্বৰ (jibontô Iswôr), distinguishing the one true living God from lifeless images (idols), a live contrast given widespread image-based (mūrti) worship in the surrounding culture. Risk: Critical. |
| Rock πέτρα (petra) “bedrock, large rock formation” (distinct from πέτρος, “a stone,” Peter’s name) | a firm, stable foundation ”on this rock I will build my church” | 16:18 — the Greek wordplay Πέτρος/πέτρα is not reproducible in Assamese; a translator note is required | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render শিল (xil). Risk: High. A translator note must explain the lost wordplay and clarify that the “rock” refers most naturally to Peter’s confession of Christ (16:16) as the foundation, not to Peter personally as an institutional office-holder in a way that would parallel a Satradhikar succession — this is directly relevant to the Church doctrine’s ecclesiology. |
| Church ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) — | — — | 16:18 — Matthew’s first of only two uses of ἐκκλησία (also 18:17) | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: মণ্ডলী — Medium]. NEVER নামঘৰ or মন্দিৰ, per baseline. |
| Gates of Hades πύλαι ᾅδου (pylai hadou) “gates of Hades” | the power of death itself, personified as a fortified stronghold ”the gates of hell/Hades” | 16:18 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render মৃত্যুলোকৰ দুৱাৰ (mrityulokôr duwar), avoiding the term নৰক (hell/naraka) here since Hades names the realm/power of death generally, not final eternal punishment (see ch. 25 নৰক entry below for that distinct concept). Risk: Medium. |
| Bind and loose (keys of the kingdom) δήσῃς / λύσῃς (dēsēs/lysēs) “you shall bind / you shall loose” | authoritative declarations with heavenly ratification — a rabbinic idiom for authoritative teaching/disciplinary rulings ”whatever you bind… whatever you loose” | 16:19 (repeated 18:18 in the church-discipline context) | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render বন্ধা (bandha) / মুকলি কৰা (mukoli kora). Risk: High. Foundational to the Church-and-Church-Discipline doctrine: this is delegated, Spirit-attested authority to declare and enforce God’s own verdicts within the believing community, not an independent human power to create new binding rules; must be kept terminologically distinct from মুক্তি (forbidden salvation term) despite the shared “release” concept — মুকলি কৰা is a safe, distinct root. |
| Take up cross, deny self, save/lose soul ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτόν… ἄρας τὸν σταυρὸν… τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ — | — — | 16:24–26 | Reuses ক্ৰুচ [High] and প্ৰাণ [Medium] from ch. 10; “deny himself” (ἀπαρνέομαι) render নিজকে অস্বীকাৰ কৰা (nijoke oxikar kora). Risk: Medium. |
Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”Listen to him” ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ (akouete autou) “hear/obey him” | a command to heed Jesus’ authoritative voice, echoing Deuteronomy 18:15’s promised prophet ”listen to him” | 17:5 — the Father’s own command at the Transfiguration | Reinforces both অধিকাৰ (authority) — High and the Sonship/Deity-of-Christ doctrines already Critical; render তাৰ কথা শুনক (tar kôtha xunôk). Risk: High. |
| Glory / transfigured δόξα (doxa) / μετεμορφώθη (metemorphōthē) — / “was transformed” | — — | 17:2, 17:5 — Jesus’ radiant glory momentarily revealed | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: মহিমা — High]. Contextual note: avoid light-imagery vocabulary that could conflate with Puranic descriptions of a deity’s radiant divine luster (tej/prabha), per the existing baseline caution. |
No further new load-bearing theological vocabulary in Chapter 17 beyond the terms above; the temple-tax pericope (17:24–27) is narrative/cultural, not doctrinally load-bearing.
Chapter 18 — Church Discipline and the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stumbling block / cause to sin σκάνδαλον / σκανδαλίζω (skandalon/skandalizō) “a trap-trigger, snare” | that which causes another to sin or fall away ”cause to sin,” “stumbling block,” “offend” | 18:6–9 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render বিঘ্ন (bighnô). Risk: Medium. |
| Church discipline procedure εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησί�ᾳ… ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας παρακούσῃ (eipe tē ekklēsia… ean de kai tēs ekklēsias parakousē) “tell it to the church… if he refuses to hear even the church” | the church’s corporate, structured process of confronting sin and, if unrepented, formal exclusion ”tell it to the church,” church discipline | 18:15–17 | Directly names the Church-and-Church-Discipline doctrine, combining মণ্ডলী [Medium, reused] with the বন্ধা/মুকলি কৰা [High] authority from ch. 16:19, repeated verbatim at 18:18. Risk: High for the whole unit — must convey a redemptive, restoration-seeking process exercised by the gathered congregation under Christ’s authority, not an arbitrary social exclusion or a caste-style purity-boundary enforcement. |
| Unforgiving servant / seventy times seven ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά (hebdomēkontakis hepta) “seventy times seven” | a Hebraic idiom for limitless, un-tallied forgiveness ”seventy times seven,” “77 times” (textual variant) | 18:21–35 | Render literally সত্তৰবাৰ সাতগুণ (xôttôrbar xatgun). Risk: Low. Reinforces mercy/forgiveness themes already established (ch. 6, 9). |
Chapter 19 — Marriage, Children, and the Rich Young Man
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eunuch (for the kingdom) εὐνοῦχος (eunouchos) “eunuch” | one who has renounced marriage, here voluntarily “for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” eunuch | 19:12 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render নপুংসক (nôpungxôk), with a clarifying gloss on voluntary singleness for kingdom service. Risk: Low. Distinguish from ascetic renunciation vows within the Satra bhakat tradition, which are institutionally structured; this is an individual calling, not entry into a monastic order. |
| Eye of a needle ἡ τρύπημα τῆς ῥαφίδος (hē trypēma tēs rhaphidos) “the eye/hole of a needle” | proverbial image of near-impossibility ”eye of a needle” | 19:24 | Low risk, idiomatic; note that 19:24 is one of Matthew’s rare uses of [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ঈশ্বৰৰ ৰাজ্য (kingdom of God) — Medium] rather than “kingdom of heaven” — preserve this distinct phrase exactly as recorded. |
Chapter 20 — Laborers in the Vineyard; the Ransom Saying
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ransom λύτρον (lytron) “the price paid to release/redeem a slave or captive” | a redemption-price paid to free someone from bondage or debt ”a ransom for many” | 20:28 — “the Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many,” one of Matthew’s clearest atonement statements | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render উদ্ধাৰ-মূল্য (uddhar-mulyô, “the price of deliverance/rescue”). Risk: Critical. DO NOT use any compound built on the root মুক্তি (already forbidden throughout the baseline for salvation/resurrection vocabulary because of its moksha/liberation-from-rebirth associations) — a “ransom” rendering built on মুক্তি would smuggle the forbidden concept back in through the atonement doctrine’s back door. উদ্ধাৰ-মূল্য preserves the price-paid-for-release sense while avoiding the moksha collision. |
| Serve, not be served διακονηθῆναι… διακονῆσαι (diakonēthēnai/diakonēsai) “to be served… to serve” | servant-leadership, self-giving ministry ”not to be served, but to serve” | 20:28 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render সেবা কৰা (xeba kora). Risk: Low. |
| Grace/reward parable vineyard wage parable (no single Greek term; illustrates χάρις/misthos logic) — | — — | 20:1–16 | Reinforces অনুগ্ৰহ [High, reused]: the vineyard owner’s generosity to late-arriving workers illustrates grace given apart from merit, directly relevant to the same grace-versus-merit contrast the baseline flags for Romans 4 and 11. |
Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Temple Cleansing, and the Parable of the Tenants
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hosanna ὡσαννά (hōsanna), from Hebrew הוֹשַׁע נָא ”save now/save, please!“ | a shout of acclamation/petition to a coming deliverer, drawn from Psalm 118:25–26 Hosanna | 21:9, 21:15 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Retain transliteration হোচান্না (Hocanna), per established transliteration convention for retained liturgical exclamations (cf. baseline’s আমেন, হাল্লিলূয়া). Risk: Low, with brief gloss recommended. |
| Son of David (acclamation) υἱὸς Δαυίδ — | — — | 21:9, 21:15 | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM structure, see ch.9 new entry: দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ — High]. The crowd’s acclamation directly names Jesus’ messianic royal identity at his entry into Jerusalem. |
| House of prayer οἶκος προσευχῆς (oikos proseuchēs) “house of prayer” | the temple’s intended purpose, quoting Isaiah 56:7 ”house of prayer” | 21:13 | Render প্ৰাৰ্থনা গৃহ (prarthona griho). Risk: Low. |
| Parable of the tenants / stone the builders rejected ὁ λίθος ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες (Psalm 118:22) “the stone the builders rejected” | messianic prophecy of rejection-then-vindication ”the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” | 21:33–46 | Connects the Fulfillment-of-Prophecy doctrine directly to Jesus’ coming rejection and death (ch. 26–27); render শিলটো যাক নিৰ্মাণকৰ্তাসকলে বাতিল কৰিছিল (xilto jak nirmankôrtaxôkole batil korisil). Risk: Medium. |
| Kingdom given to a nation bearing fruit δοθήσεται ἔθνει ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρπούς αὐτῆς ”will be given to a nation producing its fruits” | the kingdom’s stewardship passing from unfaithful leadership to a fruit-bearing people ”the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruit” | 21:43 — uses ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ (kingdom of God), not “of heaven” | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ঈশ্বৰৰ ৰাজ্য — Medium]. Directly relevant to Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles doctrine already flagged as High-risk in the baseline; must not be read through an ethnic-replacement lens but a faithfulness-versus-fruitfulness one. |
Chapter 22 — The Wedding Feast, Taxes to Caesar, and the Greatest Commandment
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Called / chosen (elect) κλητοί / ἐκλεκτοί (klētoi/eklektoi) “called ones / chosen ones” | — “many are called, but few are chosen” | 22:14 | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: called — মতা, High; election — ঈশ্বৰৰ মনোনয়ন, High]. Must preserve God’s sovereign initiative in both terms, never impersonal fate/karma, per baseline. |
| Greatest commandment: love God/neighbor ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου… τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν ”you shall love the Lord your God… your neighbor as yourself” | the summary of the entire Law the Great Commandment | 22:37–40 | Render প্ৰেম (prem) for ἀγαπάω. Risk: Low-Medium. Directly connects the Law doctrine (ch.5) to its relational heart, reinforcing that বিধান (Law) is fulfilled in love, not mere ritual compliance. |
| Lord of David (Psalm 110 citation) Κύριον αὐτὸν καλεῖ ”David calls him Lord” | argument for the Messiah’s divine status, transcending mere Davidic descent ”David calls him Lord” | 22:41–45 | Combines প্ৰভু [Critical] and দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ [High] — a key text for the Deity-of-Christ doctrine, showing the Messiah is David’s descendant AND David’s divine Lord simultaneously. |
Chapter 23 — Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woe οὐαί (ouai) interjection of lament/judgment | ”woe,” a prophetic pronouncement of coming judgment ”woe to you” | 23:13–29, the seven “woes” | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render সন্তাপ (xontap) or দুৰ্ভোগ (durbhog). Risk: Low. |
| ”You shut the kingdom of heaven” κλείετε τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν ”you shut/lock the kingdom of heaven” | religious leaders obstructing others’ access to the kingdom through false teaching ”you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” | 23:13 | Reinforces the Critical-risk স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য entry; here the kingdom is something that can be wrongly barred by hypocritical religious authority — relevant to the Church doctrine’s warning against gatekeeping abuse. |
| Scribes and Pharisees γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι — | — — | throughout ch. 23; also 3:7, 5:20, 9:11, 12:2, 15:1, etc. | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render অধ্যাপক (odhyapôk, “scribes/teachers of the law”) and ফৰীশী (Farixi, “Pharisees,” transliterated). Risk: Medium. These are specific first-century Jewish religious-legal parties, not equivalent to any single Assamese Hindu category; avoid rendering অধ্যাপক in a way that could be confused with a general Brahmin priestly caste category, and note that the critique is of externalized religious performance, not of Jewish identity or ethnicity as such — an important safeguard against any reading that could feed anti-Jewish sentiment. |
Chapter 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Part 1): Signs and the Coming of the Son of Man
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| End of the age ἡ συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (hē synteleia tou aiōnos) “the completion/consummation of the age” | the historical, linear terminus of the present age at Christ’s return ”the end of the age” | 24:3 (also 13:39–40, 49; 28:20) | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render জগতৰ শেষ (jôgôtôr xex) or যুগৰ সমাপ্তি (jugôr xômapti). Risk: High. Must be sharply distinguished from any cyclical yuga-scheme concept (in which one যুগ ends only to be followed by another within an endless cosmic cycle, ultimately a Kali-yuga-to-Satya-yuga repetition); Matthew’s “end of the age” is a singular, linear, historical consummation, never repeated. |
| Abomination of desolation τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως ”the abomination that causes desolation” (Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11) | a specific, identifiable act of sacrilege desecrating the temple, signaling acute end-times tribulation ”the abomination of desolation” | 24:15 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ধ্বংসজনক ঘৃণনীয় বস্তু (dhwôngxôjonôk ghrinônio bôstu). Risk: High. Requires explanatory OT (Daniel) background; historically prone to speculative date-setting misapplication, warranting theologian-level review whenever taught. |
| Coming of the Son of Man ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (hē parousia tou huiou tou anthrōpou) “the arrival/presence/coming of the Son of Man” | a singular, visible, glorious, unrepeatable return of Christ to consummate history and judge the world ”the coming of the Son of Man,” “his coming,” “the Parousia” | 24:27, 24:30, 24:37, 24:39, 24:44 | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render আগমন (agômôn), e.g., মানুহৰ পুত্ৰৰ আগমন. Risk: High. Must be presented, exactly as the baseline’s incarnation entry requires, as a unique, unrepeatable, singular historical event — NOT a cyclical avatar-return pattern in which a deity descends repeatedly across successive ages to restore dharma. This risk directly parallels the দেহধাৰণ caution and should carry an explicit distinguishing note at first occurrence in Judgment-and-End-of-Age teaching material. |
| Elect ἐκλεκτοί — | — — | 24:22, 24, 31 | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: ঈশ্বৰৰ মনোনয়ন — High]. |
Chapter 25 — The Olivet Discourse (Part 2): Virgins, Talents, and Sheep and Goats
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal life ζωὴ αἰώνιος (zōē aiōnios) “life everlasting/of the age to come” | unending, resurrection life in restored bodily fellowship with God ”eternal life” | 25:46 | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render অনন্ত জীৱন (ônôntô jibôn). Risk: Critical. Must not be confused with মোক্ষ/মুক্তি (liberation from the rebirth cycle into a state of freedom from embodiment/individuality); biblical eternal life is unending, personal, relational, embodied (resurrection-body) fellowship with the living God, continuing distinct personhood, not dissolution of the self into an impersonal Absolute. |
| Eternal punishment / eternal fire κόλασις αἰώνιος / πῦρ αἰώνιον (kolasis aiōnios / pyr aiōnion) “everlasting punishment / everlasting fire” | final, permanent, conscious judgment for the unrepentant, with no further cycle ”eternal punishment,” “eternal fire” | 25:41, 25:46 | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL] Render অনন্ত দণ্ড (ônôntô dôndô) / অনন্ত জুই (ônôntô jui). Risk: Critical. Must be presented as final and irreversible — explicitly NOT a temporary hell/naraka endured before an eventual return to the rebirth cycle or eventual liberation, as some strands of Hindu cosmology describe multiple named narakas as places of finite punishment. This is the single highest-stakes eschatological term in Matthew and requires mandatory human theologian review at every occurrence. |
| Least of these my brothers οἱ ἀδελφοί μου οἱ ἐλάχιστοι (hoi adelphoi mou hoi elachistoi) “the least of my brothers” | Christ’s identification with the vulnerable and needy ”the least of these my brothers” | 25:40, 45 | Render মোৰ এই সৰুতম ভাইবোৱাৰীহঁত (mor ei xorutôm bhaibowarihôt). Risk: Low. |
Chapter 26 — The Last Supper, Gethsemane, and Betrayal
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood of the covenant τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης (to haima mou tēs diathēkēs) “my blood of the covenant” | atoning, covenant-establishing sacrificial blood ”this is my blood of the covenant” | 26:28 | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Combines তেজ (tez, “blood”) with [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: নিয়ম (covenant) — High]. Risk: High. Assam-specific collision: the Kamakhya Temple tradition and broader Shakta practice in Assam involve ritual blood/animal sacrifice offered to a deity for the securing of boons, appeasement, or merit. A mandatory translator note must distinguish Christ’s own blood, offered once for all as a covenant-establishing, sin-forgiving sacrifice he himself provides (not a worshiper’s offering extracted to obtain favor from a deity), from any ritual sacrificial-blood practice familiar to the audience. |
| Poured out for forgiveness of sins ἐκχυννόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν ”poured out for the forgiveness/release of sins” | — — | 26:28 | Combines the above with [REUSED: পাপ — High]; render পাপ ক্ষমাৰ বাবে বৈ দিয়া (pap kṣômar babe boi diya). Risk: High. |
| New covenant καινὴ διαθήκη (implied; cf. Luke/Paul’s fuller wording, present conceptually here) “new covenant” | the covenant Christ inaugurates through his sacrificial death, fulfilling and surpassing the Mosaic covenant ”new covenant” | 26:28 (concept), fuller in parallel Gospel/epistle texts | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render নতুন নিয়ম (nôtun niyôm), extending [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: নিয়ম — High]. Risk: High. |
| Not my will but yours (Gethsemane) οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ ”not as I will, but as you will” | Christ’s voluntary submission to the Father’s redemptive plan even unto death ”not my will, but yours be done” | 26:39, 42 | Render মোৰ ইচ্ছা নহয়, তোমাৰ ইচ্ছাই হৌক (mor iccha nôhôy, tomar icchai hôuk). Risk: Medium. Reinforces the Humanity-of-Christ and voluntary-atonement themes; the genuine human anguish here must not be minimized nor read as illusory suffering (as some Puranic avatar narratives describe a deity’s assumed body as impervious to real suffering). |
| Blasphemy (trial charge) βλασφημία — | — — | 26:65 — the Sanhedrin’s charge against Jesus for claiming divine Sonship/authority | Connects directly to ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ [Critical], প্ৰভু [Critical], and মানুহৰ পুত্ৰ [Critical] — the trial turns entirely on the Deity-of-Christ and Sonship-of-Christ doctrines. |
Chapter 27 — The Crucifixion
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crucify σταυρόω (stauroō) “to crucify, execute on a σταυρός” | Roman capital execution by crucifixion ”crucify,” “crucified” | 27:22–23, 26, 31, 35, 38 | [NEW — MATTHEW] Render ক্ৰুচত বধ কৰা (krusôt bôdh kora), extending ক্ৰুচ [High] from ch. 10. Risk: High. The historical, physical reality of this execution must be preserved plainly — not softened, allegorized away, or treated as merely symbolic. |
| King of the Jews (inscription) Ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ”the King of the Jews” | the charge/mockery placed over the cross, ironically true ”This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” | 27:37 | Connects to মচীহ [Critical], দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ [High], and ঈশ্বৰৰ ৰাজ্য [Medium] — the crucifixion inscription unintentionally proclaims Jesus’ true kingship even in mockery, a rich irony for teaching the Kingdom-of-Heaven doctrine. |
| ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἵνα τί με ἐγκατέλιπες Psalm 22:1 citation | the cry of dereliction, Jesus bearing the full weight of God’s judgment on sin ”why have you forsaken me?“ | 27:46 | Render literally; Risk: High — must be handled with theological precision as the Son experiencing, in some real sense, separation from the Father’s presence while bearing sin, without fracturing the Trinity’s eternal unity; recommend theologian review of any teaching-note gloss. |
| ”Truly this was the Son of God” (centurion) Ἀληθῶς Θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος — | — — | 27:54 — a Gentile centurion’s confession | Reinforces ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ [Critical] and the Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles doctrine — the first unambiguous human confession of Jesus’ divine Sonship in Matthew’s narrative comes from a Gentile Roman soldier, not a Jewish religious leader. |
Chapter 28 — The Resurrection and the Great Commission
| Terms | Variants | Contextual meaning | Assamese rendering & risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Resurrection (“he has risen”) ἠγέρθη (ēgerthē), from ἐγείρω ”he was raised/he has risen” | bodily, historical, once-for-all resurrection ”he is not here, he has risen” | 28:6 | [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: পুনৰুত্থান — Critical]. NEVER পুনৰ্জন্ম. Mandatory distinguishing note from reincarnation at first occurrence, per baseline. |
| Worship (of the risen Christ) προσκυνέω — | — — | 28:9, 28:17 — the women and then the Eleven worship the risen Jesus | [NEW — MATTHEW — CRITICAL — consolidated entry] Render আৰাধনা কৰা (aradhôna kora) here (distinguished from the more ambiguous homage-sense প্ৰণিপাত কৰা used for the Magi in ch. 2 and for the centurion’s implicit deference elsewhere). Risk: Critical. By the resurrection, προσκυνέω unambiguously names full divine worship offered to Jesus himself — the clearest possible statement of the Deity-of-Christ and Lordship-of-Christ doctrines. This must be sharply distinguished from প্ৰণাম/পূজা (Hindu image-veneration and ritual worship offered to a chosen deity, ista-devata, within a polytheistic or Vaishnavite devotional framework) — the text presents exclusive, first-order worship of the one true God now recognized fully in the risen Christ, not homage paid to one honored deity among many available objects of devotion. |
| All authority πᾶσα ἐξουσία (pasa exousia) “all authority” | universal, unrestricted divine authority ”all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” | 28:18 | Extends অধিকাৰ [High] to its fullest, universal scope; combine with সকলো (xôkôlô, “all”). Risk: High, capping the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine that began at 7:29. |
| Make disciples of all nations μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (mathēteusate panta ta ethnē) “make disciples of/among all the nations” | the Great Commission’s central verb — not merely “preach to” but “make disciples of" "make disciples of all nations,” “teach all nations” | 28:19 | [NEW — MATTHEW — HIGH] Render সকলো জাতিৰ মানুহক শিষ্য বনাওক (xôkôlô jatir manuhôk xissyo bônaôk), using শিষ্য [High, from core passage] and [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: gentiles/nations pattern — জাতিসমূহ, use in mission contexts]. Risk: High. This is the curriculum’s named “Great Commission” doctrine; the command is to make genuine, ongoing followers of Christ among every people group without ethnic restriction (reinforcing Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles), and — per the same caution already noted for শিষ্য at 5:1 — must be taught as allegiance to the living, present Christ, not induction into a human guru-lineage. |
| Baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος ”baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” | the Trinitarian baptismal formula — a single “name” shared by three distinct persons ”in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” | 28:19 | Combines বাপ্তিস্ম [High], পিতা [Critical], ঈশ্বৰৰ পুত্ৰ/পুত্ৰ [Critical], and পবিত্ৰ আত্মা [Critical]. Risk: Critical. The singular “name” (τὸ ὄνομα, not “names,” plural) shared by three distinct persons is the clearest Trinitarian formula in Matthew and must be rendered to preserve both the unity (one name) and the distinction (three persons) — a doctrine with no real analogue in either Hindu Trimurti conceptions (three separate deities with distinct roles/functions) or Vedantic impersonal-Absolute conceptions (an undifferentiated one). Mandatory theologian review. |
| Teaching them to obey διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν ”teaching them to keep/observe all that I commanded you” | ongoing discipleship instruction resulting in obedience to Christ’s own commands ”teaching them to obey” | 28:20 | Connects to [REUSED FROM ROMANS TM: obedience_of_faith — বিশ্বাসৰ আজ্ঞাকাৰিতা — High]: obedience flowing from faith-allegiance to the risen, present Christ, not external legal compliance for merit. |
| ”I am with you always, to the end of the age” ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος ”I am with you all the days, until the completion of the age” | closes the Gospel with an echo of Immanuel (1:23) — Christ’s abiding presence with his church until the consummation ”I am with you always, to the very end of the age” | 28:20 | Deliberately echoes ইমানুয়েল [Critical, ch.1] and জগতৰ শেষ/যুগৰ সমাপ্তি [High, ch.24], forming a bookend (inclusio) for the entire Gospel around the theme of God’s abiding presence. Teaching material should make this literary bookend explicit. |
Summary of New Doctrine-Risk Items Requiring Addition to the Language Package (Beyond Baseline Romans Registry)
The following Matthew-specific terms require new entries in doctrine_risk_registry.json and bible_term_registry.json (proposed in 08_core_glossary.md), as they introduce collision risks not covered by the Romans baseline:
- Kingdom of Heaven (স্বৰ্গৰাজ্য) — Critical — Svarga collision
- Son of Man (মানুহৰ পুত্ৰ) — Critical — Daniel 7 authority collapsed into mere humanity
- Disciple / Make Disciples (শিষ্য) — High — guru-শিষ্য lineage collision
- Ransom (উদ্ধাৰ-মূল্য) — Critical — মুক্তি/moksha root collision
- Eternal Life (অনন্ত জীৱন) — Critical — moksha/mukti collision
- Eternal Punishment/Fire (অনন্ত দণ্ড/অনন্ত জুই) — Critical — temporary-naraka/rebirth collision
- Worship (আৰাধনা কৰা vs. প্ৰণিপাত কৰা) — Critical — puja/image-worship collision
- Blood of the Covenant (তেজ + নিয়ম) — High — Kamakhya/Shakta blood-sacrifice collision
- Son of David (titular) (দায়ূদৰ পুত্ৰ) — High — distinct from baseline’s lineage-only দায়ূদৰ বংশৰ
- Rock / Bind and Loose (শিল / বন্ধা-মুকলি কৰা) — High — ecclesiology and Satradhikar-authority collision
- Coming of the Son of Man / End of the Age (আগমন / যুগৰ সমাপ্তি) — High — cyclical yuga-scheme collision
- Baptism (বাপ্তিস্ম) — High — ritual-bathing-for-merit collision
- Immanuel (ইমানুয়েল) — Critical — extends দেহধাৰণ caution to Matthew’s birth narrative
- Repentance (মন পালটন) — High — prāyaścitta (ritual penance) collision
- Authority (অধিকাৰ) — High — anchors the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine throughout
See 08_core_glossary.md for full tabulated entries.