Semantic Analysis: Matthew 1–28 (Koine Greek → Maithili)
Methodology and Scope
This document analyzes every load-bearing theological term in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter by chapter, first to last, per PRD Phase 1 Step 1. The core passage, Matthew 5:1–12 (the Beatitudes), receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter receives chapter-level treatment of its load-bearing terms with identical fields: original Greek word, transliteration, literal meaning, semantic range, English variants, contextual theological meaning, and destination-language (Maithili) rendering risk.
Governing rule: Any term already recorded in the baseline Romans translation_memory.json is reused exactly as recorded there. This document does not re-derive those terms; it cites them and notes any Matthew-specific contextual nuance. New terms unique to Matthew’s curriculum (Kingdom of Heaven, Son of Man, Son of David, repentance, the Beatitude vocabulary, church discipline, the Great Commission, judgment/end-of-age vocabulary, etc.) are analyzed fresh here and will be added to a Matthew-specific translation memory in a later step.
Risk tiers (Critical/High/Medium/Low) follow the baseline’s doctrine_risk_registry.json definitions exactly.
PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes), Verse by Verse
Matthew 5:1
Greek: Ἰδὼν δὲ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀνέβη εἰς τὸ ὄρος· καὶ καθίσαντος αὐτοῦ προσῆλθαν αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ὄρος (oros) | oros | mountain / hill | A literal elevated place; in Matthew’s narrative frame also echoes Sinai, where Moses received the Law | ”mountain,” “hillside” | Jesus as the new lawgiver delivers authoritative teaching from a mountain, deliberately recalling Moses at Sinai — establishing the Authority of Jesus’ Teaching doctrine from the outset | पहाड़ (pahāṛ) — Low risk; no competing religious association in Mithila culture, though a translator note tying it to the Sinai typology is recommended for teaching material |
| μαθηταί (mathētai) | mathētai | learners, disciples | Those who follow and are formed by a teacher; in the Gospels, Jesus’ committed followers | ”disciples,” “followers,” “students” | Foundational term for Discipleship and the Cost of Following Jesus; distinct from the crowds (ὄχλοι) who merely listen | चेला (celā) — High risk. Maithili शिष्य carries the region’s guru-śiṣya devotional-lineage connotation (a living social institution, often tied to a specific guru’s teaching authority and lineage); चेला is the more neutral, already-Christianized register. Must be used consistently throughout Matthew for “disciple.” |
Matthew 5:2
Greek: καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ ἐδίδασκεν αὐτοὺς λέγων·
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) | edidasken | he was teaching | Authoritative instruction, not casual conversation | ”taught,” “was teaching” | Introduces the Sermon on the Mount as authoritative teaching (cf. Matt 7:28–29, “he taught as one having authority”) | सिखाबय लगला (sikhābay lagalā) — Low risk; pair consistently with अधिकार (authority) vocabulary developed later in the chapter |
Matthew 5:3
Greek: Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| μακάριος (makarios) | makarios | blessed, fortunate, happy | A state of divine favor and flourishing pronounced by God, not mere emotional happiness or lucky circumstance | ”blessed,” “happy,” “fortunate” | Opens each Beatitude; God’s own verdict of favor resting on those the world considers unlikely candidates for blessing | धन्य (dhanya) — High risk. Must be anchored as God’s declared favor/approval, not merely “lucky” (भाग्यशाली) — भाग्य/भाग्यशाली are explicitly rejected elsewhere in this Language Package (see calling, election, providence) as fatalistic. धन्य must consistently read as a divine pronouncement, never a fortune-telling idiom. |
| πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) | ptōchoi tō pneumati | poor in spirit | Recognizing one’s spiritual bankruptcy/utter dependence on God; not literal material poverty, nor false humility | ”poor in spirit,” “spiritually humble,” “those who know their need of God” | The entry posture of the Kingdom: contrite dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency or self-generated merit | आत्मामे दीन (ātmāme dīn) — Medium-High risk. Must not be confused with the ascetic renunciation ideal (Mithila’s Shaiva/Vaishnava math traditions) where “poverty of spirit” could be misheard as a meritorious achieved state (vairagya) rather than an honest confession of spiritual need before God. |
| βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) | basileia tōn ouranōn | kingdom of the heavens | Matthew’s characteristic phrase (used ~32x), a Jewish reverential circumlocution avoiding direct use of God’s name; referentially identical to “kingdom of God” (cf. Mk/Lk parallels; also used interchangeably within Matthew, e.g. 19:23–24) | “kingdom of heaven,” “reign of heaven,” “heavenly kingdom” | God’s present-and-coming sovereign reign, inaugurated in Jesus’ ministry, consummated at his return — the central organizing theme of Matthew’s Gospel | स्वर्गक राज्य (svargak rājya) — CRITICAL risk. स्वर्ग in regional Hindu cosmology denotes a temporary heavenly loka (Indra’s paradise) enjoyed as a reward for accumulated पुण्य/karma, from which the soul returns to the rebirth cycle — NOT an eternal dwelling and NOT equivalent to the abode of the Supreme God. Every occurrence requires a translator note distinguishing this from a temporary karma-merited paradise. Functionally synonymous with the baseline’s kingdom_of_god (परमेश्वरक राज्य); retain Matthew’s distinctive phrasing (स्वर्गक राज्य) rather than silently substituting परमेश्वरक राज्य, since Matthew deliberately varies the divine-name circumlocution for his Jewish-Christian audience, but cross-reference the two terms explicitly in glossary notes so learners recognize they name the same reality. |
Matthew 5:4
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πενθοῦντες (penthountes) | penthountes | those mourning | Deep grief — over loss, but in this context also over sin and the brokenness of the world | ”those who mourn,” “the grieving” | Godly sorrow (over sin and a fallen world) that God himself will personally comfort | शोक करनिहार (śok karanihār) — Low-Medium risk; standard grief vocabulary, but should be paired with the following term to avoid reading as a general bereavement-comfort saying with no reference to sin/repentance |
| παρακληθήσονται (paraklēthēsontai) | paraklēthēsontai | they will be comforted | Divine comfort/consolation, from the same root as παράκλητος (Comforter/Advocate, used of the Holy Spirit in John) | “shall be comforted,” “will receive comfort/consolation” | God’s personal, active consolation — not resignation to fate or the passing of grief with time | सान्त्वना पाओत (sāntvanā pāot) — Low risk; ensure verb form conveys an active divine act, not a passive natural process |
Matthew 5:5
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πραεῖς (praeis) | praeis | meek, gentle | Strength under control, humility that does not grasp for power, not weakness or passivity | ”meek,” “gentle,” “humble” | Kingdom character opposite to worldly self-assertion; echoes Psalm 37:11 | नम्र (namra) — Medium risk; ensure it reads as strength-restrained-in-humility, not timidity or weakness |
| κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (klēronomēsousin tēn gēn) | klēronomēsousin tēn gēn | they will inherit the earth/land | Eschatological inheritance of the renewed creation, echoing OT land-inheritance promises | ”shall inherit the earth,” “will inherit the land” | Points to final Kingdom consummation (cf. Matt 19:28, “the renewal of all things”) — a future certain possession granted by God, not acquired by conquest or merit | पृथ्वीक अधिकारी होएत (pṛthvīk adhikārī hoet) — Medium risk; must not be confused with a this-worldly territorial/political promise, sensitive given Mithila’s own historic kingdom-identity narrative (cf. baseline note on kingdom_of_god) |
Matthew 5:6
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ὅτι αὐτοὶ χορτασθήσονται.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες (peinōntes kai dipsōntes) | peinōntes kai dipsōntes | hungering and thirsting | Intense, urgent longing, using physical need as metaphor | ”hunger and thirst” | Describes ardent desire for God’s righteousness as one’s deepest need, more urgent than food or water | भूख आ प्यास लागब (bhūkh ā pyās lāgab) — Low risk |
| δικαιοσύνη (dikaiosynē) | dikaiosynē | righteousness | Right standing/right conduct in relation to God; in Matthew, both a gift sought and a manner of life flowing from the Kingdom | ”righteousness,” “justice,” “right living” | MUST REUSE baseline term exactly. In Matthew, righteousness spans both the forensic sense (as in Romans) and a lived, kingdom-shaped character/conduct sense (esp. Matt 5–7); the hunger described here is desire for God’s own righteousness to be given and to characterize one’s life | धार्मिकता (dhārmiktā) — Critical, per baseline translation_memory.json (righteousness). NEVER धर्म or सतीत्व. In the Sermon on the Mount this term additionally carries a lived-conduct sense (see 5:20 below), which must be handled carefully so it is not read as merit-earning performance contradicting the forensic sense retained from Romans. |
| χορτασθήσονται (chortasthēsontai) | chortasthēsontai | they will be filled/satisfied | Complete satisfaction, originally used of feeding animals to fullness | ”shall be filled,” “will be satisfied” | God himself will fully satisfy this longing — not partially, not through self-effort | तृप्त हएत (tṛpt hoet) — Low risk |
Matthew 5:7
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἐλεήμων / ἔλεος (eleēmōn / eleos) | eleēmōn / eleos | merciful / mercy | Compassionate action toward those in need or distress, especially the undeserving | ”merciful,” “compassionate,” “mercy” | Kingdom people extend to others the same compassion God extends to them; distinct from — but closely allied with — grace | दयालु / दया (dayālu / dayā) — High risk. दया must be kept distinct from अनुग्रह (grace, baseline High-risk term for unmerited favor): दया here names compassionate action toward the needy/suffering, while अनुग्रह names God’s unmerited saving favor toward sinners. Conflating the two risks softening grace into mere pity, or dissolving mercy into a legal category. Also distinguish from Hindu दान/पुण्य-based charitable-giving-for-merit; mercy here is relational compassion flowing from having received grace, not a merit-generating act. |
Matthew 5:8
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) | katharoi tē kardia | pure/clean in heart | Inward moral and motivational integrity, undivided devotion, not external ritual cleanliness | ”pure in heart,” “clean of heart,” “sincere in heart” | Undivided inward devotion to God as the condition for seeing/knowing him — an inner reality, not outward ritual observance | हृदयक पवित्रता (hṛdayak pavitratā) — High risk. Deliberately built on पवित्र (holy, baseline High-risk term for moral/relational set-apartness) rather than शुद्ध, which the baseline explicitly flags as leaning toward ritual purity — a live concern given Panjikaran-linked lineage/ritual-purity culture in Mithila. Using शुद्ध here would wrongly suggest ritual cleanliness rather than inward moral integrity. |
| τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται (ton theon opsontai) | ton theon opsontai | they will see God | Direct, unmediated beholding of God — ultimate eschatological privilege | ”shall see God,” “will see God face to face” | Points to the believer’s future direct communion with God, the goal of the whole Kingdom narrative | परमेश्वरकेँ देखत (parameśvarkeṃ dekhat) — Medium risk; uses baseline परमेश्वर (God) exactly |
Matthew 5:9
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| εἰρηνοποιοί (eirēnopoioi) | eirēnopoioi | peacemakers | Those who actively make/establish peace (not merely peaceful/passive), reconciling estranged parties | ”peacemakers,” “those who make peace” | Kingdom people actively pursue reconciliation, reflecting God’s own reconciling character | शान्ति स्थापित करनिहार (śānti sthāpit karanihār) — Medium risk. Built on baseline शान्ति (peace, Medium-risk term for relational/covenantal peace with God); must be read as active reconciling work, not the passive domestic-harmony ideal (gharelu sukh-shanti) the baseline flags in connection with the Sita-Ram household model. |
| υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται (huioi theou klēthēsontai) | huioi theou klēthēsontai | will be called sons of God | Being recognized/named as God’s own children, sharing his family character | ”shall be called sons of God,” “will be called children of God” | Anticipates the Adoption doctrine (cf. Romans 8:15, baseline): those who make peace are shown to be God’s own family by resembling his character | परमेश्वरक सन्तान कहाओत (parameśvarak santān kahāot) — High risk. Reuses baseline पुत्रत्व प्रदान (adoption) conceptual framework; must not be confused with son_of_god (परमेश्वरक पुत्र, Critical, reserved exclusively for Christ’s unique eternal Sonship). Use सन्तान (child/offspring, gender-inclusive) rather than पुत्र here to avoid implying every believer shares Christ’s unique, singular divine Sonship. |
Matthew 5:10
Greek: μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| δεδιωγμένοι (dediōgmenoi) | dediōgmenoi | those having been persecuted | Sustained hostile treatment/pursuit on account of one’s faith/righteousness | ”persecuted,” “those who suffer for righteousness” | Introduces the Cost of Discipleship theme: suffering for righteousness is itself evidence of belonging to the Kingdom | सताओल गेल (satāol gel) — Medium risk |
| ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης (heneken dikaiosynēs) | heneken dikaiosynēs | for the sake of righteousness | Suffering specifically because one lives/proclaims God’s righteousness, not suffering in general | ”for righteousness’ sake,” “because of righteousness” | Reuses धार्मिकता (baseline Critical term); the cause of persecution is fidelity to Christ’s righteousness, anticipating “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” (5:20) | धार्मिकताक कारण (dhārmiktāk kāraṇ) — Critical (inherits धार्मिकता’s risk tier) |
Matthew 5:11
Greek: μακάριοί ἐστε ὅταν ὀνειδίσωσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ διώξωσιν καὶ εἴπωσιν πᾶν πονηρὸν καθ᾿ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ὀνειδίσωσιν (oneidisōsin) | oneidisōsin | they revile/insult | Verbal abuse, shaming speech | ”revile,” “insult,” “mock” | Shame-based hostility for Christ’s sake — significant in an honor/shame culture | निन्दा करब (nindā karab) — Medium risk; flagged per honor/shame cultural-metaphor category |
| ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ (heneken emou) | heneken emou | for my sake | Suffering explicitly on account of allegiance to Jesus personally | ”for my sake,” “because of me” | Shifts the ground of blessing from abstract righteousness (v.10) to personal loyalty to Christ — Discipleship is defined Christologically, not merely ethically | मोर कारणसँ (mor kāraṇsã̃) — High risk; must clearly identify Jesus (not a generic cause) as the object of allegiance, consistent with the baseline’s treatment of faith’s object always being recoverable from context |
Matthew 5:12
Greek: χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.
| Term | Transliteration | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (chairete kai agalliasthe) | chairete kai agalliasthe | rejoice and exult | Two verbs of joy stacked for emphasis — ordinary gladness plus exuberant celebration | ”rejoice and be glad,” “rejoice and be exceedingly glad” | Joy is the commanded response to persecution, not despite it — a distinctly Kingdom paradox | आनन्द मानब आ हर्षित होएब (ānand mānab ā harṣit hoeb) — Low-Medium risk |
| μισθός (misthos) | misthos | wage, reward, payment | Reward for labor/service; in secular Greek, a hired worker’s pay | ”reward,” “recompense,” “wages” | God’s own gracious reward held in reserve, not a wage earned by works independent of grace | प्रतिफल (pratiphal) — High risk. Must not be heard as कर्मफल (karma-fruit — the automatic, impersonal fruit of one’s actions, a term explicitly rejected for “grace” in the baseline). This “reward” is God’s gracious response to faithful sonship already granted, not payment earned apart from grace; pair with a translator note at first occurrence distinguishing it from a karma-merit transaction. |
| προφήτας (prophētas) | prophētas | prophets | MUST REUSE baseline term. God’s spokespersons who declared his message and often suffered for it | ”prophets” | Establishes continuity: persecution of Jesus’ disciples continues the pattern of persecution of the OT prophets — part of the Fulfillment of Prophecy doctrine thread | भविष्यद्वक्ता (bhaviṣyadvaktā) — Low risk per baseline; distinguish from ज्योतिषी (astrologer/fortune-teller) |
PART B — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER STUDY, Matthew 1–28
Chapter 1 — Genealogy, Virgin Birth, Immanuel
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| υἱὸς Δαυίδ (1:1) | huios Dauid | huios Dauid | son of David | Royal-messianic title marking legal Davidic descent | ”Son of David” | Opens the Gospel by identifying Jesus as the promised Davidic king (Messianic Promise, Davidic Covenant doctrines, baseline) | दाऊदक पुत्र (Dāūdak putra) — High risk (NEW term). Distinct from baseline seed_of_david (दाऊदक वंशसँ, a descent-lineage phrase used in Romans 1:3); “Son of David” in Matthew functions as a repeated messianic title/address (used by crowds, the blind, the Canaanite woman) and must be rendered consistently as a title, not merely a genealogical fact. Risk: could be flattened to a bare genealogical note rather than heard as a messianic confession. |
| παρθένος (1:23) | parthenos | parthenos | virgin | A woman who has not had sexual relations; here fulfilling Isaiah 7:14 | ”virgin,” “young woman” (contested in some non-Christian readings) | The virgin conception guarantees Jesus’ unique origin — fully human via Mary, yet uniquely begotten by the Holy Spirit, not by ordinary human generation | कुमारी (kumārī) — Medium risk; standard term, low competing-association risk in this specific context, but should be paired with पवित्र आत्मा (baseline) to make the miraculous agency explicit |
| Ἐμμανουήλ (1:23) | Emmanouēl | Emmanouēl | ”God with us” | A name-as-theological-title, quoting Isaiah 7:14 | ”Immanuel,” “God with us” | Names the incarnation’s central significance: God himself personally present among his people — directly reinforcing baseline incarnation doctrine (देहधारण) | इम्मानुएल — परमेश्वर हमरा सभक संग (Immānuel — parameśvar hamarā sabhak saṅg) — High risk; transliterate the name and always gloss its meaning using baseline परमेश्वर, reinforcing (never substituting for) देहधारण, the baseline’s Critical incarnation term |
| πνεῦμα ἅγιον (1:18, 20) | pneuma hagion | pneuma hagion | Holy Spirit | MUST REUSE baseline term. Agent of the virginal conception | ”Holy Spirit” | Establishes the Spirit’s active role in the incarnation from the Gospel’s opening chapter | पवित्र आत्मा — Critical per baseline; never ब्रह्म/परमात्मा |
| ἁμαρτίαι (1:21) | hamartiai | hamartiai | sins | MUST REUSE baseline term. “He will save his people from their sins" | "sins” | Jesus’ very name (Yeshua, “YHWH saves”) is defined by this saving purpose — ties Jesus’ name directly to the baseline salvation doctrine | पाप (pāp) — High per baseline; and उद्धार (save/salvation) — Critical per baseline, NEVER मुक्ति/मोक्ष |
Chapter 2 — Magi, Herod, Fulfillment of Prophecy
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| μάγοι (2:1) | magoi | magoi | Magi, astrologer-priests | Persian/Babylonian court scholars who read celestial signs; not OT prophets | ”wise men,” “Magi,” “astrologers” | Gentile outsiders are the first to worship the newborn king — an early signal of the Universal Scope of the Gospel (Gentiles included), reused from baseline gentiles doctrine | ज्योतिषी (jyotiṣī) — Medium risk (NEW term, context-specific use). Note: the baseline explicitly rejects ज्योतिषी as a rendering for biblical “prophet” (to avoid confusion with fortune-tellers); here, however, the Magi genuinely were astrologer-priests, so the term is contextually accurate. A translator note should clarify this is a historically accurate description of the Magi’s actual profession, not an endorsement of astrology as a source of revelation, and must never be interchanged with भविष्यद्वक्ता (prophet). |
| πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθέν (2:15, 17, 23) | plērōthē to rhēthen | plērōthē to rhēthen | ”that it might be fulfilled, what was spoken” | Matthew’s recurring formula introducing quoted OT fulfillment | ”so that it might be fulfilled” | Establishes the Fulfillment of Old Testament Prophecy doctrine as a structural refrain across the whole Gospel — the first of at least ten such formula-quotations | पूरा भेल (pūrā bhel) / भविष्यवाणी पूरा भेल (bhaviṣyavāṇī pūrā bhel) — High risk (NEW term, recurring formula). Must be rendered as linear, one-time, historical fulfillment of a specific prior prophetic word — not the cyclical yuga-restoration pattern in which an avatar periodically “fulfills” dharma’s recurring need for restoration. Reuses baseline भविष्यवाणी (prophecy, Low risk in Romans, but elevated to High significance here as a structural refrain). |
| Ναζωραῖος (2:23) | Nazōraios | Nazōraios | Nazarene | Geographic-messianic identifier, fulfilling prophetic expectation | ”Nazarene,” “of Nazareth” | Ties Jesus’ upbringing to prophetic fulfillment and to his future title | नासरी (Nāsarī) — Low risk; proper-name transliteration |
Chapter 3 — John the Baptist, Repentance, Baptism, Trinity Manifest
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| μετανοεῖτε (3:2) | metanoeite | metanoeite | ”repent,” lit. “change your mind/turn” | A whole-person reorientation of mind and life-direction toward God, not mere regret or a ritual act | ”repent,” “turn,” “change your heart” | John’s and Jesus’ shared opening proclamation; the necessary human response that precedes entrance into the Kingdom | पश्चाताप (paścātāp) — High risk (NEW term). Must be distinguished from प्रायश्चित्त, the Hindu dharmashastra concept of a prescribed ritual/penitential act performed to nullify accumulated bad karma. Biblical repentance is a relational turning toward a personal God, not a ritual-merit transaction that cancels karmic debt. |
| βαπτίζω (3:6, 11, 13-16) | baptizō | baptizō | to dip, immerse | A ritual washing signifying repentance and, for Jesus, inaugurating his public ministry | ”baptize,” “baptism” | John’s baptism of repentance anticipates Christian baptism (cf. Great Commission, ch. 28); Jesus’ own baptism inaugurates the Trinity’s public self-revelation | बपतिस्मा देब (baptismā deb) — High risk (NEW term). Transliterate बपतिस्मा (already established in North Indian Bible-translation tradition) rather than substituting a Hindu purification-bath term (e.g., स्नान), which would imply ritual cleansing for merit rather than a sign of repentance and incorporation into Christ. |
| βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (3:2) | basileia tōn ouranōn | — | kingdom of heaven | See 5:3 above | ”kingdom of heaven” | John’s proclamation — “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” — announces the imminent inbreaking of God’s reign | स्वर्गक राज्य लगीच अछि (svargak rājya lagīch achi) — Critical, reuse from above |
| υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός (3:17) | huios mou ho agapētos | huios mou ho agapētos | ”my beloved Son” | The Father’s own voice from heaven identifies Jesus | ”my beloved Son,” “my Son, whom I love” | The Trinity’s first joint public appearance in Matthew: Father speaking, Son baptized, Spirit descending as a dove — directly reinforces baseline son_of_god (Critical) | परमेश्वरक पुत्र — reuse baseline term exactly, Critical |
Chapter 4 — Temptation, Beginning of Ministry, Calling Disciples
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πειρασθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου (4:1) | peirasthēnai hypo tou diabolou | peirasthēnai hypo tou diabolou | to be tempted by the devil | Testing with intent to induce sin, by a personal evil being | ”tempted,” “tested” | Jesus, the true and faithful Son (contrasted with unfaithful Israel in the wilderness), resists testing by Scripture — establishing his qualification as sinless Messiah and model for discipleship’s testing | परीक्षा (parīkṣā) — Medium risk (NEW term); pair with शैतान below |
| διάβολος / σατανᾶς (4:1, 10) | diabolos / satanas | diabolos / satanas | slanderer / adversary | Personal, malevolent spiritual being opposed to God | ”the devil,” “Satan,” “the tempter” | A real personal adversary, not an impersonal principle of evil or a minor spirit among many in a populated spirit-world | शैतान (śaitān) — High risk (NEW term); already a familiar loanword regionally via Islamic usage, but must be clearly identified in context as the personal biblical Adversary, distinct from any generic malevolent spirit (bhoot-pret) in regional folk religion |
| βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ἤγγικεν (4:17) | basileia tōn ouranōn ēngiken | — | kingdom of heaven has drawn near | Jesus takes up John’s proclamation as his own core message | ”the kingdom of heaven is at hand/has come near” | Confirms Kingdom of Heaven as the thesis of Jesus’ entire public ministry | स्वर्गक राज्य लगीच अछि — reuse, Critical |
| μαθητάς (4:18-22) | mathētas | — | disciples | See 5:1 above | ”disciples” | The call of the first disciples — immediate, total, life-reordering response to Jesus’ summons (बजाओल, baseline) | चेला — reuse High risk term coined at 5:1; also reuses baseline बजाओल (called, High risk) for the summons itself |
Chapter 5 (beyond 5:1–12) — Law Fulfilled, Exceeding Righteousness, Ethical Teaching
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πληρῶσαι (5:17) | plērōsai | plērōsai | to fulfill | To bring to complete expression/intended meaning, not abolish | ”fulfill,” “complete” | Jesus fulfills the Law and Prophets rather than abolishing them — key to both Fulfillment of Prophecy and Authority of Jesus’ Teaching doctrines | पूरा करब (pūrā karab) — High risk (NEW term); reuses the fulfillment concept introduced at 2:15; must not be rendered merely as “obey” (which would collapse fulfillment into simple law-keeping) |
| ὁ νόμος (5:17-18) | ho nomos | — | the Law | MUST REUSE baseline term. Torah/Mosaic Law | ”the Law” | व्यवस्था (byavasthā) — High per baseline; never धर्म | |
| περισσεύσῃ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων (5:20) | perisseusē hē dikaiosynē… | — | “your righteousness exceed [that] of the scribes and Pharisees” | Interior, Spirit-empowered righteousness surpassing external legal conformity | ”righteousness exceeding the scribes and Pharisees” | The Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees doctrine stated explicitly; not more rigorous rule-keeping, but a different kind/source of righteousness | धार्मिकता … फरीसी आ शास्त्रीसँ बेसी (dhārmiktā … Farīsī ā śāstrīsã̃ besī) — Critical (reuses धार्मिकता, baseline Critical term). Must not be read as “try harder at religious duty” — this is a categorically different, Spirit-given righteousness, not an intensified performance of external दायित्व (duty). |
| γραμματεῖς / Φαρισαῖοι (5:20 and throughout) | grammateis / Pharisaioi | grammateis / Pharisaioi | scribes / Pharisees | Jewish legal scholars / a lay religious-renewal movement emphasizing meticulous Torah observance | ”scribes,” “Pharisees” | Recurring foils throughout Matthew for externalized, performance-based righteousness | शास्त्री / फरीसी (śāstrī / Farīsī) — Medium risk (NEW terms). शास्त्री carries some resonance with Hindu scriptural-scholar roles (analogous to the baseline’s caution about पंडित for “apostle”); this is an accepted North Indian Bible-translation convention and should be retained with a brief explanatory note at first occurrence rather than replaced. |
| τέλειοι (5:48) | teleioi | teleioi | perfect, complete, mature | Wholeness/completeness of character reflecting God’s own, not flawless legal performance | ”perfect,” “complete,” “mature" | "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” — the goal of Kingdom righteousness | पूर्ण (pūrṇa) — Medium-High risk (NEW term); avoid सिद्ध, which in regional religious usage denotes a “perfected” yogi/ascetic who has attained spiritual power through disciplined practice — a self-attained-perfection model in tension with grace |
Chapter 6 — Piety, Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, Treasure, Anxiety
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἐλεημοσύνη (6:2-4) | eleēmosynē | eleēmosynē | almsgiving | Giving to the needy | ”giving to the needy,” “almsgiving,” “charity” | Must be done for God’s approval alone, not public honor | दान (dān) — High risk (NEW term). दान is a deeply established Hindu religious-merit category (giving as a means of accumulating पुण्य); this passage’s entire point — do it secretly, expecting no reward from men — must be clearly anchored so दान here is not read as a merit-generating ritual act but as quiet, God-ward compassion consistent with अनुग्रह (grace)‘s logic. |
| προσεύχεσθε (6:5-13) | proseuchesthe | proseuchesthe | pray | Address to God; here specifically the Lord’s Prayer pattern | ”pray,” “prayer” | Models direct filial address to God as Father (πάτερ ἡμῶν) — reinforces baseline father/abba and intercession doctrines | प्रार्थना करब (prārthanā karab) — Medium risk; distinguish from ritualized puja addressed to an image/shrine, per baseline intercession note |
| Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (6:9) | Pater hēmōn ho en tois ouranois | — | “Our Father in heaven” | Direct address to God as personal Father | ”Our Father in heaven” | MUST REUSE baseline पिता (father). Establishes corporate, filial access to God — foundational to the Adoption doctrine also present in Romans | हमर स्वर्गीय पिता (hamar svargīya pitā) — Critical (reuses baseline पिता exactly; स्वर्गीय added as a modifier, not a substitute term) |
| ἀφίημι (6:12, 14-15) | aphiēmi | aphiēmi | to send away, let go, forgive | Releasing a debt/wrong, not holding it against someone | ”forgive,” “release” | Forgiven people forgive others — ties directly to church discipline and Great Commission themes of forgiveness later in the Gospel (18:21-35) | क्षमा करब (kṣamā karab) — High risk (NEW term); consistent rendering required across 6:12, 6:14-15, 18:21-35, and 26:28 |
| νηστεύητε (6:16-18) | nēsteuēte | nēsteuēte | fast | Abstaining from food for spiritual purposes | ”fast,” “fasting” | Like almsgiving and prayer, to be done for God alone, not public display | उपवास (upavās) — Medium-High risk (NEW term); note the collision with the widely practiced Hindu vrat/upavās (vow-fasting for merit or to fulfill a religious vow) — this passage’s warning against practicing piety “to be seen by others” is especially pointed in a culture where vrat-observance carries significant social visibility and status |
| θησαυρίζετε … θησαυροὺς ἐν οὐρανῷ (6:19-21) | thēsaurizete thēsaurous en ouranō | — | store up treasures in heaven | Investing in what has eternal, not merely temporal, worth | ”treasures in heaven” | Reorients value away from earthly accumulation toward Kingdom priorities | स्वर्गमे धन जमा करब (svargme dhan jamā karab) — Medium risk; uses स्वर्ग in its ordinary “heaven” sense here (distinct from the Critical स्वर्गक राज्य discussion above, though the same underlying collision risk with a merit-reward loka applies and should be flagged) |
| μαμωνᾷ (6:24) | mamōna | mamōna | mammon, wealth (personified) | Aramaic term for wealth treated as a rival master/god | ”money,” “mammon,” “wealth” | Wealth as a competing object of ultimate allegiance, rivaling God | मैमोन/धन (maimon/dhan) — Low-Medium risk (NEW term); transliterate मैमोन to preserve the personification (wealth-as-rival-master), rather than a flat धन (money) which loses the idol/rival-god nuance |
Chapter 7 — Judging, Narrow Gate, False Prophets, Wise/Foolish Builders
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| στενῆς πύλης (7:13-14) | stenēs pylēs | stenēs pylēs | narrow gate | The exclusive, demanding way into life, contrasted with the easy/wide way to destruction | ”narrow gate,” “narrow door” | Reinforces the exclusivity of the Kingdom’s true entrance — relevant to Judgment and the End of the Age doctrine | सङ्कीर्ण द्वार (saṅkīrṇa dvār) — Medium risk (NEW term) |
| ψευδοπροφῆται (7:15) | pseudoprophētai | pseudoprophētai | false prophets | Those falsely claiming divine authorization, recurring in end-times warnings (ch. 24) | “false prophets” | Reuses baseline भविष्यद्वक्ता (prophet); warns against counterfeit spiritual authority — connects to both Authority of Jesus’ Teaching and End of the Age doctrines | झूठ भविष्यद्वक्ता (jhūṭh bhaviṣyadvaktā) — Medium risk (NEW compound term) |
| Κύριε κύριε (7:21-23) | Kyrie kyrie | Kyrie kyrie | ”Lord, Lord” | Verbal confession of Jesus’ lordship without accompanying obedience | ”Lord, Lord” | MUST REUSE baseline प्रभु (Lord), Critical. Warns that confession without “doing the will of my Father” is empty — directly relevant to the obedience-of-faith doctrine (baseline) and to Matthew’s Judgment theme | प्रभु, प्रभु — Critical, reuse exactly |
| ἐξουσίαν ἔχων (7:29) | exousian echōn | exousian echōn | having authority | Inherent, self-evident authority, unlike the derivative authority of the scribes | ”as one having authority” | Concludes the Sermon: Jesus’ teaching carries an authority the scribes’ teaching lacked — establishes Authority of Jesus’ Teaching as a distinct doctrine | अधिकार (adhikār) — High risk (NEW term). Must convey inherent, self-originating authority (not authority derived from citing prior teachers, as scribal teaching did), distinguishing Jesus categorically from a guru/pandit whose authority rests on lineage or scriptural citation. |
Chapter 8 — Healing Miracles, Centurion’s Faith, Authority over Nature
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| πίστις (8:10) | pistis | — | faith | MUST REUSE baseline term. The centurion’s remarkable trust in Jesus’ authoritative word alone | ”faith" | "I have not found such great faith in Israel” — faith as trust in Jesus’ authoritative word, available to Gentiles too, anticipating Universal Scope of the Gospel | विश्वास (biswas) — High per baseline; never भक्ति |
| ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (8:20) | ho huios tou anthrōpou | ho huios tou anthrōpou | the Son of Man | Jesus’ preferred self-designation (used ~30x in Matthew); combines a Daniel 7:13-14 apocalyptic figure who receives everlasting dominion from the Ancient of Days with deliberate, humble self-identification with humanity | ”Son of Man” | CRITICAL new term. Foundational Christological title distinct from “Son of God”: emphasizes both Jesus’ genuine humanity/humility (here, “nowhere to lay his head”) and his hidden divine authority to judge and reign (fully unveiled in 24:30, 25:31, 26:64) | मनुष्यक पुत्र (manuṣyak putra) — Critical risk. Must not be flattened to mean merely “a human being” (losing the Daniel 7 divine-authority background) nor collapsed into a synonym for son_of_god (परमेश्वरक पुत्र, which names Christ’s eternal divine Sonship). The two titles are doctrinally distinct and must never be interchanged; every first occurrence in each major discourse should carry a translator note explaining the Daniel 7 background, since Mithila’s regional narrative tradition has no parallel category (unlike avatar-figures, this title belongs to apocalyptic-judicial expectation, not periodic divine descent). |
| δαιμόνια (8:28-34) | daimonia | daimonia | demons | Personal evil spiritual beings subject to Jesus’ authority | ”demons,” “unclean spirits” | Demonstrates Jesus’ authority (अधिकार) extends over the spirit world | दुष्टात्मा (duṣṭātmā) — Medium risk; distinguish from generic bhoot-pret folk categories by anchoring their subjection to Jesus’ अधिकार |
Chapter 9 — Authority to Forgive Sins, Calling Sinners, New Wine
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἐξουσίαν ἔχει … ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας (9:6) | exousian echei aphienai hamartias | — | “has authority … to forgive sins” | Jesus claims (and demonstrates) a divine prerogative — forgiving sins — as the Son of Man on earth | ”authority to forgive sins” | Combines अधिकार, मनुष्यक पुत्र, and क्षमा करब (all above) in a single Critical Christological claim: only God forgives sins, yet the Son of Man does so on earth | पापक क्षमा करबाक अधिकार (pāpak kṣamā karabāk adhikār) — Critical; a direct claim to divine prerogative, requiring theologian review wherever it appears |
| ἁμαρτωλῶν (9:10-13) | hamartōlōn | hamartōlōn | sinners | Those regarded as morally/religiously disqualified by the religious establishment | ”sinners,” “tax collectors and sinners" | "I came to call not the righteous but sinners” — Jesus’ mission target directly foreshadows the Great Commission’s universal scope | पापी (pāpī) — Low-Medium risk; reuses baseline पाप |
| οἶνον νέον εἰς ἀσκοὺς παλαιούς (9:17) | oinon neon eis askous palaious | — | new wine into old wineskins | Figurative teaching on the incompatibility of the Kingdom’s newness with the old religious system’s forms | ”new wine in old wineskins” | Signals that Jesus’ Kingdom message requires new categories, not a patch on Pharisaic religion — relevant to Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | नयाँ दाखरस पुरान मशकमे (nayā̃ dākhras purān maśakme) — Low risk; figurative/cultural, not directly doctrinally loaded beyond the point already covered |
Chapter 10 — Sending the Twelve, Persecution, Cost of Discipleship
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων (10:2) | tōn dōdeka apostolōn | tōn dōdeka apostolōn | the twelve apostles | MUST REUSE baseline प्रेरित (apostle). The Twelve, specifically commissioned and named | ”the twelve apostles” | Establishes the Twelve’s authorized, sent commission — foundational to later Church and Great Commission doctrines | बारह प्रेरित (bārah prerit) — Medium per baseline; never पंडित |
| ἐξουσίαν πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων (10:1) | exousian pneumatōn akathartōn | — | authority over unclean spirits | Delegated (not independent) authority, given by Jesus to his disciples | ”authority over unclean spirits” | The Twelve’s authority is derivative of Jesus’ own (अधिकार, ch. 7-9), never autonomous | अधिकार — reuse, High |
| οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν (10:34) | ouk ēlthon balein eirēnēn alla machairan | — | “I came not to bring peace but a sword” | Discipleship will divide households and provoke conflict, not guarantee comfortable harmony | ”not peace but a sword” | Directly qualifies baseline शान्ति (peace): Christ’s peace with God does not guarantee social/familial peace in this age — a needed clarification given the region’s domestic-harmony ideal | शान्ति नहि बल्कि तरवार (śānti nahi balki taravār) — High risk; must not be read as contradicting the baseline शान्ति (peace with God) doctrine — this verse addresses social conflict, not the believer’s relational standing with God |
| ὃς … ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ εὑρήσει αὐτήν (10:39) | — | — | “whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” | Paradox of self-denial for Christ’s sake leading to true life | ”lose his life … will find it” | Central to the Cost of Discipleship doctrine; true life is found only in losing self-oriented life for Christ | मोर कारणे प्राण गमाओत से प्राण पाओत (mor kāraṇe prāṇ gamāot se prāṇ pāot) — High risk; must retain the paradox intact, not soften into a generic self-sacrifice maxim |
Chapter 11 — John the Baptist’s Question, Rest and the Yoke
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ὁ ἐρχόμενος (11:3) | ho erchomenos | ho erchomenos | ”the one who is to come” | Messianic expectation term, echoing OT promise | ”the Coming One,” “he who is to come” | John’s disciples ask if Jesus is the promised Messiah — ties directly to Messianic Promise doctrine | आबए बला (āb’e balā) — Medium risk; reuse मसीह context |
| ἀνάπαυσιν (11:28-29) | anapausin | anapausin | rest | Deep, restorative rest from spiritual/religious burden | ”rest" | "Come to me … I will give you rest” — Jesus offers what the burdensome legalism of the scribes/Pharisees could not, tying Authority of Jesus’ Teaching to genuine relief | विश्राम (viśrām) — Medium risk (NEW term); distinguish from mere physical rest — this is relief from religious/spiritual burden |
| ζυγός μου χρηστός (11:30) | zygos mou chrēstos | zygos mou chrēstos | ”my yoke is easy/kind” | Yoke = a rabbi’s total body of teaching/discipline a disciple submits to; Jesus’ yoke is described as good/kind, unlike the burdensome yoke of Pharisaic law | ”my yoke is easy” | Contrasts Jesus’ authoritative teaching with the burdensome legal tradition of the scribes/Pharisees | मोर जुआ नीक अछि (mor juā nīk achi) — Medium risk (NEW term); “yoke” here is a rabbinic-teaching metaphor, should be glossed at first occurrence |
Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies, Blasphemy Against the Spirit, Sign of Jonah
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| σάββατον (12:1-14) | sabbaton | sabbaton | Sabbath | The weekly day of rest commanded in the Law | ”Sabbath” | Jesus’ Sabbath controversies establish his authority over the Law’s proper interpretation (Authority of Jesus’ Teaching) | सब्त/विश्राम दिन (sabbat/viśrām din) — Medium risk (NEW term); transliterate सब्त as the primary form (already established North Indian Bible-translation convention), with विश्राम दिन as a gloss |
| κύριος … τοῦ σαββάτου (12:8) | kyrios tou sabbatou | — | “Lord … of the Sabbath” | Son of Man’s authority extends even over the Sabbath institution itself | ”Lord of the Sabbath” | MUST REUSE baseline प्रभु (Lord). Combines with मनुष्यक पुत्र — a striking claim to divine authority over Torah-instituted worship | सब्तक प्रभु (sabbatak prabhu) — Critical, reuse प्रभु exactly |
| βλασφημία κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος (12:31-32) | blasphēmia kata tou pneumatos | blasphēmia kata tou pneumatos | blasphemy against the Spirit | The one unforgivable sin: decisive, willful rejection/slander of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ | ”blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” “unforgivable sin” | A uniquely severe warning; must be handled with theological precision, not generalized to any casual offense against God | पवित्र आत्माक विरुद्ध निन्दा (pavitra ātmāk viruddh nindā) — Critical risk (NEW term). Built on baseline पवित्र आत्मा (Critical). Requires careful pastoral framing to avoid inducing false guilt/anxiety in sensitive readers; theologian review required at every occurrence. |
| σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ (12:39-40) | sēmeion Iōna | sēmeion Iōna | sign of Jonah | Typological prophecy: as Jonah was three days in the fish, so the Son of Man will be three days in the earth | ”sign of Jonah” | Direct prophetic foreshadowing of the Resurrection (baseline Critical doctrine) | योनाक चिन्ह (Yonāk cinh) — High risk; must connect explicitly to baseline पुनरुत्थान |
Chapter 13 — Kingdom Parables
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| παραβολή (13:3ff, throughout) | parabolē | parabolē | parable | An extended figurative comparison teaching spiritual truth through everyday imagery | ”parable,” “figure of speech” | The primary literary vehicle for Kingdom of Heaven teaching in this chapter (sower, weeds, mustard seed, leaven, treasure, pearl, net) | दृष्टान्त (dṛṣṭānt) — Low-Medium risk (NEW term); standard, well-established term with no significant competing religious association |
| βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοία ἐστίν (13:24, 31, 33, 44-47) | basileia tōn ouranōn homoia estin | — | “the kingdom of heaven is like …” | Recurring parabolic formula describing the Kingdom’s hidden, growing, surpassingly valuable nature | ”the kingdom of heaven is like” | Each parable nuances Kingdom of Heaven doctrine: small/hidden beginnings (mustard seed, leaven), surpassing worth (treasure, pearl), and future separation of true/false members (weeds, net) — the last tying directly to Judgment and the End of the Age | स्वर्गक राज्य … सन अछि (svargak rājya … san achi) — Critical, reuse exactly across all six parables for consistency |
| συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (13:39-40, 49) | synteleia tou aiōnos | synteleia tou aiōnos | the end/close of the age | The final, decisive consummation of the present age at judgment | ”end of the age” | First occurrence of a key End of the Age doctrinal term, elaborated further in ch. 24-25 | युगक अन्त (yugak anta) — CRITICAL risk (NEW term). युग is the central Hindu cyclical-time category (the four recurring yugas — Satya, Treta, Dvapar, Kali — within an endlessly repeating cosmic cycle). “End of the age” in Matthew names a single, final, linear consummation of history at Christ’s return — NOT a transition into a new cycle of yugas. Every occurrence requires an explicit translator note distinguishing linear biblical eschatology from cyclical yuga-cosmology; this is among the highest syncretism-risk terms in the entire Matthew curriculum. |
Chapter 14 — Death of John the Baptist, Feeding of 5,000, Walking on Water
No major new theological vocabulary; reuses βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν, πίστις (faith, ch. 8), and introduces the worship-confession “Truly you are the Son of God” (14:33), reusing baseline son_of_god (Critical) exactly — the disciples’ confession in the boat anticipates Peter’s confession at 16:16.
Chapter 15 — Tradition vs. Commandment, Canaanite Woman’s Faith
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων (15:2-3) | paradosis tōn presbyterōn | paradosis tōn presbyterōn | tradition of the elders | Accumulated oral legal tradition treated as equal to/above the written Law | ”tradition of the elders” | Jesus contrasts human religious tradition with God’s actual commandment — sharpens Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees and Authority of Jesus’ Teaching doctrines | पुरनका परम्परा (puranakā paramparā) — Medium risk (NEW term); should be framed carefully given the deep regional value placed on inherited religious/social tradition (e.g., Panjikaran custom) |
| οὐ τὸ εἰσερχόμενον … κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον (15:11) | — | — | “not what enters … defiles, but what comes out” | Moral defilement originates in the heart, not from ritually unclean food/contact | ”not what goes into the mouth defiles” | Directly reframes purity/holiness (see baseline note on पवित्र vs. शुद्ध): defilement is a heart-moral category, not ritual | हृदयसँ निकलल चीज मनुष्यकेँ अशुद्ध करैत अछि (hṛdayasã̃ nikalal cīj manuṣyakeṃ aśuddha karait achi) — High risk; reinforces the ch. 5:8 पवित्रता-vs-शुद्ध distinction from the opposite direction |
Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession, the Church, Keys of the Kingdom, First Passion Prediction
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| Σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (16:16) | Sy ei ho Christos ho huios tou theou tou zōntos | — | “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” | Peter’s climactic confession, combining Messiah and unique divine Sonship | ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” | Central confession of the whole Gospel, combining messiah (Critical) and son_of_god (Critical) exactly as recorded in baseline; the theological hinge of Matthew’s narrative | तूँ मसीह, जीवित परमेश्वरक पुत्र छी (tū̃ masīh, jīvit parameśvarak putra chī) — Critical; both component terms reused exactly from baseline, honorific verb register required |
| τὴν ἐκκλησίαν μου (16:18) | tēn ekklēsian mou | — | “my church” | MUST REUSE baseline मण्डली (church). Jesus’ first explicit statement founding the Church | ”my church” | Establishes the Church and Church Discipline doctrine’s foundation: the church belongs to Christ, built on the confession of his identity | मण्डली — Medium per baseline; never मन्दिर/मठ |
| κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν (16:19) | kleidas tēs basileias tōn ouranōn | — | keys of the kingdom of heaven | Delegated authority to open/administer entrance into the Kingdom community | ”keys of the kingdom of heaven” | Introduces the Church’s delegated spiritual authority, elaborated in the binding/loosing formula immediately following | स्वर्गक राज्यक चाबी (svargak rājyak cābī) — High risk (NEW term); reuse स्वर्गक राज्य exactly |
| δήσῃς … λύσῃς (16:19) | dēsēs … lysēs | dēsēs … lysēs | you shall bind … you shall loose | Rabbinic idiom for authoritative declaration of what is/is not permitted or forgiven — foundational to Church Discipline (repeated 18:18) | “bind and loose” | Establishes the Church’s Christ-delegated authority to exercise discipline and pronounce forgiveness — central to the Church and Church Discipline doctrine | बाँधब आ खोलब (bā̃dhab ā kholab) — High risk (NEW term). Must be explained as authoritative, Christ-delegated declaration (of what sin binds a person to or looses a person from), not magical/ritual binding-spell language, which could otherwise resonate uncomfortably with regional tantric-binding folk practices; a translator note is recommended. |
| σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ (16:24) | stauron autou | stauron autou | his cross | Instrument of Roman execution; here, a metaphor for self-denying, costly discipleship | ”take up his cross” | Foundational statement of the Cost of Discipleship doctrine | अपन क्रूस उठाओब (apan krūs uṭhāob) — High risk (NEW term); क्रूस is the established Christian transliteration (not to be replaced with a generic “burden” term, which would lose the specific reference to Christ’s own crucifixion path) |
Chapter 17 — Transfiguration, Faith Like a Mustard Seed
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| μετεμορφώθη (17:2) | metemorphōthē | metemorphōthē | he was transformed/transfigured | A visible, temporary unveiling of Christ’s inherent divine glory | ”was transfigured,” “was transformed” | A preview of Christ’s future glorified return, confirming his unique divine identity (Deity of Christ, baseline) | रूपान्तरण भेल (rūpāntaraṇ bhel) — High risk (NEW term). Must be carefully distinguished from Puranic narratives of deities assuming multiple/altered forms (e.g., a deity’s vishvarupa or repeated divine self-manifestations); this is a singular unveiling of the one, unique incarnate Son’s inherent glory, not one of several interchangeable divine forms/appearances — directly parallel in risk-profile to the baseline’s caution on देहधारण (incarnation). |
| Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός … ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ (17:5) | — | — | “This is my beloved Son … listen to him” | The Father’s voice again confirms Jesus’ unique Sonship and commands submission to his authoritative teaching | ”This is my beloved Son … listen to him” | Combines baseline son_of_god (Critical) with Authority of Jesus’ Teaching doctrine | ई हमर प्रिय पुत्र छथि … एकर सुनू (ī hamar priya putra chathi … ekar sunū) — Critical, reuse परमेश्वरक पुत्र frame with honorific verb |
Chapter 18 — Church Discipline, Forgiveness, the Lost Sheep
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ … ὁ ἀδελφός σου (18:15-17) | ean hamartēsē ho adelphos sou | — | “if your brother sins …” | Matthew’s explicit procedural instruction for confronting sin within the believing community, escalating to “tell it to the church” (τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ) | “if your brother sins against you” | The Gospel’s fullest statement of the Church Discipline doctrine’s procedure — private confrontation, then witnesses, then the church, then treating the unrepentant as an outsider | ई मण्डलीकेँ कहू (ī maṇḍalīkeṃ kahū) — High risk (NEW procedural term); reuses baseline मण्डली exactly; must be taught as restorative (aimed at repentance/restoration) not punitive/shaming discipline, given regional honor-shame sensitivities |
| δήσητε … λύσητε (18:18) | dēsēte … lysēte | — | bind … loose | Repetition of the 16:19 formula, now applied to the gathered church body rather than to Peter alone | ”bind and loose” | Extends church-authority-to-discipline from Peter individually to the whole congregation acting together | बाँधब आ खोलब — reuse, High, consistent with 16:19 |
| ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά (18:22) | hebdomēkontakis hepta | hebdomēkontakis hepta | seventy times seven | Hyperbolic idiom for limitless forgiveness | ”seventy-seven times,” “seventy times seven” | Grounds the practice of Church Discipline in a prior, more fundamental posture of limitless forgiveness (parable of the unforgiving servant follows immediately) | सत्तर गुणा सात बेर (sattar guṇā sāt ber) — Low-Medium risk; idiom for limitless, not a literal count |
Chapter 19 — Divorce, Rich Young Ruler, Eternal Life
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ (19:3-9) | apolysai tēn gynaika autou | — | to divorce his wife | Legal dissolution of marriage; Jesus roots marriage in God’s original creation design, not Mosaic concession | ”divorce” | Reasserts God’s original creation intent for marriage against a concessive Mosaic allowance — an application of Authority of Jesus’ Teaching over against a lesser legal accommodation | तलाक/विवाह-विच्छेद (talāq/vivāh-vicched) — Medium risk (NEW term); a culturally sensitive topic requiring pastoral care in teaching material |
| ζωὴν αἰώνιον (19:16, 29) | zōēn aiōnion | zōēn aiōnion | eternal life | Unending, resurrection-quality personal life in God’s presence, received as gift, not payment for good deeds | ”eternal life” | The rich young ruler’s question (“what good deed must I do to have eternal life”) is directly corrected by Jesus toward grace/discipleship rather than merit-accumulation | अनन्त जीवन (anant jīvan) — Critical risk (NEW term). Must be distinguished from the Hindu/Vaishnava concept of मोक्ष/मुक्ति (liberation from the rebirth cycle, already flagged Critical in the baseline for “salvation”) — eternal life is unending personal, relational life with the personal God through Christ, not liberation from a cycle of rebirth or absorption into an impersonal Absolute. Reinforces (does not replace) baseline उद्धार. |
| διὰ τρήματος ῥαφίδος (19:24) | dia trēmatos rhaphidos | dia trēmatos rhaphidos | through the eye of a needle | Proverbial hyperbole for human impossibility | ”camel through the eye of a needle" | "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” — grace, not human effort, achieves salvation; reinforces baseline grace doctrine | ऊँटक सूइक नाकासँ जाएब (ū̃ṭak sūik nākāsã̃ jāeb) — Low-Medium risk; figurative |
Chapter 20 — Laborers in the Vineyard, Son of Man as Ransom, Two Blind Men
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| παραβολή τῶν ἐργατῶν (20:1-16) | — | — | parable of the laborers | Workers hired at different hours all receive the same full wage | ”parable of the workers in the vineyard” | A direct narrative illustration of grace’s logic (baseline): God’s generosity is not proportional to merit or labor — reinforces the grace-vs-merit contrast the baseline flags as especially needing protection against the region’s exemplary-merit intuitions | दाखबारीक मजदूरक दृष्टान्त (dākhbārīk majdūrak dṛṣṭānt) — High risk (NEW term); directly ties into baseline अनुग्रह (grace, Critical/High) — the whole parable’s point is that reward is grace-based, not labor-proportional |
| δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν (20:28) | dounai tēn psychēn autou lytron anti pollōn | — | “to give his life as a ransom for many” | Substitutionary payment securing release/freedom for others, at cost to the one paying | ”a ransom for many” | Central atonement statement: the Son of Man’s death is a substitutionary ransom-payment — foundational to how Matthew frames the cross (cf. 26:28, “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins”) | बहुतोक लेल अपन प्राण छुटकाराक मोलक रूपमे देब (bahutok lel apan prāṇ chuṭkārāk molak rūpme deb) — Critical risk (NEW term). Uses baseline छुटकारा, which the baseline explicitly permits “in specific rescue-narrative contexts” — this is precisely such a context. Must be clearly a substitutionary payment secured by Christ himself, not a generic rescue or a karmic release. |
Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Temple Cleansing, Parables of Judgment
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| Ὡσαννὰ τῷ υἱῷ Δαυίδ (21:9) | Hōsanna tō huiō Dauid | Hōsanna tō huiō Dauid | ”Hosanna to the Son of David” | Messianic acclamation at the Triumphal Entry, quoting Psalm 118 | ”Hosanna to the Son of David” | Public messianic acclamation directly reuses दाऊदक पुत्र (ch. 1) — the crowd recognizes (even if imperfectly) Jesus’ Davidic-messianic identity | होशाना, दाऊदक पुत्रकेँ! (Hośānā, Dāūdak putrakeṃ!) — High risk; transliterate होशाना (an established liturgical transliteration), reuse दाऊदक पुत्र exactly |
| οἶκος προσευχῆς … σπήλαιον λῃστῶν (21:13) | oikos proseuchēs … spēlaion lēstōn | — | “house of prayer … den of robbers” | Jesus’ indictment of corrupted temple commerce, quoting Isaiah 56:7/Jeremiah 7:11 | ”house of prayer / den of robbers” | Demonstrates Jesus’ authority (अधिकार) even over the temple institution itself | प्रार्थनाक घर … डाकुक अड्डा (prārthanāk ghar … ḍākuk aḍḍā) — Medium risk |
| ὁ λίθος ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν … ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας (21:42) | ho lithos hon apedokimasan … eis kephalēn gōnias | — | “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” | Quoting Psalm 118:22-23; the parable of the wicked tenants’ climax — Jesus’ rejection and vindication foretold in Scripture | ”the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” | Ties Fulfillment of Prophecy directly to the Passion and Resurrection narrative to come | जकरा राजमिस्त्री अस्वीकार केलक से कोनाक पाथर बनि गेल (jakarā rājmistrī asvīkār kelak se koṇāk pāthar bani gel) — High risk |
Chapter 22 — Wedding Feast, Taxes to Caesar, Resurrection Debate, Greatest Commandment
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἀνάστασις (22:23-33) | anastasis | — | resurrection | MUST REUSE baseline term. Debated with the Sadducees, who denied it | ”resurrection” | Jesus defends bodily resurrection against Sadducean denial — same doctrine as baseline resurrection_of_christ, here defended as a general future reality | पुनरुत्थान — Critical per baseline; never पुनर्जन्म |
| ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν θεόν σου … τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν (22:37-39) | agapēseis Kyrion ton theon sou … ton plēsion sou hōs seauton | — | “love the Lord your God … your neighbor as yourself” | The Great Commandment, summarizing the entire Law and Prophets | ”love God and love your neighbor” | Summarizes true righteousness as love-driven, not mere legal compliance — key to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees and Authority of Jesus’ Teaching | परमेश्वर प्रभुकेँ प्रेम करू … अपन पड़ोसीकेँ अपना समान प्रेम करू (parameśvar prabhukeṃ prem karū … apan paṛosīkeṃ apanā samān prem karū) — High risk; reuses baseline परमेश्वर and प्रभु |
Chapter 23 — Woes to Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrisy
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ὑποκριταί (23:13ff, refrain) | hypokritai | hypokritai | hypocrites | Lit. “stage actors” — those whose external religious performance masks internal reality | ”hypocrites” | Recurring indictment of the scribes/Pharisees’ outward religiosity without inward righteousness — the negative counterpart to Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees | पाखण्डी (pākhaṇḍī) — Medium risk (NEW term); standard term, low competing-association risk |
| μὴ κληθῆτε Ῥαββί … πατέρα μὴ καλέσητε (23:8-9) | mē klēthēte Rhabbi … patera mē kalesēte | — | “do not be called Rabbi … call no one father” | Instruction against elevating human religious teachers to titles reserved for God/Christ’s unique authority | ”call no man father/teacher” | Requires translator note. This instructs disciples not to grant a human religious teacher the honorific “Father” — it does not restrict or alter the baseline’s reserved theological use of पिता exclusively for God the Father, which remains untouched. The two uses (a social/religious honorific title vs. the theological name for God) must be kept visibly distinct in translation and teaching notes to avoid confusion. | गुरु मत कहाउ … पितो मत कहाउ (guru mat kahāu … pitā mat kahāu) — High risk; distinguish sharply from baseline पिता (used only for God) |
Chapter 24 — Olivet Discourse: Signs of the End
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως (24:15) | to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs | to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs | the abomination of desolation | A specific, prophesied sacrilegious event (Daniel 9, 11-12) marking acute end-times tribulation | ”abomination of desolation” | Ties End of the Age doctrine to specific fulfilled/yet-to-be-fulfilled OT prophecy | उजाड़ करएवाला घृणित वस्तु (ujāṛ karaevālā ghṛṇit vastu) — High risk; requires OT (Daniel) background explanation for a low-OT-literacy audience |
| ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται (24:24) | pseudochristoi kai pseudoprophētai | — | false christs and false prophets | Counterfeit messianic/prophetic claimants arising before the end | ”false christs and false prophets” | Warns against being misled by counterfeit spiritual authority near the end — reuses मसीह and भविष्यद्वक्ता | झूठ मसीह आ झूठ भविष्यद्वक्ता (jhūṭh masīh ā jhūṭh bhaviṣyadvaktā) — High risk; reuse मसीह (Critical) and भविष्यद्वक्ता exactly |
| ἡ παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (24:27, 37, 39) | hē parousia tou huiou tou anthrōpou | hē parousia tou huiou tou anthrōpou | the coming/arrival/presence of the Son of Man | Christ’s visible, glorious, universally evident future return | ”the coming of the Son of Man” | Culminates the मनुष्यक पुत्र title’s Daniel-7 trajectory: the humble Son of Man returns in visible glory to judge — central to Judgment and the End of the Age | मनुष्यक पुत्रक आगमन (manuṣyak putrak āgaman) — Critical, reuse मनुष्यक पुत्र exactly |
| οὐδὲ ὁ υἱός, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατὴρ μόνος (24:36) | oude ho huios ei mē ho patēr monos | — | “nor the Son, but the Father only [knows the day/hour]“ | A significant statement on the incarnate Son’s voluntary limitation of knowledge during his earthly ministry | ”not even the Son, but the Father alone” | A doctrinally delicate statement bearing on the Incarnation/Deity of Christ doctrines — requires careful theologian handling so as not to be read as denying Christ’s full deity, but rather his voluntary incarnational limitation | न त पुत्र, केवल पिता जानथि (na ta putra, keval pitā jānathi) — Critical risk; theologian review required at every occurrence given its Christological sensitivity |
Chapter 25 — Ten Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| αἱ παρθένοι (25:1-13) | hai parthenoi | — | the virgins | Attendants awaiting the bridegroom’s arrival at a wedding; parable of watchfulness | ”the [ten] virgins” | Warns of the need for constant readiness for the Son of Man’s return — End of the Age doctrine | कुमारीसभ (kumārī sabh) — Low risk; reuse कुमारी |
| τάλαντα (25:14-30) | talanta | talanta | talents (a large monetary unit) | Entrusted resources/responsibility, to be faithfully invested, not merely preserved | ”talents” | Faithful stewardship of what the Master entrusts, evaluated at his return — ties Discipleship to Judgment doctrine | तोड़ा/धनराशि (toṛā/dhanrāśi) — Low-Medium risk; a monetary unit, translated functionally |
| κόλασιν αἰώνιον … ζωὴν αἰώνιον (25:46) | kolasin aiōnion … zōēn aiōnion | — | eternal punishment … eternal life | Final, everlasting division of humanity at the Son of Man’s judgment, based on how one treated “the least of these" | "eternal punishment … eternal life” | The Gospel’s clearest statement of Judgment and the End of the Age’s final, permanent, dual outcome | अनन्त दण्ड … अनन्त जीवन (anant daṇḍa … anant jīvan) — Critical/High risk. अनन्त जीवन reuses the Critical term from ch. 19; अनन्त दण्ड (eternal punishment, NEW, High-Critical) must likewise be protected from being softened into a temporary purgative/karmic consequence that eventually resolves (as in some regional understandings of hell-realms/naraka as temporary), since Matthew presents this as final and unending. |
Chapter 26 — Last Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου (26:26) | touto estin to sōma mou | — | “this is my body” | Institution of the Lord’s Supper; Jesus identifies the bread with his own body given for his disciples | ”this is my body” | Foundational to later Christian sacramental practice; establishes the meal as memorial/participatory, not a repeatable sacrifice | ई हमर देह थिक (ī hamar deh thik) — High risk; requires careful, non-literalistic pastoral framing |
| τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης (26:28) | to haima mou tēs diathēkēs | to haima mou tēs diathēkēs | ”my blood of the covenant” | Extends baseline वाचा (covenant). Explicitly a New Covenant, echoing Jeremiah 31:31-34, “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" | "my blood of the covenant” / “the new covenant in my blood” | Directly ties the atonement to covenant fulfillment — combining baseline covenant, sin/forgiveness, and the ransom language of 20:28 | हमर लहू, जे वाचाक लहू थिक (hamar lahū, je vācāk lahū thik) — Critical risk (NEW covenant-blood term). Reuses baseline वाचा (covenant, High risk) exactly; explicitly name this as नयाँ वाचा (new covenant) at first occurrence, fulfilling and superseding the Mosaic covenant — theologian review required. |
| οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ (26:39) | ouch hōs egō thelō all’ hōs sy | — | “not as I will, but as you [will]“ | Jesus’ Gethsemane submission of his human will to the Father’s will | ”not as I will, but as you will” | A key text for both the Humanity of Christ doctrine (baseline) and the Cost of Discipleship (Jesus models the very self-denial he demands of disciples in 16:24) | हमर इच्छा नहि, बल्कि अहाँक इच्छा पूर्ण होअय (hamar icchā nahi, balki ahā̃k icchā pūrṇa hoay) — High risk |
| Σὺ εἶπας (26:64) | Sy eipas | Sy eipas | ”You have said so” | Jesus’ affirmative-yet-indirect acknowledgment before the Sanhedrin that he is the Christ, the Son of God, combined with a direct claim to future Son-of-Man glory (“seated at the right hand of Power, coming on the clouds”) | “You have said so,” “It is as you say” | The trial’s climactic Christological self-disclosure, combining messiah, son_of_god, and मनुष्यक पुत्र in one statement — the direct legal/theological basis for the charge of blasphemy that leads to the crucifixion | अहीं कहलहुँ (ahī̃ kahalahũ) — Critical risk; must be read (with translator note) as an affirmative, not an evasive, answer |
Chapter 27 — Crucifixion
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| σταυρόω (27:26, 35) | stauroō | stauroō | to crucify | Roman method of execution by nailing/binding to a cross | ”crucify,” “crucifixion” | The central saving event toward which the whole Gospel moves; foundational to atonement, ransom (20:28), and new covenant (26:28) doctrines | क्रूसित करब (krūsit karab) — Critical risk (NEW term, reuses क्रूस from 16:24); must be historically and theologically concrete — a real death by a real Roman method — not a metaphor or myth |
| Θεέ μου θεέ μου, ἱνατί με ἐγκατέλιπες (27:46) | Thee mou thee mou, hinati me enkatelipes | — | “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” | Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1 at the point of deepest suffering — the cry of dereliction | ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” | A profound statement bearing on the atonement (the Son bearing the judicial weight of sin) and on the mystery of the Trinity’s inner relations at the cross; requires careful theologian handling | हे हमर परमेश्वर, हे हमर परमेश्वर, अहाँ हमरा किएक त्यागि देलहुँ? (he hamar parameśvar, he hamar parameśvar, ahā̃ hamarā kiek tyāgi delahũ?) — Critical risk; reuse baseline परमेश्वर exactly; theologian review required |
| Ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος (27:54) | Alēthōs theou huios ēn houtos | — | “Truly this was the Son of God” | The Roman centurion’s confession at the crucifixion — a Gentile’s unexpected recognition of Jesus’ divine Sonship | ”Truly this was the Son of God” | Reuses baseline son_of_god exactly; a Gentile outsider’s confession bookends the Gentile Magi’s worship in ch. 2, reinforcing Universal Scope of the Gospel | सच्चहि ई परमेश्वरक पुत्र छलाह (saccahi ī parameśvarak putra chalāh) — Critical, reuse परमेश्वरक पुत्र exactly with honorific verb छलाह |
Chapter 28 — Resurrection and the Great Commission
| Term | Original | Translit. | Literal Meaning | Semantic Range | English Variants | Contextual Theological Meaning | Maithili Rendering & Risk |
|---|
| ἠγέρθη (28:6) | ēgerthē | ēgerthē | ”he has been raised” | MUST REUSE baseline term. Confirms the bodily, historical Resurrection foretold throughout the Gospel (12:40; 16:21; 17:23; 20:19) | “he has risen,” “he is risen” | The Gospel’s climactic vindication of every prior Christological claim | पुनरुत्थान (punaruthān) — Critical per baseline; never पुनर्जन्म; distinguishing translator note required at this culminating occurrence |
| ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ἐξουσία (28:18) | edothē moi pasa exousia | edothē moi pasa exousia | ”all authority has been given to me” | Jesus’ universal, cosmic authority as risen Lord, in heaven and on earth | ”all authority in heaven and on earth” | Grounds the Great Commission in Christ’s own total authority (अधिकार, established ch. 7-9) — not a human institutional mandate | हमरा सम्पूर्ण अधिकार देल गेल अछि (hamarā sampūrṇa adhikār del gel achi) — High risk (NEW term); reuse अधिकार exactly |
| μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (28:19) | mathēteusate panta ta ethnē | mathēteusate panta ta ethnē | ”make disciples of all nations/peoples” | The Great Commission’s central imperative — not merely converting individuals but forming committed, taught followers among every people group | ”make disciples of all nations” | The Gospel’s climactic missional mandate; reuses चेला (disciple, ch. 5) and baseline अन्यजाति/जातिसभ (Gentiles/nations) | सभ जातिसभकेँ चेला बनाऊ (sabh jātisabhakeṃ celā banāū) — High risk (NEW term). Reuses चेला exactly; use जातिसभ (per baseline note, “nations/peoples” mission-context form) rather than अन्यजाति here, since the command addresses all peoples inclusively, not a Jew/Gentile contrast specifically. |
| βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (28:19) | baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou patros kai tou huiou kai tou hagiou pneumatos | — | “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” | The Bible’s clearest single Trinitarian formula — one “name” (singular), three Persons | ”baptizing … in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” | Foundational Trinitarian and baptismal text — reuses baseline पिता, पुत्र (via परमेश्वरक पुत्र frame), and पवित्र आत्मा exactly | पिता, पुत्र आ पवित्र आत्माक नाओंमे बपतिस्मा दैत (pitā, putra ā pavitra ātmāk nāõme baptismā dait) — Critical risk; all three component terms reused exactly from baseline; theologian review required to confirm the singular “name” (not “names”) is preserved grammatically |
| διδάσκοντες αὐτοὺς τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν (28:20) | didaskontes autous tērein panta hosa eneteilamēn hymin | — | “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you” | Ongoing discipleship formation in obedience to Christ’s teaching, not a one-time conversion event | ”teaching them to obey everything I have commanded” | Reuses baseline obedience_of_faith concept: obedience flowing from being taught and formed by Christ, not external duty-compliance | अहाँकेँ देल हमर सभटा आज्ञा मानब सिखाउ (ahā̃keṃ del hamar sabhaṭā ājñā mānab sikhāu) — High risk; connect explicitly to baseline विश्वासक आज्ञाकारिता (obedience of faith) |
| ἐγὼ μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας (28:20) | egō meth’ hymōn eimi pasas tas hēmeras | — | “I am with you always, to the end of the age” | Christ’s abiding personal presence with the church until the consummation | ”I am with you always” | Reprises the Immanuel theme (1:23) at the Gospel’s close and reuses συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (end of the age, ch. 13) — a literary and theological bookend | हम सदिखन अहाँ सभक संग छी, युगक अन्त धरि (ham sadikhan ahā̃ sabhak saṅg chī, yugak anta dhari) — High risk; reuse युगक अन्त exactly (Critical) and echo the इम्मानुएल theme from ch. 1 |
Summary of Baseline Term Reuse Across Matthew
The following baseline Romans terms recur across Matthew and must be rendered exactly as recorded in translation_memory.json: gospel (सुसमाचार — implied throughout as “gospel of the kingdom,” 4:23, 9:35, 24:14), grace (अनुग्रह — implicit in parable of laborers ch. 20), faith (विश्वास), righteousness (धार्मिकता), salvation (उद्धार — implicit in 1:21, 9:22 “your faith has saved you,” etc.), church (मण्डली), holy_spirit (पवित्र आत्मा), god (परमेश्वर), jesus (यीशु), lord (प्रभु), son_of_god (परमेश्वरक पुत्र), resurrection (पुनरुत्थान), messiah (मसीह), covenant (वाचा), father (पिता), called (बजाओल), sin (पाप), gentiles (अन्यजाति) / mission-context जातिसभ, prophet (भविष्यद्वक्ता), prophecy (भविष्यवाणी), kingdom_of_god (परमेश्वरक राज्य — cross-referenced with the new kingdom_of_heaven term), seed_of_david (दाऊदक वंशसँ), david (दाऊद), israel (इस्राएल), glory (महिमा — 24:30, 25:31), thanksgiving (धन्यवाद — 26:27), and exhort (उत्साहित करब — pastoral contexts).
New Matthew-specific terms requiring addition to translation memory in Phase 2 are catalogued in full in 08_core_glossary.md.
This document fulfills PRD Phase 1 Step 1 for the Matthew curriculum, destination language Maithili. Full-book coverage confirmed: all 28 chapters analyzed; no chapter silently omitted.