07 Semantic Analysis — Matthew 1–28 (English → Manipuri)

Methodology Note

This analysis follows the baseline Romans Language Package conventions exactly. Terms already fixed in translation_memory.json (jesus, christ/messiah, god, holy_spirit, father, holy, righteousness, salvation, faith, grace, law, sin, covenant, election, gentiles, glory, church, kingdom_of_god, prophet, prophecy, providence, adoption, resurrection, lord, son_of_god, incarnation, peace, gospel, obedience_of_faith, power_of_god, intercession, mission, david, israel, abba, exhort, seed_of_david, imputed_righteousness, apostle, called, calling, saints, sanctification) are reused verbatim wherever Matthew uses the corresponding Greek term. No alternative rendering is proposed for these. New terms required by Matthew’s distinct vocabulary (e.g., “kingdom of heaven” vs. “kingdom of God,” “Son of Man,” Beatitude vocabulary, church-discipline vocabulary, Great Commission vocabulary, apocalyptic/judgment vocabulary) are analyzed fresh below and carried into 08_core_glossary.md with proposed Manipuri renderings, consistent with the baseline’s descriptive-compound methodology and its avoidance of Sanamahi- and Vaishnava-loaded vocabulary.

Matthew’s Meitei reception context inherits the same dual live-tradition landscape documented in the Romans baseline (active Sanamahi revival: Sanamahi, Pakhangba, Umang Lai, Lai Haraoba, maibi/maiba; and active Gaudiya Vaishnavism: Krishna-Radha devotion, Ras Lila, bhakti, avatar theology). Matthew adds fresh collision points not present in Romans: kingdom-of-heaven vs. স্বর্গ/svarga cosmology; Son of Man/Son of David titles vs. avatar and Pakhangba-descent kingship; demon/unclean-spirit vocabulary vs. the populated Umang Lai/ancestral-spirit world; parable vs. Ras Lila/katha devotional storytelling; scribes/Pharisees/priests vs. Brahmin priestly and maiba/maibi ritual-specialist categories; and the Great Commission’s “make disciples” vs. the guru-śiṣya devotional discipleship pattern.

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PART A — Core Passage: Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes), Verse by Verse

Matthew 5:1–2 (Setting)

ὄχλους (ochlous) — Literal: “crowds.” Semantic range: the general, undifferentiated multitude following Jesus, distinct from the μαθηταὶ (disciples) who draw near. English variants: crowds, multitudes. Contextual meaning: sets up the audience distinction — Jesus turns from the crowd to teach his committed followers specifically. Manipuri: মীহুৎ (mihut, “crowd/multitude”) — Risk: Low.

μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ (mathētai autou) — Literal: “his learners/disciples.” Semantic range: committed followers who learn from and follow a teacher; in Matthew this becomes a technical term for those who follow Jesus specifically. English variants: disciples, students, followers. Contextual meaning: the Sermon on the Mount is addressed primarily to disciples (kingdom insiders), not the crowd generally — an important framing for the whole Sermon. Manipuri: ইনবা-তমজবা (inaba-tamjaba, “follower-learner”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: Must be distinguished from a Vaishnava guru’s śiṣya (devotional pupil in a bhakti lineage) and from a maiba’s ritual apprentice; discipleship to Jesus is a direct, personal following, not initiation into a guru-lineage or ritual-craft apprenticeship. See full treatment under Matt 28 (Great Commission).

ἐδίδασκεν (edidasken) — Literal: “he was teaching.” Semantic range: authoritative instruction, distinct from casual conversation. Contextual meaning: introduces the doctrine of “The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching,” fully stated at 7:28-29. Manipuri: তাকপা (takpa, “to teach”) — Risk: Low, but flag downstream at 7:28-29 where ἐξουσία (authority) attaches to this teaching — see Ch. 7 below.

Matthew 5:3

Μακάριοι (Makarioi) — Literal: “blessed / happy / fortunate ones.” Semantic range: a state of divine favor and flourishing pronounced as a fact, not a wish; distinct from mere subjective happiness. English variants: blessed, happy, fortunate. Contextual theological meaning: God’s eschatological favor resting on those who exhibit the described kingdom-character, now and unto consummation. Manipuri: তেংবাং মপুনা নুংঙাইহনবা (Tengban Mapuna nungngaihanba, “the one God has made joyful/favored”) — Risk: High. Notes: Avoid the common Bengali/Indic gloss ধন্য (dhanya, “fortunate/blessed”), which in Manipuri Vaishnava devotional speech names the blessedness of a devotee who receives Krishna’s favor or darshan in response to bhakti — a responsive, merit-adjacent blessedness. Μακάριοι in the Beatitudes is God’s pronouncement over a kingdom-identity marked by faith-produced character, not a reward for devotional achievement. This term must be flagged for human theologian review at every occurrence (9 uses in vv.3-11).

πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι (ptōchoi tō pneumati) — Literal: “poor with respect to the spirit.” Semantic range: πτωχός = destitute, utterly lacking (stronger than πένης, “needy”); πνεῦμα here = the human spirit/inner disposition, not the Holy Spirit. English variants: poor in spirit, spiritually poor, humble/destitute before God. Contextual meaning: a posture of complete spiritual bankruptcy and dependence on God, the entry condition for kingdom citizenship. Manipuri: থাওয়াইদা লৈরবা (thawaida leiraba, “poor/destitute in [one’s own] spirit”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: The baseline forbids bare থাওয়াই without অসেংবা when referring to the Holy Spirit; here the referent is explicitly the human spirit, not the Holy Spirit, so অসেংবা must NOT be attached. However, bare থাওয়াই in Sanamahi belief also names ancestral/nature spirits (Apokpa, Umang Lai). A translator note distinguishing “one’s own inner/human থাওয়াই” from both the Holy Spirit and the populated Sanamahi spirit-world is mandatory at first occurrence.

βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (basileia tōn ouranōn) — Literal: “the kingdom of the heavens.” Semantic range: Matthew’s characteristic phrase (used ~32 times, vs. Mark/Luke’s “kingdom of God”) — a reverential Jewish circumlocution avoiding direct use of the divine name, functionally identical in referent to βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ. English variants: kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God, God’s reign. Contextual theological meaning: God’s sovereign, saving reign, breaking in through Jesus’s person and ministry, consummated at the end of the age. Manipuri: তেংবাং মপুগী লৈপাক (Tengban Mapugi leipak) — reused verbatim from the Romans baseline’s “kingdom_of_god” entry. Risk: Critical. Notes: This is a deliberate translation decision, not an oversight: rather than coin a literal “heaven-kingdom” compound using স্বর্গ (svarga), which carries strong Vaishnava/Hindu associations with a merit-attained paradise realm (and, per the Romans baseline, with the devotee’s hoped-for eternal nearness to Krishna in Vaikuntha/Goloka), Matthew’s “kingdom of heaven” is rendered with the same phrase already established for “kingdom of God,” preserving the phrase’s true referent (God’s reign) over its incidental Jewish-idiom wording. This decision must be stated explicitly to reviewers and applied with total consistency across all ~32 Matthean occurrences.

Matthew 5:4

πενθοῦντες (penthountes) — Literal: “those who mourn/grieve.” Semantic range: grief over loss, sin, or the brokenness of the present age. English variants: mourn, grieve, sorrow. Contextual meaning: mourning over sin and the fallen state of the world, which God himself will comfort. Manipuri: ৱাকাচরিবা (wakachariba, “mourning/grieving”) — Risk: Low.

παρακληθήσονται (paraklēthēsontai) — Literal: “they will be comforted/called-alongside.” Semantic range: comfort, consolation, encouragement — the passive voice implies God as the unstated agent (a “divine passive”). English variants: comforted, consoled. Contextual meaning: God himself, not fate or ritual, is the source of eschatological comfort. Manipuri: থাওয়াই পীগনি (thawai pigani, future of the baseline’s “exhort” entry থাওয়াই পীবা, used here in its comfort/encourage sense) — Risk: Low-Medium. Notes: Consistent with the baseline’s note that থাওয়াই পীবা is context-sensitive between “encourage” and “entreat”; here it functions as divine comfort.

Matthew 5:5

πραεῖς (praeis) — Literal: “the gentle/meek ones.” Semantic range: not weakness but power under control, humility before God and others. English variants: meek, gentle, humble. Contextual meaning: a kingdom-character trait modeled by Jesus himself (11:29; 21:5). Manipuri: পুকনিং তাপ্পা (pukning tappa, “gentle/soft-hearted”) — Risk: Medium.

κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν (klēronomēsousin tēn gēn) — Literal: “they will inherit the earth/land.” Semantic range: κληρονομέω = to receive an allotted inheritance (echoes the baseline’s adoption/inheritance-rights theology, Rom 8:15-17); γῆ = earth, land, or ground, echoing the land-promise of Psalm 37:11. English variants: inherit the earth, inherit the land. Contextual meaning: eschatological inheritance of the renewed created order, granted to the meek, not seized by the powerful. Manipuri: মালেমবু ফংগৎলগনি (malembu phongatlagani, “will come to receive/inherit the world/earth”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: Do not render γῆ with লৈপাক (“land/kingdom”), the same lexeme embedded in তেংবাং মপুগী লৈপাক (kingdom of heaven/God); this would create direct lexical confusion between “inheriting the earth” and “the kingdom of heaven” in adjacent verses. মালেম (“world/earth”) keeps the two concepts visibly distinct.

Matthew 5:6

πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην (peinōntes kai dipsōntes tēn dikaiosynēn) — Literal: “hungering and thirsting for righteousness.” Semantic range: intense, consuming desire, using physical-need metaphors for a spiritual longing. English variants: hunger and thirst for righteousness. Contextual meaning: righteousness (see baseline entry) here is both right standing before God and a life of right conduct flowing from it — a settled appetite for God’s righteousness rather than self-achieved merit. Manipuri: অচুম্বা চৎনবিরাকপু লাংঙাক্না পাম্মিবা (achumba chatnabirakpu langngakna pammiba, “longing hungrily for অচুম্বা চৎনবিরাক”) — reusing the baseline’s righteousness term অচুম্বা চৎনবিরাক exactly. Risk: Critical (per baseline righteousness entry). Notes: Must not collapse into a picture of striving to accumulate merit through devotional service (bhakti/seva) or ritual observance.

χορτασθήσονται (chortasthēsontai) — Literal: “they will be filled/satisfied” (originally of feeding animals fodder — a vivid, complete-satisfaction image). Manipuri: ঙাংহনগনি (ngangahangani, “will be made full/satisfied”) — Risk: Low.

Matthew 5:7

ἐλεήμονες (eleēmones) — Literal: “merciful ones.” Semantic range: showing compassionate practical kindness, especially to those without claim on it. English variants: merciful, compassionate. Contextual meaning: mercy shown toward others mirrors and anticipates mercy received from God — a reciprocity theme repeated at 18:23-35. Manipuri: নিংশিং চৎপা (ningshing chatpa, “showing compassion/pity”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: distinct from a devotee’s hope of receiving Krishna’s কৃপা (bhakti-responsive favor, see baseline grace entry) in exchange for devoted service; mercy here is a character quality that receives mercy, not a transactional exchange.

ἐλεηθήσονται (eleēthēsontai) — passive, “will be shown mercy” (by God). Manipuri: নিংশিং চৎপা ফংগনি — Risk: Medium.

Matthew 5:8

καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ (katharoi tē kardia) — Literal: “pure/clean with respect to the heart.” Semantic range: καθαρός covers both ritual cleanness and moral/inward purity; καρδία = the seat of will, thought, and moral character. English variants: pure in heart, clean of heart. Contextual meaning: inward moral integrity before God, not external ritual cleanliness. Manipuri: থমোইদা শেংবা (thamoida shengba, “clean/pure in the heart/mind”) — Risk: High. Notes: The baseline reserves শেংবা strictly for physical/ritual cleanliness (distinct from অসেংবা, moral-relational holiness). This verse requires শেংবা to be explicitly re-anchored to the heart (থমোইদা) so it is not read as a ritual-purity statement (echoing purification before Lai Haraoba or Vaishnava temple worship) but as inward moral purity. A translator note contrasting this with Matt 15:1-20 (ch. 15 below), where Jesus explicitly denies that ritual/external washing produces this purity, should accompany this term.

τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται (ton theon opsontai) — Literal: “they will see God.” Contextual meaning: the beatific vision, direct unmediated fellowship with God as the believer’s ultimate hope (cf. 1 Cor 13:12; Rev 22:4). Manipuri: তেংবাং মপুবু উবগনি — Risk: Medium. Notes: distinguish from a bhakti devotee’s darshan (ritual sight of a deity’s image) or the vision of Krishna sought through Ras Lila devotion; this is unmediated eschatological fellowship with the one true God, not veneration of an image.

Matthew 5:9

εἰρηνοποιοί (eirēnopoioi) — Literal: “peace-makers.” Semantic range: those who actively create reconciliation, echoing εἰρήνη (peace, baseline term ইনগবা). English variants: peacemakers. Manipuri: ইনগবা শেমবা মীওই (ingba shemba miwoi, “person who makes/builds peace”) built on baseline peace ইনগবা. Risk: Medium.

υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται (huioi theou klēthēsontai) — Literal: “will be called sons of God.” Contextual meaning: anticipates the full sonship/adoption theology of Romans 8, here presented as a Beatitude promise. Manipuri: reuse baseline called (কৌখিবা future tense) + father/sonship vocabulary: তেংবাং মপুগী মচা ওইনা কৌখিগনি — Risk: High. Notes: keep terminology consistent with the baseline’s adoption entry (মচা ওইনা লৌবা) for downstream doctrinal continuity even though this verse itself does not use υἱοθεσία.

Matthew 5:10

δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης (dediōgmenoi heneken dikaiosynēs) — Literal: “those having been persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” Manipuri: অচুম্বা চৎনবিরাকখৎনা ওৎপা (achumba chatnabirakkhatna otpa, “persecuted because of/for the sake of righteousness”) — reuses baseline righteousness term. Risk: High. Notes: the repeated βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν clause forms an inclusio with v.3, framed identically as তেংবাং মপুগী লৈপাক.

Matthew 5:11–12

ὀνειδίσωσιν…διώξωσιν…πονηρὸν… ψευδόμενοι (oneidisōsin… diōxōsin… ponēron… pseudomenoi) — “revile… persecute… say all kinds of evil against you falsely.” Manipuri: standard verbs for reviling/persecuting/lying — Risk: Low, but note the shift from third person (“blessed are those…”) to second person (“blessed are you”) intensifying the address directly to disciples facing real hostility.

ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ (heneken emou) — Literal: “for my sake” (i.e., Christ’s own sake). Contextual meaning: suffering is now explicitly Christocentric, not merely for an abstract “righteousness” — a hinge toward the discipleship-cost doctrine developed later (10:32-39; 16:24-26). Manipuri: এইগী মরমদা (eigi maramda, “because of/for me”) — Risk: Medium.

χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε (chairete kai agalliasthe) — “rejoice and be exceedingly glad.” Manipuri: হরাओ अमসুং য়াম্না নুংঙাইজরো — Risk: Low.

ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (ho misthos hymōn polys en tois ouranois) — Literal: “your reward [is] great in the heavens.” Semantic range: μισθός = wage/reward/recompense, ordinarily a commercial term for earned pay, here repurposed for God’s gracious eschatological reward. English variants: reward, recompense. Manipuri: নখোয়গী মান স্বর্গদা য়াম্না চাওই (nakhoigi man swargada yamna chaoi) — Risk: High. Notes: μισθός/“reward” language must be taught carefully alongside grace (baseline: মথৌ তাদনা পীবা তেংবাং), since Matthew consistently frames kingdom “reward” as flowing from grace and divine generosity (cf. 20:1-16), not as merit earned through works — precisely the distinction the Romans baseline draws against Vaishnava bhakti’s responsive কৃপা. স্বর্গ (heaven) here again carries the High-risk svarga/Vaikuntha collision flagged under 5:3 and must be read as “the place from which God gives,” not a merit-attained paradise realm.

τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν (tous prophētas tous pro hymōn) — “the prophets before you.” Reuses baseline prophet term তোঙান তোঙানবা ফোংদোকপা exactly. Risk: Low.

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PART B — Chapter-by-Chapter Study of Matthew 1–28

Chapter 1 — Genealogy and Birth of Jesus

• γένεσις (genesis) — Literal: “origin/genealogy/beginning.” Manipuri: ইমুং-ৱারী (imung-wari, “family/lineage account”) — Risk: Low.
• υἱὸς Δαυίδ (huios Dauid, “Son of David”) — Literal: “son of David.” Semantic range: a fixed messianic title (2 Sam 7:12-16 covenant background), distinct from mere physical descent (baseline’s seed_of_david, দাউদগী চা-চাহি, names the descent; “Son of David” names the messianic office claimed on that descent). English variants: Son of David, David’s son, David’s heir. Contextual meaning: Matthew opens by asserting Jesus’s legal Davidic right to Israel’s throne. Manipuri: দাউদগী মচানুপা (Daudgi machanupa) — Risk: Critical. Notes: built consistently on the baseline’s দাউদ (David) + মচানুপা (son) roots; must be taught as a fixed, exclusive fulfillment of the Davidic covenant (baseline davidic_covenant doctrine), not read through the lens of Meitei royal-divine lineage claims (the historic Pakhangba-descent kingship ideology), which is a different, non-covenantal category of royal legitimacy.
• Ἐμμανουήλ (Emmanouēl) — Literal (Hebrew): “God with us.” Contextual meaning: names the Incarnation doctrine directly (baseline: মীওইগী মহৈ লৌবা). Manipuri: ইম্মানুএল, transliterated, glossed at first occurrence as “তেংবাং মপু আইখোয়গা লোয়ননা লৈবি” (“God is with us”). Risk: Critical. Notes: pairs directly with the baseline’s incarnation entry; NEVER gloss with অবতার-adjacent language implying a temporary divine visitation.
• παρθένος (parthenos) — Literal: “virgin.” Semantic range: unmarried woman who has not had sexual relations (not merely “young woman,” pace some LXX-influenced readings). Contextual meaning: the virgin birth is the miraculous mechanism of the Incarnation, safeguarding both Christ’s full humanity and his unique divine origin. Manipuri: শেংবা নুপীমচা (shengba nupimacha, “pure/virgin maiden”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must not be softened to merely “young woman”; this doctrine (virgin conception) is foundational to the Incarnation and Sonship doctrines and requires human theologian review at every occurrence (1:23; cf. Luke parallel material referenced pedagogically).
• ἄγγελος (angelos) — Literal: “messenger.” Manipuri: স্বর্গগী থাবিরকপা (swargagi thabirakpa, “one sent from heaven”), built on the baseline’s apostle-root থাবিরকপা (“one sent”). Risk: Medium. Notes: must be clearly distinguished from the Umang Lai (Sanamahi forest/guardian deities) and from ancestral থাওয়াই; angels are created, personal messengers of the one true God, not deities or ancestral spirits in their own right, and are never objects of worship (cf. Rev 22:8-9, referenced pedagogically).
• δίκαιος (dikaios, of Joseph), ἁμαρτίας (sins), σώσει (will save) — reuse baseline righteousness/sin/salvation roots. Risk: Critical (reuse).
• πνεῦμα ἅγιον — reuse baseline থাওয়াই অসেংবা exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse).

Chapter 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt, Herod

• μάγοι (magoi) — Literal: “magi, wise men” (originally Persian priest-astrologers). Manipuri: মখা তারবা মীওইশিং or transliterated মাগী with gloss “নুংথীল লোকপা মীওই” (star-observing scholars). Risk: Medium. Notes: must be clearly distinguished from Meitei maiba (traditional healer/diviner) and astrological practice; the Magi’s star-following is presented as providentially directed toward Christ specifically, not validated as an ongoing astrological practice.
• προσκυνέω (proskyneō, “worship/pay homage”) — Literal: “to fall down and do obeisance to.” Semantic range: ranges from ordinary respectful obeisance to a superior, to full religious worship of deity — context determines which. English variants: worship, bow down, pay homage. Contextual meaning: the Magi’s homage to the infant king carries latent worship significance that becomes explicit and unambiguous by 28:9, 17. Manipuri: খুরুমজবা (khurumjaba, ordinary respectful bowing) when homage to a human superior is meant; তেংবাং মপুবু খুরুমজবা (worshiping God specifically) when true worship is meant. Risk: Critical. Notes: Manipuri khurumjaba is the everyday gesture of respect shown to elders, the historic Meitei king, or a deity’s image in temple worship; every occurrence of προσκυνέω directed at Jesus (2:2,11; 8:2; 9:18; 14:33; 15:25; 20:20; 28:9,17) must be flagged for theologian review to confirm the full-worship sense is preserved and not flattened into mere social courtesy or, conversely, mistaken for veneration paralleling image-worship in a Vaishnava temple.
• βασιλεύς (basileus, “king”) — of both Herod and the true King; sets up the Kingship theme running through the book. Manipuri: নিংথৌ (ningthou, the ordinary Meitei word for “king,” historically tied to the Pakhangba-descent royal ideology). Risk: High. Notes: using নিংথৌ for Jesus (as at 21:5; 27:11, 37) intentionally claims the category of true kingship for Christ; teach explicitly that Christ’s kingship is not another instance of, nor legitimated by, the Pakhangba-lineage royal-divine framework, but a superior, universal, and eternal kingship.
• ὄναρ (dream, divine revelation medium) — Manipuri: মাং (mang, “dream”). Risk: Medium. Notes: distinguish God’s sovereign use of dreams here from Meitei divinatory dream-interpretation traditionally read by a maiba.

Chapter 3 — John the Baptist, Baptism of Jesus

• βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω (baptisma/baptizō) — Literal: “to dip/immerse” / “immersion.” Semantic range: a rite of ritual washing marking repentance and, for Jesus, inaugurating public ministry; in the Great Commission (28:19) it becomes the church’s initiation rite. English variants: baptism, baptize, immerse. Contextual meaning: John’s baptism signifies repentance in preparation for the Messiah; Jesus’s own baptism inaugurates his ministry and receives the Father’s and Spirit’s endorsement. Manipuri: বাপ্তিস্মা (transliteration, following established Bengali-script Christian convention) for the noun; verb বাপ্তিস্মা পীবা / বাপ্তিস্মা লৌবা. Risk: Critical. Notes: must be sharply distinguished from ritual bathing (snana) at sacred rivers/tanks in Vaishnava devotional practice and from Sanamahi ritual purification washing; Christian baptism is a one-time sign of repentance and union with Christ, not a repeatable purificatory rite.
• μετάνοια / μετανοέω (metanoia/metanoeō) — Literal: “a change of mind” / “to change one’s mind.” Semantic range: a decisive, God-ward turning from sin, involving both mind and will, not mere regret. English variants: repentance, repent, turn. Contextual meaning: the necessary human response preparing for the in-breaking kingdom (3:2; 4:17). Manipuri: পুকনিং হোংদোকপা (pukning hongdokpa, “turning/changing the heart-mind”) — Risk: High. Notes: must be distinguished from ritual atonement (prayaschitta) in Vaishnava practice and from any purificatory rite addressing ritual (rather than moral) offense in Sanamahi practice, per the baseline’s sin entry.
• πνεῦμα ἅγιον καὶ πυρί (Holy Spirit and fire) — reuse থাওয়াই অসেংবা. Risk: Critical (reuse).
• υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός (My beloved Son) — reuse baseline son_of_god vocabulary (তেংবাং মপুগী মচানুপা), here as direct divine speech. Risk: Critical (reuse). Notes: this is the first of three key sonship-declaration moments (with 16:16-17 and 17:5), each requiring theologian review.

Chapter 4 — Temptation, Call of Disciples, Early Ministry

• πειρασμός / πειράζω (peirasmos/peirazō) — Literal: “testing/trial” / “to test.” Semantic range: can mean either a legitimate test of character or an enticement to sin, depending on the agent; here Satan’s testing of Jesus. Manipuri: ৱাথোকপা (wathokpa, “to test/try”). Risk: Medium.
• διάβολος / σατανᾶς (diabolos/satanas, “devil/Satan”) — Literal: “slanderer” / “adversary.” Semantic range: the personal, malevolent supernatural adversary of God and his people, distinct from an impersonal evil principle. Manipuri: সয়তান (transliteration, an already cross-religiously recognized Bengali-region term) or descriptively অরানবা লাইরায় — the analysis team recommends the transliteration সয়তান to avoid any lexical overlap with লাই- root vocabulary. Risk: Critical. Notes: must be sharply and repeatedly distinguished from the Umang Lai (honored guardian/forest deities of Sanamahi religion) and from any ancestral or nature থাওয়াই; Satan is a real, hostile, personal being opposed to God, categorically different from deities or spirits honored within either living Meitei tradition. Never use any লাই-root compound for “devil” or “demon.”
• ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων (fishers of men) — discipleship-calling metaphor. Manipuri: মীওই ফাবা ঙাফাবা (people-catching fisherman) — Risk: Low, but flags the beginning of the disciple-call vocabulary developed through the book (see ch.1 μαθηταὶ and ch.28).
• εὐαγγέλιον τῆς βασιλείας (gospel of the kingdom) — reuse baseline gospel term নুংঙাইবগী পাউ + kingdom_of_heaven term. Risk: Critical (reuse combination).
• θεραπεύω (therapeuō, “heal”) — Manipuri: অনাবা ফহনবা (anaba phahanba, “to heal sickness”). Risk: Low, though healing miracles collectively function as kingdom-inbreaking signs — flag doctrinally at ch.8-9.

Chapter 5 (continued beyond the core passage, vv.13-48)

• ἁλάτι τῆς γῆς / φῶς τοῦ κόσμου (salt of the earth / light of the world) — identity metaphors for disciples. Manipuri: তলৈবু থুম ওইবা / তলৈবু মংফম ওইবা — Risk: Low.
• πληρῶσαι (plērōsai, “to fulfill”) — Literal: “to fill up/complete.” Semantic range: not abolition but bringing to intended completion — central to Matthew’s Fulfillment-of-Prophecy doctrine. English variants: fulfill, complete, accomplish. Contextual meaning: Jesus’s relationship to the Law and Prophets (baseline law term য়াথাং, prophet term reused) is one of fulfillment, not cancellation. Manipuri: মপুং ফাহনবা (mapung phahanba, “to make complete/full”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: this term recurs at every major fulfillment-formula throughout Matthew (1:22; 2:15,17,23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54,56; 27:9) and must be rendered identically at each occurrence for doctrinal and pedagogical consistency; must be taught as linear, historical, one-time fulfillment, not a repeatable cyclical fulfillment pattern (contrast with the avatar-sequence caution in the baseline’s fulfillment_of_prophecy entry).
• δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν περισσεύῃ πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων (your righteousness exceeding the scribes and Pharisees) — reuses baseline righteousness term. Manipuri new term γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι: শাস্ত্রী অমসুং ফরিসী (shastri amasung Pharisi — “scribes and Pharisees,” শাস্ত্রী transliterated/adapted from “scripture-expert,” ফরিসী transliterated). Risk: High. Notes: must be taught as a specific, historically bounded 1st-century Jewish party/office, NOT as a general category mapped onto Brahmin priestly specialists or Sanamahi maiba/maibi ritual specialists; the doctrine “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” concerns internal, Spirit-produced righteousness surpassing external legal/ritual performance, and must not be read as an attack on any specific present-day Manipuri religious office.
• Γέεννα (Geenna, “Gehenna/hell”) — Literal: the Valley of Hinnom, a historical site of judgment associated in Jewish thought with final punishment. Semantic range: final, eternal divine judgment by fire, distinct from Hades (realm of the dead generally, see ch.16). English variants: hell, Gehenna, fire of judgment. Manipuri: transliterated গেহেন্না, glossed descriptively as মিত্ থাংবা লোমননা করকপা (“place of unending judgment-fire”). Risk: Critical. Notes: NEVER use নরক (the standard Bengali/Hindu term for hell), since Hindu naraka is typically understood within a cyclical rebirth cosmology as a temporary punishment preceding further reincarnation — directly contradicting Gehenna’s finality. This term must be flagged for theologian review at every occurrence (5:22,29,30; 10:28; 18:9; 23:15,33).
• τέλειος (teleios, “perfect/complete”) — 5:48, “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Manipuri: মপুং ফাবা (mapung phaba, “complete/whole”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: teach as wholehearted covenant faithfulness/maturity, not flawless sinlessness achieved by self-effort (which would collapse into a works-righteousness reading the baseline’s grace entry explicitly guards against).

Chapter 6 — Prayer, Fasting, Treasure, Anxiety

• ὑποκριτής (hypokritēs, “hypocrite”) — Literal: “stage actor” (one who speaks from behind a mask). Semantic range: a gap between outward religious performance and inward reality. English variants: hypocrite, pretender. Manipuri: মিত মায় তানবা মীওই (mit maya tanba miwoi, “a two-faced/pretending person”) — Risk: High. Notes: must be carefully taught as Jesus’s critique of insincere religious display, never as a blanket judgment on ritual performance traditions themselves (e.g., Ras Lila devotional dance-drama, Lai Haraoba ceremonial forms); the target is the heart’s insincerity, not external ceremonial form as such.
• πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (Our Father in heaven) — combines baseline father (ইপা) with heaven (স্বর্গ, see 5:3 above). Manipuri: ইপা স্বর্গদা লৈবা — Risk: Critical (combination of two Critical/High terms). Notes: the Lord’s Prayer (6:9-13) is high-frequency devotional material; render with total consistency across all curriculum materials per the baseline’s cross-document consistency rule.
• ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα (forgive us our debts) — introduces forgiveness vocabulary. Manipuri: কোকপা (kokpa, “to forgive/release [a debt]”). Risk: Medium. Notes: distinct from a karma-debt framework in which moral “debts” are repaid through future rebirths or ritual atonement; forgiveness here is a direct relational release granted by God and modeled between people.
• μαμωνᾷ (mamōna, “mammon/wealth”) — Manipuri: transliterated মামোনা or descriptive লান্থোক্কী শেল (“money as master”). Risk: Medium. Notes: personified rival master to God, not merely material wealth in itself.
• μεριμνᾶτε (merimnate, “do not be anxious”) — ties to baseline providence term তেংবাং মপুগী থৌরাং. Risk: High (reuse context). Notes: trust in God’s fatherly provision, not impersonal fate (ৱাইফম, explicitly rejected in the baseline providence entry).

Chapter 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, True and False Fruit, Authority

• στενὴ πύλη (stenē pylē, “narrow gate”) — Manipuri: হানথারবা থোং — Risk: Medium. Notes: exclusivity of the way of salvation; pairs with the baseline’s salvation entry’s insistence on Christ’s unique, finished work as the sole path — not one of several valid ways, as the Ras Lila devotional path and Sanamahi path are each experienced by their respective adherents as valid paths.
• ψευδοπροφῆται (pseudoprophētai, “false prophets”) — reuse baseline prophet root with negation. Manipuri: অহোংবা ফোংদোকপা (ahongba phongdokpa, “false/counterfeit spokesperson”) — Risk: Medium.
• ἐξουσία (exousia, “authority”) — 7:28-29, the Sermon’s climax: “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority (ἐξουσίαν ἔχων), and not as their scribes.” Literal: “authority, right, jurisdiction.” Semantic range: derived/delegated authority (as scribes claimed, resting on tradition) vs. Jesus’s own, inherent authority. English variants: authority, power, right. Contextual theological meaning: names the curriculum doctrine “The Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” directly — Jesus teaches with self-authenticating divine authority, not as one more religious-legal interpreter. Manipuri: ঠাকফম (thakpham, “authority/mandate”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be distinguished from the derivative authority of scribes/Pharisees, from Brahmin pandits’ scripture-based authority, and from a maiba/maibi’s ritually-conferred office; Jesus’s authority is inherent and divine, not conferred by lineage, office, or ritual training. This term recurs at 8:9 (centurion), 9:6,8 (forgive sins/amazed crowds), 21:23-27 (chief priests challenge his authority), and climactically at 28:18 (“all authority in heaven and on earth”).

Chapters 8–9 — Healing Miracles, Calling of Matthew, Authority over Sickness and Demons

• λεπρός (lepros, “leper”) — ritual-purity-laden condition. Manipuri: অচেবা লাইনা — Risk: Medium. Notes: Jesus’s healing/cleansing (8:2-4) restores both physical health and ritual/social standing; teach the distinction between the shengba (ritual purity) restored and the asengba (moral/relational holiness) that the Gospel more fully addresses.
• δαιμόνιον / δαίμων (daimonion/daimōn, “demon”) — Literal: a lesser malevolent spiritual being. Semantic range: a personal, hostile, sub-satanic supernatural entity capable of possessing/afflicting humans. English variants: demon, evil spirit, unclean spirit. Manipuri: অশিবা থাওয়াই (ashiba thawai, “evil spirit”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: this is among the highest-collision terms in the entire book. থাওয়াই is the general Meitei word for spirit/soul, used in Sanamahi belief for ancestral spirits (Apokpa) and honored nature-deities (Umang Lai). “অশিবা” (“bad/evil”) must always accompany থাওয়াই here without exception, and translator notes must make unmistakably clear that demons are categorically evil and opposed to God — never to be confused with the honored, worship-recipient Umang Lai, nor with revered ancestral spirits. The baseline’s holy_spirit entry already establishes this general caution for থাওয়াই; demon vocabulary intensifies it because here the qualifier genuinely names something hostile, unlike the Holy Spirit case.
• ἐξουσίαν … ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας (authority to forgive sins, 9:6) — combines ঠাকফম (authority) + পাপ (sin, baseline) + কোকপা (forgive). Risk: Critical. Notes: a direct claim to divine prerogative — only God forgives sin; this is a Deity-of-Christ text.
• τελώνης / ἁμαρτωλοί (tax collector / sinners) — Manipuri: কর লৌবা মীওই / reuse পাপ root for “sinners.” Risk: Low-Medium; social-outcast theme.
• νυμφίος (nymphios, “bridegroom”) — messianic self-designation (9:15). Manipuri: হানুবা (hanuba/bridegroom) — Risk: Low, minor typological note.

Chapter 10 — The Twelve Sent Out

• ἀπόστολοι (apostoloi) — reuse baseline apostle term তবিদগী থাবিরকপা exactly. Risk: Medium (reuse).
• ἐξουσίαν πνευμάτων ἀκαθάρτων (authority over unclean spirits) — combines ঠাকফম + অশিবা থাওয়াই. Risk: Critical (combination).
• ὄφις / περιστερά (serpent / dove — “wise as serpents, innocent as doves,” 10:16) — Manipuri: লিন্/খুনৌ — Risk: High. Notes: serpent imagery carries acute Meitei cultural weight, since Pakhangba, the ancestral serpent-deity of Meitei royal-divine lineage, is a revered figure in Sanamahi belief. Here ὄφις is used purely as a wisdom/shrewdness metaphor, with no reference to Pakhangba or any deity; a translator note preventing readers from hearing an implicit Pakhangba allusion is required.
• σταυρόν (stauron, “cross,” first appears 10:38) — Literal: “an upright stake/execution post.” Semantic range: from a literal Roman execution instrument to a metaphor for self-denying discipleship. English variants: cross, execution stake. Contextual meaning: introduces the Discipleship/Cost-of-Following doctrine textually before the Passion narrative. Manipuri: ক্রুশ (transliteration, established Bengali/Manipuri Bible convention). Risk: Critical. Notes: must be kept in view across 10:38; 16:24; 27:32-42 as a single consistent term; discipleship’s “cross” is self-denying identification with Christ’s suffering, not a general metaphor for any hardship.
• ψυχή (psychē, “life/soul,” 10:39, “whoever finds his life will lose it”) — Semantic range: here = one’s whole self/life (not primarily “soul” in the Holy-Spirit-adjacent sense). Manipuri: হিংবা (hingba, “life”) rather than থাওয়াই, to avoid conflation with the Holy Spirit/human-spirit vocabulary established in ch.5. Risk: High. Notes: flag for context-sensitive disambiguation at every occurrence (10:28,39; 16:25-26); ψυχή sometimes = “life” (10:39) and sometimes approaches “soul, that which survives death” (10:28) — each occurrence needs individual review.

Chapter 11 — John the Baptist’s Question, Jesus’s Lament, Invitation to Rest

• ἀνάπαυσις (anapausis, “rest”) — 11:28-29, “Come to me… I will give you rest.” Semantic range: relief from burden, echoing Sabbath-rest theology. Manipuri: পোৎথাবা (potthaba, “rest/relief”) — Risk: Medium-High. Notes: must be distinguished from moksha (release from the cycle of rebirth) and from any final-absorption rest sought in bhakti devotional aspiration; this is present relational relief and future eschatological rest with a personal God, not liberation from cyclic existence.
• ζυγός (zygos, “yoke”) — teaching-submission metaphor, echoing rabbinic “yoke of Torah/law.” Manipuri: য়োক or ফরক (yoke-image) — Risk: Low.

Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies, Son of Man, Unforgivable Sin

• σάββατον (sabbaton, “Sabbath”) — Literal: the seventh-day rest commanded in the Law (baseline য়াথাং). Manipuri: transliterated সাব্বাথ. Risk: Medium. Notes: no native Meitei calendrical equivalent; explain as a specifically Israelite covenant institution, distinct from the lunar/festival rhythms of the Lai Haraoba or Vaishnava festival calendars.
• υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου (huios tou anthrōpou, “Son of Man”) — Literal: “son of man/humanity.” Semantic range: NOT primarily a statement of mere humanity but Daniel 7:13-14’s exalted, authoritative, dominion-receiving figure; Jesus’s favored self-designation, combining humility and supreme authority. English variants: Son of Man, the Human One. Contextual theological meaning: claims divine authority (over the Sabbath, 12:8; to forgive sins, 9:6; to judge, 25:31; to return in glory, 24:30; 26:64) while emphasizing genuine, suffering humanity (17:22; 20:28). Manipuri: মীওইগী মচানুপা (miwoigi machanupa, “son of man/humanity”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be kept visually and lexically distinct from তেংবাং মপুগী মচানুপা (Son of God) while being taught as an equally, not lesser, authoritative divine title; this is the single most theologically dense Christological title in Matthew (used ~30 times) and requires theologian review at every occurrence.
• βλασφημία εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα (blasphemy against the Spirit) — reuse থাওয়াই অসেংবা + new verb. Manipuri: থাওয়াই অসেংবাবু থিনবা (thawai asengbabu thinaba, “slandering/reviling the Holy Spirit”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: the unforgivable sin; must be taught precisely (persistent, willful rejection of the Spirit’s testimony to Christ), not vaguely, to avoid pastoral misapplication.
• Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzeboul) — a proper name for the prince of demons; transliterate বেলজেবূল. Risk: Medium, ties to সয়তান/demon vocabulary above.

Chapter 13 — Parables of the Kingdom

• παραβολή (parabolē, “parable”) — Literal: “a placing beside” — a comparison/illustrative story with a hidden or revealed meaning depending on the hearer’s response. English variants: parable, illustration, comparison. Contextual meaning: Jesus’s characteristic kingdom-teaching method, simultaneously revealing truth to receptive disciples and concealing it from hardened hearers (13:10-17). Manipuri: ওয়ারী-পান্দম (wari-pandam, “illustrative story/analogy”) — Risk: Medium-High. Notes: must be distinguished from the Vaishnava katha/lila storytelling tradition (devotional narrative recitation, e.g. of Krishna’s lila) and from ordinary Meitei phunga wari (folktale) entertainment; Jesus’s parables are authoritative kingdom-revelation, not devotional entertainment or moral folklore.
• βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὁμοία ἐστίν (the kingdom of heaven is like…) — reuse তেংবাং মপুগী লৈপাক formula throughout the parable chain (mustard seed, leaven, treasure, pearl, net). Risk: Critical (reuse, high-frequency).
• συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (synteleia tou aiōnos, “end of the age,” 13:39-40,49) — Literal: “completion of the age.” Semantic range: the final, decisive close of the present age at Christ’s return, inaugurating final judgment — a linear, one-time terminus. English variants: end of the age, end of the world, consummation. Manipuri: তাইবাংপানগী মায়োক্তুংবা (taibangpangi mayoktungba, “the completion/ending of the [present] world-age”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be taught as strictly linear and final, in explicit contrast to any cyclical yuga/kalpa world-age-renewal framework found in Hindu cosmology (in which ages end and recommence); this term recurs identically at 24:3; 28:20 and must be rendered with total consistency.
• κάμινος τοῦ πυρός (furnace of fire, judgment imagery) — ties to Gehenna (ch.5) vocabulary. Risk: High (reuse concept).

Chapter 14 — Death of John the Baptist, Feeding of the 5,000, Walking on Water

No major new theological vocabulary beyond established terms; reuses prophet (John the Baptist), βασιλεύς (Herod, ch.2 kingship theme), and introduces προσκυνέω again at 14:33 (“truly you are the Son of God,” worship after the storm) — reuse Critical proskyneo entry (ch.2) and son_of_god baseline term. Minor new term: σπλαγχνίζομαι (splanchnizomai, “to feel compassion,” lit. “to be moved in the inward parts”) — Manipuri: নিংশিং চৎপা (reuse ch.5 “merciful” root) — Risk: Low.

Chapter 15 — Tradition vs. Heart-Purity, the Canaanite Woman

• παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων (paradosis tōn presbyterōn, “tradition of the elders”) — Manipuri: অহল-অতেশিংগী চাত্থোক (traditional custom of the elders) — Risk: Medium.
• κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον (koinoi ton anthrōpon, “defiles a person”) — Literal: κοινόω, “to make common/unclean.” Semantic range: ritual vs. moral defilement — Jesus explicitly relocates defilement from external (food, handwashing) to internal (heart, speech) sources (15:11,18-20). Contextual theological meaning: directly develops the Righteousness-Exceeding-the-Pharisees doctrine and the শেংবা/অসেংবা distinction flagged at 5:8. Manipuri: অসেংনা তৌহনবা (asengna tauhanba, “making unclean/defiled”) — Risk: High. Notes: this passage is the single clearest text in Matthew for teaching the baseline’s শেংবা (ritual purity) vs. অসেংবা (moral/relational holiness) distinction explicitly; recommend dedicated lesson cross-reference.
• Χαναναία γυνή (the Canaanite woman), κύριε υἱὲ Δαυίδ (Lord, Son of David) — reuse lord (মপু ইবুংগো) and Son of David (দাউদগী মচানুপা) terms; a Gentile’s messianic confession, ties to Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles doctrine (baseline). Risk: Critical (reuse combination).

Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession, the Church, First Passion Prediction

• Πέτρος / πέτρα (Petros/petra, “Peter/rock”) — wordplay foundational to church doctrine. Manipuri: proper name পিতর (Pitar, established transliteration) for Πέτρος; নুংশিত্ (nungshit, “rock/bedrock”) for πέτρα. Risk: High. Notes: teach carefully that the “rock” foundation is Peter’s confession of Christ (16:16) — and by wider canonical teaching, Christ himself (cf. 1 Cor 3:11, referenced pedagogically) — not a claim about Peter’s personal ecclesial supremacy; this text is doctrinally contested even within Christian tradition and needs careful, non-polemical framing for this curriculum.
• ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia, “church,” 16:18, first occurrence in Matthew) — reuse baseline church term কলিসিয়া exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse; first major occurrence anchors the whole Church/Church-Discipline doctrine block, chs. 16 & 18).
• κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας (keys of the kingdom), δέω/λύω (bind/loose) — Literal: “keys,” “to bind,” “to release.” Semantic range: keys symbolize delegated administrative authority; binding/loosing is a rabbinic idiom for authoritative teaching-rulings (declaring what is/is not permitted) later applied to church discipline (18:18). Manipuri: থোংগী চাবী (thonggi chabi, “keys of the gate/door”) and পুননবা / ৱাখোকপা (punnaba/wakhokpa, “to bind/to release”). Risk: High. Notes: this is delegated, declarative spiritual authority (announcing on earth what is already true in heaven), not magical or ritually-generated power — distinguish from any notion of ritual binding/loosing power exercised by a maiba or maibi over spirits.
• Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (the Christ, the Son of the living God, 16:16) — Peter’s confession, combining baseline messiah (ক্রিস্তো) and son_of_god (তেংবাং মপুগী মচানুপা) terms exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse, climactic confession — treat with the same consistency-across-documents rule the baseline applies to Romans 10:9-10).
• σταυρόν ἆρον (take up his cross, 16:24) — reuse ch.10 cross vocabulary; first Passion prediction (16:21) also reuses baseline resurrection term সিবদগী হিংজত-লকপা exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse).

Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration

• μεταμορφώθη (metemorphōthē, “he was transfigured”) — Literal: “changed in form.” Semantic range: a temporary, revelatory unveiling of Christ’s inherent divine glory (baseline glory term মতিক চাউবা), not a change of essence. Manipuri: মতিক চাউবা ফোংদোকপা (matik chauba phongdokpa, “his glory was revealed/made to shine forth”) reusing baseline glory term. Risk: High. Notes: must be carefully distinguished from the ceremonial splendor of Ras Lila performance staging, which is designed to visually evoke Krishna’s divine radiance — the same caution the baseline gives for the “glory” entry generally; here the caution is especially urgent since the scene is a literal visual radiance-manifestation.
• Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας (Moses and Elijah) — Law and Prophets personified, reuse baseline law/prophet terms. Risk: Medium.
• ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ (listen to him, 17:5) — the Father’s own endorsement of Jesus’s teaching authority; ties directly to the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine (ch.7 ἐξουσία). Risk: High.

Chapter 18 — Church Discipline, Forgiveness

• ἐκκλησία (church, 18:17) — reuse কলিসিয়া exactly; the explicit church-discipline procedure (“tell it to the church… if he refuses even to listen to the church”). Risk: Critical (reuse; core text for the Church-Discipline doctrine).
• δέω/λύω (bind/loose, 18:18) — reuse ch.16 terms পুননবা/ৱাখোকপা exactly, now applied corporately to the local congregation’s disciplinary authority. Risk: High (reuse).
• συνάγω εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα (gathered in my name, 18:20) — Christ’s promised presence with the gathered church. Manipuri: এইগী মিংদা তিন্নবা (eigi mingda tinnaba, “gathered in my name”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: distinguish Christ’s promised spiritual presence from any notion of a deity being ritually invoked or “called down” into a gathering, as understood of the Umang Lai during Lai Haraoba.
• ἀφίημι (aphiēmi, “forgive,” parable of unforgiving servant) — reuse ch.6 কোকপা root; develops the forgiveness theme with an explicit warning against withholding it. Risk: High (reuse, intensified).

Chapter 19 — Marriage and Divorce, Rich Young Man, Eternal Life

• αἰώνιον ζωήν (aiōnion zōēn, “eternal life,” 19:16,29) — Literal: “life of the age [to come].” Semantic range: not endless duration alone but the qualitative, relational life of God’s coming age, entered now and consummated at the resurrection. English variants: eternal life, everlasting life, life of the age to come. Contextual theological meaning: the goal of discipleship and the content of salvation (baseline অহানবা), stated positively as life-with-God rather than negatively as mere escape. Manipuri: লোমননা হিংবা (lomanna hingba, “life without end”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must not be conflated with moksha (liberation from the cycle of rebirth, explicitly rejected for “salvation” in the baseline) nor with a bhakti devotee’s hoped-for eternal nearness to Krishna in Vaikuntha/Goloka; eternal life is unending, personal, relational fellowship with the one true God secured through Christ’s finished work, positively described, not merely an escape from an otherwise-endless cycle.
• πάντα δυνατά (all things possible with God, 19:26) — reuse providence/power_of_god baseline vocabulary. Risk: High (reuse).

Chapter 20 — Workers in the Vineyard, Ransom Saying, Servant Leadership

• βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν (parable of the workers, wages/grace theme) — reuse কingdom term; directly illustrates the baseline’s grace-vs-merit doctrine (equal wage for unequal labor, at the master’s gracious discretion). Risk: Critical (reuse, key illustrative text for grace doctrine).
• λύτρον (lytron, “ransom,” 20:28) — Literal: “the price paid to redeem/release a slave or captive.” Semantic range: a substitutionary payment securing another’s freedom, foundational atonement vocabulary. English variants: ransom, redemption price. Contextual theological meaning: “the Son of Man came… to give his life as a ransom for many” — Christ’s death as a substitutionary payment. Manipuri: মরি পীবা (mari piba, “paying the price [to free someone]”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be distinguished from any bhakti framework of a devotee’s self-offering/self-sacrifice to a deity, or from Vaishnava lila in which Krishna’s self-giving is enacted devotionally rather than presented as a singular, historical, substitutionary atoning payment for sin.
• διακονῆσαι (diakonēsai, “to serve”) — servant-leadership ethic contrasted with worldly rulers’ domination (20:25-28). Manipuri: সেবা তৌবা — Risk: Medium. Notes: flag potential confusion with সেবা (ritual devotional service) explicitly rejected in the baseline’s obedience_of_faith entry; here সেবা must be read as humble other-serving love, not merit-building bhakti devotional service.

Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Temple Cleansing, Parables of Judgment

• ὠσαννά (hōsanna) — Hebrew loanword, “save now/save, we pray.” Manipuri: transliterated হোসান্না. Risk: Medium, messianic acclamation.
• ἱερόν (hieron, “temple,” referring to the actual Jerusalem Temple) — Manipuri: তেংবাং মপুগী সাং (Tengban Mapugi sang, “God’s house/sanctuary”) preferred over মন্দির. Risk: High. Notes: the Romans baseline rejects মন্দির for “church” (to avoid conflation with a Vaishnava temple category); the same caution applies here even though ἱερόν refers to a real, historical, legitimate Israelite sanctuary. Teach explicitly that this was the one, unique, God-ordained meeting place under the old covenant, categorically different in kind and function from a Vaishnava temple’s image-centered worship, and that its centrality ends with the new-covenant church (baseline church doctrine) rather than being succeeded by any subsequent physical shrine.
• ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ πρεσβύτεροι (chief priests and elders) — Manipuri: ৱাক্কক পুরোহিতশিং অমসুং অহলশিং. Risk: High. Notes: পুরোহিত is the standard word for a Hindu (typically Brahmin) ritual priest; must be explicitly bounded as a specific historical Jewish office, never generalized to Brahmin priestly categories or to Sanamahi maiba/maibi ritual specialists.
• κεφαλὴ γωνίας (cornerstone, 21:42) — Christological image; Manipuri: কুনগী মপৌ নুং — Risk: Low.

Chapter 22 — Wedding Banquet, Render to Caesar, Greatest Commandment, Resurrection Debate

• ἀνάστασις (anastasis, “resurrection,” general resurrection, Sadducee debate, 22:23-33) — reuse baseline resurrection term সিবদগী হিংজত-লকপা exactly, now applied to the general resurrection of all people, not only Christ’s. Risk: Critical (reuse; note the doctrinal expansion from resurrection_of_christ specifically to universal bodily resurrection at the end of the age).
• ἀγαπήσεις (agapēseis, “you shall love,” the Great Commandment, 22:37-39) — Manipuri: নুংশিবা (nungshiba, “to love”) — Risk: Medium. Notes: distinguish covenantal, whole-person love for God and neighbor from bhakti’s devotional love (prema/bhakti-rasa) for Krishna, which is a related but theologically distinct category centered on divine-human romantic/devotional intimacy within the Ras Lila tradition.
• Καίσαρι τὰ Καίσαρος (render to Caesar what is Caesar’s) — introduces the government/authority theme flagged for native-speaker (not theologian) review per the baseline’s escalation rules; no new Critical term.

Chapter 23 — Woes against Scribes and Pharisees

• Reuses γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι (ch.5) and ὑποκριτής (ch.6) terms extensively; no new Critical vocabulary.
• οὐαί (ouai, “woe”) — Literal: an interjection of grief/warning, not a curse-formula. Manipuri: হায়, য়াম্না অৱাবা! (a lament-warning interjection) — Risk: Medium. Notes: distinguish clearly from a ritual curse or malevolent invocation (as might be associated with certain traditional practices); this is prophetic lament-warning pronounced in sorrow, not an act of spiritual harm.
• τυφλοὶ ὁδηγοί (blind guides) — reuse teaching-authority theme (ch.7); Risk: Low.

Chapter 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Signs, Tribulation, the Coming of the Son of Man)

• παρουσία (parousia, “coming,” 24:3,27,37,39) — Literal: “presence, arrival” (of a king or dignitary). Semantic range: Christ’s promised, visible, glorious, singular return, inaugurating final judgment and the consummated kingdom. English variants: coming, second coming, arrival, advent. Contextual theological meaning: names the curriculum’s “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine at its center. Manipuri: ক্রিস্তোগী অমুক লাক্লগনি (Christogi amuk laklagani, “Christ’s coming again”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be explicitly taught as Christ’s own unique, final return — never framed in a way that could be heard as anticipating a further avatar-descent within an open-ended Vaishnava avatar sequence (the same caution the baseline gives for incarnation/son_of_god); there is one incarnation and one final parousia, not a repeatable pattern.
• θλῖψις (thlipsis, “tribulation”) — Manipuri: ৱাহোং য়াম্লবা (wahong yamlaba, “great distress/suffering”) — Risk: Medium.
• ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται (false messiahs and false prophets, 24:24) — reuse baseline messiah term ক্রিস্তো with negation + ch.7 false-prophet term. Risk: Critical (reuse; direct collision-point with any rival messianic/avatar claim).
• ἐκλεκτοί (eklektoi, “the elect”) — reuse baseline election term তেংবাং মপুগী খনবা (adjectival). Risk: High (reuse).
• συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος — reuse ch.13 term. Risk: Critical (reuse).

Chapter 25 — Parables of Judgment (Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats)

• κρίσις / κρίνω (krisis/krinō, “judgment/to judge,” climactic at 25:31-46) — Literal: “a judging, a verdict.” Semantic range: God’s/Christ’s final, personal, individualized tribunal, assigning eternal destinies based on genuine fruit of faith (not merit accumulation). Manipuri: ৱায়েল থীবা (wayel thiba, “rendering judgment/verdict”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: must be distinguished from an impersonal, automatic karma-based cosmic retribution mechanism; this is a personal Judge (the returning Son of Man) rendering a personal verdict, consistent with the baseline’s providence entry’s insistence on a personal, purposive God rather than fate.
• πῦρ αἰώνιον / κόλασιν αἰώνιον (eternal fire / eternal punishment, 25:41,46) — reuse Gehenna-cluster vocabulary (ch.5); Manipuri: লোমননা করকপা/চীংবা. Risk: Critical (reuse, intensified). Notes: must be taught alongside ζωὴν αἰώνιον (eternal life, ch.19 term) as the final binary outcome of judgment — both eternal and final, explicitly contrasted with any temporary, cyclical Hindu naraka/rebirth framework.
• τάλαντα (talents, stewardship parable) — Manipuri: transliterated তালন্ত — Risk: Low.

Chapter 26 — The Last Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Trial

• πάσχα (pascha, “Passover”) — Manipuri: transliterated পাস্খা, glossed as the Israelite deliverance-commemoration meal. Risk: High. Notes: introduces the sacrificial-lamb typology fulfilled in Christ’s death; distinguish from any Manipuri devotional festival calendar (e.g. Ras Lila performance cycles, Krishna Janmashtami) per the baseline gospel entry’s caution against festival-calendar conflation.
• τοῦτο ἐστὶ τὸ σῶμά μου / τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης (this is my body / my blood of the covenant) — institution of the Lord’s Supper. Manipuri: এইগী হাক্চাং / এইগী ঈ, ৱারেপ্পাগী (reusing baseline covenant term ৱারেপ্পা exactly for “of the covenant”). Risk: Critical. Notes: must be clearly distinguished from prasad (food ritually offered to and returned from a deity’s image in Vaishnava practice); the Lord’s Supper commemorates Christ’s own atoning death once for all, not an ongoing devotional food-exchange with a deity.
• εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν (for the forgiveness of sins) — reuse forgiveness (ch.6/18) + sin (baseline পাপ). Risk: Critical (reuse).
• ἀρχιερεύς / συνέδριον (high priest / Sanhedrin) — reuse ch.21 priest vocabulary; Sanhedrin transliterated সানহেড্রিন. Risk: Medium-High (reuse).

Chapter 27 — Crucifixion and Death

• σταυρόω / σταυρός (stauroō/stauros, “to crucify/cross”) — reuse ch.10/16 cross vocabulary ক্রুশ, now the literal historical execution. Risk: Critical (reuse; the historical center of the atonement doctrine, joining ransom [ch.20] and covenant-blood [ch.26] vocabulary).
• βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων (King of the Jews) — reuse ch.2 kingship (নিংথৌ) vocabulary, now used mockingly yet truly. Risk: High (reuse, ironic royal theme climax).
• καταπέτασμα ἐσχίσθη (the temple curtain was torn, 27:51) — signifies direct access to God through Christ’s death. Manipuri: লেপ্পীরোল সেরেং তারবা — Risk: High. Notes: ties directly to the temple’s superseded role (ch.21 note above).
• Υἱὸς θεοῦ ἦν οὗτος (truly this was the Son of God, centurion’s confession, 27:54) — reuse baseline son_of_god term exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse; a Gentile’s climactic confession, echoing Unity-of-Jews-and-Gentiles doctrine).

Chapter 28 — Resurrection and the Great Commission

• ἠγέρθη / ἀνέστη (ēgerthē/anestē, “he has risen”) — reuse baseline resurrection term সিবদগী হিংজত-লকপা exactly. Risk: Critical (reuse; the historical narration of the doctrine already established as Critical throughout Romans and this Matthew analysis — must never be rendered with পুনর্জন্ম/rebirth vocabulary).
• προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ (they worshiped him, 28:9,17) — reuse ch.2 proskyneo vocabulary, here unambiguously full worship of the risen Christ; the note that some disciples “doubted” (28:17) should be preserved rather than smoothed over. Risk: Critical (reuse, climactic).
• πᾶσα ἐξουσία ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ [τῆς] γῆς (all authority in heaven and on earth, 28:18) — reuse ch.7 authority term ঠাকফম, now in its fullest, universal, cosmic scope, spoken by the risen Christ himself. Manipuri: স্বর্গ অমসুং মালেমগী ঠাকফম পুম্নমক — Risk: Critical. Notes: the climactic statement of the Authority-of-Jesus’-Teaching doctrine; must retain unqualified universality (“all… in heaven and on earth”) per the baseline’s universality-preservation rule.
• πορευθέντες … μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη (go… make disciples of all nations, 28:19) — Literal: μαθητεύω, “to make a disciple of, to train as a learner-follower.” Semantic range: transformative, whole-life discipleship-formation, not mere intellectual instruction or ritual initiation. English variants: make disciples, disciple, evangelize and train. Contextual theological meaning: the curriculum’s Great Commission doctrine; universal in scope (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, “all nations/all ethnē” — reuse baseline gentiles term অতোপ্পা ফুরুপ conceptually, though here inclusive of Israel too). Manipuri: তমজবা ওইহনবা (tamjaba oihanba, “causing [people of every nation] to become disciples/learners”) — Risk: Critical. Notes: per the baseline’s mission entry, this must be framed as the church’s own calling, not a foreign or ethnically-coded colonial project, given the historical entanglement of mission work with colonial administration and, more recently, sensitive inter-community relations within Manipur; must also be distinguished from the guru-śiṣya devotional discipleship-recruitment pattern of Vaishnava bhakti lineages — Christian discipleship is a direct, personal following of Christ himself, mediated by no human guru-lineage.
• βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 28:19) — combines ch.3 baptism term (বাপ্তিস্মা) with baseline father (ইপা), son_of_god (তেংবাং মপুগী মচানুপা / here simply “the Son”), and holy_spirit (থাওয়াই অসেংবা) exactly. Risk: Critical. Notes: the Trinitarian baptismal formula; every one of the three Divine Names must appear in its established baseline form with no abbreviation or paraphrase, given its foundational, once-for-all liturgical and catechetical function.
• τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην (teaching them to observe all that I have commanded) — reuse baseline obedience_of_faith term থাজবগী ইনবা conceptually. Risk: High (reuse).
• ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος (I am with you always, to the end of the age, 28:20) — reuse ch.13/24 term তাইবাংপানগী মায়োক্তুংবা for “end of the age,” combined with Christ’s promised abiding presence (echoing 1:23 Ἐμμανουήλ, “God with us”). Risk: Critical (reuse; forms a deliberate bookend with 1:23, and should be flagged to translators as such — the whole Gospel begins and ends with the promise of God’s abiding presence).

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