Semantic Analysis
Semantic Analysis — Matthew 1–28 (English → Marathi)
Methodology
This analysis extends the baseline Romans Language Package (translation_memory.json, bible_term_registry.json, doctrine_risk_registry.json) to the Gospel of Matthew. Where a term already carries an established rendering from the Romans baseline (e.g. righteousness = नीतिमत्त्व, law = नियमशास्त्र, Christ/Messiah, kingdom of God, Holy Spirit, Father, faith, sin, resurrection, David, Israel, Jesus, God), that rendering is reused exactly and is marked “(baseline reuse)” below rather than re-argued from scratch. New load-bearing terms introduced by Matthew’s distinctive vocabulary and doctrines (Kingdom of Heaven, Son of David/Son of Man, fulfillment formulas, church discipline, the Great Commission, final judgment) receive full new-term treatment.
Every field required by Step 1 is supplied for each load-bearing term: Original (Greek), Transliteration, Literal meaning, Semantic range, English variants, Contextual theological meaning, Marathi rendering risk.
The core passage (Matthew 5:1–12, the Beatitudes) receives full verse-by-verse treatment. Every other chapter of Matthew (1–28) receives a chapter section. Chapters that introduce no new load-bearing vocabulary state this explicitly and name the terms being reused.
PART A — CORE PASSAGE: Matthew 5:1–12 (The Beatitudes)
Matthew 5:1
Context: Jesus goes up the mountain; his disciples come to him (Moses/Sinai typology — new lawgiver on a new mountain).
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | μαθηταὶ (μαθητής) |
| Transliteration | mathētēs (pl. mathētai) |
| Literal meaning | ”learner,” one who follows a teacher’s instruction |
| Semantic range | student of a rabbi/philosopher; in NT, a committed follower of Jesus who lives under his teaching and authority |
| English variants | disciple(s), follower(s), student(s) |
| Contextual theological meaning | The Beatitudes are addressed specifically to disciples, not the crowd in general — kingdom blessing describes the character of those who follow Jesus, not humanity generically |
| Marathi rendering | शिष्य (śiṣya) |
| Risk | Medium. शिष्य is the ordinary Marathi word for a guru’s student, gained through the student’s own initiative and self-effort toward wisdom. Every occurrence must be anchored to Jesus as the specific, exclusive object of following (cf. ἀκολουθέω, ch. 4), not a generic guru-shishya transmission of self-attained insight. |
Matthew 5:2
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ἐδίδασκεν (διδάσκω) |
| Transliteration | edidasken (didaskō) |
| Literal meaning | ”he was teaching” |
| Semantic range | to instruct, teach formally with authority |
| English variants | taught, was teaching |
| Contextual theological meaning | Sets up the Sermon on the Mount as authoritative teaching (see ἐξουσία, Matt 7:29) — not one rabbi’s opinion among others |
| Marathi rendering | शिकवणे (śikavaṇe) |
| Risk | Low. Standard verb; risk is only in downstream passages where Jesus’ authority to teach (ch. 7) must be distinguished from a scribe’s derived authority. |
Matthew 5:3
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | μακάριοι |
| Transliteration | makarioi |
| Literal meaning | ”blessed, fortunate, flourishing” |
| Semantic range | a pronouncement of the truly blessed/flourishing state of a person, distinct from a wish or an act of blessing |
| English variants | blessed, happy, fortunate |
| Contextual theological meaning | Not a future wish but a present declaration: these are the ones who already belong to the kingdom, even though the world does not recognize their state as enviable |
| Marathi rendering | धन्य (dhanya) |
| Risk | Medium. धन्य is the established Marathi Bible term for the Beatitudes and must be kept distinct from आशीर्वादित/आशीर्वाद (used for God’s active blessing, εὐλογέω, e.g. Matt 21:9). μακάριος is a declared state of blessedness, not an event of being blessed. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι |
| Transliteration | ptōchoi tō pneumati |
| Literal meaning | ”destitute/beggarly in spirit” |
| Semantic range | economic destitution extended metaphorically to spiritual bankruptcy and total dependence on God |
| English variants | poor in spirit, spiritually poor, humble before God |
| Contextual theological meaning | Recognition of one’s spiritual poverty apart from grace — the opposite of self-sufficient merit or attainment |
| Marathi rendering | आत्म्याने दीन (ātmyāne dīn) |
| Risk | High. Must not be read as ritual poverty/renunciation (sannyasa) nor as low social-caste status (a live sensitivity given Ambedkarite Buddhist rejection of caste-linked spiritual hierarchy). This is inward humility before God available to every person regardless of social status. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν |
| Transliteration | basileia tōn ouranōn |
| Literal meaning | ”kingdom of the heavens” |
| Semantic range | Matthew’s distinctive, reverential circumlocution for God’s kingdom (avoiding direct use of the divine name, per Jewish custom); synonymous in referent with βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ (kingdom of God), used elsewhere in Matthew (12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43) |
| English variants | kingdom of heaven, kingdom of the heavens |
| Contextual theological meaning | God’s present-and-coming reign, inaugurated in Jesus, entered by the humble/dependent, not by merit or birth status |
| Marathi rendering | स्वर्गाचे राज्य (svargāce rājya) |
| Risk | Critical. स्वर्ग in popular Hindu cosmology denotes a temporary celestial abode of pleasure earned by good karma — a way-station within the rebirth cycle, not the final goal (which is मोक्ष/मुक्ती). Every occurrence of स्वर्गाचे राज्य must be taught alongside देवाचे राज्य (kingdom of God, baseline term) as the same eternal, personal reign of God, never a temporary heavenly reward-realm reached through accumulated merit. This is Matthew’s single most frequent theological phrase (~32 occurrences) and requires sustained catechetical reinforcement, not a one-time footnote. |
Matthew 5:4
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | πενθοῦντες (πενθέω) |
| Transliteration | penthountes (pentheō) |
| Literal meaning | ”mourning, grieving” |
| Semantic range | grief over loss, sin, or the brokenness of the world |
| English variants | those who mourn, the sorrowful |
| Contextual theological meaning | Godly grief (over sin and the world’s brokenness) that will be met with God’s own comfort |
| Marathi rendering | शोक करणारे (śok karṇāre) |
| Risk | Low-Medium. Keep distinct from ritual mourning customs; the comfort promised is relational (from God), not release from an impersonal cycle of suffering. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | παρακληθήσονται (παρακαλέω) |
| Transliteration | paraklēthēsontai (parakaleō) |
| Literal meaning | ”they will be called alongside,” i.e., comforted/consoled |
| Semantic range | to comfort, console, encourage, exhort — context-sensitive (cf. baseline “exhort” = उत्तेजन देणे for the encouragement sense) |
| English variants | comforted, consoled |
| Contextual theological meaning | Here specifically God’s own consolation of grief, a divine passive (“will be comforted [by God]“) |
| Marathi rendering | सांत्वन मिळेल (sāntvan miḷel) |
| Risk | Medium. Distinguish from the baseline’s उत्तेजन देणे (exhort/encourage sense of the same Greek root); here the sense is consolation of sorrow, given by God himself. |
Matthew 5:5
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | πραεῖς |
| Transliteration | praeis (sg. praus) |
| Literal meaning | ”gentle, mild” |
| Semantic range | strength under control; humility that does not retaliate |
| English variants | meek, gentle, humble |
| Contextual theological meaning | Not weakness but submitted strength, modeled on Christ himself (cf. 11:29 πραΰς εἰμι) |
| Marathi rendering | सौम्य (saumya) |
| Risk | Low-Medium. Ensure it is not read as passive resignation or fatalistic acceptance of one’s social station. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | κληρονομήσουσιν τὴν γῆν |
| Transliteration | klēronomēsousin tēn gēn |
| Literal meaning | ”they will inherit the land/earth” |
| Semantic range | κληρονομέω = to receive an allotted inheritance (echoes OT land-promise, e.g. Psalm 37:11); γῆ = earth, land, ground |
| English variants | inherit the earth, inherit the land |
| Contextual theological meaning | The meek receive God’s promised future inheritance — not a possession seized by force or earned by merit, but graciously given |
| Marathi rendering | पृथ्वीचे वतन मिळेल (pṛthvīce vatan miḷel) |
| Risk | Medium. “वतन” (ancestral inheritance/allotment) conveys the covenantal-gift sense better than a bare possession-verb; avoid phrasing that suggests land acquired by merit or conquest. |
Matthew 5:6
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | πεινῶντες καὶ διψῶντες τὴν δικαιοσύνην |
| Transliteration | peinōntes kai dipsōntes tēn dikaiosynēn |
| Literal meaning | ”hungering and thirsting for righteousness” |
| Semantic range | intense, all-consuming desire (as for food/water) directed at δικαιοσύνη |
| English variants | hunger and thirst for righteousness |
| Contextual theological meaning | δικαιοσύνη here = right standing with, and right conduct before, God — reuse baseline righteousness = नीतिमत्त्व (Critical risk, never धर्म) |
| Marathi rendering | नीतिमत्त्वाची भूक व तहान (nītimattvācī bhūk va tahān) |
| Risk | Critical (baseline reuse for नीतिमत्त्व). The hunger/thirst imagery must not be recast as spiritual merit-accumulation (as in a karma-merit economy) or ascetic self-denial (as in Buddhist self-cultivation); it is a desire that God himself satisfies. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | χορτασθήσονται (χορτάζω) |
| Transliteration | chortasthēsontai (chortazō) |
| Literal meaning | ”they will be filled/satisfied” (of feeding, originally of animals fed to the full) |
| Semantic range | to be satisfied, filled, fed completely |
| English variants | shall be filled, shall be satisfied |
| Contextual theological meaning | God himself will fully satisfy the desire for righteousness — a promise, not a technique |
| Marathi rendering | तृप्त होतील (tṛpta hotīl) |
| Risk | Low. |
Matthew 5:7
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ἐλεήμονες |
| Transliteration | eleēmones |
| Literal meaning | ”merciful, showing mercy” |
| Semantic range | active compassion expressed in concrete acts toward those in need or at fault |
| English variants | merciful |
| Contextual theological meaning | Reflects God’s own character (cf. baseline Grace, कृपा) lived out toward others |
| Marathi rendering | दयाळू (dayāḷū) |
| Risk | Low-Medium. Keep distinct from कृपा (grace, God’s unmerited favor toward the guilty); this is human mercy shown to others, modeled on but not identical to divine grace. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ἐλεηθήσονται (ἐλεέω) |
| Transliteration | eleēthēsontai (eleeō) |
| Literal meaning | ”they will receive/be shown mercy” |
| Semantic range | to receive compassionate treatment, forgiveness, or aid |
| English variants | shall receive mercy, shall obtain mercy |
| Contextual theological meaning | Reciprocity principle: mercy shown becomes mercy received (cf. 6:14-15; 18:33) — not merit-earning, but revealing genuine transformation by grace |
| Marathi rendering | दया प्राप्त होईल (dayā prāpta hoīl) |
| Risk | Medium. Care is needed so this is not read as a karma-style transactional ledger (“do X to get Y”); it describes the fruit of a heart already changed by grace, not a means of earning divine favor. |
Matthew 5:8
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ |
| Transliteration | katharoi tē kardia |
| Literal meaning | ”clean/pure in the heart” |
| Semantic range | moral and inward purity of motive and desire, not ceremonial/ritual cleanliness |
| English variants | pure in heart, clean-hearted |
| Contextual theological meaning | Undivided, sincere devotion to God, in contrast to external ritual purity or performed piety (cf. ch. 23 woes on hypocrisy) |
| Marathi rendering | शुद्ध अंतःकरणाचे (śuddha antaḥkaraṇāce) |
| Risk | Medium. Following the baseline’s caution on holy/पवित्र (moral holiness, not ritual purity alone), शुद्ध here must be anchored to inward moral sincerity, not ritual bathing/purification rites familiar from Hindu practice. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται |
| Transliteration | ton theon opsontai |
| Literal meaning | ”they will see God” |
| Semantic range | direct, unmediated beholding of God, ultimate eschatological hope |
| English variants | shall see God |
| Contextual theological meaning | Face-to-face relational fellowship with the personal God (reuse baseline God = परमेश्वर), not merger with an impersonal absolute (Brahman) or attainment of an enlightened state of perception |
| Marathi rendering | परमेश्वराला पाहतील (Parameśvarālā pāhatīl) |
| Risk | High. Must retain परमेश्वर (never देव/भगवान alone) so the promise reads as relational vision of the one true personal God, not a generic religious-attainment vision or merger experience. |
Matthew 5:9
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | εἰρηνοποιοί |
| Transliteration | eirēnopoioi |
| Literal meaning | ”peace-makers” |
| Semantic range | those who actively create/restore peace, not merely those who avoid conflict |
| English variants | peacemakers |
| Contextual theological meaning | Reflects God’s own reconciling character (reuse baseline peace = शांती, relational peace with God/others, not meditative inner calm) |
| Marathi rendering | शांती करणारे (śāntī karṇāre) |
| Risk | Medium (baseline reuse for शांती). Distinguish from मनःशांती (inner tranquility through meditation/bhakti practice); this is active relational reconciliation between persons, patterned after God’s peace with sinners through Christ. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται |
| Transliteration | huioi theou klēthēsontai |
| Literal meaning | ”they will be called sons of God” |
| Semantic range | corporate, plural sonship granted to all who bear God’s peacemaking character — distinct from Christ’s unique, singular υἱὸς θεοῦ (Son of God) |
| English variants | sons of God, children of God |
| Contextual theological meaning | Anticipates the doctrine of adoption (Romans 8; baseline adoption = दत्तक पुत्रत्व); believers share a derived, granted sonship, never Christ’s own eternal, unique Sonship |
| Marathi rendering | देवाचे पुत्र (देवाची लेकरे) (devāce putra / devācī lekare) |
| Risk | Critical. Must be kept sharply distinct from baseline’s देवाचा पुत्र (singular, Critical risk, Christ’s unique eternal Sonship). Use plural forms and, where natural, “देवाची लेकरे” (God’s children) to avoid any reader inferring that ordinary believers share Christ’s unique divine Sonship. |
Matthew 5:10
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης |
| Transliteration | dediōgmenoi heneken dikaiosynēs |
| Literal meaning | ”having been persecuted for the sake of righteousness” |
| Semantic range | διώκω = to pursue with hostile intent, persecute; here perfect passive participle, a settled state of having suffered |
| English variants | persecuted for righteousness’ sake |
| Contextual theological meaning | Suffering that results specifically from living out God’s righteousness (नीतिमत्त्व, reuse), not from social/political conflict generally |
| Marathi rendering | नीतिमत्त्वासाठी छळ सोसलेले (nītimattvāsāṭhī chaḷ sosalele) |
| Risk | High. Must be read as suffering for godly faithfulness, never phrased so as to echo caste-based suffering explained as consequence of past sin/karma — a doctrine Ambedkarite Buddhist communities explicitly reject. This persecution is unjust suffering for righteousness, the opposite of a karmic-desert framework. |
Matthew 5:11
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ὀνειδίσωσιν (ὀνειδίζω) |
| Transliteration | oneidisōsin (oneidizō) |
| Literal meaning | ”they revile/insult” |
| Semantic range | verbal reproach, insult, shaming speech |
| English variants | revile, insult, mock |
| Contextual theological meaning | Public shaming for allegiance to Christ — an honor/shame dynamic Matthew’s original audience knew well |
| Marathi rendering | निंदा करतील (nindā kartīl) |
| Risk | Low-Medium. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ψευδόμενοι ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ |
| Transliteration | pseudomenoi heneken emou |
| Literal meaning | ”lying, on account of me” |
| Semantic range | ψεύδομαι = to speak falsely; ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ = “because of/for the sake of me [Christ]“ |
| English variants | falsely, on my account, for my sake |
| Contextual theological meaning | The decisive distinguishing mark: suffering must be because of Christ specifically, not generic misfortune or persecution for any cause — this is Christ-centered discipleship cost |
| Marathi rendering | खोटे बोलून माझ्यामुळे (khoṭe bolūn mājhyāmuḷe) |
| Risk | High. “माझ्यामुळे” (because of me/Christ) must not be softened or generalized; the blessing is specifically for suffering on account of allegiance to Jesus, foundational to the discipleship-cost doctrine developed later (10:22, 24:9, 16:24-25). |
Matthew 5:12
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε |
| Transliteration | chairete kai agalliasthe |
| Literal meaning | ”rejoice and exult/be glad” |
| Semantic range | χαίρω = ordinary joy; ἀγαλλιάω = intensified, exultant, often worship-related gladness |
| English variants | rejoice and be glad, rejoice and be exceedingly glad |
| Contextual theological meaning | A command, not merely a description — joy is the appropriate response to kingdom-suffering, because of its promised reward |
| Marathi rendering | आनंद करा व उल्लास करा (ānand karā va ullās karā) |
| Risk | Low. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς |
| Transliteration | ho misthos hymōn polys en tois ouranois |
| Literal meaning | ”your reward [is] great in the heavens” |
| Semantic range | μισθός = wages, recompense, reward (contractual in secular usage, but here a gift of grace, not earned wages) |
| English variants | reward, recompense |
| Contextual theological meaning | God’s gracious reward to the persecuted, stored “in heaven,” parallel to Matt 6:1-6, 19-21 |
| Marathi rendering | प्रतिफळ (pratiphaḷ) |
| Risk | High. Must not be rendered with a term suggesting merit accumulated through good deeds in a karma-style ledger (avoid पुण्यफळ, which directly names accumulated religious merit in Hindu/Buddhist frameworks); this reward flows from grace already given, celebrated, not earned by suffering itself. |
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Original | τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν |
| Transliteration | tous prophētas tous pro hymōn |
| Literal meaning | ”the prophets who were before you” |
| Semantic range | reuse baseline prophet = संदेष्टा |
| English variants | the prophets before you |
| Contextual theological meaning | Places the disciples’ suffering in continuity with the entire line of OT prophets who suffered for faithfully declaring God’s word — a key thread in Matthew’s fulfillment-of-prophecy doctrine |
| Marathi rendering | संदेष्टे (sandeṣṭe) (baseline reuse) |
| Risk | Low (baseline reuse). |
PART B — CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER ANALYSIS, MATTHEW 1–28
Chapter 1 — Genealogy and Birth of Jesus
| Term (Gk) | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Χριστός | Christos | ”anointed one” | reuse baseline messiah/christ | Christ, Messiah | The OT-promised anointed deliverer (baseline: मसीहा/ख्रिस्त) | मसीहा / ख्रिस्त (baseline reuse) | Critical (baseline) |
| υἱὸς Δαυίδ | huios Dauid | ”son of David” | royal, messianic descent title, distinct from a mere genealogical note | Son of David | Establishes Jesus as the promised Davidic king fulfilling 2 Samuel 7 | दावीदाचा पुत्र (dāvīdācā putra) | High. Requires OT covenant background (cf. baseline davidic_covenant, seed_of_david = दावीदाच्या वंशातून); no structural parallel in Warkari or Buddhist frameworks. |
| παρθένος | parthenos | ”virgin” | a young woman who has not had sexual relations; in the LXX of Isaiah 7:14, understood messianically | virgin | Christ’s miraculous, non-ordinary human conception — foundational to the incarnation doctrine | कुमारी (kumārī) | Critical. Must not be softened to “young woman” generically; must be read alongside देहधारण (incarnation, baseline Critical term) as a one-time, unique miraculous conception, never assimilated to Vaishnav avatar-descent narratives involving divine-human unions in other traditions. |
| Ἐμμανουήλ | Emmanouēl | ”God with us” | transliterated Hebrew name (Immanuel), applied to Jesus as fulfillment | Emmanuel, “God with us” | Declares the incarnate presence of God himself in Jesus — deity of Christ doctrine | इम्मानूएल (Immānūel) | Critical. Must be explained as “परमेश्वर आपल्याबरोबर” (God with us) — the divine presence in a human being, not one more avatar or god-figure among many. |
| πληρόω | plērōō | ”to fill up, complete” | fulfillment of what was spoken through prophets; recurring Matthean formula (“that it might be fulfilled…“) | fulfilled, fulfillment | Linear, one-time historical fulfillment of specific OT prophecy — first of Matthew’s ~12 fulfillment quotations | पूर्ण होणे (pūrṇa hoṇe) | High. Must convey a unique, unrepeatable historical fulfillment, not the cyclical recurrence of Hindu yuga-cosmology nor the endlessly repeating wheel of dependent origination in Buddhist thought (cf. baseline doctrine “fulfillment_of_prophecy”). |
| ἄγγελος κυρίου | angelos kyriou | ”messenger of the Lord” | a divine messenger sent from God | angel of the Lord | God’s direct communication and intervention in redemptive history | प्रभूचा दूत (prabhūcā dūt) | Low-Medium. Standard established Christian usage; ensure दूत (messenger) is not confused with a household deity or ancestral spirit. |
Chapter 2 — The Magi, Flight to Egypt, Fulfillment Quotations
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| μάγοι | magoi | ”magi” (Persian priestly-astrologer class) | scholars/astrologers from the East who read celestial signs | wise men, magi | Gentile seekers recognize and worship the newborn king — early hint of the gospel’s universal scope | मागी (māgī, transliterated) | Medium. Avoid ज्योतिषी (baseline-rejected term for “prophet,” associated with fortune-telling astrology); मागी is a transliterated proper term for this specific historical group, not an endorsement of astrological practice. |
| βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων | basileus tōn Ioudaiōn | ”king of the Jews” | royal messianic title, later repeated mockingly at the crucifixion (ch. 27) | King of the Jews | Herod’s political fear rightly recognizes (even if he rejects) Jesus’ messianic kingship | यहूद्यांचा राजा (yahūdyāṅcā rājā) | High. Bridges Matt 2 and Matt 27 — the title spoken in mockery at the cross is, ironically, true; must be rendered identically in both places. |
| πληρόω (fulfillment quotations: Micah, Hosea, Jeremiah) | plērōō | see ch. 1 | reuse ch.1 | fulfilled | Bethlehem, the flight to Egypt, and Rachel’s weeping are each shown as specific, historical fulfillments of specific prophecies | पूर्ण होणे (reuse) | High (reuse) |
Chapter 3 — John the Baptist
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| μετάνοια / μετανοέω | metanoia / metanoeō | ”change of mind,” turning | inward repentance leading to changed life, not mere ritual regret | repent, repentance | A radical reorientation toward God required to enter the kingdom, prerequisite to receiving grace | पश्चात्ताप / पश्चात्ताप करणे (paścāttāp) | High. Must convey genuine inward turning to God, not a ritual purification rite (snana/tirtha-yatra) nor a self-driven ethical improvement project (Buddhist self-cultivation); repentance here responds to a specific divine summons, and prepares for grace, not a merit transaction. |
| βάπτισμα / βαπτίζω | baptisma / baptizō | ”immersion, washing” | John’s baptism of repentance, distinct from later Christian baptism (28:19) though the same root term | baptism, baptize | An outward sign of repentance in view of the coming kingdom | बाप्तिस्मा / बाप्तिस्मा देणे (bāptismā) | Medium. Established transliterated Marathi Christian term; keep distinct from ritual bathing (snana) for purification from ritual impurity, a very different conceptual category. |
| βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν | basileia tōn ouranōn | see core passage | first narrative occurrence (3:2) | kingdom of heaven | John’s announcement that God’s reign is imminent | स्वर्गाचे राज्य (reuse from core passage) | Critical (reuse) |
| υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός | huios mou ho agapētos | ”my beloved son” | divine pronouncement at Jesus’ baptism | my beloved Son | Confirms the unique divine Sonship of Christ at the start of his public ministry (cf. deity_of_christ, sonship_of_christ baseline doctrines) | माझा प्रिय पुत्र (mājhā priya putra) | Critical. Anchors देवाचा पुत्र (baseline Critical term) to this specific historical declaration by the Father’s own voice — not a title bestowed by human recognition, but declared by God. |
Chapter 4 — Temptation and Beginning of Ministry
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| πειρασμός / πειράζω | peirasmos / peirazō | ”test, trial” | testing that can mean either temptation to sin or trial of character | temptation, tempt, test | Christ’s real, historical testing by the devil, in which he remains sinless — foundational to his qualification as savior (cf. Romans parallel, Rom 5) | परीक्षा / मोहात पाडणे (parīkṣā / mohāt pāḍaṇe) | High. Distinguish testing-by-the-devil (external, hostile) from the Lord’s Prayer’s plea “lead us not into temptation” (6:13) — same root, different nuance; ensure consistent, contextually adapted rendering. |
| διάβολος / Σατανᾶς | diabolos / Satanas | ”slanderer” / “adversary” | the personal, malevolent spiritual enemy of God and humanity | devil, Satan | A personal being opposed to God’s kingdom — not merely an impersonal principle of evil or ignorance | सैतान / दियाबल (Saitān / diyābal) | Medium. Keep personal and singular; avoid rendering as an abstract force of ignorance/illusion (as maya-like concepts might suggest). |
| ἀκολουθέω | akoloutheō | ”to follow, go after” | to follow a teacher as a committed disciple, leaving prior life behind | follow (me) | The foundational call to discipleship, repeated throughout the Gospel (4:20, 22; 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21, 27-28) | अनुसरणे / मागे येणे (anusaraṇe / māge yeṇe) | High. Must convey costly, exclusive, life-reordering allegiance to Christ specifically — not admiration of a teacher’s ideas or attending a guru’s discourse while life is otherwise unchanged. |
Chapter 5 — Sermon on the Mount, Part 1 (5:13–48)
(5:1-12 treated in Part A above)
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἅλας τῆς γῆς / φῶς τοῦ κόσμου | halas tēs gēs / phōs tou kosmou | ”salt of the earth” / “light of the world” | metaphors for the disciples’ preserving and revealing influence in the world | salt of the earth, light of the world | Disciples’ visible, distinctive godly presence and witness within society | पृथ्वीचे मीठ / जगाचा प्रकाश (pṛthvīce mīṭh / jagācā prakāś) | Medium. “प्रकाश” (light) risks merging with generic devotional divine-light or enlightenment (bodhi) imagery; keep tied concretely to visible good works (5:16) that point observers to “your Father in heaven,” not to an inner illumination experience. |
| πληρῶσαι…καταλῦσαι (νόμον ἢ τοὺς προφήτας) | plērōsai / katalysai (nomon ē tous prophētas) | “to fulfill…to abolish (the Law or the Prophets)“ | πληρόω = to fulfill/complete; καταλύω = to tear down, annul | fulfill, not abolish | Jesus fulfills, rather than annuls, the Law and Prophets — establishing continuity between Torah/prophetic revelation and his own authoritative teaching | पूर्ण करणे / रद्द करणे (pūrṇa karṇe / rad’da karṇe) | High. νόμος reuses baseline law = नियमशास्त्र (never धर्म/धम्म). This claim of fulfillment (not abolition) is central to Matthew’s “authority of Jesus’ teaching” and “fulfillment of OT prophecy” doctrines and must be rendered with precision. |
| δικαιοσύνη ὑμῶν πλεῖον τῶν γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων | dikaiosynē pleion tōn grammateōn kai Pharisaiōn | ”your righteousness more than the scribes and Pharisees” | righteousness exceeding external legal compliance | righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees | Introduces “Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees” doctrine: kingdom righteousness is a transformed heart, not increased external rule-keeping | नीतिमत्त्व शास्त्री व परूश्यांपेक्षा अधिक (nītimattva śāstrī va parūśyāṅpekṣā adhik) | Critical. The single greatest translation danger in this doctrine: “अधिक” (more/exceeding) must never be read as “accumulate more religious merit points,” a reading that would collapse this teaching into precisely the karma-merit or rule-multiplication framework Jesus is rejecting. Reuse baseline नीतिमत्त्व exactly; the “exceeding” is of kind (from the heart) not quantity of good deeds. |
| γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι | grammateis kai Pharisaioi | ”scribes and Pharisees” | Jewish teachers of the Law and a lay-renewal/purity movement, respectively | scribes and Pharisees | Recurring foils throughout Matthew for externalized, performative religion (cf. ch. 23) | शास्त्री व परूशी (śāstrī va parūśī) | Medium. Established transliterated/loan proper-noun forms; avoid any term that would read as a caricature of a specific living Marathi religious community. |
| ἀγαπάω / ἀγάπη (ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν) | agapaō / agapē | ”to love, love” (self-giving, willed love) | deliberate, self-giving love of the will, directed even at enemies — distinct from erotic or family-affection love | love, love your enemies | Kingdom ethic that exceeds natural human love, extending even to enemies, imaging God’s own indiscriminate common grace (5:45) | प्रीती (प्रेम करणे) (prīti / prem karṇe) | High. प्रीती/प्रेम must convey willed, self-giving covenantal love, not kama-rasa romantic-devotional love nor mere emotional affection; loving one’s enemy has no ready parallel in bhakti devotion (directed at a beloved deity) or in general ethical teaching and needs positive explanation. |
| τέλειος | teleios | ”complete, mature, whole” | ethical/relational maturity and wholeness, reflecting God’s own character | perfect | ”Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” — call to Godlike completeness in love, not flawless sinless performance or ascetic attainment | परिपूर्ण (paripūrṇa) | Medium. Must not be read as a yogic/ascetic siddhi-like state of self-attained perfection; this perfection is Godlikeness in love, held out as the fruit of relationship with the Father, not private spiritual achievement. |
Chapter 6 — Sermon on the Mount, Part 2 (Prayer, Fasting, Treasures)
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑποκριταί | hypokritai | ”actors, stage-players” | one who performs piety for human approval rather than from sincere devotion | hypocrites | Recurring critique (also chs. 15, 23) of performed, external religiosity | ढोंगी (ḍhoṅgī) | Medium. Applies broadly across Matthew; ensure it targets performative religious display in general, not any single tradition’s practice specifically. |
| ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου | hagiasthētō to onoma sou | ”let your name be sanctified/hallowed” | reveres God’s name as set apart, holy | hallowed be your name | Opening petition of the Lord’s Prayer — reuse baseline holy = पवित्र | तुझे नाव पवित्र मानले जावो (tujhe nāv pavitra mānale jāvo) | High (baseline reuse for पवित्र) |
| τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον δὸς ἡμῖν σήμερον | ton arton hēmōn ton epiousion dos hēmin sēmeron | ”give us today our daily/needed bread” | petition for daily material sustenance, trusting God’s provision | give us this day our daily bread | Models dependent trust in the Father’s provision, day by day — not self-sufficient accumulation | आमची रोजची भाकर आज आम्हांला दे (āmcī rojcī bhākar āj āmhālā de) | Medium. Standard petition; keep the sense of daily, ongoing dependence rather than a one-time request. |
| ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν | aphes hēmin ta opheilēmata hēmōn | ”forgive us our debts” | ὀφείλημα = a moral/financial debt owed; parallels sin (cf. Luke’s ἁμαρτίας) | forgive us our debts/trespasses/sins | Forgiveness sought from God, contingent on forgiving others (6:14-15) — reuse baseline sin = पाप conceptually | आमचे अपराध आम्हांला क्षमा कर (āmce aparādh āmhālā kṣamā kar) | High. Must convey moral debt/guilt before a personal God, forgiven by grace — not a karmic debt automatically balanced by cosmic law, but personally forgiven by a personal, relational Father. |
| μαμωνᾶς | mamōnas | ”wealth, riches” (Aramaic loanword, personified) | material wealth treated as a rival master/god | mammon, money, wealth | ”You cannot serve God and mammon” — wealth as a competing object of ultimate allegiance | धन (मॅमन) (dhan / Mĕman) | Medium. Note the personification (wealth as a rival “master”) should not be lost; render as धन but retain the sense of exclusive, competing loyalty rather than mere financial advice. |
| μεριμνάω | merimnaō | ”to be anxious, worry” | excessive care/anxiety about material provision | do not worry, do not be anxious | Trust in the Father’s provision as the antidote to anxiety — distinct from either stoic detachment or meditative calm-technique | चिंता करणे (काळजी करणे) (cintā karṇe) | Low-Medium. Keep this rooted in trust in a personal, providing Father (cf. baseline providence = देवाचे विधान), not a technique of detachment achieved through meditation. |
Chapter 7 — Judging, the Narrow Gate, Authority of Jesus’ Teaching
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| κρίνω | krinō | ”to judge, discern” | to pass judgment/condemnation on another, vs. legitimate discernment | judge (not) | Warning against hypocritical, condemning judgment of others (7:1-5) | न्याय करणे (दोष लावणे) (nyāya karṇe) | Medium. Distinguish this everyday interpersonal sense from the final, divine κρίσις (judgment) of ch. 25. |
| στενὴ πύλη | stenē pylē | ”narrow gate” | the difficult, less-traveled way that leads to (eternal) life | narrow gate, narrow way | Only a few find the way to life; the way of the kingdom is costly, not a broad, popular path | अरुंद दार (aruṅd dār) | Low-Medium. |
| ψευδοπροφῆται | pseudoprophētai | ”false prophets” | those who claim divine authority falsely, “in sheep’s clothing” | false prophets | Warns disciples to test claimed spiritual authority against genuine fruit — reuse baseline prophet = संदेष्टा | खोटे संदेष्टे (khoṭe sandeṣṭe) | Medium (baseline reuse) |
| ἐξουσία | exousia | ”authority, right to act” | delegated or inherent right/power to command, distinct from mere skill or persuasive rhetoric | authority | ”He taught as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (7:29) — foundational statement of Matthew’s “Authority of Jesus’ Teaching” doctrine: Jesus’ authority is inherent/divine, not derived from rabbinic tradition | अधिकार (adhikār) | High. Central doctrinal term for this curriculum. Must convey Jesus’ own, underived, divine authority — not the delegated authority of a scribe citing prior teachers, nor the attained authority of a guru through spiritual accomplishment. Recurs at 8:9, 9:6, 9:8, 10:1, 21:23-27, 28:18 (“all authority… has been given to me”) and must be rendered identically throughout. |
Chapter 8 — Healing Miracles, the Centurion, Son of Man (first occurrence)
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | huios tou anthrōpou | ”son of man” | Jesus’ characteristic self-designation, combining humble humanity with the exalted, glorious, judging figure of Daniel 7:13-14 | Son of Man | Jesus’ preferred self-title throughout Matthew (8:20 first occurrence; also 9:6; 12:8; 16:13, 27-28; 17:9, 22; 20:18, 28; 24:27, 30, 37, 39, 44; 25:31; 26:2, 24, 45, 64) — combines lowliness (8:20, “nowhere to lay his head”) and divine eschatological authority (24:30; 25:31; 26:64) | मनुष्याचा पुत्र (manuṣyācā putra) | Critical. Must never be flattened to a mere idiom for “a human being” (as the Hebrew/Aramaic phrase can mean generically); in Jesus’ own usage it is a distinctly messianic, Daniel-7-rooted self-designation carrying both humility and supreme divine authority to judge. Requires OT (Daniel) background teaching; must be rendered identically at every occurrence throughout the Gospel. |
| πίστις | pistis | see baseline faith | reuse baseline | faith | The centurion’s faith exceeds that “found in Israel” (8:10) — trust placed specifically in Jesus’ authoritative word | विश्वास (baseline reuse) | High (baseline reuse) |
| ἀκολουθέω | akoloutheō | see ch. 4 | reuse | follow | Repeated call/cost of discipleship (8:19-22) — “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead” | अनुसरणे (baseline-Matthew reuse) | High (reuse) |
Chapter 9 — Authority to Forgive Sins, Call of Matthew, New Wine
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας / ἄφεσις | aphienai hamartias | ”to release/forgive sins” | authoritative pronouncement of forgiveness, a divine prerogative | forgive sins, forgiveness of sins | Jesus claims and demonstrates divine authority to forgive sins directly (9:2-8), not merely to pronounce ritual absolution — a deity-of-Christ claim; reuse baseline sin = पाप | पापांची क्षमा (pāpāṅcī kṣamā) | Critical. This is a direct claim to divine prerogative (only God forgives sins) — must be rendered so the astonishment of the crowd (“who can forgive sins but God alone?”, implied) is preserved, not softened into a general pastoral reassurance. |
| τελῶναι / ἁμαρτωλοί | telōnai / hamartōloi | ”tax collectors” / “sinners” | social outcasts under Roman collaboration suspicion, paired with the morally condemned | tax collectors and sinners | Jesus’ table-fellowship with social/religious outcasts models the universal scope of the gospel, without regard to social standing | जकातदार व पापी (jakātdār va pāpī) | Medium. Reuse पाप root for पापी; care that “outcast” status here is about social/religious marginalization, not the specific caste categories of the Marathi social context — draw the connection to universal gospel scope (baseline doctrine “universal_scope_of_gospel”) carefully and explicitly. |
| θερισμὸς πολύς, ἐργάται δὲ ὀλίγοι | therismos, ergatai | ”harvest,” “workers/laborers” | metaphor for the ripe spiritual opportunity and the need for gospel workers | the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few | Sets up the mission/sending motif fulfilled in ch. 10 and the Great Commission (ch. 28) | कापणी विपुल आहे, मजूर थोडे (kāpaṇī vipul āhe, majūr thoḍe) | Low-Medium. |
Chapter 10 — Sending of the Twelve, Cost of Discipleship
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀπόστολοι | apostoloi | see baseline apostle | reuse | apostles | The Twelve, named and commissioned with delegated authority — reuse प्रेषित | प्रेषित (baseline reuse) | Medium (baseline reuse) |
| πρόβατα ἐν μέσῳ λύκων | probata en mesō lykōn | ”sheep in the midst of wolves” | vulnerability of disciples sent into a hostile world | sheep among wolves | Realistic warning of danger and opposition awaiting gospel messengers | लांडग्यांमध्ये मेंढरे (lāṅḍagyāmmadhye meṇḍhare) | Low-Medium. |
| ὁμολογέω / ἀρνέομαι | homologeō / arneomai | ”confess/acknowledge” / “deny, disown” | public verbal allegiance to Christ or public rejection of him | acknowledge/confess (me) before men / deny (me) | Anticipates Romans 10:9’s confession-of-Lordship pattern (baseline lord = प्रभू): public, costly allegiance to Christ is the dividing line | कबूल करणे / नाकारणे (kabūl karṇe / nākārṇe) | High. Must parallel baseline treatment of the Lordship confession — public acknowledgment of Christ before others, with real social cost, not private inward belief alone. |
| σταυρός (ὃς οὐ λαμβάνει τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ) | stauros | ”cross” (instrument of Roman execution) | first occurrence of the cross as a discipleship metaphor (10:38); literal instrument of Christ’s execution in chs. 26-27 | (take up his) cross | Establishes the “cost of discipleship” doctrine: following Christ may cost one’s very life, modeled on Christ’s own coming death | वधस्तंभ (vadhastambh) | High. Established Marathi Christian term for the literal cross; as a discipleship metaphor it must retain its weight as a symbol of costly, potentially fatal self-denial — not softened to “burden” or “hardship” in general. |
| ἄξιος | axios | ”worthy” | fittingness/suitability, here of a disciple’s devotion to Christ relative to family loyalty (10:37-38) | worthy (of me) | Total allegiance to Christ must exceed even family loyalty — radical cost of discipleship | योग्य (yogya) | Medium. |
Chapter 11 — John the Baptist’s Question, the Kingdom and Violence, the Easy Yoke
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὁ ἐρχόμενος | ho erchomenos | ”the one who is coming” | John’s question, “Are you the one who is to come?” — a recognized messianic title/expectation | the one who is to come, the Coming One | Confirms Jesus’ identity as the promised Messiah through his works (11:4-5, echoing Isaiah 35, 61) | येणारा (yeṇārā) | High. Ties directly to baseline messianic_promise doctrine (Critical); Jesus answers indirectly, by pointing to fulfilled prophetic signs, not by a bare title-claim — the translation must preserve this evidentiary structure. |
| ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιάζεται | hē basileia tōn ouranōn biazetai | ”the kingdom of heaven suffers violence / advances forcefully” | a notoriously difficult crux: either the kingdom is forcibly opposed, or it advances with forceful, urgent power | the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence / has been coming forcefully | Describes the intense, contested nature of the kingdom’s inbreaking since John’s ministry | स्वर्गाचे राज्य बलाने पुढे जात आहे / त्यावर बळजबरी होत आहे (svargāce rājya balāne puḍhe jāt āhe / tyāvar baḷajabarī hot āhe) | High. Genuinely ambiguous in the Greek; flag for native-speaker and theologian review per segment; do not silently resolve the ambiguity without a translator note recording both readings considered. |
| ζυγός μου χρηστός | zygos mou chrēstos | ”my yoke is good/easy” | ζυγός = a yoke for oxen, standard metaphor (also used of Torah-observance in rabbinic literature) for a disciple’s submission to a teacher | my yoke is easy | Jesus offers rest and a “light” yoke of discipleship in contrast to the heavy burden of externalized legal observance (cf. Acts 15:10) | माझे जू सोपे आहे (mājhe jū sope āhe) | Medium. The yoke metaphor has no direct Marathi devotional parallel; requires brief explanatory framing so it is not misread as literal agricultural instruction rather than a teacher-disciple submission metaphor. |
Chapter 12 — Sabbath Controversies, Blasphemy Against the Spirit, Sign of Jonah
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σάββατον | sabbaton | ”Sabbath” | the seventh-day rest commanded in the Law | Sabbath | Jesus asserts lordship even over the Sabbath (12:8, “the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath”) — deity/authority claim | शब्बाथ (śabbāth, transliterated) | Medium. Retain as a transliterated proper term for the specific Jewish institution; do not substitute a generic “rest day” term that would lose its covenantal/legal specificity. |
| βλασφημία εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα (τὸ ἅγιον) | blasphēmia eis to pneuma (to hagion) | “blasphemy against the (Holy) Spirit” | the one unforgivable sin: attributing the Spirit’s clearly divine work to Satan | blasphemy against the Holy Spirit | Willful, settled rejection that calls the Holy Spirit’s work demonic — reuse baseline holy_spirit = पवित्र आत्मा (Critical) | पवित्र आत्म्याविरुद्ध निंदा (Pavitra Ātmyāviruddha nindā) | Critical. Doctrine of the unforgivable sin requires careful, precise handling to avoid either trivializing it (as ordinary blasphemy) or inducing pastoral fear in believers who are not in fact guilty of it; flag every occurrence for theologian review. |
| σημεῖον Ἰωνᾶ | sēmeion Iōna | ”sign of Jonah” | typological reference: as Jonah was three days in the fish, so the Son of Man will be three days in the earth | sign of Jonah | Predicts Christ’s death and resurrection typologically — connects to baseline resurrection doctrine (Critical) | योनाचे चिन्ह (Yonāce cinha) | High. Requires OT (Jonah) background teaching; anchors the resurrection prediction to a specific historical, bodily three-day event, not a symbolic or cyclical motif. |
Chapter 13 — Parables of the Kingdom
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| παραβολή | parabolē | ”placing alongside,” a comparison-story | an extended figurative teaching form Jesus uses extensively to reveal and simultaneously conceal kingdom truth | parable | Distinctive teaching method of Matthew 13 (and much of the Gospel); reveals truth to disciples, veils it from the hard-hearted (13:10-15) | दाखला (dākhalā) | Low-Medium. Standard, well-established term in Marathi Bible tradition. |
| μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν | mystēria tēs basileias tōn ouranōn | ”mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” | previously hidden truths about the kingdom now disclosed to disciples | the secrets/mysteries of the kingdom | Kingdom truth is revealed by grace to disciples, not achieved by human wisdom or gnostic esoteric technique | राज्याची रहस्ये (rājyācī rahasye) | High. Must not be read as occult secret knowledge attained by initiation or spiritual technique (a possible false-friend for readers familiar with tantric/esoteric “gupt vidya” traditions); these mysteries are graciously given by revelation, not discovered by effort. |
| συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος | synteleia tou aiōnos | ”completion/end of the age” | the definitive, final close of the present age at final judgment | the end of the age | First occurrence (13:39-40, 49) of Matthew’s key eschatological phrase, developed fully in ch. 24-25 | युगाचा शेवट (yugācā śevaṭ) | Critical. “युग” risks evoking Hindu cyclical yuga-cosmology (a recurring sequence of cosmic ages with no final terminus). This phrase must be taught as the single, final, linear end of history and the one decisive judgment — never one transition within an ongoing cosmic cycle. Cross-reference baseline doctrine “fulfillment_of_prophecy” risk notes on linear vs. cyclical time. |
Chapter 14 — Feeding of the 5,000, Walking on Water
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὀλιγόπιστος | oligopistos | ”little-faithed” | a mild rebuke for wavering trust, not total unbelief | you of little faith | Peter’s wavering trust while walking on water (14:31) — faith as trust in Christ’s specific word and presence, reuse baseline faith = विश्वास | अल्पविश्वासी (alpaviśvāsī) | Medium. Compound built on established विश्वास; keep it distinct from a complete absence of faith — this is wavering trust, gently corrected, not condemned. |
| προσκυνέω | proskyneō | ”to bow down, worship” | physical prostration expressing worship/homage, directed here at Jesus by the disciples (“Truly you are the Son of God,” 14:33) | worship | First clear worship-of-Jesus response in the narrative — implies recognition of his deity; reuse baseline son_of_god = देवाचा पुत्र | नमन करणे (उपासना करणे) (namana karṇe / upāsanā karṇe) | High. Must convey worship due to God alone, directed at Jesus as an act of recognizing his deity — must not be rendered with vocabulary indistinguishable from Warkari bhakti darshan/puja gestures toward Vitthal or any other devotional figure; the object here is uniquely, exclusively divine. |
Chapter 15 — Tradition of the Elders, the Canaanite Woman
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| παράδοσις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων | paradosis tōn presbyterōn | ”tradition of the elders” | oral legal tradition supplementing the written Torah | tradition of the elders | Jesus critiques human tradition when it nullifies God’s actual commandment (15:3-9) — relevant to “authority of Jesus’ teaching” doctrine | वडीलधाऱ्यांची परंपरा (vaḍīladhāryāṅcī paramparā) | Medium. Keep distinct from नियमशास्त्र (the Law itself, baseline term); this is human interpretive tradition, which Jesus subordinates to God’s actual command. |
| κοινόω | koinoō | ”to make common/unclean” | ritual/moral defilement, here relocated by Jesus from external food-source to the internal heart (15:11, 18-20) | defile | Definitive teaching that what comes out of the heart defiles a person, not external ritual contact — reframes purity as a matter of the heart, not ritual observance | अशुद्ध करणे (विटाळ आणणे) (aśuddha karṇe) | High. Must clearly convey the move from ritual/ceremonial impurity categories (familiar from Hindu purity-pollution frameworks) to a moral-heart-centered definition of defilement — a significant reframing worth flagging for the reader. |
| τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ | ta probata ta apolōlota oikou Israēl | ”the lost sheep of the house of Israel” | Jesus’ stated primary mission-focus during his earthly ministry, later expanded in the Great Commission (28:19) | the lost sheep of the house of Israel | Salvation-historical priority to Israel first, later expanded to all nations — reuse baseline israel = इस्राएल | इस्राएलाच्या घराण्यातील हरवलेली मेंढरे (Isrāelācyā gharāṇyātīl haravlelī meṇḍhare) | Medium (reuse इस्राएल; new compound phrase) |
Chapter 16 — Peter’s Confession, the Church, the Cross
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος | 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 + unique divine Sonship | ”You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” | The Gospel’s central confessional statement, structurally parallel to Romans 10:9’s “Jesus is Lord” — must be rendered with the same fixed consistency across all Matthew documents | तू ख्रिस्त, जिवंत देवाचा पुत्र आहेस (tū Khrist, jivant devācā putra āhes) | Critical. Combines baseline मसीहा/ख्रिस्त and देवाचा पुत्र (both Critical). Establish this exact wording as the fixed, canonical rendering for all Phase 2 documents, on the same consistency footing as baseline’s Romans 10:9 rule. |
| ἐκκλησία | ekklēsia | ”assembly, called-out ones” | reuse baseline church | church | First occurrence (16:18): “I will build my church” — the church as Christ’s own building project, founded on the confession of his identity | मंडळी (baseline reuse) | Medium (baseline reuse) |
| κλεῖδας τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν | kleidas tēs basileias tōn ouranōn | ”keys of the kingdom of heaven” | authority to open/administer access to the kingdom, delegated to Peter and (by extension) the apostolic church | keys of the kingdom | Delegated (not autonomous) authority for gospel proclamation and church governance | राज्याच्या किल्ल्या (rājyācyā killyā) | High. Must be clearly framed as delegated authority under Christ’s own supreme authority (cf. ἐξουσία, ch. 7), never an independent priestly power exercised apart from Christ. |
| δήσῃς / λύσῃς (ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς…ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς) | dēsēs / lysēs | ”you shall bind / you shall loose” | rabbinic idiom for authoritative declaration (forbidding/permitting, or here likely declaring guilt/forgiveness) exercised on earth with heavenly ratification | bind and loose | Delegated authority for church governance and discipline (repeated 18:18 in the church-discipline procedure) | बांधणे / मोकळे करणे (bāndhṇe / mokaḷe karṇe) | High. Requires careful framing so it is not read as magical or independently priestly power; it is Christ’s own authority exercised through the church community, under his headship, not a power possessed apart from him. |
| ψυχή | psychē | ”soul, life” | one’s whole life/self, not merely an immaterial “soul” component | soul, life | ”What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (16:26) — the surpassing worth of following Christ over worldly gain | जीव (आत्मा) (jīv / ātmā) | Medium. Prefer जीव (whole-life/self) over आत्मा alone in this context to avoid importing Vedantic ātman-metaphysics (an eternal, impersonal Self) into a passage that is about a person’s whole existence and eternal destiny, not metaphysical self-identity. |
Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| μετεμορφώθη | metemorphōthē | ”he was transformed/transfigured” | a visible, temporary manifestation of Christ’s inherent divine glory | transfigured, transformed | A glimpse of Christ’s true, ongoing divine glory (δόξα, cf. baseline glory = गौरव) breaking through his human form — not a change of identity but a revealing of what was always true | रूपांतर झाले (गौरवाने प्रकट झाला) (rūpāntar jhāle) | High. Must not be read as a temporary avatar-manifestation of a deity descending and departing (a possible Vaishnav-avatar false-friend) — this reveals the Son’s own eternal, unceasing glory, briefly made visible, not a new/different divine descent. |
| οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός· ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ | houtos estin ho huios mou ho agapētos, akouete autou | ”this is my beloved Son; listen to him” | repeats baptism declaration (ch. 3), now adding the command to heed his teaching | this is my beloved Son; listen to him | Reinforces both Jesus’ unique divine Sonship and the absolute authority of his teaching (ties deity_of_christ and authority-of-teaching doctrines together) | हा माझा प्रिय पुत्र आहे, याचे ऐका (hā mājhā priya putra āhe, yāce aikā) | Critical (reuse देवाचा पुत्र + ऐका/authority theme) |
Chapter 18 — Church Discipline, Humility, Forgiveness
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| τῶν μικρῶν τούτων | tōn mikrōn toutōn | ”these little ones” | vulnerable, humble believers (not necessarily children literally, though a child is the acting illustration) | these little ones | Warns against causing vulnerable believers to stumble; models the humility required to enter the kingdom (18:1-4) | हे लहानथोर (हे धाकटे) (he lahānthor / he dhākaṭe) | Medium. |
| σκάνδαλον / σκανδαλίζω | skandalon / skandalizō | ”trap-stick, stumbling-block” | causing another to sin or fall away from faith | stumbling block, cause to sin | Severe warning against leading vulnerable believers into sin | अडखळण (पाप करायला लावणे) (aḍakhaḷaṇ) | Medium. |
| ἐὰν ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς σὲ ὁ ἀδελφός σου…ἔλεγξον…δύο ἢ τρεῖς μάρτυρες…εἰπὲ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ | (church discipline procedure, 18:15-17) | The full graduated procedure: private confrontation → two/three witnesses → tell the church → treat as an outsider if unrepentant | if your brother sins against you…tell the church | Establishes the concrete, procedural doctrine of “The Church and Church Discipline” — corrective, restorative, communal accountability under Christ’s authority | जर तुझा बंधू पाप करील…मंडळीला सांग (jar tujhā bandhū pāp karīl…maṇḍaḷīlā sāṅg) | High. Reuse पाप (baseline sin) and मंडळी (baseline church) exactly. This is a foundational passage for the church-discipline doctrine and must be rendered with procedural precision (each step distinct and in sequence), not compressed or paraphrased. | |
| οὗ γάρ εἰσιν δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν | hou gar eisin dyo ē treis synēgmenoi eis to emon onoma, ekei eimi en mesō autōn | ”where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” | Christ’s promised presence with the gathered church, specifically in the context of discipline and prayer | where two or three are gathered in my name | Grounds church authority and practice in Christ’s own abiding presence, not autonomous human authority | जेथे दोन किंवा तीन माझ्या नावाने जमतात तेथे मी त्यांच्यामध्ये आहे | High. |
Chapter 19 — Divorce, Eternal Life, the Rich Young Ruler
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ζωὴν αἰώνιον | zōēn aiōnion | ”eternal/age-lasting life” | unending, personal, relational life with God, beginning now and continuing forever | eternal life | The rich young ruler’s question (19:16) — first major occurrence of this key soteriological phrase, developed through ch. 25 | सार्वकालिक जीवन (अनंतकाळचे जीवन) (sārvakālik jīvan) | Critical. Must be sharply distinguished from मोक्ष/मुक्ती (liberation from the rebirth cycle through bhakti or self-effort) and निर्वाण (the Buddhist extinguishing of craving) — both baseline-forbidden for “salvation.” Eternal life is unending, personal, relational communion with God through Christ, not escape from an impersonal cycle nor cessation of a self. |
| παλιγγενεσία | palingenesia | ”new genesis, regeneration” | the final, cosmic renewal/restoration of all things at the end of the age (19:28), NOT personal individual rebirth | the new world, the regeneration, the renewal of all things | Cosmic, eschatological restoration, when the apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel — corporate/cosmic, one-time, final | नवनिर्माण (सृष्टीचे नवीकरण) (navanirmāṇ / sṛṣṭīce navīkaraṇ) | Critical. NEVER रेंडर as पुनर्जन्म (a baseline-forbidden term for resurrection, and even more directly evocative here of Hindu individual rebirth doctrine, since the Greek root literally is “again-birth”). This term describes one final, cosmic renewal of creation at history’s end, not a repeating cycle of individual rebirths. |
Chapter 20 — Laborers in the Vineyard, the Ransom Saying
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν | lytron anti pollōn | ”a ransom in place of/instead of many” | a price paid to secure release/freedom of captives or slaves | a ransom for many | Central atonement statement (20:28): “the Son of Man came…to give his life as a ransom for many” — Christ’s death as the price paid for others’ freedom from sin’s bondage | पुष्कळांच्या मुक्तीसाठी खंडणी — rendered without मुक्ती: पुष्कळांसाठी आपला जीव खंडणी म्हणून देणे (puṣkaḷāṅsāṭhī āplā jīv khaṇḍaṇī mhaṇūn deṇe) | Critical. Extreme care required: baseline explicitly forbids मुक्ती for “salvation” (Warkari-Hindu liberation). Render λύτρον as खंडणी (a paid ransom-price) and describe the recipients’ condition using पाप-bondage language, never मुक्ती/मोक्ष vocabulary, so the ransom is not misread as attainment of Hindu-style liberation through Christ functioning as a guru or avatar-liberator. |
| διακονέω / διάκονος | diakoneō / diakonos | ”to serve, servant” | humble service, contrasted with worldly domination/greatness (20:25-27) | serve, servant | Redefines greatness in the kingdom as humble service, modeled by Christ himself (20:28) | सेवा करणे (सेवक) (sevā karṇe / sevak) | Low-Medium. |
| ἀμπελῶνος ἐργάται (μισθός) | ampelōnos ergatai (misthos) | “workers of the vineyard” (“wages/reward”) | parable illustrating that God’s generous grace-giving is not bound by human notions of proportional merit | laborers in the vineyard, the generous landowner | Illustrates grace: the reward (reuse baseline concept प्रतिफळ) is given by the owner’s gracious will, not calculated proportional merit — key “grace vs. merit” teaching text, parallel to baseline’s grace doctrine | द्राक्षमळ्यातील मजूर (drākṣamaḷyātīl majūr) | High. This parable is a prime teaching opportunity for reinforcing कृपा (grace, baseline Critical) against any merit-proportional (karma-style) reading of divine reward. |
Chapter 21 — Triumphal Entry, Cleansing the Temple, the Rejected Stone
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὡσαννά | hōsanna | ”save, we pray!” (Hebrew loanword) | a shout of praise/appeal, by NT times primarily an acclamation of praise rather than a literal plea | Hosanna | Messianic acclamation at the triumphal entry, echoing Psalm 118 | होसान्ना (Hosānnā, transliterated) | Medium. Retain transliterated form, as in established Christian usage; do not translate literally as it would obscure its liturgical, quotation-based character. |
| εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου | eulogēmenos ho erchomenos en onomati kyriou | ”blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” | εὐλογέω = to speak well of/bless (God’s or, derivatively, human pronounced blessing), distinct from μακάριος (declared blessed state, ch. 5) | blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord | Messianic acclamation applying Psalm 118:26 directly to Jesus, reuse baseline lord = प्रभू | धन्यवादित आहे तो, जो प्रभूच्या नावाने येतो (dhanyavādit āhe to, jo prabhūcyā nāvāne yeto) | High. Note the distinct Greek root from μακάριος (ch. 5, धन्य); this εὐλογέω-word-family is better rendered धन्यवादित/आशीर्वादित to keep the two Greek terms distinguishable in Marathi as they are in Greek. |
| οἶκος προσευχῆς…σπήλαιον λῃστῶν | oikos proseuchēs…spēlaion lēstōn | ”house of prayer…den of robbers” | contrast between the temple’s intended purpose and its corrupted commercial use | house of prayer / den of robbers | Jesus’ authoritative judgment on corrupted temple worship, echoing Isaiah 56 and Jeremiah 7 | प्रार्थनेचे घर…लुटारूंची गुहा (prārthanece ghar…luṭārūṅcī guhā) | Medium. |
| λίθον ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες, οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας | lithon hon apedokimasan hoi oikodomountes, houtos egenēthē eis kephalēn gōnias | ”the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” | Psalm 118:22 quotation applied to Christ’s rejection and vindication | the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone | Christ, rejected by Israel’s leaders, becomes the foundational cornerstone of the new covenant community — connects fulfillment-of-prophecy and church doctrines | बांधणाऱ्यांनी नाकारलेला दगड कोनशिला झाला (bāndhaṇāṟyāṅnī nākārlelā dagaḍ konaśilā jhālā) | High. Requires OT (Psalm 118) background to land its force; must retain “rejected…become” contrast. |
Chapter 22 — Wedding Feast, Render to Caesar, the Greatest Commandment
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| πολλοὶ…κλητοί, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί | polloi klētoi, oligoi de eklektoi | ”many called, but few chosen” | κλητός = reuse baseline called = बोलावलेले; ἐκλεκτός = reuse baseline election concept = देवाची निवड | many are called, but few are chosen | Distinguishes a general, universal gospel invitation from God’s sovereign, effectual choosing — must not read as a caste-style predetermined status by birth | पुष्कळ बोलावलेले आहेत, पण थोडे निवडलेले आहेत (puṣkaḷ bolāvlele āhet, paṇ thoḍe nivaḍlele āhet) | High. Reuse baseline बोलावलेले and देवाची निवड exactly; must never be phrased so as to echo a karma-birth or caste-status framework of who is “chosen” — this is God’s sovereign grace in salvation-history, offered universally, received by the humble who respond, not a predetermined social hierarchy. |
| ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου…τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν | agapēseis kyrion ton theon sou…ton plēsion sou hōs seauton | ”you shall love the Lord your God…your neighbor as yourself” | reuse ἀγαπάω (ch. 5), reuse baseline god = परमेश्वर, lord = प्रभू | the greatest commandment; love God and neighbor | Summarizes the whole Law and Prophets (22:40) in terms of love, not multiplied rule-keeping — ties back to ch. 5’s “fulfill the Law” and “righteousness exceeding the Pharisees” doctrines | तू आपला देव परमेश्वर ह्यावर पूर्ण प्रीती कर…तुझ्या शेजाऱ्यावर स्वतःसारखी प्रीती कर | High (reuse) |
| πῶς οὖν Δαυὶδ ἐν πνεύματι καλεῖ αὐτὸν κύριον | pōs oun Dauid en pneumati kalei auton kyrion | ”how then does David, in the Spirit, call him Lord?” | Jesus’ argument from Psalm 110:1 for his own divine Lordship, superior to mere Davidic descent | how does David call him Lord? | Demonstrates Christ’s Lordship exceeds Davidic sonship — deity_of_christ and lordship_of_christ doctrines combined; reuse baseline lord = प्रभू (Critical) | मग दावीद आत्म्याने त्याला प्रभू असे का म्हणतो? | Critical (reuse) |
Chapter 23 — Woes on the Scribes and Pharisees
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| οὐαί | ouai | ”woe!“ | a solemn pronouncement of coming judgment/grief, the opposite pole to μακάριος’s blessing pronouncement | woe to you | Seven-fold pronouncement of judgment on hypocritical religious leadership — structural counterpart to the Beatitudes’ μακάριος pronouncements | धिक्कार असो (dhikkār aso) | Medium. Deliberately structured as the mirror-opposite of धन्य (ch. 5); keep the contrast visible in translation choice. |
| ὑποκριταί (repeated 7x) | hypokritai | see ch. 6 | reuse ch. 6 | hypocrites | Intensified, repeated indictment of externalized, performative religion that neglects “the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness” (23:23) | ढोंगी (baseline-Matthew reuse) | Medium (reuse) |
| τάφοι κεκονιαμένοι | taphoi kekoniamenoi | ”whitewashed tombs” | outwardly beautiful, inwardly full of decay/impurity | whitewashed tombs | Vivid image for externally impressive but internally corrupt religiosity | पांढरे रंगवलेल्या कबरा (pāṅḍhare raṅgavalelyā kabarā) | Low-Medium. |
Chapter 24 — The Olivet Discourse (Signs of the End)
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| τὸ βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως | to bdelygma tēs erēmōseōs | ”the abomination of desolation” | quotation from Daniel 9:27/11:31/12:11 referring to a specific, historically identifiable act of temple desecration/sacrilege | the abomination of desolation | A concrete, historically-anchored end-times sign, requiring Daniel’s OT background — not a vague cosmic omen | उजाड करणारी अमंगळ वस्तू (विनाशाचे किळसवाणे चिन्ह) (ujāḍ karṇārī amaṅgaḷ vastū) | Critical. Requires substantial OT (Daniel) background teaching to be meaningful at all; flag for theologian review every occurrence. |
| ψευδόχριστοι καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται | pseudochristoi kai pseudoprophētai | ”false christs and false prophets” | those who falsely claim messianic identity or prophetic authority in the end times | false christs, false messiahs, false prophets | Warns of end-times deception — reuse baseline messiah/christ (Critical) and prophet vocabulary | खोटे ख्रिस्त व खोटे संदेष्टे (khoṭe Khrist va khoṭe sandeṣṭe) | Critical (reuse) |
| παρουσία τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου | parousia tou huiou tou anthrōpou | ”the coming/presence of the Son of Man” | technical eschatological term for Christ’s future, visible, glorious return | the coming of the Son of Man, the parousia | The visible, personal, glorious return of Christ to judge and consummate the kingdom — reuse Son of Man (Critical, ch. 8) | मनुष्याच्या पुत्राचे येणे (पुनरागमन) (manuṣyācyā putrāce yeṇe / punarāgaman) | Critical. Must convey a singular, future, visible, bodily return — not a repeating cyclical event nor a purely “spiritual”/internal coming; anchors the “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine. |
| ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη | hē genea hautē | ”this generation” | a notoriously debated referential scope (the generation of Jesus’ contemporaries, or the generation witnessing the described signs) | this generation | Affirms certainty and relative nearness of fulfillment without giving the exact date — theologically sensitive interpretive crux | ही पिढी (hī piḍhī) | High. Genuinely ambiguous scope in scholarship; flag for theologian review, record alternative renderings considered, and avoid resolving the ambiguity silently in translation. |
Chapter 25 — Ten Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| νυμφίος | nymphios | ”bridegroom” | messianic bridegroom imagery for Christ’s return | bridegroom | Watchfulness for Christ’s uncertain-timed return (parable of the ten virgins) | वर (वधूचा नवरा) (var) | Low-Medium. |
| τάλαντα | talanta | ”talents” (a very large unit of money) | stewardship of entrusted resources/gifts, awaiting the master’s return and accounting | talents | Faithful stewardship of what God entrusts, in view of coming judgment/accounting | तालांत (धन) (tālānt) | Low. |
| κόλασιν αἰώνιον…ζωὴν αἰώνιον | kolasin aiōnion…zōēn aiōnion | ”eternal punishment…eternal life” | final, binary, unending destinies determined at the final judgment | eternal punishment / eternal life | Climactic statement of final judgment (25:46) — reuse ζωὴ αἰώνιον (ch. 19, Critical) with its binary Critical counterpart | सार्वकालिक शिक्षा…सार्वकालिक जीवन (sārvakālik śikṣā…sārvakālik jīvan) | Critical. Must convey a final, unending, personal destiny determined by relationship to Christ — not a temporary karmic consequence subject to eventual exhaustion/rebirth, nor an impersonal cessation. This is among the most theologically weight-bearing verses in the entire Gospel for the “Judgment and the End of the Age” doctrine. |
| τῶν ἀδελφῶν μου τῶν ἐλαχίστων | tōn adelphōn mou tōn elachistōn | ”the least of these my brothers” | Christ identifies himself with the humblest, most vulnerable people | the least of these my brothers | Practical outworking of kingdom righteousness: care for the vulnerable is treated as done to Christ himself | माझ्या ह्या धाकट्या बंधूंपैकी एकाला (mājhyā hyā dhākaṭyā bandhūmpaikī ekālā) | Medium. |
Chapter 26 — The Last Supper, Gethsemane, Betrayal, Arrest, Trial, Peter’s Denial
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου…τὸ αἷμά μου τῆς διαθήκης τὸ περὶ πολλῶν ἐκχυννόμενον εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν | touto estin to sōma mou…to haima mou tēs diathēkēs to peri pollōn ekchynnomenon eis aphesin hamartiōn | ”this is my body…my blood of the covenant, poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” | institution of the Lord’s Supper, directly invoking covenant (reuse baseline करार, High) and forgiveness of sins (reuse पाप/क्षमा) | this is my body / this is my blood of the covenant, poured out for the forgiveness of sins | Central atonement and covenant statement — Christ’s sacrificial death establishes the new covenant and secures forgiveness | हे माझे शरीर आहे…हे माझे रक्त आहे, कराराचे, जे पुष्कळांसाठी पापांच्या क्षमेसाठी ओतले जाते | Critical. Reuse baseline करार (covenant, High) precisely; क्षमा (forgiveness)/पाप (sin, baseline) must be reused exactly. This institution narrative is among the highest-stakes passages in the Gospel and must be flagged for theologian review at every translation pass. |
| οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ’ ὡς σύ | ouch hōs egō thelō all’ hōs sy | ”not as I will, but as you [will]“ | Christ’s submission to the Father’s will in Gethsemane | not my will, but yours, be done | Models perfect, costly obedience to the Father even unto death — foundational to both Christology and discipleship-cost doctrine | माझ्या इच्छेप्रमाणे नाही तर तुझ्या इच्छेप्रमाणे होवो | High. |
| σὺ εἶπας (σὺ εἶ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ) | sy eipas | ”you have said [it]“ | Jesus’ guarded affirmative response to the high priest’s direct question, “Are you the Christ, the Son of God?“ | you have said so | Jesus’ own testimony under oath to his messianic, divine identity, leading directly to the charge of blasphemy | तू म्हणालास तसेच (tū mhaṇālās tasec) | Critical. Reuse ख्रिस्त/मसीहा + देवाचा पुत्र exactly; must preserve the weight of a formal legal admission, not a vague or evasive answer. |
Chapter 27 — Crucifixion and Burial
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| σταυρόω | stauroō | ”to crucify” | to execute by nailing/binding to a cross | crucify | The historical, bodily execution of Jesus — necessary factual anchor for the resurrection doctrine (he must actually die to actually rise) | वधस्तंभावर खिळणे (वधस्तंभी देणे) (vadhastambhāvar khiḷaṇe) | Critical. Reuse वधस्तंभ (ch. 10) exactly; must be conveyed as a real, historical, bodily death, not a docetic appearance or symbolic event. |
| Ἠλὶ Ἠλὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθανι | Ēli Ēli lema sabachthani | ”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Aramaic, quoting Psalm 22:1) | Christ’s cry of God-forsakenness on the cross | Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani | The depth of Christ’s substitutionary suffering — bearing the weight of sin’s separation from the Father | एली, एली, लमा सबखथानी (transliterated) + माझ्या देवा, माझ्या देवा, तू मला का सोडलेस? | Critical. Retain the Aramaic transliteration (as in established Bible translation convention) alongside the Marathi translation, per the AI requirements’ transliteration standard for such preserved phrases (cf. baseline “abba” treatment). |
| τὸ καταπέτασμα τοῦ ναοῦ ἐσχίσθη | to katapetasma tou naou eschisthē | ”the veil/curtain of the temple was torn” | the inner temple curtain separating the Holy of Holies, torn at Christ’s death | the temple veil was torn in two | Signifies direct, unmediated access to God now opened through Christ’s death — theological climax connecting Christ’s death to the doctrine of peace with God (baseline) | मंदिराचा पडदा फाटला (mandirācā paḍadā phāṭalā) | High. Note: मंदिर (temple) here refers to the literal historical Jerusalem temple building and is an appropriate, distinct usage from baseline’s rejection of मंदिर for “church” (मंडळी) — the two must never be confused in translator training. |
| ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος | alēthōs theou huios ēn houtos | ”truly this was the Son of God” | the Roman centurion’s confession at the cross | truly this was the Son of God | A Gentile outsider’s confession of Christ’s deity at the moment of his death — reuse baseline देवाचा पुत्र (Critical); anticipates the Great Commission’s outreach to all nations | खरोखर हा देवाचा पुत्र होता | Critical (baseline reuse) |
Chapter 28 — The Resurrection and the Great Commission
| Term | Translit. | Literal | Semantic range | English variants | Theological meaning | Marathi | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἠγέρθη | ēgerthē | ”he was raised, he has risen” | reuse baseline resurrection = पुनरुत्थान | he has risen, he is risen | ”He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” — the empty tomb declaration, bodily and historical | तो उठला आहे (त्याचे पुनरुत्थान झाले आहे) | Critical (baseline reuse). Never पुनर्जन्म/पुनर्भव. |
| ἐδίστασαν | edistasan | ”they doubted, hesitated” | genuine but not necessarily unbelieving hesitation among some worshippers at the resurrection appearance | some doubted | Honest acknowledgment of remaining uncertainty even among worshipping disciples — pastoral realism | काहींनी संशय धरला (kāhīnnī saṃśay dharlā) | Low-Medium. |
| μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη | mathēteusate panta ta ethnē | ”make disciples of all the nations/peoples” | μαθητεύω = to make into a disciple (verb form of μαθητής, ch. 5); πάντα τὰ ἔθνη here = all peoples/nations broadly, a wider sense than baseline’s gentiles (ἔθνη as “non-Jewish peoples” contrasted with Israel) | make disciples of all nations | The Great Commission’s central command — reuse शिष्य (ch. 5) as the verb’s root; ἔθνη here must be rendered broadly (“all nations/peoples,” inclusive of Israel), not narrowly as baseline’s अन्यजातीय (Gentiles as distinct from Jews) | सर्व राष्ट्रांतील लोकांस शिष्य करा (sarva rāṣṭrāntīl lokāns śiṣya karā) | Critical. Distinguish carefully from baseline’s अन्यजातीय (Gentiles specifically, as opposed to Jews, Romans context); here ἔθνη means literally “all nations/all peoples without exception,” including Israel — use सर्व राष्ट्रे/सर्व लोक, not अन्यजातीय, to avoid wrongly narrowing the Commission’s universal scope. |
| βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος | baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou patros kai tou huiou kai tou hagiou pneumatos | ”baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” | the triune baptismal formula | baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit | Foundational Trinitarian baptismal formula — reuse baseline father = पिता, holy_spirit = पवित्र आत्मा, and देवाचा पुत्र’s implied “पुत्र” for “Son” | त्यांस पिता, पुत्र आणि पवित्र आत्मा ह्यांच्या नावाने बाप्तिस्मा द्या | Critical. All three divine Persons must be named exactly per baseline terms and rendered as a single, undivided name (“नावाने,” singular), preserving the Trinitarian unity implicit in the Greek’s singular ὄνομα (“name,” not “names”). |
| διδάσκοντες τηρεῖν πάντα ὅσα ἐνετειλάμην ὑμῖν | didaskontes tērein panta hosa eneteilamēn hymin | ”teaching them to observe/keep all that I commanded you” | ongoing instruction in obedience to Christ’s own teaching, tying the Commission back to the authority of Jesus’ teaching (ch. 7) | teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you | The Commission includes ongoing discipleship formation, not merely initial conversion — connects Great Commission and discipleship-cost doctrines | मी तुम्हांला जे जे आज्ञापिले ते सर्व पाळावयास त्यांना शिकवा | High. |
| ἐγὼ μεθ’ ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος | egō meth’ hymōn eimi pasas tas hēmeras heōs tēs synteleias tou aiōnos | ”I am with you all the days, until the end/completion of the age” | reuse συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος (ch. 13, Critical) | I am with you always, to the end of the age | Christ’s abiding presence and authority (reuse ἐξουσία, ch. 7, “all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” 28:18) undergird the entire missionary task | मी तुमच्याबरोबर सर्व दिवस, युगाच्या शेवटापर्यंत आहे | Critical (reuse युगाचा शेवट) |
This document, together with analysis/08_core_glossary.md, extends the baseline Romans Language Package for the Matthew curriculum and must be loaded prior to any Phase 2 translation of Matthew segments.