# Matthew 7:13-14: Which translation has the proper rendering?



## FedByRavens (Jan 20, 2012)

13	"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is *easy* that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.
14	For the gate is narrow and the way is* hard* that leads to life, and those who find it are few. ESV

13	"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is* broad *that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.
14	"For the gate is small and the way is *narrow *that leads to life, and there are few who find it. NASB

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is* broad* that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 
14 How narrow is the gate and *difficult* the road that leads to life, and few find it. HCSB


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## BibleCyst (Jan 20, 2012)

KJV: "13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and *broad* is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and *narrow* is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Young's Literal Translation: "13 Go ye in through the strait gate, because wide [is] the gate, and *broad* the way that is leading to the destruction, and many are those going in through it; 14 how strait [is] the gate, and *compressed* the way that is leading to the life, and few are those finding it!"

Hope this helps.


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## inspector (Jan 21, 2012)

*13 *Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος Go inthroughthenarrowgatebecausewide placethegateandbroadspaced

ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι thewaytheone leading offintothedestructionandmanyaretheones going in

διʼ αὐτῆς· *14 *τί στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα throughithownarrowthegateandhaving been afflictedthewaythe oneleading off

εἰς τὴν ζωὴν καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν. intothelifeandfewaretheones findingit


Aland, K., Black, M., Martini, C. M., Metzger, B. M., Robinson, M., & Wikgren, A. (1993; 2006). _The Greek New Testament, Fourth Revised Edition (Interlinear with Morphology)_ (Mt 7:13–14). Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft.

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From my Logos 4

Sentence [SUP]13[/SUP]Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης enterthroughthenarrowgate


Sub-Point ὅτι *πλατεῖα* ἡ πύλη καὶ *εὐρύχωρος* ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς becausebroadthegateandspacioustheroadthatleadsto

τὴν ἀπώλειαν -destruction

Sentence καὶ *πολλοί* εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι δι ̓ αὐτῆς andmanythere are-who enterthroughit


Sentence [SUP]14[/SUP]*τί* *στενὴ* ἡ πύλη καὶ *τεθλιμμένη* ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν hownarrowthegateandconstrictedtheroadthatleadsto-

ζωὴν life

Sentence καὶ *ὀλίγοι* εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν andfewthere are-who findit

Runge, S. (2008; 2008). _The Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament_ (Mt 7:12–14). Logos Research Systems, Inc.

From the USB4 and this Lexham rendering it does not look like "easy" (ESV) is the best term.


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## J. Dean (Jan 21, 2012)

inspector said:


> *13 *Εἰσέλθατε διὰ τῆς στενῆς πύλης· ὅτι πλατεῖα ἡ πύλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος Go inthroughthenarrowgatebecausewide placethegateandbroadspaced
> 
> ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ πολλοί εἰσιν οἱ εἰσερχόμενοι thewaytheone leading offintothedestructionandmanyaretheones going in
> 
> ...


show-off 

"Easy" is more of a conveying of the intended meaning of the word. It's not the literal translation, but neither does it do violence to the text either.


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## Bill The Baptist (Jan 22, 2012)

I would agree that easy and hard are good translations, if not strictly literal. The idea being conveyed is that getting to heaven is harder than getting to hell, in the same way that a narrow road is harder to travel than a broad road. The one advantage that narrow and broad have over easy and hard is that they also convey the idea that Jesus is the only way to salvation, as opposed to the many paths espoused by many today.


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