John 11:54

11:54 Thus Jesus no longer went ¹  around publicly ²  among the Judeans, ³  but went away from there to the region near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim, ⁴  and stayed there with his disciples.

Isaiah 42:2-3

42:2 He will not cry out or shout;

he will not publicize himself in the streets. ⁵ 

42:3 A crushed reed he will not break,

a dim wick he will not extinguish; ⁶ 

he will faithfully make just decrees. ⁷ 

Amos 5:13

5:13 For this reason whoever is smart ⁸  keeps quiet ⁹  in such a time,

for it is an evil ¹⁰  time.

Matthew 10:16

Persecution of Disciples

10:16 “I ¹¹  am sending you out like sheep surrounded by wolves, ¹²  so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

[11:54]  ¹ tn Grk “walked.”

[11:54]  ² tn Or “openly.”

[11:54]  ³ tn Grk “among the Jews.” Here the phrase refers to the residents of Judea in general, who would be likely to report Jesus to the religious authorities. The vicinity around Jerusalem was no longer safe for Jesus and his disciples. On the translation “Judeans” cf. BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e. See also the references in vv. 8, 19, 31, 33, 36, and 45.

[11:54]  ⁴ tn There is no certain identification of the location to which Jesus withdrew in response to the decision of the Jewish authorities. Many have suggested the present town of Et-Taiyibeh, identified with ancient Ophrah (Josh 18:23) or Ephron (Josh 15:9). If so, this would be 12-15 mi (19-24 km) northeast of Jerusalem.

[42:2]  ⁵ tn Heb “he will not cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

[42:3]  ⁶ sn The “crushed reed” and “dim wick” symbolize the weak and oppressed who are on the verge of extinction.

[42:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “faithfully he will bring out justice” (cf. NASB, NRSV).

[5:13]  ⁸ tn Or “the wise”; or “the prudent.” Another option is to translate “the successful, prosperous” and understand this as a reference to the rich oppressors. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 169-70. In this case the following verb will also have a different nuance, that is, the wealthy remain silent before the abuses they perpetuate. See the note on the verb translated “keeps quiet” later in this verse.

[5:13]  ⁹ tn Or “moans, laments,” from a homonymic verbal root. If the rich oppressors are in view, then the verb (whether translated “will be silenced” or “will lament”) describes the result of God’s judgment upon them. See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.

[5:13]  ¹⁰ tn If this is a judgment announcement against the rich, then the Hebrew phrase עֵת רָעָה (’et ra’ah) must be translated, “[a] disastrous time.” See G. V. Smith, Amos, 170.

[10:16]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Behold I.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[10:16]  ¹² sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism; see Pss. Sol. 8:23, 30.