The Greek that is usually translated as “scribe” in English “were more than mere writers of the law. They were the trained interpreters of the law and expounders of tradition.”
Tboli: “one who taught the law God before caused Moses to write” (or “one who taught the law of Moses”) (source for this and 5 above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Noongar: Mammarapa-Warrinyang or “law man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “one who writes and explains Great Above One’s (=God’s) prohibitions” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Chichewa: “teacher of Laws” (source: Ernst Wendland)
Lalana Chinantec: “one who is a teacher of the law which God gave to Moses back then”
Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “one who know well the law” (Source for this and four above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Huixtán Tzotzil: “one who mistakenly thought he was teaching God’s commandments”(Huixtán Tzotzil frequently uses the verb -cuy to express “to mistakenly think something” from the point of view of the speaker; source: Marion M. Cowan in Notes on Translation 20/1966, pp. 6ff.)
Germandas Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “theologian”
English translation by Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023): Covenant Code scholar
In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “expert” and “law.” (Source: Anna Smith)
“Scribe” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:14:
Uma: “The planter(s), they are people who announce God’s Word.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The person who broadcasted seeds,’ said Isa, ‘if explained, he is the man teaching/preaching the word/message of God to the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In my parable, the meaning of the person’s planting is the spreading of the word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The meaning of the parable is this. The seeds that were sown, that is the word of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This is the meaning of that one. That seed which was scattered is the word of God which is being taught.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “The sowing person he sowed the seed; thus it is also how God’s word is spread.”
Usila Chinantec: “The one who sows is like one who speaks the word of God.”
Chuj: “The man who sowed the seed, that means he spread forth the word of God.”
San Mateo Del Mar Huave: Then he began to tell them what he taught the story about. He said,Well, that sower there is like one who talks the word of God. (Here the transition to the explanation has been made explicit as required by San Mateo Del Mar Huave) (Source for this and three above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.).
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:21:
Uma: “Yesus also said: ‘Would any of us take a lamp into a house and cover it with a pot or put it under a bed? Of course not. A lamp is put in its place so that it shines all over.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “So-then Isa said to them, ‘If you use-a-lamp, do you cover the lamp with a basin or do you place it under the bedstead? No. Instead you place it on it’s lampstand.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus spoke to them again, he said, ‘If a person lights a lamp, it cannot be that he will put it inside an upside-down basket or that he puts it underneath a bed, because he puts it on a holder.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus also said parabling, ‘Do-you-suppose there is someone who lights a lamp in-order-to then cover it with a basin or to put it underneath a bed? He sets-it-on-top (of something) indeed!” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus continued speaking. He said, ‘Do you (sing.) light a lamp just so that you will cover it with a ganta measure or hide it under the bed? Surely not. Of course where it will be placed is on a proper stand/resting-place so that all will be made bright/clear.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “Also Jesus told another story. He told them, Who will close up a kerosene lamp in a big jar, or who would put a lamp under a bed if he wants to light up the inside of the house well? No, that lamp needs to be put up high to light the house well.” (In this culture lamps are sometimes placed under beds so the wind coming in through the roof won’t blow them out. Because of this, the purpose, “to light up the inside of the house well” had to be made explicit.) (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:25:
Uma: “People who receive God’s Word, their hearts will be made clear, so they will know even more. But people who don’t want to receive God’s Word, even what little they know, it will be taken from them.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This means, a person if he listens well, his understanding will increase. But if a person doesn’t listen well, even if he has some/little knowledge/wisdom, it will eventually leave him.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For the person who accepts what God causes him to understand, God will add to his understanding. But the person who does not accept what God causes him to understand, the little which he understands will be taken away from him.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because the person who heeds what he is hearing, his understanding will be added-to, but the one who doesn’t heed, even the little that he understood will cease-to-exist.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Because as for the person who tries to understand what he has heard from me, his understanding/wisdom will be increased by God until what he knows is a lot/enough. But as for that one who doesn’t try to understand this which he has heard, even what he has understood will be removed by God so that it won’t come to anything.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “Because if anyone really gives understanding to my words, well, he will be given to understand more. But if there is one who really doesn’t want to hear any more, even if he has already found a little bit, he will forget it.'” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 8:36:
Uma: “What is the use of us gathering all the world’s wealth, if we don’t get good life in the future.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For a person, even if he has all the treasures/possessions/wealth in the world, there is no use in it if he has not everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Even if a person can come to own the whole world, it’s no use to him if he is not given eternal life.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because what do-you-suppose will be the benefit to a person if he comes-to-own the entire world and then his life is lost and he is punished forever? None!” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For what does a person gain, even supposing all the wealth here in the world would be his, if his soul/spirit will be lost-permanently because it will have to go there to hardship/suffering which is without ending?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tlahuitoltepec Mixe: “What does it profit if a man gains the world for himself and his soul gets lost?”
El Nayar Cora: “When someone will lose his life it will not help him the one who has everything in this world.”
San Mateo Del Mar Huave: “What if someone owns everything in the world. What will it serve him if he fails to get life from God.” (Source for this and two above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 1:6:
Uma: “One other time, when his disciples gathered at one time with Yesus, they asked Yesus, they said: ‘Lord, is it perhaps at this time you (sing.) will release us from our enemies and become the King of the Israel people?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “One day while Isa and the persons/people he had commissioned were gathered together, they asked him, they said, ‘Sir, are you now going to set free our (excl.) nation/tribe Isra’il and will you now restore the kingdom to us (excl.)?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there was a time when they were gathered together again, and they asked Jesus, they said, ‘Lord, is this now the time of your helping us, the descendants of Israel, so that our former power to be ruled by our own king might be returned to us?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “When the apostles and Jesus gathered-together, they inquired of him, ‘Lord, is it now when you will cause-the ones-from-Roma -to-be-removed who are ruling over us so that we who are from-Israel will-be-the-ones-to-rule?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Once again when the apostles were gathered together, Jesus again came to see them. They questioned him. They said, ‘Lord/Chief, will you now/today make it that these ruling over us will be removed so that the kingdom of our nation of Israel can rise again?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Teutila Cuicatec: “In those days when they were gathered together they asked Jesus: ‘Is it now in these days that you are going to re-establish that the nation of Israel rule itself?'”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “So when they were still together with Father Jesus they asked him, they said: ‘Father, will you now permit the people of Israel to rule their own villages again?’ they said.”
Chuj: “Those gathered together with Jesus, they asked him: ‘Lord, is it now you will make our tribe Israel to become the rulers one time more?’ they said.” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:40:
Uma: “Many other were the word of Petrus to the crowd, he advised them and warned them, he said: ‘Repent! No longer follow the evil people who live at this time, so that you do not receive the punishment of God that will strike them.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Petros said much more to them and he begged them, he said, ‘Help yourselves so that you will not be punished like the people now/of these days who are bad/evil.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were many arguments which Peter used to advise them. He said, ‘Avoid the punishment of God on these people today whose customs are bad.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “There was much more that Pedro said, advising and warning them so that they would hopefully be-persuaded. ‘You should escape the punishment of the stubbornly-unteachable people nowadays,’ he said.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Much more was said by Pedro which was his testimony and warning and he spoke-emphatically to them, saying, ‘Now make sure that you will be saved, no longer included with people whose nature/ways are evil, who really will be punished by God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Desano: “He said many things to them, speaking well to them, seeking the good of the people so that they would not be mixed with the evil people.”
Isthmus Mixe: “Peter told them many more words. They were thus counseled: ‘Turn away from evil people lest you perish with them.'”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “And in regard to that he told them more, he gave them advice, he said: ‘You leave off that which is wicked, that which all the people do.’ he tells them.” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:45:
Uma: “There were some who sold the contents of their house, and the money of the selling was divided among their companions who were in need.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “They sold their properties/wealth and some of their belongings/things and they divided the money to help meet the need of each one.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They sold their possessions and land, and the sale price they distributed to all their companions according to what each one needed.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “They were also selling-and-selling their land and belongings to share-with their companions according to the needs of each one.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The proof was, if one person had real-hardship, what others would do is, they would sell some belongings or a (valuable) possession and use (the money) to help that sibling of theirs in believing who was in difficulty, however much he needed.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Lalana Chinantec: “They sold what was their; the proceeds from that they gave to their companions who didn’t have anything.”
Morelos Nahuatl: “They sold all their lands and what they had. Then they distributed to everyone according to the amount each lacked.”
San Mateo del Mar Huave: “And also when they sold land, houses, or whatever they had, they divided everything, giving each one that which he lacked.” (Source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
