complete verse (2Tim. 2:20-21) / Natügu

“Instead of the unnatural picture of some dishes being for noble use and others for ignoble, [the Natügu translators] used a related picture which is much more meaningful in the culture: ‘In our way, when a big man comes to our house, we give him very nice food, in our honouring him. But when we stay alone, we don’t habitually eat food like that given to him. And this is the talk-picture that we must follow. And we also will be like that good food if we purify ourselves from those bad things. Because it is we who are chosen to help our Lord. So, we are already prepared to do very nice things.'”

complete verse (2 Timothy 2:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Timothy 2:20:

  • Uma: “In a big house there are many kinds of stuff in the kitchen. There are good things, for instance things made of gold and silver. There are also some made from wood or just from clay. The good things are used if there is a guest that is honored. The things that aren’t so good are used daily.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I will tell you a comparison/parable, Timoteo. In a big house where a rich person lives are many kinds of equipment. There are gold plates and silver plates. These valuable plates are used only if there are important people visiting them. There are also in that house wooden plates and clay pots. These are used every day.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In any large house there are implements of gold and silver, and there are also implements of wood and pottery. The owner of the house sets aside those implements of gold and silver for they are dear to him. But the others are not so dear to him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “In the large house of a rich-person, the types of things-used are not the same. There are (things) made of gold and silver whose use is valuable/important, there are also (things) made of wood and clay for whatever.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For let us use as an illustration an elaborate house. It isn’t as if all the utensils there are gold and silver. There are indeed those made of wood and clay. These made of gold and silver, they’re only used on high/important days. These made of wood and clay, they are for everyday use.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “In a large house the dishes are not the same. There are dishes of gold, there are dishes of silver. There are wooden ones. There are dishes of clay. Concerning these dishes, there are some which are special, and also there are those which are not special.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 2 Timothy 2:20

Great can refer to size (hence Good News Translation “large”) or more likely to quality (“majestic,” “elegant,” or “magnificent”).

Vessels translates a generic term for any kind of utensil; for example, jar, bowl, dishes, or vase. An equivalent generic term is present in many languages. However, in languages where this is not so, it will be necessary to give two or three specific kinds of utensils and indicate that these are examples of a much larger group (compare Good News Translation “dishes and bowls of all kinds”).

There are four kinds of utensils mentioned but divided into two groups: the special and the ordinary. The special ones are those made of silver or gold, while the ordinary ones are those made of wood or earthenware, because these materials are considered frail, impermanent, and inexpensive, contrasted to silver and gold that are thought to be durable and permanent, and expensive. Earthenware translates a term that refers to anything that is made of clay and therefore by implication weak, fragile, and transitory. There may be a cultural problem here, because nowadays utensils made of wood or clay are not considered ordinary, especially in highly sophisticated societies. It is therefore important to make clear in the translation that the utensils for noble use are those of gold or silver, and those for ignoble use are the utensils made of wood or clay. One may say, for example, “some, like the gold and silver ones, are for use on special occasions, while the others are for ordinary use.” It may also be necessary, however, to include this type of explanation in a footnote.

Noble use is literally “for honor,” for which see 1 Tim 1.17; 5.17; 6.1. Ignoble is the exact opposite of noble, literally “for dishonor.” The word contains the elements of indignity, dishonor, or disgrace. In the present context these two terms describe the occasions in which these utensils are used: those made of gold or silver are for “special” occasions, while those made of wood or clay are for “ordinary” use.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1995. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .