complete verse (Luke 11:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 11:23:

  • Noongar: “‘If a person does not stand by me, he stands far from me, and if a person does not help me picking up things, truly, he is throwing things away.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Whoever is not on my side, truly he is my enemy. Whoever does not help me work, he bothers/persecutes my work.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said yet, ‘Those who do not take my side oppose me. And those who do not help me gathering, scatter.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said again, ‘The one who is not my companion is my enemy; he who does not help me, he hinders me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Even anyone who doesn’t join me opposes-me, and he who does not help to gather the sheep, he scatters them.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Really that one who is not siding with me, I regard him as opposing me. And that one not helping me look for people, he is the one who is misleading them.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 11:23

Exegesis:

ho mē ōn met’ emou kat’ emou estin — The clause expresses that in the conflict between Jesus and Satan there is no neutral ground.

ho mē sunagōn met’ emou skorpizei ‘he that does not gather with me scatters.’ The picture is that of gathering a flock, rather than a harvest (as in 3.17).

skorpizō ‘to scatter,’ of sheep (cf. Jn. 10.12).

Translation:

For the first clause cf. on 9.50.

Who does not gather with me, or, ‘join me to gather’ (Javanese). If an object is required, one may use ‘the sheep,’ or, ‘the flock/herd’ (for which see on 12.32). To gather, or, ‘to cause to come together’ (Sranan Tongo), ‘to bring to the flock/herd.’

Scatters, or, ‘causes (them/it) to run away (from the flock),’ ‘breaks up the herd.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.