lamp

The Greek that is translated as “lamp” in English is translated in Noongar as karla-maat or “firestick” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Luke 11:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 11:36:

  • Noongar: “If light fills all your body, and no part is in darkness, all your body will become bright, like fire when its light shines on you.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “If the Lord shines-on our hearts to the point that there is no longer any darkness, all our lives are really light, like a house that is shined-on by a lamp.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If your whole body is light and there is none, not even a little bit of darkness, your whole body is very light/bright it is as if there is a lamp shining on it.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If his understanding of what is right is good, he has no evil deeds. It’s as if what he does is bright, just like he were illuminated by a lamp.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because if your (sing.) mind is totally bright/lit-up with absolutely no darkness, you (sing.) will be properly illuminated as if with a strong light.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But as long as your mind/thinking has been enlightened by God, it has no more that is dark. Your whole life is really clear/bright, as if being right in the light of a bright lamp.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Kabwa: “Therefore, if your whole body is full of light without any darkness, it will shine just as a lamp gives you light with its brightness.”
  • Suba-Simbiti: “Therefore whenever it happens that your whole body has light, and darkness is not in there, you will see well, like when you are given light by a lamp which is lit.” (Source for this and above: R.M. Mészároš in Journal of Translation 18/2022, p. 115ff. )

Translation commentary on Luke 11:36

Exegesis:

ei oun to sōma sou holon phōteinon ‘if then your whole body (is) bright,’ taking up the first conclusion of v. 34.

mē echon meros ti skoteinon ‘having no dark part,’ elaborating holon.

estai phōteinon holon ‘it will be wholly bright,’ best understood as determined by what follows, i.e. the reference to a light from outside: when the light from the inside is in order, then the body will enjoy also the light from the outside.

hōs hotan ho luchnos tē astrapē phōtizē se ‘as when the lamp illuminates you by its light.’

astrapē here ‘light,’ ‘brilliance’ (cf. 10.18).

phōtizō ‘to illuminate.’

Translation:

Having no part dark, or, ‘there-is not a bit in it dark’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC).

A lamp with its rays gives you light, or, ‘the rays/light of the lamp illuminate(s) you, or, cause(s) you to be bright,’ or simply, ‘the lamp shines on you.’

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.