complete verse (Luke 12:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:29:

  • Noongar: “‘So don’t be sad, always worrying about the things you will eat or drink.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “So do not be extremely busy considering what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be afraid.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Don’t be sad/troubled/worried and don’t always think about as to what you should eat or drink.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t you worry; don’t permit your thinking to be about what you’re going to eat and what you’re going to drink,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore what you eat and drink, it’s not that which should monopolize your thoughts and about which you should worry,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore as for you, don’t agitate your mind/thinking about food or drink and put far away the habit of always worrying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Luke 12:29

Exegesis:

kai humeis ‘and you,’ with continuing emphasis.

mē zēteite lit. ‘do not seek.’ zēteite (here and v. 31) and epizētousin (v. 30) have approximately the same meaning, i.e. ‘be intent on,’ ‘be preoccupied with.’

mē meteōrizesthe ‘do not live in a state of anxiety’ (cf. Phillips).

Translation:

And do not seek, contrasting those who know God’s care and “the men of little faith” who do not; hence, “and so you are not to set your mind on” (New English Bible), ‘so do not always be looking for’ (cf. Good News Translation).

Of anxious mind, or, “all upset” (Good News Translation), referring to the emotion that accompanies the seeking. Some idiomatic renderings used here are, ‘divided your-spirit’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), ‘irresolute (a reduplicated form of ‘why’) your mind’ (Batak Toba), ‘receive jump-of-heart’ (Sranan Tongo).

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.