complete verse (Luke 12:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:34:

  • Noongar: “Because your hearts will always live in the country where your wealth lives!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “For wherever the storing-place of our goods [is], there also are our hearts [are].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For wherever you store up your wealth, there also stays your liver.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And wherever is placed those things which you cherish, there also will be your breath.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because where your wealth is, that also is where your minds are.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because it’s true, wherever your wealth is, of course there always is your mind/inner-being.'” (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 12:34

Exegesis:

hopou gar estin ho thēsauros humōn, ekei kai hē kardia humōn estai ‘for where your treasure is there your heart also will be,’ expressing the general principle underlying the injunction of v. 33. The future tense of estai is consequential. kardia is here used in the sense of the seat of emotions, wishes and desires.

Translation:

It may be preferable to reverse the clause order, e.g. ‘your heart will be in the place where your wealth is, or, in the same place as your goods/riches are (stored up).’

There will your heart be also, or, ‘there your heart will return’ (Zarma, viewing the persons in question as having been there first to deposit the treasure). If one has to shift to the emotion implied in “heart”, one may say something like, ‘to that place also your desire will go out,’ ‘there you (yourselves) will wish to be also.’

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.