complete verse (Luke 12:49)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:49:

  • Noongar: “‘I came to burn the World. Truly I wish the fire was kindled now!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘My coming here, I come to light fire in the world. And my desire is that that fire be quickly lit.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said yet, ‘I have come to bring a fire to the world and I wished that it were already burning.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘The reason I have come here to the earth is so that there will be fire, which is to say, so that people might be judge. And it would please me if that fire were already lighted.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus also said parabling, ‘I came to burn this earth and I wish it were already burning today.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Why I came here,’ said Jesus next, ‘was so that I would as-it-were bring fire here to the world. I-wish it was already lit!” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 12:49

Exegesis:

pur ēlthon balein epi tēn gēn ‘I came to cast fire upon the earth.’ pur is emphatic by position. The fire is the fire of judgment (cf. 3.16f).

kai ti thelō ei ēdē anēphthē ‘and what do I want if it is already kindled?,’ or, ‘how I wish it were already kindled!’ The latter is preferable.

anaptō ‘to kindle.’

Translation:

I came to cast fire upon the earth. The final force of the construction should not be pressed; hence one may say also ‘my coming will cast…’ (Balinese), ‘I come and will cast….’ To cast fire upon the earth, or, ‘to start (or, cause to burn) a fire on earth,’ then, “to set the earth on fire” (Good News Translation), ‘to cause the earth to burn.’

Would that, or, ‘how I wish that,’ ‘I very much wish that,’ ‘my whole soul desires that’ (cf. Batak Toba).

Were … kindled, or, ‘were … lighted,’ ‘had … started burning,’ ‘were … burning/aflame.’

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.