complete verse (Luke 12:57)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:57:

  • Noongar: “Why don’t you know the way of doing right?” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Why do you still not make-clear your hearts and admit/confess what is true!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Why can’t you think for yourselves as to what is fitting/right to do?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘You don’t know what is the proper path to follow because your faith in God is just a pretense. It is much better if you believe today what I am teaching you, so that you might do as you do when for example, there is” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus continued parabling, ‘You should think about the right thing for you to do.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Why don’t you stretch your mind/thinking, that you can judge what is good for you to do?” (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 12:57

Exegesis:

ti de kai aph’ heautōn ou krinete to dikaion ‘why then (is it) not of yourselves (that) you judge what is right?’ de kai serves to emphasize aph’ heautōn.

aph’ heautōn ‘of yourselves,’ i.e. ‘out of your own judgment,’ contrasting with the external signs of the time, or with being taught by Jesus or somebody else, preferably the latter.

to dikaion ‘what is right,’ i.e. ‘what you ought to do.’ It refers to the implication of vv. 58f (see below).

Translation:

You judge for yourselves, or, ‘you yourselves decide,’ ‘you take your own decision.’ The verb is used here in a non-legal context, but it anticipates the example given in v. 58, which is in a legal sphere; hence a term that is appropriate in both spheres is preferable, such as e.g. ‘to weigh/consider’ (Javanese), ‘take/give a decision’ (cf. Bahasa Indonesia).

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.