19It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
The Greek that is translated in English as “mustard seed” is translated in Muna as “wonolita seed.” René van den Berg explains: “The mustard plant rarely exceeds 50 cm in height. A wonolita is a big forest tree growing from a tiny seed.”
In the Bislama and Uripiv translations it is translated as “banyan.” “The banyan tree is one of the biggest in the islands, and it grows from a tiny seed. We (Uripiv) added a footnote to explain to more advanced readers what we had done: ‘Here Matthew compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, but since mustard doesn’t grow here, we put banyan, so that Matthew’s meaning will be clear.’” (source: Ross McKerras)
In Gbaya is is translated with the ideophone (a word that expresses what is perceived by the five senses) kɛ̧́ɛ̧́ which “denotes a very tiny and barely visible object. (…) The Gbaya team applied it to faith instead of referring to a mustard seed which is unknown to Gbaya readers.” (Source: Philip Noss in The Bible Translator 1985, p. 423ff. )
The Greek and Hebrew phrases that are often translated as “birds of the air” in English “refer to the undomesticated song birds or wild birds, to be distinguished in a number of languages from domesticated fowl. In Tzeltal these former are ‘field birds’.” (source: Bratcher / Nida)
Q’anjob’al also uses an established term for non-domesticated birds. Newberry and Kittie Cox (in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ) explain: “Qʼanjobʼal has two distinct terms, one to identify domesticated birds and the other non-domesticated birds. The additional descriptive phrase ‘of the air’ seemed entirely misleading, for Qʼanjobʼal speakers had never heard of such creatures. Actually, of course, all that was necessary was the term for non-domesticated birds, for that is precisely the meaning of the Biblical expression.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 13:19:
Noongar: “It is like this. A man took one tiny seed and planted the seed in the ground. The seed grew and became a tree, and birds could build their nests in the branches.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “A person took a mustard-green seed, he went to plant it in his garden. That seed grew bigger and bigger, until it become a tree, and birds made their nests in its branches.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The ruling of God over his people,’ said Isa, ‘is figuratively like one kind of very small seed that a person plants in his garden. It sprouts and becomes a tree. And the birds make their nests on it’s branches.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The increase of those whom God rules over is like a plant which has a very small seed. A person plants this in the field and when it sprouts, it becomes large and it becomes as big as a tree, and the birds light in it and they build their nests in its branches.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It can be compared to a small mustard seed which a person planted in his field. It grew until its size was like a tree and birds were able to nest in its branches.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “It’s like a mustasa’ seed which was planted by a person in his garden. Well, it grew till it became a tree. Without anything else, its branches were then nested in by the birds.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
homoia estin kokkō sinapeōs ‘it is like a mustard seed.’ kokkos sinapeōs also 17.6.
hon labōn anthrōpos ebalen eis kēpon heautou ‘which a man took and put in his garden.’ ballō lit. ‘to throw,’ is used here in a weakened sense, ‘to put.’ The aorist tense of ebalen and the other verbs in v. 19 is gnomic and due to the parable-character of the passage. It does not refer to a past event but to a present reality.
kēpos ‘garden.’
kai ēuxēsen ‘and it grew,’ change of subject. For auxanō cf. on 1.80.
kai egeneto eis dendron ‘and it became a tree.’ ginomai eis with accusative means ‘to become.’
kai ta peteina tou ouranou kateskēnōsen en tois kladois autou ‘and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’ For ta peteina tou ouranou cf. on 8.5.
kataskēnoō ‘to nest.’
klados ‘branch.’
Translation:
A grain of mustard seed, i.e. a single seed of the mustard plant. One should keep in mind that in Rabbinic literature the mustard seed was proverbial for an insignificant size or amount (also in the Koran, S. 21.47; 31.16). A close equivalent in Indonesia is the Brassica juncea (or, rugose), which is botanically related with the Sinapis nigra, has an equivalent function (its leaves being used for spicing food), can reach a length of 1.25 M., and is typical for insignificance (it being said, for instance, in a Malay literary work that heaven and earth are “no bigger than a seed of the brassica when compared with Allah’s Throne”, and in a Balinese proverb that bad people “see the sins of the righteous, although they are as Brassica seeds, but do not see their own sins, although they are as madja-fruits”). In some cases, however, a reference to mustard seed, or to a close botanical and functional equivalent does not fit the context, e.g. because its plant is small, so that it would be ridiculous to say that the birds nestle in its branches, or because another seed is proverbial for insignificance. Then one may consider a generic rendering, such as ‘tiny seed,’ or a cultural equivalent, e.g. seed of a fig tree (used in Yao), or of a banyan tree (suggested but not used in Gujarati)—with an explanatory footnote, if thought necessary. For seed see 8.5.
Which a man took and sowed in his garden is sometimes better changed into a conditional or temporal clause going with what follows, ‘when a man takes it (or, that seed) and sows it in his garden, it grows….’ A man, or, where sowing is not done by men, ‘somebody,’ the sex not being relevant here. For to sow see references on 8.5. Garden, or, ‘field,’ ‘plot of ground.’
It grew, or, using a more specific verb, ‘it sprouted’ (Balinese), or shifting to what comes from the seed, ‘the plant grew.’ Cf. also 1.80.
And became a tree, or, ‘till it had-a-stem’ (Balinese). That tree is used rather hyperbolically may be indicated by saying ‘a tree so to say,’ but a word for ‘bush,’ or, ‘shrub’ may be more appropriate for the plant in question.
The birds of the air, see 8.5.
To make nests, or, ‘to nest,’ ‘to make/have a place to live,’ ‘to live.’
In its branches, or, ‘among its branches/twigs/leafstalks,’ ‘under its leaves,’ etc. depending again on what is normally said in connexion with the plant chosen, or even, ‘in its shade’ (Malay).
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.
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