complete verse (Luke 14:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 14:8:

  • Noongar: “‘When a person invites you to a wedding to eat and drink, you must not take the best seats. Perhaps, other people greater than you have been invited” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “He said: ‘If you (sing.) are called to go to a wedding feast, so not sit in the seats of honor. Perhaps there will be someone who was invited who is more honored than you (sing.).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘If you are invited to a wedding, do not sit down in the seat for the important people. Perhaps there is someone more important than you invited.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘When we (dual) are invited to a feast, we must not first sit down in the good seats, because there might be somebody else who arrives whose rank is higher than us.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘If someone invites you (sing.) to join-in-eating, you (sing.) ought not to go join-in-sitting in the place-where-all-the-high-up people -sit lest someone has been invited who is higher than you (sing.). [Note: The only word for feast is unacceptable because it implies accompanying pagan practices. Thus the use of ‘join-in-eating,’ which does not specify the size of the gathering.]” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Supposing someone invites you (sing.) to join in a wedding celebration, don’t choose a far from ordinary seat, for maybe there is someone invited who is more important than you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 14:8 – 14:9

Exegesis:

hotan klēthēs hupo tinos eis gamous ‘when you are invited by somebody to a banquet.’ For gamos cf. on 12.36. The rendering ‘wedding-party’ is also possible though less probable.

mē kataklithēs eis tēn prōtoklisian ‘do not recline at the place of honour,’ or, somewhat simplified, ‘do not take the place of honour.’ For kataklinomai cf. on 7.36.

mēpote entimoteros sou ē keklēmenos hup’ autou (v. 9) kai elthōn ho se kai auton kalesas erei soi ‘lest (i.e. in order to avoid that) a more respected person than you be invited by him, and he who has invited (both) you and him, will come and say to you.’ Both clauses are modified by mēpote. The change from the usual subjunctive (ē keklēmenos) to the indicative (erei) does not constitute a change of meaning. The first clause describes a situation which, if it occurs, will cause the host to remove one from the place of honour. ho se kai auton kalesas is emphatic and stresses the fact that both have been invited by him. For entimos cf. on 7.2. For mēpote cf. on 4.11.

dos toutō topon ‘give place (i.e. your place) to this man.’

kai tote arxē meta aischunēs ton eschaton topon katechein ‘and then you will begin with disgrace to occupy the lowest place,’ no longer modified by mēpote. arxē denotes here the fact that he will find himself in a new and unexpected situation, cf. on 4.21. ton eschaton topon ‘the lowest place,’ i.e. the least honourable place, probably the place farthest away from the host.

aischunē ‘shame,’ ‘disgrace,’ ‘ignominy,’ i.e. not a feeling one has but an experience which comes to someone, and The Four Gospels – a New Translation, “to your shame”.

Translation:

When you are invited by any one, or, ‘when someone has invited you’ (cf. e.g. Tzeltal, Ekari, Kituba), or focussing on the result, i.e. the being a guest, ‘when you come as a guest.’

Marriage Feast, preferably, ‘banquet,’ see 12.36.

Sit down in a place of honour, or more generically, ‘take/occupy the place of honour,’ the exact attitude not being relevant.

Lest a more eminent man … be invited by him; (9) and he who invited you both will come …, or, to bring out that “lest” semantically goes with the second clause only, ‘lest, if a man … has been invited by him, (9) he … will come….’ Usually the sentence is better divided into two, e.g. ‘there might be somebody called … (9) Then the one who called you both would come…’ (Ekari, similarly Kituba, Good News Translation), cf. also ‘someone … might be caused to sit there. (9) The one who called you to eat, and him, “make a place for this other to sit down”, might say to you. Thus…’ (Tzeltal). More eminent, or, ‘higher’ (Sranan Tongo), ‘who (is) above you’ (Tae’), ‘surpassing you in importance/honour’ (Kituba). Invited by him, or otherwise expressed, ‘amongst his/the guests,’ or simply ‘present,’ because his being invited is clear from what follows. He who invited you both (or, “him as well as you”, The Four Gospels – a New Translation); or again, ‘his host and yours.’ Come, or, ‘come towards (or, approach) you,’ or, ‘enter (the house/room),’ implying that the host makes his entrance after those he invited have taken their places.

Give place to this man, or, ‘give this/your seat to this man’ (cf. New English Bible, Balinese), ‘you move on, this place (lit. here) will be used by this man’ (Javanese). The command may have to be softened, cf. e.g. “I am afraid you must” (Phillips, similarly in Balinese).

And then, or. ‘in that case,’ ‘consequently’ (e.g. in Batak Toba), introducing the expected result.

You will begin … to take, or, “you … would find yourself in occupation of” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation), cf. 13.25.

With shame, or, changing the phrase into a clause in different position, ‘which will cause you to be/feel ashamed,’ or, ‘and so you will be put to shame.’ For the term cf. 13.17.

Lowest place contrasts with “place of honour” in v. 7. Some locative renderings used are, ‘farthest place’ (i.e. farthest from the principal guests), ‘at the far end,’ ‘at the lower end (also called, the leg) of the table’ (Uab Meto), ‘place at the very back, or, towards the side end’ (West Nyanja versions), ‘last seat’ (Tzeltal), ‘downstream side’ (Balinese); functional renderings are “poorest/humblest place” (An American Translation, Phillips), ‘where the ordinary people sit’ (Shona 1966, similarly Pohnpeian), ‘place that surpasses in-not-having honour’ (Kituba).

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.