New Testament Greek is by Balinese standards an extremely impolite language. Consider, for example, the second person pronoun. When speaking to God, to a nobleman, to a friend, to a pupil, or to a slave, the same word is used. In Balinese this is completely different. In the above examples one would differentiate various social ranks and use terms which, more or less freely translated, mean “adored one” or “he who is borne on the head”, “feet of Your Highness”, “older (or younger) brother”, “little one”, and “you”. (…) In Balinese one has to cope with three vocabularies within the language, each of which, at a moderate estimate, includes some hundreds of words. One employs the ordinary common language (“Low Balinese”) when speaking with intimates, equals, or inferiors; polite terms must, however, be used as soon as one begins to speak to one’s superiors or to strangers; and “deferential” terms are obligatory in all cases when one is so bold as to speak of parts of the body, or the acts, possessions, and qualities of important people. The Balinese sums up the two last named vocabularies under the term alus (“fine”, or “noble”): we say “High Balinese”. (…)
In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son, who feels himself less than a slave, speaks to his father in High Balinese; the elder son may use the intimate Low Balinese. When, however, the latter severs himself from the intimate family community, he uses High Balinese to express his contempt, thus placing a gulf between himself and his father.
The Greek that is translated in English as “worthy” does not have an immediate equivalent in Enga. Adam Boyd (on his blog) explains how this was solved in two cases:
“Enga does not have a word that is equivalent to the word ‘worthy,’ we translate the concept by focusing on the goodness or badness of the person in comparison to the action or circumstance under consideration. For example, we translated Luke 15:19 as follows: ‘I am not a good man, so do not call me your son.’ This emphasizes that the goodness of the prodigal son is not commensurate with being called his father’s son. Similarly, in Luke 7:6, the centurion sends a message to Jesus, saying, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof.’ In Enga, we have translated this as, ‘Big Man, I am an unimportant person with no reputation, so do not come to my house.’ Again, the centurion does not consider his personal value to be commensurate with the idea of a person like Jesus entering his house.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:19:
Noongar: “I have been very bad. You must not call me your son. But you must put me like your servants and pay me for working.”” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “I am no longer fit for you (sing.) to call your (sing.) child, Father. It is better that you (sing.) consider me just your (sing.) slave.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I am no longer worthy to be called your child. Consider me now just like one of your servants.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I’m no longer worthy that you think of me anymore as your son, but rather, just think of me as one of your servants.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I am admittedly not worthy to be counted as your (sing.) child, but if it could be possible, I will please join-in-working for you (sing.).'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “It really is no longer possible/acceptable that you still call me your son. Regard me just as one of your paid-workers.”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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 religious leaders with the formal pronoun, showing respect. Compare that with the typical address with the informal pronoun of the religious leaders.
The only two exceptions to this are Luke 7:40/43 and 10:26 where Jesus uses the informal pronoun as a response to the sycophantic use of the formal pronoun by the religious leaders (see formal pronoun: religious leaders addressing Jesus).
In most Dutch translations, the same distinctions are made, with the exception of Luke 10:26 where Jesus is using the formal pronoun. In Afrikaans and Western Frisian the informal pronoun is used throughout.
ouketi eimi axios klēthēnai huios sou ‘I am no longer worthy, or, I no longer deserve, to be called your son.’
poiēson me hōs hena tōn misthiōn sou lit. ‘make me as one of your paid servants,’ i.e. ‘put me in the same position’ or ‘take me on,’ rather than ‘treat me as one of your paid servants.’
Translation:
I am no longer worthy, cf. 3.16.
To be called your son, or, ‘that you call me your son’ (Bible en français courant); if a more analytical rendering is required, this may be, ‘that you say, “He is my son” .’
Treat me as, preferably, ‘please take me on as’ (cf. Exegesis), or, ‘make me’ (Ekari), ‘allow me to become,’ ‘please let me work for you as’; in Yaka one says, ‘write me up as.’
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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