parable of the prodigal son (image)

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sandal (illustration)

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “sandal” in English is illustrated for use in Bible translations in East Africa by Pioneer Bible Translators like this:

Image owned by PBT and Jonathan McDaniel and licensed with the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

complete verse (Luke 15:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:22:

  • Noongar: “But his father called the workers. ‘Quickly!’ he said. ‘Bring the best clothes and dress my son! Put a ring on his finger and put shoes on his feet.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘But the father called his servants, and he said to them: ‘Hurry, get clothes that are very good, and clothe him. Slide-on his fingers with rings, and put-shoes-on him also.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But his father called the servants and said to them, ‘Hurry, bring the very best clothes here and dress him in them. Put also a ring/rings on him and shoes.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But this father called the servants from the house, and he said, ‘You all bring here the good clothing, and you put it on him. Put a ring on his finger, and put shoes on his feet.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘But his father called his servants and said, ‘Hurry up. Go get the best clothes to dress-him-with. Also put on his hand a ring (lit. ring him) and put-shoes-on-him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But his father called his slaves, saying, ‘Hurry! Bring here the best clothing and clothe him with it. Put a ring and footwear on him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 15:22

Exegesis:

eipen de ho patēr pros tous doulous autou ‘but his father said to his slaves,’ presumably when both had reached the house.

tachu exenegkate stolēn tēn prōtēn kai endusate auton ‘bring out quickly a robe, the best one, and put it on him.’ tachu goes with all imperatives in vv. 22f. stolēn tēn prōtēn may mean ‘the best robe’ (assuming the omission of tēn before stolēn), or, ‘a robe, the best one,’ hence, ‘the best we have.’ The latter is preferable.

ekpherō ‘to bring out,’ ‘to fetch.’

stolē (also 20.46) ‘robe’ ‘(long) garment.’

enduō ‘to clothe,’ ‘to put a garment on somebody,’ cf. on 8.27.

kai dote daktulion eis tēn cheira autou ‘and put a ring on his finger,’ or ‘give him a ring for his finger,’ preferably the former. cheir lit. ‘hand,’ here ‘finger.’

daktulios ‘ring’ as a sign of honour and, perhaps, even authority.

kai hupodēmata eis tous podas ‘and (put) shoes on his feet,’ with dote understood. For hupodēma cf. on 3.16.

Translation:

Quickly, cf. 14.21.

Best, i.e. ‘the most beautiful.’

Robe, or, ‘cloak,’ a long outer garment, see on 6.29.

Put it on him, or, ‘dress him in/with it,’ ‘let him clothe himself in it,’ ‘cause him to wear it.’ Him, or, ‘my son.’

Put a ring on his hand may require specification somewhere, e.g. ‘put/do/fit a ring on his finger,’ ‘put a finger ring on his hand/finger,’ or as a single verb, ‘put-a-finger-ring-on (him)’ (Balinese). In some cultures ‘bracelet … arm’ may have to be substituted, e.g. Ekari.

And (put) shoes on his feet, sometimes a specific verb, e.g. ‘shoe his-feet’ (Sundanese), or, ‘shoe (him)’ (cf. Balinese). For shoes, or, ‘sandals,’ cf. 3.16.

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.