fattened calf

The phrase that is translated in English as “fattened calf” is translated in Fuyug as “the calf full of grease.” (Source: David Clark)

In some Hindi translations it is translated as mota pashu (मोटा पशु) or “fattened animal” to avoid the traditionally negative association with slaughtering cows. (In the case of पवित्र बाइबिल, the Common Language Hindi Bible, a footnote is added that says “In the original text: ‘calf.'”)

See also fatted cattle and kill the fatted calf.

parable of the prodigal son (image)

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Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

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kill the fatted calf

The now commonly-used English idiom “kill the fatted calf” (meaning having a celebration for someone who’s been away a long time) was first coined in 1526 in the English New Testament translation of William Tyndale. (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 277)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

See also fattened calf and fatted cattle.

addressing the father in the parable of the prodigal son in Japanese

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One important aspect of addressing someone else in one’s or someone else’s family is by selecting the correct word when referring to them.

In the widely used Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible (rev. of 2017) in the parable of the prodigal son, both of the sons refer to their father with o-tō-san (お父さん), a form that expresses the intimate father-son relationship, whereas the servant (in Luke 15:27) refers to the father as o-tō-sama (お父様) to express a higher level of reference. (Source: S. E. Doi)

complete verse (Luke 15:27)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 15:27:

  • Noongar: “‘Your brother has come back home’, the worker said, ‘and your father has killed the best bullock because his son has come back from the dead’.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “That servant said: ‘Your (sing.) younger-sibling has returned home! Your (sing.) father ordered a fat calf slaughtered, because his lost child he has found again with goodness/safety.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The servant said to him, ‘Your younger brother has arrived and your father commanded the fattened cow to be butchered for nothing-bad has happened to your younger brother.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And that servant answered, ‘Your younger brother has come home and your father has butchered the young cow that he had fattened because he has come home without harm.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Your (sing.) younger-brother has come-home,’ that servant answered, ‘so your (pl.) father has butchered-for-him a fat cow because (reassurance particle) he has received him with nothing having happened to him.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That slave replied, saying, ‘That’s celebrating since your brother has come home. Your father had that fattened young cow butchered, for he arrived unharmed (lit.no whatever to his life/breath).'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 15:27

Exegesis:

ho adelphos sou hēkei ‘your brother has come,’ stating the situation that caused the event mentioned in the next clause.

kai ethusen ho patēr sou ton moschon ton siteuton ‘and (therefore) your father has killed the fatted calf.’ Note the shift from perfective present tense (hēkei) to aorist denoting a punctiliar act.

hoti hugiainonta auton apelaben ‘because he has got him back safe and sound.’ hugiainonta (cf. on 5.31) is emphatic by position. For apolambanō cf. on 6.34.

Translation:

Brother, or, ‘younger brother.’

Has killed. The father certainly was not the direct agent (cf. v. 23); hence, ‘has had killed,’ ‘has ordered (us, exclus.) to slaughter’ may be preferable.

He has received him, or, “he has (gotten) him back” (An American Translation, New English Bible), ‘he has met again with the son’ (Javanese, where the use of the pronoun would sound impolite), does not imply an activity on the part of the father; hence one may shift to, ‘he, or, his son has been given back to him, or, has been found/met again’ (Balinese, Sundanese), ‘he has returned’ (Ekari).

Safe and sound, or, “alive and well” (An American Translation); and cf. “well” in 5.31.

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.