complete verse (Luke 17:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:23:

  • Noongar: “People will tell you, ‘Look there!’ or ‘Look here!’ But don’t go out and look for it.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “At that time, there will be those who say to you: ‘The Redeemer King is over there!’ Or there will be those who say: ‘Here he is!’ But don’t go follow them!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Some will be saying to you, ‘O, there he is.’ or ‘He is here.’ Do not go there looking for me.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if someone says to you that I, the older sibling of mankind, is there nearby, or if he says I am there afar off, don’t you listen to him,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “There will be those who say, ‘Go look, he is there!’ or ‘Come here and look, he is here!’ But really don’t believe it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You will be reached by news which says, ‘He really has returned again and is here now!’ Or others will say, ‘There he is!’ But don’t you believe it going there to look for me.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

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 his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Luke 17:23

Exegesis:

kai erousin humin, Idou ekei; [e,] Idou hōde ‘and people will say to you, look there, or, look here,’ cf. v. 21. ekei and hōde refer to places where the Son of man was alleged to have appeared.

mē apelthēte mēde diōxēte ‘do not go off (i.e. from your ordinary occupation), and do not run after (them),’ i.e. the people that say ‘here,’ or ‘there.’ The clause is asyndetic. For diōkō cf. on 11.49.

Translation:

‘Lo, there!’ or ‘Lo, here!’, or, ‘ “There he is!” or, “Here (he is)!” ’

Go, or, ‘go off,’ ‘go away.’

Follow them, i.e. ‘follow where they lead you,’ or, ‘go with them.’

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.