eternal life

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The Greek that is translated in English as “eternal life” is translated in various ways:

Lloyd Peckham explains the Mairasi translation: “In secret stories, not knowable to women nor children, there was a magical fruit of life. If referred to vaguely, without specifying the specific ‘fruit,’ it can be an expression for eternity.”

See also eternity / forever and salvation.

complete verse (Luke 18:30)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:30:

  • Noongar: “he will get much more in these days, and after, he will get eternal life.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “that person will receive many times his return/reward in this world. And in the future he will also receive eternal life.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “really, God will reward him as long as he is here in this world with more yet than what he has left behind and he will be given life without end there in the afterworld.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “the reward which God will give him will be very great, while he is still on earth. And in the future, at the time when God judges, he will be given life without end.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “far-away more is what God will give him in this life. And also in the future moreover, he will also be given life that has no end.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For it’s really certain that he will receive much more in this life. And there in the second life, life which is without ending will be his too.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 18:29 – 18:30

Exegesis:

amēn legō humin ‘truly I say to you,’ cf. on 3.8 and 4.24.

oudeis estin hos aphēken … hos ouchi mē apolabē… ‘there is no one who has given up … who will not receive…’ oudeis estin … hos is equivalent to an emphatic oudeis: ‘absolutely no one.’ The clause hos aphēken…, subordinate to the main clause, has the function of a conditional clause.

adelphous ‘brothers,’ implying sisters.

heneken tēs basileias tou theou ‘for the sake of the kingdom of God,’ i.e. in order to serve the cause of the kingdom.

(V. 30) (oudeis) … hos ouchi mē apolabē ‘(no one) who will not receive….’ Together with, and because of the preceding oudeis, ouchi mē serves to express a strongly positive assertion, which is in the nature of a promise. For apolambanō cf. on 6.34.

pollaplasiona ‘many times as much,’ ‘many times more.’

en tō kairō toutō ‘in this time,’ en tō aiōni tō erchomenō ‘in the coming age.’

zōēn aiōnion ‘eternal life,’ cf. on 10.25.

Translation:

There is no man who has left … who will not receive, or, ‘everybody who has left (or, if a man has left…, he) will be sure to receive…’; cf. also on 9.24.

House … children, cf. on 14.26. Each or some of the terms used may obligatorily be possessed. For parents see on 2.27.

For the sake of the kingdom of God, or shifting to a verbal clause ‘in order that God may rule (the world/people).’

(V. 30) Receive, or “get back” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation), ‘receive in return’ (Thai), ‘come to have in return,’ ‘be given in exchange’ (Tzeltal).

Manifold more, or, ‘many times as much’: the idioms used in Fulah and Uab Meto lit. mean ‘pile surpassing in quantity,’ and ‘in layers,’ respectively. The ellipsis may have to be filled out, .’.. more than he has left’ (Shona 1966), .’.. more than all he had, or, than all his family and property.’

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.