The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic and Latin that is translated as “justice” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that describes the quality or principle of fairness, righteousness, and impartiality in treating other people. A literal back-translation of the signs are “FOLLOW(God is implied) ACTIONS, DECISIONS JUST-RIGHT”. A more idiomatic back-translation would be: “actions and decisions are right/fitting/just in accordance to God’s will.” The movement in the signs itself helps to indicate that this is a noun, not a verb. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Justice” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “widow” in English is translated in West Kewa as ona wasa or “woman shadow.” (Source: Karl J. Franklin in Notes on Translation 70/1978, pp. 13ff.)
The etymological meaning of the Hebrewalmanah (אַלְמָנָה) is likely “pain, ache,” the Greekchéra (χήρα) is likely “to leave behind,” “abandon,” and the Englishwidow (as well as related terms in languages such as Dutch, German, Sanskrit, Welsh, or Persian) is “to separate,” “divide” (source: Wiktionary).
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:5:
Noongar: “but because this widow is always very troublesome, I will help her get everything, all the things she wants. If I don’t do this, she will come every day and I will get tired because of her.”” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “it is better that I just help that widow, because she is very persistent coming to bother me. Because if I do not help her, she will never stop coming here, with the result that I will get tired of it.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “but because this widow is causing me trouble, I will help her. I am tired/fed-up of her always coming here.’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I’d better help this woman so she will stop pestering me.’ ‘” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “but because of this widow’s disturbing me, I’ll just give (lit. even-if I give) her what she is requesting lest I get-tired-of her repeated-coming.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “but since I am always being bothered by this woman, I will just give her the straightness/justice she is asking for. For if it’s much longer, I will get fed up with her constant back and forth.”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
kai ouk ēthelen epi chronon ‘and for a while he was not willing,’ scil. to protect the widow, with ekdikein understood. epi chronon refers to an undefined length of time.
meta de tauta eipen en heautō lit. ‘but after that he said in himself, or, to himself.’ As a rule meta tauta is used with reference to a specific moment or period previously mentioned, but after an indefinite expression such as epi chronon it is to be rendered ‘afterward,’ or ‘in the end.’
ei kai ton theon ou phoboumai ‘even though I do not fear God,’ etc., implying that fear of God and respect for men would have required him to protect the widow.
(V. 5) dia ge to parechein moi kopon tēn chēran tautēn ‘at least because of the fact that this widow gives me trouble,’ articular accusative and infinitive. ge serves to emphasize what follows as contrasted with the fact that he does not fear God or respect man. For kopon parechein cf. on 11.7.
ekdikēsō autēn ‘I will protect her.’
hina mē eis telos erchomenē hupōpiazē me ‘lest by coming here till the end/continually she wears me out.’ hina may denote intention or expected result, preferably the latter. eis telos lit. ‘till the end,’ here ‘continually,’ or ‘again and again,’ goes with erchomenē.
hupōpiazō lit. ‘to strike under the eye’ (in prize fighting), here in a weakened sense, ‘to wear out.’ The present tense here suggests duration.
Translation:
He said to himself, see on 3.8.
Though I neither fear…, yet … The first clause is sometimes better not subordinated, e.g. ‘(true) I neither fear…, yet (or, nevertheless/however) ….’
(V. 5) Because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her may have to be restructured, e.g. ‘this widow so bothers me that I will vindicate her’ (cf. New English Bible), or, ‘I will vindicate her, but (I will do so) only because she bothers me.’ — Bothers me, or, ‘causes me trouble,’ “is so great a nuisance” (New English Bible). I will vindicate her, propositive mood, ‘I had better vindicate her’ (cf. Balinese).
Or, i.e. ‘if not,’ ‘if (I do) otherwise.’
She will wear me out by her continual coming, or, ‘she will come continually (or, again and again) and wear me out (or, till she has worn me out),’ ‘she will tire me by her coming and coming’ (Lomwe, similarly Nyanja, Zarma, Kele). To wear out, i.e. to make tired by persistence.
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.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.