send away empty-handed

The Greek that is typically translated as “send (him) away empty-handed” in English is translated in Punu with the existing idiom “send (him) away holding his hands.” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 54)

In Western Highland Chatino it is translated as “(they) didn’t give him even one grape.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

tenants (of a vineyard) / winegrower

The Greek that is translated as “tenants (of a vineyard)” or similar in English is translated in the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) as Winzer and in Luxembourghish as Wënzer, both “winemaker (vintner).” The area were Pfälzisch and Luxembourghish are spoken are traditional wine making areas and this is the commonly used term.

The same term is also used in John 15:1 for (English) “winegrower.” (Source: Zetzsche)

vineyard

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “vineyard” in English is translated in Noongar as boodjer-djildjiyang, lit. “land for fruit.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

complete verse (Luke 20:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 20:10:

  • Noongar: “Autumn came and the fruit was ripe, so he sent a servant to the tenants using his land, to get his share of the fruit. But the people beat his servant and sent him away with nothing. ” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “The time came to pick the grapes, he commanded one of his slaves to go ask for his portion from the people taking care of his field/garden. But the people taking care of his field/garden beat that messenger and they expelled him without anything [lit., dry].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When the time came that the grapes bore fruit, the owner of the vineyard told one of his servants to go to his caretakers to ask for his share of the fruit of the grapes. But they beat the servant and sent him home without anything.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when it was the time of harvest, he sent his servant to those whom he had taking care of the field, so that they might give him his share of the fruit. However, when that servant arrived, those who were taking care of the field beat him and sent him home without giving him anything.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When the time-for-picking grapes then arrived, the farm owner sent one of his slaves to go get his share. But when he arrived, the tenant-farmers (lit. those-who-took-care) whipped him and sent-him-home completely empty-handed (lit. shaved).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When the time came for harvesting ubas, he sent one of his slaves to fetch his share from those field-workers whom he’d left in charge. But when those ones who had been left in charge saw him, they ganged up on that slave who’d been sent to cause him suffering, and they sent him back with nothing at all.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 20:10

Exegesis:

kairō ‘at the proper time,’ cf. en kairō (12.42).

hina apo tou karpou tou ampelōnos dōsousin autō lit. ‘in order that they might give him from the fruit of the vineyard,’ final clause denoting the owner’s intention in sending the slave and virtually equivalent to his message to the tenants. apo tou karpou is equivalent to a partitive genitive; it is best rendered ‘a share of’ or ‘a part of.’ karpos is used in a more general meaning, ‘produce,’ ‘proceeds.’ autō is best understood as referring to the servant.

hoi de geōrgoi exapesteilan auton … kenon ‘but the tenants sent him away empty-handed,’ cf. on 1.53.

deirantes lit. ‘after beating (him) up,’ denoting an act which takes place before the sending away.

Translation:

When the time came, or more explicitly, ‘at the season of grapes’ (cf. Bahasa Indonesia), ‘at the time for harvesting the grapes’ (cf. Balinese).

The construction sent a servant … that they should give has to be adjusted in some languages, so as to avoid the change of subject, e.g. ‘sent a servant … to ask-for/collect/receive’ (Tzeltal, Balinese, The Four Gospels – a New Translation), or to make explicit the implied message, e.g. ‘he ordered a servant to go … and to tell (them), “You must give…” .’

Some of the fruit of the vineyard, or, “his (i.e. the owner’s) share of the harvest” (Good News Translation), “his share of the produce (of the vineyard)” (New English Bible, The Four Gospels – a New Translation), ‘the produce (lit. the strength) of the vineyard a part’ (Batak Toba), ‘a part from what they had gained with the vineyard’ (Sranan Tongo, where a more literal rendering would suggest that the owner sent his servant for some grapes). Fruit.

Empty handed, see on “empty” in 1.53.

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.