The Greek and Latin that is translated as “resurrection” in English is translated in Chicahuaxtla Triqui and Pohnpeian as “live-up” (i.e. return to life) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel) and in Iloko as panagungar: a term that stems “from the word ‘agungar,’ an agricultural term used to describe the coming back to life of a plant which was wilting but which has been watered by the farmer, or of a bulb which was apparently dead but grows again.” (Source: G. Henry Waterman in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 24ff. )
In Estado de México Otomi, it is translated as “people will be raised from the dead,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “the dead having to come to life again,” in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “arose from the grave” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and in Kriol as gidap laibala brom dedbala or “get up alive from the dead” (source: Sam Freney in this article .)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 20:35:
Noongar: “but men and women who are good enough, they will rise from the dead, they will live in the coming days and then they will not marry.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “But the people who are made alive again by the Lord God and who are worthy to receive a portion in the new world, they no longer take-wives and take-husbands.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But the people that God considers worthy to be made alive again from the dead and to live in heaven will not take a wife or husband.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “however, those people whom God regards as worthy of being raised from the dead and living in heaven, they will not get married in the future when they are in heaven.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “but those whom God considers worthy to live again and join him in heaven, they don’t get-married there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “But when those who have died are made alive again, as for those people who have been shown-grace/mercy by God that they can enter his kingdom in heaven, they won’t be marrying any more,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
hoi de kataxiōthentes tou aiōnos ekeinou tuchein kai tēs anastaseōs tēs ek nekrōn ‘but those who are judged worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead.’ kataxioō. ho aiōn ekeinos is the age to come, cf. on 18.30. It is to be viewed in terms of temporal sequence. For ek nekrōn cf. on 9.7.
Translation:
Those who are accounted (or, thought/called) worthy, or slightly simplified, ‘those who are worthy,’ ‘those who are allowed’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC). The agent to be understood with this passive form is God. — Those, or, because of the subsequent reference to marriage “the men and women” (Good News Translation). For worthy see on 3.16.
To attain to, or ‘to reach/gain/find/experience,’ ‘to share in’ (cf. Balinese), ‘to be participants in’ (cf. Navajo).
To that age and to the resurrection from the dead is basically a hendiadys, the second phrase modifying or explaining the first; hence e.g. ‘that age, when the dead come to life again.’ — That age, i.e. ‘the age to come.’ The resurrection from the dead has virtually the same meaning as “the resurrection” in vv. 27 and 33.
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.
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