wisdom

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The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is translated as “wisdom” in English is rendered in Amganad Ifugao and Tabasco Chontal as “(big) mind,” in Bulu and Yamba as “heart-thinking,” in Tae’ as “cleverness of heart” (source for this and all above: Reiling / Swellengrebel), in Palauan as “bright spirit (innermost)” (source: Bratcher / Hatton), in Ixcatlán Mazatec as “with your best/biggest thinking” (source: Robert Bascom), in Noongar as dwangka-boola, lit. “ear much” (source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018 — see also remember), and in Dobel, it is translated with the idiom “their ear holes are long-lasting” (in Acts 6:3) (source: Jock Hughes).

See also wisdom (Proverbs).

complete verse (Luke 21:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 21:15:

  • Noongar: “because I will give you good words and wisdom, so that not one of these bad people will be able to answer you and say that you are not telling the truth.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “I myself will give you clear answers, with the result that not one of your enemies will be able to refute or reject what you say.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For I will give you wisdom/knowledge so that you can answer them. And there will be none of your enemies/opponents able to oppose your words or to refute you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because I am the one who knows how for you to answer their questions, and I will give you wisdom to think so that you might be able to answer. And then, as for your enemies, they will not be able to answer your reasoning and they will not also be able to say that what you are saying is a lie.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because I will be the very one to give you intelligence/skill to speak and wisdom to answer so that your enemies will thus have no way to defeat you and to contradict what you are saying.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because I am the one who will give you what you are to say which has far from ordinary understanding/wisdom, which none of your opponents will be able to answer or defeat.” (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 21:15

Exegesis:

egō gar dōsō humin stoma kai sophian lit. ‘for I will give you a mouth and wisdom.’ egō is very emphatic. stoma is used in a figurative sense, and it may either refer to power of speech (Plummer) or eloquence, or go with sophian as a hendiadys and mean ‘words of wisdom.’ The latter appears to be preferable.

hē ou dunēsontai antistēnai ē anteipein ‘which cannot resist or contradict….’ hē (dative) refers, strictly speaking, to sophian alone, but is to be understood as taking up the one concept of stoma kai sophian.

anthistamai ‘to resist,’ ‘to withstand,’ here referring to resisting the power or strength of their speaking.

anteipon ‘to speak against,’ ‘to contradict,’ here used in the sense of arguing against the defence of the disciples.

hapantes hoi antikeimenoi humin ‘all your opponents,’ cf. on 13.17.

Translation:

For I will, or to bring out the emphasis, ‘for it is I who will.’

Give you a mouth and wisdom, or, following the interpretation preferred in Exegesis, ‘give you words of wisdom (or, words which are wise),’ ‘cause/help you to speak wise words, or, wisely.’ For wisdom see on 2.40.

Which none … will be able to withstand or contradict has resultative force, ‘so that no one … will be able to withstand or contradict them, or, such words.’ If in the receptor language one or both verbs require a personal object, one may say e.g. ‘resist you and refute such words,’ or, ‘resist and oppose you (when you speak so).’ — To withstand. In Sranan Tongo the idiom is here, ‘to put to one side.’ — To contradict, i.e. to oppose (a person) in argument, or, to deny the truth (of something that is said).

Adversaries, or, ‘opponents/enemies/accusers.’

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.