The name that is transliterated as “Pilate” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language (as well as in French Sign Language) with the sign signifying the washing of hands (referring to Matthew 27:24). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff.)
In American Sign Language it is translated with the sign for “government/governor” plus the sign for “P” with a circular movement. The reference to government indicates Pilate’s position of authority in the Roman Empire. (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Pilate” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
The Greek that is transliterated as “Herod (Antipas)” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with the sign for king and and a sign depicting cutting off the head (of John the Baptist), referring to Matthew 14:10 et al. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 23:12:
Noongar: “This day, Herod and Pilate became friends. Before, the two had been enemies.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “On that day Herodes and Pilatus made-peace, whereas before they disagreed.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “That day Pilatus and Herod became friends. Formerly they had been enemies hep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And this was the day for Pilate and Herod to become friends, because before this they were not peaceful toward each other.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Starting from that day, Herod and Pilato in-contrast-to-the-previous-situation became-friends, because originally they had a quarrel back before.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “That very day, Herodes and Pilato were reconciled, who had formerly been opponents.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
egenonto de philoi … met’ allēlōn ‘(they) became friends with one another.’ met’ allēlōn, which is virtually redundant semantically, is best understood as strengthening philoi.
en autē tē hēmera ‘that very day.’
proupērchon gar en echthra ontes pros hautous ‘for previously they were at enmity between themselves.’
prouparchō ‘to exist before,’ here virtually an auxiliary verb denoting that the event or situation to which the following participle refers, happened in the past.
echthra ‘enmity.’
Translation:
Became friends with each other, or, ‘became friends,’ or, ‘they came to like (or, to be on good terms with) each other.’
For introduces explanatory matter, not cause or reason, and must therefore not be rendered literally, cf. “… became friends; they had been enemies before this” (Good News Translation), “Herod and Pilate, who had been at enmity, …” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation), H. et P. devinrent amis, d’ennemis qu’ils étaient auparavant (Bible de Jérusalem), ‘whereas before the two had been each other’s enemy’ (Bahasa Indonesia).
They had been at enmity with each other, or, ‘they had been enemies’ (cf. on 1.71), ‘they had not liked each other,’ etc., the opposite of the preceding clause. Both ‘to be friends’ and ‘to be enemies’ indicate a reciprocal relationship; hence they are often rendered by reciprocal verbal forms, e.g. in Balinese, Toraja-Sa’dan.
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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