complete verse (Luke 23:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 23:17:

  • Uma: “[[Pilatus said like that, because usually each Paskah Day he had to release one person who was in prison, in order to please [lit., take the hearts of] the people. That is why he said: ‘I will just whip him and release him.’]]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “(The reason that Pilatus said that was because it was his custom that each year when the Yahudi had the festival they called Festival of Remembrance, he would free one prisoner for the people.)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason Pilate said this is because it was the custom of the Jews that every time the Passover Feast took place, it was necessary for Pilate to turn loose one Jewish prisoner.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He said that because he had to release a prisoner at each fiesta called Passed-By, because that was his custom.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well since the governor had made it a custom that at each Fiesta of Passed-by, there would be one person whom he would release from being in prison, whoever the crowd wanted to ask for, that’s why it was necessary that he release one person then at that fiesta.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 23:17

Exegesis:

anagkēn de eichen apoluein autois kata heortēn hena lit. ‘he had the compulsion, i.e. he was obliged, to release for them one (person) at a feast’; here anagkē refers to a compulsion by tradition. For kata heortēn.

Translation:

To them, referring to the beneficiaries, may have to be described, e.g. by ‘as-a-kindness-to them’ (cf. Balinese), ‘according to their choice’ (Willibrord), ‘as they requested.’ The pronoun refers to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, hence ‘the populace’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC), ‘the crowd’ (Javanese), or to the whole people, as represented by their leaders and the populace of Jerusalem, hence ‘the Jews,’ or, ‘the Jewish people’ (Sundanese, Balinese).

At the festival, or more specifically, “at each Passover Feast” (Good News Translation); cf. above on 2.41.

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.