The Greek that is a transliteration of the Hebrew Pərūšīm and is typically transliterated into English as “Pharisee” is transliterated in Mandarin Chinese as Fǎlìsài (法利賽 / 法利赛) (Protestant) or Fǎlìsāi (法利塞) (Catholic). In Chinese, transliterations can typically be done with a great number of different and identical-sounding characters. Often the meaning of the characters are not relevant, unless they are chosen carefully as in these cases. The Protestant Fǎlìsài can mean something like “Competition for the profit of the law” and the Catholic Fǎlìsāi “Stuffed by/with the profit of the law.” (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 51)
In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “prayer shawl”. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as Observant. He explains (p. 302): “Pharisee has become a public, universal pejorative term for a hypocrite. Pharisees were observant of the interpretation of the Covenant Code called the ‘tradition of the elders.’ They conformed their behaviors to the interpretation. Among the various groups of Jews at the time of Jesus, they were perhaps closest to Jesus in their overall concern to make a radical commitment to the will of God (as they understood it).”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “Sabbath” in English is rendered as “day we rest” in Tzotzil, in Mairasi as “Jew’s Rest Day,” in Quiotepec Chinantec as “day when people of Israel rested,” in Shilluk as “day of God,” in Obolo as Usen Mbuban or “Holy Day,” and in Mandarin Chinese as ānxírì (安息日) or “rest day” (literally: “peace – rest – day”).
(Sources: Tzotzil: Marion Cowan in Notes on Translation with Drill, p. 169ff; Mairasi: Enggavoter 2004; Quiotepec Chinantec: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.; Shilluk: Nida 1964, p. 237; Obolo: Enene Enene; Chinese: Jost Zetzsche)
In the old Khmer version as well as in the first new translation this term was rendered as “day of rest” (Thngai Chhup Somrak / ថ្ងៃឈប់សំរាក). Considered inadequate to convey its religious meaning (not only about cessation of work, but also in honor of Yahweh as the Creator), the committee for the Today’s Khmer Version (publ. 2005) decided to keep the Hebrew word and use its transliterated form Thgnai Sabath (ថ្ងៃសប្ប័ទ). “The Buddhist word Thngai Seil ‘day of merits’ used by some Catholics was once under consideration but was rejected because it did not receive unanimous support.” (Source: Joseph Hong in The Bible Translator 1996, p. 233ff.)
In Spanish, the translation is either día de reposo (“day of rest”) or sábado (usually: “Saturday,” derived from the Greek and Hebrew original. Nida (1947, p. 239f.) explains that problem for Spanish and other languages in its sphere of influence: “In translation ‘Sabbath’ into various aboriginal languages of Latin America, a considerable number of translators have used the Spanish sábado, ‘Saturday,’ because it is derived from the Hebrew sabbath and seems to correspond to English usage as well. The difficulty is that sábado means only ‘Saturday’ for most people. There is no religious significance about this word as the is with ‘Sabbath’ in English. Accordingly the [readers] cannot understand the significance of the persecution of Jesus because he worked on ‘Saturday.’ It has been found quite advantageous to use the translation ‘day of rest,’ for this accurately translated the Hebrew meaning of the term and resolves the problem in connection with the prohibitions placed upon some types of activities.”
In French Sign Language it is translated with a sign that depicts closing of the blinds of a store:
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:2:
Noongar: “The Pharisees asked, ‘Why are you doing something our Law says you must not do on the Sabbath Day?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “The Parisi people there admonished them, they said: ‘Why are you breaking/transgressing the laws of our religion? You are working [uses enclitic expressing displeasure] on the worship day!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “There were Pariseo there and they said, ‘Why do you do (things) that are against the law for the day of-no-work?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were there some Pharisees who said, ‘Why is it that you transgress what was commanded to us (inc.) that we should not work on the day of rest?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “However there were Pharisees who saw what they did and they said to Jesus, ‘Why are you (pl.) breaking the law of us Jews which forbids harvesting on the day for-resting?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When some Pariseo saw, they commented-on-it saying, ‘Why are you doing that which is taboo/avoided on the Day of Rest?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
tines de tōn Pharisaiōn eipan ‘some of the Pharisees said.’ Their presence in the grainfields is not explained; it is simply assumed that they are there.
ti poieite ho ouk exestin tois sabbasin ‘why do you what is not allowed on the sabbath?.’ The question is directed to the disciples.
exestin impersonal verb ‘it is permitted,’ in Luke always of what is permitted, or, with negation, what is forbidden by the law.
Translation:
But some of the Pharisees said. Since the Pharisees are new to what is narrated in this section, it may be necessary to introduce them as such, e.g. ‘then there-were-present some Pharisees who said’ (Malay), cf. also on 1.5.
Why are you (plur.) doing what is not lawful to do does not ask for information, hence, ‘Why! (or another exclamation expressing indignation or disapproval) You are doing…’ may be preferable. For similar reasons Toraja-Sa’dan restricts the question to the first clause, ‘What are you doing?—It is not to be done.’ For what is not lawful to do, or, with a further shift, ‘what we (inclus.) should not do.’ In countries with a Muslim background a technical term used in connexion with Muslim law may be an appropriate rendering, e.g. ‘what is not halal (i.e. permitted)’ (Bahasa Indonesia), or, ‘what is haram (i.e. forbidden).’
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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