hungry

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “hungry” is translated in Noongar as koborl-wirt or “without stomach” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang) and in the Kölsch translation (publ. 2017) it is often translated as nix zo Käue han or “have nothing to chew on” (note that zo Käue han or “something to chew on” is also used for “eat” — see Mark 6:37). (Source: Jost Zetzsche)

See also famished.

Blessed (in the Beatitudes)

The Greek that is typically translated as “Blessed” in English is translated in the French 1985 translation by Chouraqui as En marche or “Rise up / Forward / Let’s get going.”

The Jewish scholar and inter-religious translator A. Chouraqui explains: “The first word of the Sermon on the Mount is, in most translations, the main obstacle to understanding Yeshua‘s message. Makarioi, the Greek says — “Blessed” — and this word immediately sends commentators off on the wrong track. The ‘Beatitudes’ are assumed to be something that should be possessed from the outset, whereas they will only be fully realized in the kingdom of Adonai. And Jesus did not say makarioi, but ashrei (see Psalm 1:1), an exclamation…from the root ashar which implies, not the idea of a vague and essentially hedonistic happiness, but the idea of uprightness, yashar — the uprightness of the person who is walking on a path clear of obstacles — the path that leads toward Adonai.” (Source: Watson 2023, p. 58)

Note that Psalm 1:1a is translated by Chouraqui as En marche, l’homme qui ne va pas au conseil des criminels — “En marche (see above), the man who doesn’t attend the council of criminals.”

complete verse (Luke 6:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:21:

  • Noongar: “‘God will do good to you people hungry now. Your stomachs will be full! God will do good things to you people weeping now. You will laugh!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “You are fortunate who are hungry at this time, because you will be made-satisfied/full. You are fortunate who weep at this time, because you will be glad.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘How fortunate you are/good it is for you who are hungry now, for you will be satisfied in the future. ‘How fortunate you are/good it is for you who are weeping now for you will laugh in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Far better off are you who are hungry now, because God will satisfy your hunger in the future! Far better off are you who are sorrowful now, because you will rejoice in the future!” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Fortunate are you who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. ‘Fortunate are you who are crying now, because you will smile/laugh.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You can be happy who really want to do the will of God always, because he really will give you the ability to do it. You can be happy who cry, who sorrow because of sin done, for happiness will follow-in-succession.” (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 6:21

Exegesis:

hoi peinōntes nun ‘you who are hungry now.’ nun emphatically contrasts with the future tense of chortasthēsesthe. For peinaō cf. on 1.53.

chortasthēsesthe ‘you will be satisfied,’ here of men.

hoi klaiontes nun ‘you who weep now.’

klaiō ‘to weep,’ here metaphorically of a feeling of sadness.

gelasete ‘you will laugh,’ of a feeling of gladness.

Translation:

You that hunger, or, ‘you who are hungry,’ cf. on 1.53.

Now reinforces the present tense. To emphasize the contrast with the next clause it may be advisable to add a comparable adverb there, e.g. ‘afterward,’ ‘presently’ (Balinese, Tae’ 1933), or, ‘again’ (Batak Toba). The same is true in the next sentence.

You shall be satisfied, or, ‘you shall receive to the full,’ ‘you shall receive all food/goods you need.’

Weep. If the language has distinctive terms the translator can best choose one that is commonly used for weeping as a result of general disasters: in some cases it may be better to shift to a term for the emotion expressed by weeping, ‘be sad.’

Laugh, or where necessary, ‘be glad’ (for which see on 1.14).

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.