lamp

The Greek that is translated as “lamp” in English is translated in Noongar as karla-maat or “firestick” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

bed

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bed” in English is translated in Noongar as maya-ngwoorndiny or “bark sleeping” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also mat, bed.

complete verse (Luke 8:16)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:16:

  • Noongar: “‘No person lights a firestick and hides the light. They don’t put the firestick under a bowl or under a bed. No, they put the fire stick up so people can see the light of the fire if they come to the house.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘There is no person who lights a lamp and covers it or puts it under the bed. He definitely puts the lamp in its place so that its shine/light is seen by the people who enter.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said also, ‘Nobody lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or puts it under the bed. But he places the lamp onto a lampstand so that the people who come in see the light.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there was another parable which Jesus told, he said, ‘A person who lights a lamp, it’s not possible that he will turn a basket upside down over it, or that he puts it underneath a sleeping bench, because he will place it on a holder. And if a person comes in, he will be illuminated.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus also said parabling, ‘No one lights a lamp (kerosene-burning wick type) in order to then cover it with a basin or put it underneath the bed but rather he sets-it-on-top (of something) so it will be bright when a person comes in.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus continued his words. He said, ‘There is no-one who, after lighting a lamp, covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed. Of course he will put it on a stand/rest, so that its light will be seen by all who enter.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:16

Exegesis:

oudeis de luchnon hapsas kaluptei auton ‘nobody, after lighting a lamp, covers it.’ The clause is an injunction in the form of a negative statement: what is done by nobody ought not to be done by the disciples. The present tense kaluptei stresses the general character of the saying.

luchnos ‘lamp,’ a wick lamp, the wick lying in a shallow bowl filled with oil.

haptō ‘to kindle,’ ‘to light.’

kaluptō (also 23.30) ‘to cover,’ ‘to hide.’

skeuei ‘with a vessel.’ skeuos (also 17.31) can mean any vessel: ‘jar,’ ‘dish,’ ‘bowl,’ ‘basin.’

ē hupokatō klinēs tithēsin ‘or puts (it) under a bed.’

hupokatō ‘under.’

klinē here a bed on four legs.

epi luchnias tithēsin ‘but he puts it on a lampstand.’

hina hoi eisporeuomenoi blepōsin to phōs ‘so that those who come in may see the light.’ hoi eisporeuomenoi are those that enter the house, or, the room. The clause probably refers to the Gentiles who must hear the Gospel message (cf. Plummer, Caird, Creed).

Translation:

The structure may have to be changed in something like, ‘a person (or, you) should not light a lamp, and then cover it….’

Renderings of to light (i.e. a lamp) have various basic meanings, e.g. ‘to fix’ (Bahasa Indonesia), ‘to cause-to-burn’ (Batak Toba), ‘to cause-to-live’ (other possibility in Bahasa Indonesia).

Lamp. The translator may use the name of anything that is commonly employed to give light in a house, e.g. ‘torch’ (East and Toraja-Sa’dan, Wantoat), ‘candle.’

Covers it with a vessel, or, ‘covers it with something’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), or simply, ‘covers it’ (Balinese, using a verb specifically employed in connexion with concave things).

The usual rendering of bed, e.g. ‘couch,’ ‘what-one-lies/sleeps-on,’ may refer to something that is laid on the floor; hence shifts to, ‘under a bench,’ ‘under a sleeping/sitting-platform’ (Tae’), ‘in the space-under-a-sleeping-platform’ (Javanese).

But puts …, or in a new sentence, ‘on the contrary he (or, you) should put…,’ or, ‘of course (it) should-be-put…’ (Balinese).

A stand, or, ‘a lamp’s foot’ (Bahasa Indonesia), a locative derivation of ‘lamp’ (Batak Toba); or to be described as, ‘an elevated/clearly-visible place,’ ‘up where it is high’ (Central Mazahua).

The light, referring to what emanates from a lamp, ‘flame,’ ‘radiance’; a shift to a verbal expression may result in, .’.. see it (or, the lamp) burn/give-brightness.’

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.