complete verse (Luke 8:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:17:

  • Noongar: “Everything people hide will be shown and things people cover up will be brought into the light.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Because all that is hidden must be uncovered/caused-to-appear. And all that is concealed must be opened and become visible.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For nothing is hidden now that will not finally in the future come out and everything that is not understood now will finally be known in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said again, ‘And in the same way, whatever is hidden today will be revealed just the same in the future. And whatever of my teaching you do not understand today, you will understand it just the same in the future.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “It’s the same with what I have been parabling, because everything that is hidden or not known now, it will become-known and be-made-clear in the future (lit. addition of days).” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, there is nothing which is hidden which won’t be brought out. And whatever isn’t yet known/realized will be made known so that it’s clear/obvious.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:17

Exegesis:

ou gar estin krupton ho ou phaneron genēsetai ‘for there is nothing hidden which shall not become manifest,’ a general saying but here referring to the secrets of the kingdom of God, ‘everything that is (now) hidden, will (in due time) become manifest.’

kruptos (also 12.2) ‘hidden,’ ‘secret,’ here used as a noun.

phaneros ‘plainly to be seen,’ ‘manifest.’

oude apokruphon ‘and (there is) nothing secret.’ The clause introduced by oude is parallel to the preceding one; this combination serves to stress the truth of both clauses.

apokruphos ‘hidden,’ ‘secret,’ synonymous with kruptos.

ho ou mē gnōsthē kai eis phaneron elthē ‘which will not be known and come to light.’ For ou mē with subjunctive cf. on 1.15. In this context, however, the negation is inverted by the negative oude in the main clause, and the clause is a strong and definite positive statement. eis phaneron elthē literally means ‘come into the manifest,’ hence ‘come to light,’ or, ‘become manifest.’

Translation:

A shift to an active form in the second person may be advisable (cf. Sranan Tongo in 12.2). To choose the right synonym in the right place is not always easy. To guide his choice the translator may assume that the first clause refers to sight, the second one to hearing, cf. e.g. ‘no hidden thing that people will not hear…’ (Sranan Tongo).

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.