He gave freedom to those in bondage of evil (image)

“In Thai society, those who are possessed by evil spirits are usually the weak or mentally unstable. This man is shown as freed from his spiritual and physical chains. Even though he is naked Jesus is not ashamed to be close to him.”

Drawing by Sawai Chinnawong who employs northern and central Thailand’s popular distinctive artistic style originally used to depict Buddhist moral principles and other religious themes; explanation by Paul DeNeui. From That Man Who Came to Save Us by Sawai Chinnawong and Paul H. DeNeui, William Carey Library, 2010.

For more images by Sawai Chinnatong in TIPs see here.

complete verse (Luke 8:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:26:

  • Noongar: “Jesus and his disciples went in the boat to the country of Gerasa, across Lake Galilee.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “They continued being-in-the-boat, until they came to the land of Gerasa that is on the other side of the lake from the land of Galilea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then they went on crossing over and arrived at the place Gerasa which is opposite to the place Jalil.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then they continued in the boat until they arrived at the land which was the place where the Gergesene people lived, across the lake from the province of Galilee.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Plural Jesus continued crossing the lake until they arrived at the region of Gerasa which was across from Galilea.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They came to shore on the other side of the lake. The Geraseno (pl.) were the people of that place which was opposite Galilea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:26

Exegesis:

kai katepleusan eis tēn chōran tōn Gergesēnōn ‘and they sailed to the country of the Gergesenes.’

katapleō ‘to sail down (from the high seas) towards the coast.’

hētis estin antipera tēs Galilaias, ‘which is opposite Galilee,’ scil. across the lake.

antipera adverb, here used as a preposition with following genitive ‘across,’ ‘opposite.’

Translation:

They arrived at, or, “they made a landing in” (An American Translation), ‘they reached the shore of the lake at’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), referring to the very end of the journey; other versions refer to the final stretch of the journey, e.g. ‘they sailed on to’ (Bahasa Indonesia), ‘they headed for’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC), ‘their boat made-for-the-shore at’ (Balinese), ‘(in) that boating-of-them, (they) went to’ (Tae’).

The country of the Gerasenes, preferably, Gergesenes, or, ‘the country where the Gergesenes lived,’ or, shifting from persons to locality, ‘the Gergesa country/region’ (cf. Tae,’ Batak Toba).

Which is opposite Galilee, or, ‘on the side (or, shore of the lake) opposite to the land G.’ (East and Toraja-Sa’dan), ‘which is across the lake (lit. having-in-between the lake) from the land G.’ (Balinese); in Ekari one must say, ‘eastward of G..’

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.