serving Jesus and the disciples

In Greek and in European languages such as Dutch and English the third person pronoun does not present much difficulty. In Balinese the situation becomes more complicated, for one has at least four pronouns for the third person: two to indicate important and very important persons {dané and ida), one to speak of a person of lower standing but in a familiar manner, and one to speak of such a person in a polite manner (ia and ipun). Dané, the pronoun of the slightly less important person of the third caste, is also in use for people of lower caste who through their official position, age, or ability have a right to be respected or with whom one is trying to ingratiate oneself. (…)

The Greek that is translated as “were contributing to their support out of their private means” had to be differentiated between Jesus and the disciples]. The service accorded Jesus consisted of respect, humility and attachment, which must be expressed in the Balinese word. With regard to the disciples this was not the case. Thus we were forced to translate as, “they used their possessions for the needs of Jesus and his followers, as a tribute of service to Him.”

Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 124ff.

provided for them

Balinese uses a honorific system with three levels of how someone can be addressed or talked about. For example, when the English says that women “provided for them” there had to be a distinction. “The service to Jesus was given with great respect, humility and attachment, which must be expressed in the Balinese word. With regard to the disciples this was not the case. Thus we were forced to translate, ‘they used their possessions for the needs of Jesus and his followers, as a tribute of service to Him.’”

Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 158ff.

complete verse (Luke 8:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:3:

  • Noongar: “and Joanna, who was the wife of Chuza, boss of Herod’s house; and Susanna and many other women. They gave their money to Jesus and his disciples, helping them.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “One also was Yohana, the wife of Khuza, a servant in the house of King Herodes. There was also Susana, and still many other women. Those women used their own money to help Yesus and his disciples.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Others were Jo’anna, the wife of Kusa, the foreman of the servants of king Herod, and Susanna and many other women. They were the ones who provided for Isa and company.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Among those women also was Joanna, the wife of Chuza. As for Chuza, he was a trusted servant of King Herod. There was also there Susanna, and many other women who went along because they were helping Jesus and company by means of their possessions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Joanna the spouse of Kuza who was an official of Herod, Susanna, and many other women who were giving some of their possessions to help plural Jesus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Another was Juana who was the wife of Cusa who was Herodes’ manager/chief-servant. Still another was Susana, and there were many others who were their companions. What they did was, they used their own possessions/means to help Jesus and company.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:1 – 8:3

Exegesis:

Syntactically vv. 1-3 form one long sentence. The main verb diōdeuen ‘he went about,’ or a related verb, is to be understood with kai hoi dōdeka sun autō ‘and the twelve with him,’ and with kai gunaikes tines ‘and (also) some women.’ Semantically the sentence consists of three parts, concerning (a) Jesus who goes about among towns and villages preaching; (b) the twelve who are going with him, and (c) a group of women, also accompanying him and the disciples, and providing for them. Names and (some) details are added concerning some of these women.

kai egeneto ‘and it happened,’ cf. on 1.8.

en tō kathexēs, scil. chronō, lit. ‘in the subsequent time,’ hence ‘(soon) afterward’ (cf. on 7.11). For kathexēs cf. on 1.3.

kai autos diōdeuen kata polin kai kōmēn ‘he went about through town and village.’ autos is unemphatic ‘he’ as often in kai autos (cf. on 2.28), and does not anticipate hoi dōdeka.

diodeuō ‘to travel about,’ ‘to go about.’

kata polin kai kōmēn ‘to (every single) town and village.’ kata is distributive. The phrase goes with diōdeuen but is also to be understood with the following participles.

kērussōn kai euaggelizomenos tēn basileian tou theou ‘proclaiming and preaching (the good news of) the kingdom of God.’ For kērussō cf. on 3.3, for euaggelizomai on 1.19. tēn basileian tou theou (cf. on 4.43) is object with both participles. kērussōn and euaggelizomenos supplement each other: kērussōn stresses the note of authority and euaggelizomenos implies the idea of the good tidings.

kai hoi dōdeka sun autō ‘and the twelve (went) with him,’ see above. hoi dōdeka has the function of a title, or name, and identifies the disciples as a group.

(V. 2) kai gunaikes tines ‘and some women (went with him, see above).’ tines is best understood to refer to the three women mentioned by name.

hai ēsan tetherapeumenai apo pneumatōn ponērōn kai astheneiōn ‘who had been cured of evil spirits and illnesses,’ cf. on 7.21.

Maria hē kaloumenē Magdalēnē lit. ‘Mary, who was called the one from Magdala,’ i.e. “Mary, who was called Mary of Magdala” (An American Translation, cf. New English Bible), probably because in early Christian circles more than one Mary was known.

aph’ hēs daimonia hepta exelēluthei ‘from whom seven demons had come out.’ The intransitive exelēluthei is virtually equivalent to the passive ‘had been driven out’ (cf. An American Translation). daimonia hepta refers to possession of extraordinary malignity (cf. Plummer, Grundmann). Seven is a traditional number with evil spirits but there is no reason to attach a specific meaning to it here.

(V. 3) Iōanna gunē Chouza epitropou Hērōdou ‘Jo(h)anna the wife of Chouza(s), the steward of Herod,’ presumably without further introduction known to the readers of Luke’s Gospel. The same applies to Susanna.

epitropos ‘steward,’ ‘manager,’ or ‘governor,’ presumably the former (cf. Plummer, Grundmann).

kai heterai pollai ‘and many others,’ probably differing from gunaikes tines in that they had not been healed by Jesus, but included in the same group, as also going with Jesus.

haitines diēkonoun autois ‘who served them.’ haitines is equivalent to the simple relative pronoun hai and does not have consecutive force. Antecedent of haitines are both heterai pollai and gunaikes tines. autois refers to Jesus and the twelve.

diakoneō (cf. on 4.39) ‘to serve,’ with dative means here ‘to provide for,’ ‘to support.’

ek tōn huparchontōn autais ‘out of their means.’ For huparchō cf. on 7.25. ta huparchonta lit. ‘that which is at one’s disposal’ (hence with dative, here autais), is used here as a substantive ‘means,’ ‘possessions’ (though the dative still reflects its verbal origin). In 11.21; 12.33, 44; 16.1; 19.8 it is followed by a possessive genitive.

Translation:

Went on through cities and villages. The distributive sense may be expressed in the prepositional phrase, e.g. ‘in city (after) city and town (after) town’ (Marathi), or in the verb, e.g. by the use of a verbal suffix with distributive force (Ekari), or of a compound verbal phrase such as, ‘travelled traversing’ (Balinese).

Preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The connexion with what precedes may be final, ‘in-order-to preach…’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC), temporal, e.g. ‘and meanwhile (or, during these journeys) he preached…,’ or local, e.g. ‘and there he preached….’ The two participles are sometimes better combined into one expression, e.g. ‘and proclaimed/preached everywhere the good news of…’ (cf. New English Bible, Brouwer, Sranan Tongo). For to preach see on 3.3; for to bring (or, preach) the good news of the kingdom of God see on 3.18 and 4.43.

The twelve, or, ‘the twelve disciples.’

(V. 2) The intricate, almost confusing, structure of vv. 2f may have to be adjusted and clarified, e.g. ‘Many women went with him also. Some among them had been healed of…, to wit, Mary, …, …, and Joanna, …, …, and Suzanna. All of them (or, All these women) provided for them….’

Had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, or, ‘had been demon-possessed and ill, but Jesus had healed them’; see on 7.21. For infirmity see on 5.15.

From whom seven demons had gone out, cf. on 4.33, 35 and references.

(V. 3) Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s steward. The double apposition may be ambiguous, e.g. where the word for “steward” is neutral as to sex; hence adjustments such as, ‘J., the wife of H.’s steward, (called) Ch.,’ ‘J., whose husband, Ch., served as steward to Herod’ (Zarma). Steward, or, ‘major-domo’ (Tzeltal; similarly in Balinese, lit. ‘the-one-who-prepares-the-betel-quid,’ then, the favourite courtier who manages the prince’s palace and possessions), ‘the-one who-is-trusted in the house’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), ‘the man who watches the house/goods’ (Ekari, Sranan Tongo), ‘the head (lit. elder) of the house’ (Sundanese).

Provided for them out of (i.e., taking from) their means (or, ‘things’), ‘giving a part from what they possessed’ (cf. Tae’); or, ‘they used their possessions to pay-for their needs’ (cf. Balinese). Provided for them, or, ‘helped them’ (cf. Good News Translation), “attended to their needs” (Translator’s New Testament), ‘took care of them’ (Batak Toba). It may be impossible, or unsuitable, to subjoin both Jesus and his disciples under one pronominal reference; hence, ‘the group/party’ (Bahasa Indonesia 1968), ‘Jesus and his disciples’ (Ekari).

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.