The Greek that is translated as “told a parable” or sometimes just “said” as an introduction to a parable is translated in Dagbani very explicitly as ŋahi ba ŋahili or “parabled a parable.” (Source: André Wilson in The Bible Translator 1972, p. 135ff. )
The Parable of the Sower (image)
The parable of The Parable of the Sower is illustrated for use in Bible translations in West Africa by Wycliffe Cameroon like this:
Illustration 1999 Mbaji Bawe Ernest, © Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Used with permission.
parable
The Greek that is usually translated as “parable” in English is translated in other languages in a number of ways:
- Piro: “picture with words”
- Pamona: “message in the manner of a comparison”
- Highland Totonac and South Bolivian Quechua: “comparison word”
- Tzeltal: “picture story”
- Yucateco and Central Tarahumara: “likeness word”
- Cashibo-Cacataibo: “story which says like that”
- Chicahuaxtla Triqui and Wayuu: “story told for teaching”
- Navajo: “story from which understanding comes”
- Western Kanjobal: “notice from which comes teaching” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
- North Alaskan Inupiatun: “story with a meaning”
- Kekchí: “changed, or, turned-about word” (source for this and one above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
- Palantla Chinantec: “double talk” (source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
- Mairasi: “example” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
- Low German: “picture” (translation by Johannes Jessen, publ. 1933, republ. 2006).
- Mandarin Chinese: bǐyù (比喻), lit. “comparison explanation” (source: Zetzsche)
In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “tell-a-story” and “compare.” (Source: Anna Smith)
“Parable” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as analogy because “the Greek word has the sense of tossing down something alongside something else. Hence an analogy.”
See also image and figures of speech.
complete verse (Luke 8:4)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:4:
- Noongar: “Many people came to Jesus from all the towns. When they came together, Jesus told them this story:” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Uma: “There was no end to people from other towns who came to Yesus. When many people had gathered, Yesus spoke to them with this parable, he said:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “One day when many people gathered to Isa and kept coming from the villages Isa spoke to them in a parable. He said,” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And at that time there were always people who were gathered to Jesus, and they came from all the towns. And when a great many people had gathered there, Jesus told them a parable. He said,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “In-a-large-group were the people who were going to where Jesus was from the many-towns he had been visiting. When they gathered where he was, then he related to them this parable.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “People kept on arriving coming from the towns gathering around Jesus. When there were many people now, Jesus used an illustration in teaching, saying,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Translation commentary on Luke 8:4
Exegesis:
suniontos de ochlou pollou ‘when a great crowd was gathering,’ without indication as to place or time, but placing the following event during (the course of) Jesus’ going through towns and villages (cf. v. 1). suneimi.
kai tōn kata polin epiporeuomenōn pros auton lit. ‘and the people from town after town were journeying to him,’ best understood as an elaboration of the preceding clause, and hence making clear that the crowd which was gathering were the people from town after town. The phrase tōn kata polin recalls kata polin kai kōmēn in v. 1.
epiporeuomai ‘to journey,’ ‘to travel.’
eipen dia parabolēs ‘he said in a parable,’ virtually equivalent to eipen parabolēn ‘he told a parable’ (cf. e.g. 4.23; 5.36; 6.39; 12.16, 41).
Translation:
The second clause, containing the more general statement, may better be placed first, cf. Good News Translation.
Came to him, he said. One of the pronouns will often have to be specified.
Town, see on “city” in 1.26.
He said in a parable, or, ‘he said using a parable, or, by means (lit. on the way) of a parable’ (Tae’), ‘he lined up and made even with a story’ (Tabasco Chontal), ‘he told/uttered a parable,’ ‘he used-a-simile/proverb/parable’ (Batak Toba). Some other descriptive renderings are, ‘story with a meaning’ (Barrow Eskimo), ‘change, or, turned-about word’ (Kekchi, San Miguel El Grande Mixtec, referring to the metaphorical character of a parable); Sranan Tongo distinguishes between ‘likeness story,’ traditionally used for ‘parable’ in the Bible, and ‘experience story,’ which probably would be a better translation. — The narrative that forms the parable has sometimes to be introduced by some word or phrase, which serves to mark the beginning of a story and/or its imaginary character, e.g. ‘once there was,’ ‘it-is-told,’ cf. on 1.5, and on “a certain” in 7.41.
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.
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