your daughter is dead

The Greek that is translated in English as “your daughter is dead” is translated in Mangga Buang with the euphemism “your daughter’s eyes are closed.” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1078)

Raising a Girl (image)

Painting by Wang Suda 王肅達 (1910-1963),
Copyright by the Catholic University Peking, China

Text under painting translated from Literary Chinese into English:
Raising a Girl
Proof that Jesus is the true God

Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (Luke 8:49)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:49:

  • Noongar: “As Jesus was speaking, a messenger came from the boss’s house. He said to Jairus, ‘Your daughter has died. Stop troubling the Lord now.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “While Yesus was still speaking, a messenger from the house of Yairus arrived who said to Yairus: ‘Your (sing.) child has died. Do not any longer bother/trouble Teacher.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “While Isa was still talking with the woman, somebody arrived from the house of Jairus. He said to Jairus, ‘Your daughter has died (lit. is no more). Don’t trouble the teacher now.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “While Jesus was still speaking then, someone arrived who’d come from the house of Jairus. And they said to Jairus, they said, ‘Don’t trouble Jesus any longer to come along because you cannot overtake the breath of your child.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus was still speaking as there arrived from Jairus’ house those who told him, ‘Let’s not distract/bother the teacher any more, because your (sing.) child has died.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What Jesus was saying hadn’t yet ended when someone arrived following/coming-a-while-later after Jairo. He said to Jairo, ‘Your daughter has died (lit. her illness became severe). Probably (it’s okay) even if this Teacher is no longer caused to continue on to the house.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 8:49

Exegesis:

eti autou lalountos ‘while he was still speaking.’

erchetai tis ‘somebody came.’ The historical present has a note of suddenness.

para tou archisunagōgou lit. ‘from the leader of the synagogue,’ or, since he is with Jesus and not at home, ‘from the house of the leader of the synagogue’ (cf. Bible de Jérusalem, de chez le chef).

archisunagōgos (also 13.14) ‘leader, or president of the synagogue,’ whose duty it was to take care of the arrangements for the worship services.

legōn hoti ‘saying,’ introducing direct speech.

tethnēken hē thugatēr sou ‘your daughter has died,’ but in English better rendered ‘your daughter is dead,’ cf. on 7.12.

mēketi skulle ton didaskalon ‘do not trouble the teacher anymore.’ For skullō cf. on 7.6. didaskalos as a title occurs usually in the vocative (cf. on 3.12), but here in the accusative.

Translation:

While he was still speaking, or, ‘he was still speaking, there/suddenly…’ (Balinese); the idea of continuance inherent in “still” may here be rendered otherwise, cf. “before he had finished speaking” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation).

Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more. Supposing that the messenger is one of the ruler’s servants, languages like Javanese, Sundanese will use honorific forms here. The first clause is the actual message, the second points to the consequences of the new situation; it expresses not a prohibition but an advice, ‘you should not…,’ or ‘there is no need now to….’ For to trouble, or, ‘to bother,’ ‘to put to inconveniences,’ ‘to give labour’ (Marathi), cf. also on the reflexive form in 7.6. Sometimes a circumlocutionary rendering of the verb must be given, cf. e.g. ‘do not keep saying to the teacher, “Please, come (to my house)” ,’ or, ‘Why don’t you say to the teacher, “You are not to come”?’ (Auca). — If Teacher has to be possessed one may say ‘our (inclus.) Teacher/Master.’

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.