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. (…)
These differences in the third person pronouns sometimes make it difficult to translate the plural “they.” [So the Greek what is translated as] “When they were come down from the hill” [in English] must be translated: “When He (ida) came down, followed by His disciples.”
Balinese uses four different third-person pronouns: two to indicate important and very important persons (dane 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). In the case of the Greek that is translated into English as “they had come down,” the Balinese translators translated rikala Ida sareng sisian Idane sane tetiga punika tedun saking gununge punika, akeh anake pada rauh nangkilin Ida: “when He (Ida) came down, followed by his three disciples” because Jesus could not be mentioned with the same pronoun as the disciples.
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 9:37:
Noongar: “Next day, Jesus and the three disciples went down the mountain and many people came to Jesus.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “The next day they descended from the top of the mountain, and many people met Yesus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The next day when they had come down from the mountain, great crowds of people came to meet Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “On the next day, they went down the mountain and there were very many people who came to meet Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “On the next day, plural Jesus descended the mountain, and many people met him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Next morning, Jesus and company went down (the mountain). They were met by very many people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
katelthontōn autōn ‘when they had come down,’ genitive absolute, serving as a complementary indication of time after tē hexēs hēmera. For katerchomai cf. on 4.31.
apo tou orous ‘from the mountain,’ cf. v. 28.
sunēntēsen autō ochlos polus ‘a great crowd met him,’ i.e. came to meet him. sunantaō also 22.10.
Translation:
On the next day, or, ‘on its to-morrow’ (Bahasa Indonesia). An expression for ‘dawn’ is sometimes idiomatically used to indicate ‘the next morning, or, day,’ cf. e.g. ‘(when) the sun (is) big’ (Tae’), ‘when day(light) broke’ (Sranan Tongo).
They had come down. The pronoun may have to be specified, ‘Jesus and those (or, the/his three) disciples.’ In a language like Balinese on must say, ‘when He descended (honorific) … accompanied by the disciples.’
For met him see on 8.27.
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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