serve (Igede)

The Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that is typically translated in English as “serve,” “minister,” “walk with,” or “service” is translated in Igede as myị ẹrụ or “agree with message (of the one you’re serving).” (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

See also serve.

complete verse (Mark 10:44)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 10:44:

  • Uma: “And whoever wants to have a big name must become the slave to all his companions.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And whoever of you wants to become the greatest, he has to be like a slave helping his companions.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And if there is one of you that wants that he is higher than all of you, he must make himself lower than all of you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “and he who wants to be the most-important, he must serve all people like a slave.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And whoever wants to become greatest/most-important, he must make himself like a slave of all.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff.), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Mark 10:44

Exegesis:

prōtos (cf. 6.21) ‘first’: as in 9.35 and 10.31 the word indicates rank.

doulos (12.2, 4; 13.34; 14.47) ‘slave,’ ‘bond-slave’ (as distinguished from diakonos ‘servant’ and misthōtos (1.20) ‘hired man.’

Translation:

For translations of first see 10.31 and 9.35. In this context, however, first, in the sense of the first in a line, may not be applicable, for in this passage ‘strongest to command’ may be a closer correspondence in meaning.

Where a term for slaves is not known, there are sometimes different grades of servants. For example, among the Tzotzil a servidor (borrowed from Spanish) is ‘one who works for hire,’ but a mozo (likewise from Spanish) is one who is working off a debt, and for all practical purposes is a slave, for the chances of his ever paying off the debt are rather remote, unless he can obtain some legal help.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of Mark. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1961. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .