abundance, surplus

The Greek that is translated as “(out of their) surplus (or: abundance)” is translated into Tabasco Chontal as “they gave money which they didn’t need” and into Tzeltal as “the left-over money.”

complete verse (Mark 12:44)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 12:44:

  • Uma: “For they gave from the excess of their wealth. But that woman, even though she is so poor/pitiable, she gave all that she had, even though actually she needed it for her daily life.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For they all,’ said Isa, ‘they give from their excess wealth. But this woman, even though she is poor, she has given all her money even what had been earmarked to help her need.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For all the others who have given here, they gave the excess of their wealth, but that poor woman, even though she is having a difficult time, she gave everything she had.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because as for the rest, it was only the excess of their wealth that they gave, but this widow, even-though she is poor, she gave all that she has-to-live-on.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for those others who have-lots-of-money, what they drop is the excess which they don’t need. But as for this widow, although her poverty is great, she dropped all she had left to live on.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Mark 12:44

Exegesis:

ek tou perisseuontos autois ‘from that which abounds to them,’ ‘from their abundance’: the participle is the genitive of the neuter form to perisseuon ‘that which abounds.’

perisseuō (only here in Mark; cf. perisseuma 8.8) ‘to abound,’ ‘to be present in abundance.’

husterēseōs (only here in Mark; cf. hustereō 10.21) ‘lack,’ ‘need,’ ‘poverty.’

panta hosa (cf. 6.30; 11.24) ‘everything,’ ‘everything as much (as).’

bion (only here in Mark) ‘life’: here in terms of ‘livelihood,’ ‘means of living,’ ‘subsistence,’ ‘property.’

Translation:

Out of their abundance is neatly translated in the Tabasco Chontal as ‘they gave money which they didn’t need.’ In Tzeltal this is ‘the left-over money.’

In Bali the last of this verse is idiomatically rendered as ‘but she, being wholly destitute, has cast in all her money and has shaken out her house’ (as one shakes out a bag so that nothing is left in it), implying that all the money she had was given.

The idea of her whole living can also be translated as ‘all she had; this was her food’ (Tabasco Chontal) and ‘all she was going to eat’ (Copainalá Zoque).

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 .