complete verse (Mark 13:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 13:23:

  • Uma: “But you here, watch out! I tell you all this before it happens.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But you have to watch out,’ said Isa. ‘I have told you beforehand about these (things) while they are not yet happening.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore be on your guard for I have told you about all these things that are going to take place before they happen.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore watch-out, because here I have warned (lit. said-in-advance to) you.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore be very careful. I am telling you already all this so that you won’t be misled.” (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 13:23

Exegesis:

humeis ‘you yourselves’: the pronoun is emphatic (cf. Rawlinson).

blepete (cf. v. 5) ‘beware!’ ‘watch out!’

proeirēka (only here in Mark) ‘I have foretold,’ ‘I told (it) beforehand.’

Translation:

Take heed does not refer to the people’s paying close attention to what Jesus was saying at that time, but to their being aware of what was going to happen in the future, i.e. ‘be on your guard against,’ ‘be careful,’ or ‘watch out for what will happen.’

Beforehand may require expansion into the form of a clause, e.g. ‘before these things happen’ or ‘before these events take place.’

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 .