messenger

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “messenger” in English is translated in Noongar as moort yana-waangki or “person walk-talk” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Matthew 11:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 11:10:

  • Uma: “Because he is the one who prepares the hearts of the people to receive me, like was written in the Holy Book long ago. God said: ‘This one is my messenger/sent-one, I command him to come ahead of You (sing.), to prepare your (sing.) road.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For Yahiya is the person written about in the holy-book, it says there, ‘God said, I send my messenger ahead of you in order to prepare your way.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for John is also the fulfillment of the prophesied word of God because God said, ‘This is the person that I will send. I will cause him to go ahead of you so that he might clean your way.’ ‘” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because Juan is what the written word of God is telling-about that says, ‘I will send someone to go-ahead of you (sing.) to prepare the path-you-(sing.)-will-take.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because this Juan is the one being referred to in the word of God which was written, which says, ‘It’s true, there is someone whom I will send to go ahead of you (sing.), for he will make ready where you will walk.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This John is the messenger spoken about in the Holy Book, which says: ‘I will send my messenger to go ahead of where you go. He will prepare for your coming,’ it says.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 11:10

Jesus now appeals to Scripture in support of his affirmation that John is more than a prophet.

Of whom it is written is similar to the earlier quotation formulas (see 2.5). Both Good News Translation and Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition introduce God as the speaker of the words quoted from Scripture, and Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition translates: “John is the one of whom it speaks in the holy Scriptures: ‘Here is my messenger, says God….’ ”

Translators will need to find a natural way to introduce this quotation. Here are some other suggestions: “The man you saw is the one that God was speaking about in the Scriptures when he said…” and “God’s Scriptures were speaking about this man in the place it says….” Good News Translation is also a useful model.

Translators who use “Scriptures” should refer to comments on 4.4.

For comments on Behold, see 1.20. It is a word that can be dropped or rendered by “I tell you” or “Look,” or some other expression which will catch the attention of the audience.

Note that my messenger means “God’s messenger.” Hence the introduction of “God” in these examples. Readers must not think it is Jesus’ messenger being referred to.

The Scripture quotation derives from the Greek text of Malachi 3.1, but Matthew’s wording differs in at least two respects from that of the Septuagint. (1) Before thy face (Good News Translation “ahead of you”) is not found in the Malachi passage, though it does appear in the Septuagint of Exodus 23.20. (2) In place of “before me” (a reference to God), Matthew substitutes before thee (Good News Translation “for you”), that is, “before Jesus, the Messiah.” In the original Malachi text (and also in Exo 23.20) the messenger was to go ahead of God and prepare the way for him. Matthew, however, reinterprets the text to mean that God now sends his messenger (John the Baptist) to prepare the way for the Messiah (Jesus). This is what gives John his unique position. He is a prophet, but his role supersedes that of other prophets in that he is the one who introduces the Messianic Age.

Before thy face is usually translated as in Good News Translation. It does not mean literally “in front of your face” but rather refers to going ahead.

To prepare thy way before thee means “to get your road ready for you (to travel on)” or “to open the road so you can travel on it.” If “road” would be understood only as a paved road, then translators should retain way, of course.

Even though “you” does refer to the Messiah, Jesus, most translators prefer not to say “Jesus” specifically. At most, if the sentence can not be understood otherwise, translators may say “before you, the Messiah.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .