The Parable of the Sower (image)

The parable of The Parable of the Sower is illustrated for use in Bible translations in West Africa by Wycliffe Cameroon like this:

Illustration 1999 Mbaji Bawe Ernest, © Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Used with permission.

complete verse (Matthew 13:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 13:5:

  • Uma: “There were also some which fell on stony ground, just a little bit its land/soil. That sowed-thing very quickly grew, because the soil was thin.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Other seed fell onto bedrock with little soil (lit. not deep it’s soil). The seed sprouted easily because the soil was not deep.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There was also that which he was planting that fell and landed on the stones where the soil which was on top of the stones was very thin. And the plant quickly sprouted because the soil was thin.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Others that he broadcast, they fell on a rocky-area. Because its soil was shallow (lit. on-the-surface), they quickly-sprouted.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Where others got scattered was in a rocky place. Well since the soil was only superficial over those rocks, these seeds sprouted quickly.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Others of the seeds he sowed landed where the earth was not deep because there was rock under it. These seeds quickly sprouted because the earth wasn’t deep where they were.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 13:5

The reference to rocky ground can mean either ground full of rocks or a thin layer of soil on top of a rock ledge. The second of these two interpretations is more probable (Barclay “on ground where there was only a thin skin of earth over the rock”). The sun would have heated the rocks immediately beneath the rocky ground, causing the seed on it to sprout more quickly than the seed on the remaining ground.

The text uses they referring to the seeds three times in this verse. For the phrase they had not much soil, it may be better to say “there was not much soil (for the seeds to grow in)” or “they did not have enough soil to grow in.” Similarly they had no depth of soil can be “the soil wasn’t deep enough for them” or “they didn’t have soil there that was deep enough.”

Immediately can be “quickly” or “soon” (Good News Translation).

Whatever is the usual word for “sprouted” in a language can be used for sprang up.

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 .