anger

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The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “anger” in English in this verse is translated with a variety of solutions (Bratcher / Nida says: “Since anger has so many manifestations and seems to affect so many aspects of personality, it is not strange that expressions used to describe this emotional response are so varied).”

  • Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “be warm inside”
  • Mende: “have a cut heart”
  • Mískito: “have a split heart”
  • Tzotzil: “have a hot heart”
  • Mossi: “a swollen heart”
  • Western Kanjobal: “fire of the viscera”
  • San Blas Kuna: “pain in the heart”
  • Chimborazo Highland Quichua: “not with good eye”
  • Citak: two different terms, one meaning “angry” and one meaning “offended,” both are actually descriptions of facial expressions. The former can be represented by an angry stretching of the eyes or by an angry frown. The latter is similarly expressed by an offended type of frown with one’s head lowered. (Source: Graham Ogden)

See also God’s anger.

complete verse (Matthew 18:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:34:

  • Uma: “No longer kidding the anger of the king. He put that slave whose behavior was evil into prison until his debt was paid finished/completely.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The sultan was very angry and he commanded that servant to be put in prison to be punished as long as he was not able to pay all his debt.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The king was very angry, and he had this man put in prison to punish him as long as he could not pay all that he owed.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And due-to the extreme anger of the king, he sentenced that official to be hardshipped in prison until he paid all his debt.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Without anything further, through the greatness of the anger of that king, he imprisoned him until he could pay all that debt of his.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The boss was really angry. He ordered them to take the worker to jail until he would pay the money that he owed.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 18:34

And in anger (Good News Translation “was very angry”) translates a participle which is given a position of emphasis in the Greek sentence. New English Bible renders “And so angry was the master,” and Barclay “The master was furious.”

Once again Good News Translation substitutes “The king” for his lord in order to maintain continuity throughout the parable. See verses 27 and 31.

The king delivered him, or possibly better, “handed him over” (Barclay) or “ordered his servants to take the man.”

To the jailers (Good News Translation “to jail to be punished”) is more literally “to the torturers” (New Jerusalem Bible), as RSV’s footnote points out. New English Bible has “he condemned the man to torture.” Torture was not allowed among the Jews, though it is known to have been used by Herod the Great. But in other countries of the ancient Near East torture was regularly used, especially in cases of a disloyal governor or one who was late in the payment of taxes. The mention of “torture” is to intensify the degree of punishment which the man would receive. For this reason many translate the phrase as “to the people who would punish him” or “to the people (in jail) who would make him suffer.”

Till he should pay all his debt is almost word-for-word the same as the last part of verse 30, except for the inclusion of the modifier all. That is, the man’s own punishment is described in terms of the punishment which he inflicted on his fellow servant. Moreover, the man’s situation is helpless and his punishment is endless, because there is no opportunity for him to make restoration.

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 .