tenants (of a vineyard) / winegrower

The Greek that is translated as “tenants (of a vineyard)” or similar in English is translated in the Pfälzisch translation by Walter Sauer (publ. 2012) as Winzer and in Luxembourghish as Wënzer, both “winemaker (vintner).” The area were Pfälzisch and Luxembourghish are spoken are traditional wine making areas and this is the commonly used term.

The same term is also used in John 15:1 for (English) “winegrower.” (Source: Zetzsche)

vineyard

The Hebrew, Latin, and Greek that is translated as “vineyard” in English is translated in Noongar as boodjer-djildjiyang, lit. “land for fruit.” (Source: Portions of the Holy Bible in the Nyunga language of Australia, 2018).

complete verse (Matthew 21:41)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 21:41:

  • Uma: “They answered him: ‘Certainly he will kill those evil people, and his field he will give it to other people who want to give him his portion at its time.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They answered, they said, ‘Surely he will kill those bad people and will give his garden into the care of other people who will give him his share when the time for the grape fruit has come.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they answered, ‘He will kill those who were caring, and he will let some other people care for his vineyard who will, by contrast, give his share at harvest.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Terrible is what he will do to kill those bad people,’ they said answering. ‘Then he will also have-what was planted -taken-care-of by other people who can-be-trusted to give his share when it is picking-season.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They replied, ‘It’s certain that he will wipe out those people with such evil nature/ways and cause (the plantation) to be tended by other farmers, those who will give him his share at the time of fruit-falling.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The people said when they answered: ‘What will he do? Why he will kill the workers, those who were evil men, and he won’t have pity on them. And concerning his field, he will again share-crop with other people. Those people, when the day comes to pick the grapes, will deliver to the field-owner his share.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 21:41

They said to him is unique in Matthew, who allows the hearers to pronounce their own judgment. Note the similar manner in which Matthew includes “we are afraid of the multitude” (verse 26) as a remark of the chief priests and the elders rather than as an observation by the narrator (as in Mark 11.32).

He will put those wretches to a miserable death represents a play on words in Greek: “He will bring those bad men to a bad end” (New English Bible) and “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end” (New Jerusalem Bible). However, as attested by New English Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, when the play on words is transferred into English, the effect is less than desirable. A more literal rendering is “He will kill those bad people badly,” in which the adverb “badly” may qualify either the merciless character of the death (Phillips “without mercy”) or else its horrible nature (An American Translation “a miserable death”).

Let out translates the same verb used in verse 33 (so also Mark 12.1; Luke 20.9). Here Mark (12.9) and Luke (20.16) shift to a verb which means “give” or “turn over to.”

Who will give him the fruits in their seasons is a statement found only in Matthew. Its structure and meaning are similar to “the season of fruit” of verse 34 (see comment there). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch is dynamic: “who promptly turn over to him his share at harvest time.”

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 .