complete verse (Matthew 24:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 24:25:

  • Uma: “Remember! I have told you ahead of time before it happens.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Listen,’ said Isa, ‘I have told you already beforehand of this while it has not yet happened.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t forget that I have warned you beforehand.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore remember/think-about these-things, because here I have warned you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Think about this. I am telling you these things already so that you won’t be misled.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now I have told you beforehand the word which must come to pass.” (Source: Tenango Otomi 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 Matthew 24:25

Lo is the attention-getter generally translated “Behold” in Revised Standard Version (see 1.20). Moffatt and Barclay do not represent it by a word in the translation; Good News Translation has “Listen,” and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Remember.”

I have told you beforehand (Moffatt “I am telling you this beforehand”) may also be translated “I am warning you about these things before they happen” (New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible “I have forewarned you”).

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 .