lazy

The Greek that is translated as “lazy” in English is translated in Mairasi as “dry-faced.”

See also lazy person.

complete verse (Matthew 25:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:26:

  • Uma: “‘The noble said: ‘You (sing.) are a bad lazy ordered-one! If you (sing.) knew that I reap what is not my planted-thing, if you (sing.) knew that I get what I did not work hard for,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “His master answered, ‘You are a bad and lazy servant. You know, surprise, that I take what is not mine and harvest what I have not worked for.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And his master answered, ‘Your work is very bad. You are a lazy servant. You knew, did you, that I harvest what I don’t plant and I get gain from what I do not invest.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then his master said, ‘You (sing.) are a bad and lazy servant! If you (sing.) already-knew that I am taking what I didn’t work-for and I am harvesting also what I didn’t plant,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘Your nature/ways are really evil and you’re a lazy slave!’ said his master. ‘You knew apparently that I harvest what I am not the one who put in the hard work, and I take profit on what it wasn’t I who persevered.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The boss then said to his worker: ‘Are you an evil worker, man? You are very lazy. You tell me that I take what I haven’t worked hard for. You tell me that I harvest where I haven’t worked.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 25:26

Wicked translates an adjective used some twenty-six times in the Gospel (twice by Mark and thirteen times by Luke); its first occurrence is in 5.11, where it is translated “evil.” This is not the same adjective rendered “wicked” in 24.48, though there seems to be no difference in the meaning which Matthew attributes to the two words.

Slothful (Good News Translation “lazy”) is used only here in Matthew’s Gospel; it appears twice in the remainder of the New Testament (Rom 12.11; Phil 3.1). The basic meaning is “idle” or “lazy,” though in the Philippians passage the meaning may be “troublesome.” It is sometimes more natural to turn these accusations into short statements such as “You are a wicked and lazy servant.”

You knew … winnowed? is a rhetorical question that is sometimes difficult to express. Some have followed Good News Translation: (“You knew, did you, that…?”) or have “You knew that I … winnowed. Is that so?” But the question may better be restructured as a statement for many languages. See for example Barclay: “You knew very well that….” Also possible is “You are quite right to say that….” In fact, the Greek text itself may be interpreted as a statement rather than as a rhetorical question.

Reap … sowed … gather … winnowed: see comment at verse 24.

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 .