gnashing of teeth

Th Greek that is translated as “gnashing of teeth” or similar in English is translated as “gnashing their teeth in pain” in Estado de México Otomi for clarity purposes (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.).

See also gnash / grind teeth.

weeping and gnashing of teeth

The now commonly-used German idiom Heulen und Zähneklappern (originally: Heulen und Zähneklappen), which today is used to express anger and outrage, often in a humorous context (literally “weeping and chattering of teeth”), was first coined in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 79)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

complete verse (Matthew 25:30)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:30:

  • Uma: “And that useless ordered-one there, throw him outside into the darkness. There he will continually weep and suffer/groan.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, this useless servant, put him outside into the darkness. The people will wail there and gnash their teeth.’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Now this worthless servant, throw in the darkness outside. There he will yell and gnash his teeth because of his great remorse.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Concerning moreover this useless servant, throw him away to the place of darkness where-people -cry-bitterly and -clench-their-teeth-(in anger or pain).’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As for that worthless slave, throw him there into the far-from-ordinary darkness/dark-place outside. He will cry-loudly there and his teeth will grind too.”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “As for this worker who didn’t want to work, throw him outside. There he will cry and gnash his teeth,’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 25:30

Elsewhere in the New Testament the adjective worthless is found only in Luke 17.10. Good News Translation‘s “As for this useless servant—throw him…” represents an attempt to express the position of emphasis which the worthless servant occupies in the Greek sentence. It may be better to use a complete sentence: “But this servant is worthless! Take him and throw him….”

Outer darkness was discussed at 8.12.

There men will weep and gnash their teeth has no subject in Greek. Good News Translation supplies a different subject: “there he will cry and gnash his teeth.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch retains the impersonal structure: “Throw this good-for-nothing out in the darkness, where there is nothing except crying and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew employs this formula six times (see comment at 8.12); outside his Gospel it is used only in Luke 13.28.

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 .