prison

The Greek that is translated in English as “prison” is translated in Dehu as moapokamo or “house for tying up people” (source: Maurice Leenhardt in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 97ff. ) and in Noongar as maya-maya dedinyang or “house shut” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Matthew 25:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:36:

  • Uma: “I didn’t have any clothes, you gave me clothes. I was sick, you paid me a visit. I was in prison, you visited me.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I didn’t have any clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you visited me.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When I had no clothing, you gave me some. When I was sick, you took care of me. When I was in prison, you visited me.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I also had no clothes and you clothed me. I was moreover sick and you took-care-of-me, and when I was in-prison you visited-me in order to help-me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, when I had no clothes, you clothed me. You checked up on me when I was sick. When I was imprisoned, you came to me.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When I didn’t have clothing to wear, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick you went to visit me. When I was in jail, you went to see me,’ he will say.” (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 25:35 – 25:36

For marks the relation between the preceding invitation and these two verses. The King invites those blessed by his Father to receive their inheritance because of the way they treated him (the King). Translators may need to say “I invite you to come because…” or “You will receive this because….” The righteous are rewarded on the basis of their works of love for persons in desperate need.

I was hungry … thirsty … a stranger … naked … sick … in prison: some have felt that this suggests a “mystical identification of Christ and the needy,” but it is enough to make clear that it is through service to those who are in need that Christ himself chooses to be served. Thus the translation must use the first person, I was hungry.

In some languages I was hungry is more naturally “When I was hungry,” in which case the and of the following phrase may not be needed. “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat.”

You gave me food (literally “you gave me to eat”) is better than Good News Translation‘s “you fed me,” which may imply the inability of the hungry person to feed himself.

Gave me drink may need to be slightly restructured: “you gave me water to drink.” In the dry and hot climate of Palestine, the giving of water to a thirsty person was a special act of kindness.

Stranger most probably signifies anyone unknown to a person, though it may also carry the meaning “foreigner.”

Welcomed (Good News Translation “received … in your homes”) translates the active form of the verb rendered “will be gathered” of verse 32. Here the meaning is “welcome as a guest”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch appropriately renders “accepted me as one of your own.”

I was naked and you clothed me is not to suggest that the person who provided the clothes actually placed them on the naked person. One may translate “I did not have any clothes, and you gave me clothes to wear.” Some translators understand naked as an exaggeration and translate it as “I didn’t have enough to wear” or “I had no clothes.”

Visited can be “came (or, went) to see me,” but in this context the idea of taking care of is probably better. See Good News Translation “took care of.” For the last verb, came does refer to going to see a person in prison, so “visited” of Good News Translation is quite appropriate there.

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 .