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 25:43)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:43:

  • Uma: “I passed by your house, you didn’t have-me-stop-in. I didn’t have any clothes, you didn’t give me clothes. I was sick, I was in prison, you didn’t visit me.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I was a stranger but you did not treat-me-according-to-custom, I had no clothes but you did not give to me, I was sick and in prison but you did not visit me.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I had no place to go up into, and you did not receive me into your house. I needed clothing, but you didn’t give it to me. I was sick and I was in the prison, but you didn’t visit me.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I was a visitor/stranger but you didn’t show-me-hospitality. I also had no clothes but you didn’t clothe me. I was sick and in-prison but you refused to take-care-of-me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When I was a stranger, you didn’t welcome me. When I was without-clothes, you didn’t clothe me. I got sick and was in prison, and you didn’t check up on me.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I was a stranger in the land but you did not give me a resting place. There was the time I was without clothing to wear, but you did not give me clothes to wear. There was the time I was sick and I was in jail, but you did not go to greet me.'” (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 25:42 – 25:43

The exegesis and restructuring of these verses, except for a shift to the negative form, will be similar to that of verses 35-36. See comments and translation 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 .