complete verse (Matthew 4:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 4:21:

  • Uma: “After that, Yesus continued his journey, he also saw two siblings: Yakobus and Yohanes, the children of Zebedeus. They were fixing their nets in the boat with their father. Yesus called them to become his followers.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa went on/continued on his way. He also/again saw two siblings Yakub and Yahiya, the sons of Sebede. They were together with their father in a boat fixing their nets. Isa called them and told them to come along.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They went along there and Jesus met two different persons, brothers also, James and John the sons of Zebedee. They were in a boat with their father for they were repairing their nets. Jesus called to them,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As they were then walking along the edge of the lake, Jesus saw another sibling-pair, Santiago and Juan and their father Zebedeo. They were riding in their boat preparing their nets. Jesus called those siblings,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “As Jesus continued walking, he also came upon the two brothers Santiago and Juan. They were the sons of Zebedeo. They were fixing their trawl-net there in the boat, along with their father. They also were called by Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Going on a bit farther, again he saw two people who were brothers. They were James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were together with their father in a boat fixing their nets. Jesus told them to go with him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 4:21

The Greek participial construction And going on from there is translated as a finite verb by Good News Translation: “He went one.” It may also be translated “As they proceeded from there.”

Two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother is restructured somewhat more naturally for English speakers by Good News Translation: “two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee.” Good News Bible also has attempted to make the verse more easily understood by breaking it up into shorter sentences, as compared with the single sentence of Revised Standard Version.

Since James is mentioned first, he may have been the older brother and John the younger; however, this is not certain. Some translators may have to say “two men, same father same mother.”

Many translations that have followed the Revised Standard Version order too closely have given some incorrect impressions to readers. For example, two other brothers means another set of men who were brothers to each other, not, as some have translated, brothers to Simon and Andrew. Some translations make it seem that John is Zebedee’s brother, with “his” or his brother referring to Zebedee instead of to James.

Another error has been with translations that make it seem Jesus saw five people, not three. This happens when it is not made clear that the two brothers are James and John. Again, as in verse 18, translators need to structure the verse according to the normal way their language would present information. Some examples are “he saw two other men named James and John. They were also brothers, and their father was Zebedee. They were in their boat with their father…,” “he saw two other men who were brothers. Their names were James and John, and their father’s name was Zebedee,” or “he saw two of the sons of a man named Zebedee. The names of these brothers were James and John.”

The Greek verb translated mending may have the specific meaning of “repair” (see Phillips, New Jerusalem Bible). But it may also have a more general meaning of “getting … ready” (Good News Translation); An American Translation has “putting their nets in order”; Barclay “servicing their nets”; New English Bible “overhauling their nets.”

It must be made clear that when Jesus called them, he “called them to follow him” or “said to them, ‘Come with me.’ ” He only called James and John, not Zebedee.

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 .