Translation commentary on Luke 14:35

Exegesis:

oute eis gēn oute eis koprian eutheton estin ‘it is fit neither for the ground nor for the manure-heap.’ For euthetos cf. on 9.62. The clause is best understood as meaning, ‘it is neither directly nor indirectly useful as manure’ (cf. Klostermann, Grundmann).

kopria ‘dungheap,’ ‘manure-heap’ (cf. 13.8).

exō ballousin auto ‘they throw it away,’ without specific indication of place or agent.

ho echōn ōta akouein akouetō ‘he who has ears to hear, let him hear,’ cf. on 8.8.

Translation:

The negative of it is fit has been rendered, ‘it cannot (or, can nowhere) be used,’ “it is no good” (Phillips, similarly Pohnpeian, Sranan Tongo), ‘it is worthless’ (Ekari, similarly Zarma), ‘it is useless’ (one West Nyanja version, lit. ‘is without work’; similarly Shona 1963, lit. ‘it has no work to do’).

For the land, i.e. the farmland, the fields. The meaning of the preposition may have to be stated more explicitly, cf. e.g. ‘to manure (lit. fatten) the soil’ (Sranan Tongo).

For the dunghill, or, again more explicitly, ‘to keep (it) on the dunghill’ (Sranan Tongo), ‘to mix (it) with manure, or, compost, dry grass’ (cf. 13.8).

He who … hear, see the note on 8.8.

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

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