Language-specific Insights

complete verse (Mark 1:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:20:

  • Uma: “He called them to follow him. So they left their father in the boat with the people with them who were employed [lit., who ate salary], and they followed Yesus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Immediately they were called by Isa and asked by him to come along (lit. taken/carried by him). So-then they left their father in the boat and the people they were employing, and they followed now Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Jesus saw them, he called them to come with him, and then they left their father and their hired netters in the boat, and they went with Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus immediately-called them, and they left their father and the men he was salarying in the boat, and they went-with Jesus too.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They were also called by Jesus. Those two also followed (right behind) Jesus. As for their father, he was there still in the boat, left. Just his people/workers were his companions.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then they left their father Zebedee seated in the canoe. Together with the workers they abandoned him. Having abandoned him, they went together behind Jesus.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Then He called them too and they followed in Jesus’ steps. Their father Zabdi was left behind by them in the boat with the people that receive wages.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So he called them right then and there. And so they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired hands, and, taking a place behind him, they walked away.”

complete verse (Mark 1:31)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:31:

  • Uma: “From there, he went to her sleeping-place, he held her hand, and he helped-her-get-up. She immediately got well, and she served them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa went there and took the hand of the woman and caused her to get up. So-then she was already healed. Then she got up and they were fed by her.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus went to her and took her by the hand and caused her to get up, and immediately the fever left, and she cooked a meal for Jesus and company.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus approached her, and took-her-hand to help her to get-up. Right-then her fever was-removed, and she fed them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus approached that woman, took hold of (her) hand and sat her up. The fever of that woman immediately dropped and she prepared-food to set-a-meal for Jesus and company.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then Jesus having neared her. raised her up, having hand-grasped her. Just then, having left the fever, she made them eat.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Jesus then approached her, took her hand and made her rise up; verily, did the fever leave her, after which she served the people there.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “And so, going to her, he raised her up by taking her hand. Well, the fever left her. So she began taking care of them.”

complete verse (Mark 1:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:10:

  • Uma: “Thus after he was baptized, he came out of the water, and he saw heaven open and the Holy Spirit in-the-shape of a dove bird come down land on him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Isa came out from the water, he saw the sky open and the Holy Spirit coming down to him like the appearance of a dove.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when Jesus came out of the water, immediately he saw heaven opened and the Holy Spirit came down on him like a dove.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When Jesus came-out of the water, right-then he saw heaven being opened and the Holy Spirit like a pigeon/dove coming-down until it landed on him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Just as Jesus was coming-out-of-the-water, he saw that the sky/heaven suddenly/unexpectedly opened, and the Espiritu Santo of God came down to him, the body/physical-appearance being like a dove.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then just as he walked up out of the water, he saw the sky opening up. He saw the Spotless Spirit coming like a dove and falling on himself.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Just did He come up out of the water. then He saw the heaven splitting up and the Holy Spirit descending on Him as a dovebird.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “And immediately, as he was emerging from the water, he saw heaven opened up and the Spirit coming down upon him as a dove.”

complete verse (Mark 1:42)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:42:

  • Uma: “In the blink of an eye, his disease disappeared, he was well.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Immediately his leprosy left and he was already healed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And immediately the leprosy of that person disappeared.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And his sickness was removed immediately.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Suddenly/unexpectedly the leprosy of that person disappeared for it stopped.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Just when he spoke, the Lazarus sickness went out of his body. Then he was arranged.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Just His word had gone forth, then his sickness vanished and he was stainless.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “Well, his leprosy was gone immediately. He became clean.”

complete verse (Mark 1:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:21:

  • Uma: “From there, Yesus with his followers went to Kapernaum-town. On the Yahudi worship day, he entered into the worship house and began to teach.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa and company went to the town Kapernaum. When Saturday came, the day of-no-work of the Yahudi, Isa went to the prayer-house to preach/teach to the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They went to the town Capernaum, and when it was Saturday which is the Day of Rest, Jesus went into the Church of the Jews and there Jesus taught the people.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Plural Jesus went to Capernaum. On the day for-resting, they entered the sinagoga (synagogue), and Jesus began to teach.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “They went to Capernaum. When it was the Day of Rest, they entered the worship-place and then Jesus taught there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then they arrived at Capernaum. Then on the very day to rest, having entered into the small house to praise God in. he taught them.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “Then He together with those followers went to the city Kapernaum. There, when it was Sabat, He entered the place of worship and gave teaching.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “So they make their way into Capernaum. And right away he began teaching in the synagogue there, on the Sabbath.”

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (John 4:12)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For the first part of this verse (“our father Jacob” in English translations), translators often select the inclusive form, whereas for the second part (“gave us this well” in English translations) the exclusive form.

Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.

The Yagua translators (who, along with the translations into Malay, Sundanese, and Balinese, chose the exclusive for both parts of the verse) justify this by saying “Our choice here is exclusive assuming that the Samaritan woman to maintain the independent and factious spirit which this account shows existed between Jews and Samaritans.”

Source: Paul Powlison in Notes on Translation with Drills, p. 165ff.

Another opinion on using the inclusive pronoun for this verse and the remainder of the story:

“The Samaritan woman, in my view, is trying to get the better of Jesus; she appeals to Jacob (v. 12) and to ‘our fathers’ (v. 20) as to authorities higher than Jesus. If this is true, then it was important for her to show that those authorities were acknowledged by Jesus also. Therefore, we can imagine her to have thought or said ‘Your and my ancestor’ (v. 12) or ‘ancestors’ (v. 20) — inclusive pronoun in both verses.

“As for the phrase ‘who gave us the well’, there is certainly much truth in the consideration: “Since the well was in Samaritan territory, presumably she would use the exclusive form.” Yet, the inclusive can be defended here also, I think. With the remark that Jacob and his sons drank from the well, she is pointing back to a time anterior to the present antithesis between Jew and Samaritan; the well was given to ancestors of both peoples. Moreover, she comes to fetch water from the well and Jesus hopes to quench his thirst with its water. “The well is of common interest for both you and me,” she may have meant. It seems possible to find a third appeal to higher authority in v. 25. The woman has acknowledged Jesus as a prophet, but to the Messiah even a prophet has to bow; he, the prophet, as well as she, will have to be shown all things by the Messiah. Accepting this interpretation, we again have to use the inclusive ‘we’, Yet there is a difference with the verses first mentioned. In v. 12 and v. 20 the pronominal first person plural was used in phrases connected with the past; v. 25 points to the future, to the time when the Messiah will come and teach. A consciousness among the Samaritans of a Messianic belief common to both Jews and themselves is a necessary presupposition of the interpretation of v. 25 given above. So we are led to the preliminary question whether such a consciousness existed in Jesus’ times.”

Source: J. L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1959, p. 37 .

complete verse (Mark 1:32)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:32:

  • Uma: “That late-afternoon , the sun was setting, many people came to Yesus bringing all who were sick or possessed by demons.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When the sun had set, the people brought to Isa whoever was sick and those people (who were) demon possessed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when the sun had gone down, all the sick and the afflicted with demons were brought by people to Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As the sun was going-down, the inhabitants brought to Jesus all who were possessed by evil-spirits and the sick.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When the sun set, all who were sick and were possessed by evil spirits were brought to Jesus.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “When it was late, when the sun had already entered, they brought to Jesus, all the sick, the demoned ones.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “When it was evening and the sun had set, all the sick people and those that were possessed by demons were brought before Jesus.” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “In the evening, when the sun set, they brought to him everyone who had something wrong, and everyone afflicted by devils.”

complete verse (Mark 1:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 1:11:

  • Uma: “God spoke from heaven saying to him: ‘You (sing.) are my Son whom I love. You (sing.) are the one who makes-happy my heart.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And there was a voice from heaven saying, ‘You are my beloved Son. I am really pleased with you.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then God in heaven was heard saying, he said, ‘You are my dear Son. I am very much pleased with you.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then there was a voice from heaven that said, ‘You (sing.) are my much-loved child. You (sing.) are the one-with-whom-I-am-continually-satisfied.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “At the same time there was speech coming from heaven/sky which said, ‘You (sing.) really are my held-very-dear Son. I really am very pleased with you.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “Then a word appeared from the sky. You are my loved son, it said. I am very happy toward you.” (Source: James Lauriault in The Bible Translator 1951, p. 32ff. )
  • Balinese: “And then there was a voice from heavens. as follows: ‘You my child 1are Father’s Son who is loved by Father, only to you is the pleasing of Father’s heart.'” (Source: J.L. Swellengrebel in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 75ff. )
  • English translation by Michael Pakaluk (2019): “And there was a voice from heaven: ‘You are my son, my beloved one. I delight in you.’”