Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 4:14:
Uma: “The planter(s), they are people who announce God’s Word.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The person who broadcasted seeds,’ said Isa, ‘if explained, he is the man teaching/preaching the word/message of God to the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In my parable, the meaning of the person’s planting is the spreading of the word of God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “The meaning of the parable is this. The seeds that were sown, that is the word of God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “This is the meaning of that one. That seed which was scattered is the word of God which is being taught.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “The sowing person he sowed the seed; thus it is also how God’s word is spread.”
Usila Chinantec: “The one who sows is like one who speaks the word of God.”
Chuj: “The man who sowed the seed, that means he spread forth the word of God.”
San Mateo Del Mar Huave: Then he began to tell them what he taught the story about. He said,Well, that sower there is like one who talks the word of God. (Here the transition to the explanation has been made explicit as required by San Mateo Del Mar Huave) (Source for this and three above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.).
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:44:
Uma: “All of those believers in Yesus, they were united/agreed. Their belongings they had in common.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “All who trusted in Isa were together, and whatever they had they shared/gave to each other if someone was in need.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The unity of the believers was strong. That person who had possessions, he gave also to his companions.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “All the believers were continuing to meet-together and share-with-each-other their possessions.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for the believers, what they did was, they were always/often gathering together and they were all really harmonious. They didn’t hold-back any of their possessions which were needed by their sibling in believing.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Chuj: “All of them who had believed in Jesus were united in mind. Everything of theirs, one only they treated it (as common property).”
Isthmus Mixe: “The ones who had believed were working together. They owned everything together.”
Eastern Highland Otomi: “All that believed followed one another and what they had they gave to one another.”
Lalana Chinantec: “All the people who believed the words of God were continually coming together; they were very kind to their companions. They never reserved for themselves all of their things.” (Source for this and three above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 11:24:
Uma: “That Barnabas, he was a person with a good heart. He was controlled by the Holy Spirit and his faith was strong. That is why many more people of Antiokhia believed in the Lord.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “This Barnabas was a man of good customs. He was controlled/ruled by the Holy Spirit and his faith/trust was very strong. He was able to bring many people in Antiyok to trust in Isa, the Lord.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for Barnabas, his custom was good, and his being inspired by the Holy Spirit was strong, and his faith also in God was strong. Therefore many of the people there came to believe in our Lord Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because Barnabas was a good person, full of the power of the Holy Spirit, and his faith was also strong. Therefore, there were many who were-added-to them who believed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For as for Bernabe, he was a person with really good ways/nature. His believing/obeying was strong and he was really obedient to the Espiritu Santo who indwelt him. Therefore the number of believers in the Lord increased and increased there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “Barnabas was a good person. He had the Holy Spirit whole one heart, he believed whole one heart. Many people were added following the mind of the Lord Jesus.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 8:37:
Uma: “For there isn’t anything that we can trade for that good life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “For there is no treasure/wealth in the world that can redeem him in order for him to have everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For there is no possession which he can exchange in order to get eternal life.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because there is nothing that a person can exchange for his life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Of course there’s nothing he could do that could free/save him there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Peñoles Mixtec: “And it (all things in the world) will not do any good to help his soul.”
El Nayar Cora: “There is nothing that he is able to do to buy back a person his own life when it is already lost.”
Isthmus Mixe: “What can a man give so that he wouldn’t come to ruin forever?” (Source for this and three above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 2:46:
Uma: “Every day they gathered in the House of God. They broke bread to remember the Lord Yesus’ death, and they ate together in their houses with glad and holy [i.e., sincere] hearts.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Every day they met together there in the temple/big prayer-house. They ate together in their homes. They ate with joy and they were generous in giving to one another.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And everyday all the believers were gathering in the big church which was called the House of God. And they became one also with great joy as they ate in their houses.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Every-day they were joining-in-congregating in the Temple. They were eating-together also in the houses, and their joy was heartfelt/sincere in their doing that.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “And what they did every day was, they gathered together in the like-a-yard of the Templo. A custom of theirs also was, they went to eat at one another’s homes with a happy mind which had no motive which wasn’t good.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “They gathered together every day at the big Israelite church building. They celebrated the Lord’s supper at their houses. They were joyful and contented as they ate together.”
Desano: “Every day in the temple they talked with God and in their houses they ate together and in their hearts they were content.” (Source for this and one above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Acts 15:39:
Uma: “From there, Paulus and Barnabas argued, with the result that they separated. Barnabas took Markus to be with him, and they boarded a ship to the land of Siprus.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The two really argued, therefore they separated. Barnabas took Markus along and they sailed to the island of Kiprus.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “This caused a dispute between them. Therefore they separated, and as for Barnabas, he took Mark and he got on a boat and went to Cyprus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then their argument was excessive, and they separated. Barnabas took-along Marcos, and they rode in a ship to go to Cyprus.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Over that they really didn’t agree. Without anything further, they didn’t go together when they set out. Bernabe caused Marcos to accompany him when he sailed going to Chipre.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Isthmus Mixe: “They discussed but their minds did not meet each other. For that reason they separated. Then Barnabas took Mark with him. They entered a boat at the sea. Then they went to the land of Cyprus.” (Source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 14:24:
Uma: “He said to them: ‘This is my blood that will be spilled when I die to redeem / take-the-place-of many people. This blood of mine strengthens the promise that connects God with mankind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Isa said to them, ‘This is my blood which will soon be poured out because of/on behalf of many people. This is a sign that God is fulfilling/will fulfill his covenant.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘This is my blood which will be shed when I am killed in order to annoint many people. This is the sign of the way of setting free which God has established.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus said, ‘This is my blood that ratifies (lit. ties-in-a-knot) God’s new agreement. It will flow-out when I die for the many people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘That,’ said Jesus, ‘that is my blood which is the strength/pledge of the initiated-agreement of God with people. For I will shed (lit. cause to drip) my blood so that many can be forgiven.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Choapan Zapotec: “… This is my blood which I will shed in order that you will know God has entered into an agreement with mankind. Also in order that he might forgive the sins of mankind.”
Southern Puebla Mixtec: “… This is my blood. It is going to run out for many people. By my blood God makes a new agreement with people.”
Isthmus Mixe: “… his is my blood which will run out in behalf of many people, this is a sign that God has made a new agreement with you.”
Peñoles Mixtec: “… This is my blood which is for a contract God spoke for all people. My blood will be spilled and for this reason people will find salvation.”
Tewa: “… This is my blood. I will spill my blood for many people, and because I do this, what God has promised will come to pass.” (Source for this and four above: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Greek that is translated as “Son of Man” is mostly used by Jesus to refer to himself as well as in the prophecies of Daniel and Enoch (see Enoch 17:34 et al). It is translated in the following languages as (click or tap for details):
Tzotzil: “I who am equal with men” or “The Older Brother of Everybody” (“expressing the dignity and authority of the Messiah and the universality of his work”)
Tenango Otomi: “The Man Appointed” (i.e. the man to whom authority has been delegated) (source for this and preceding: Beekman, p. 189-190, see also Ralph Hill in Notes on Translation February 1983, p. 35-50)
Aguaruna: “One who was born becoming a person” (source for this and two above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Older Sibling of Mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Child of a Person” (source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “One From Heaven Born of Man/human?” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Man who came from heaven” (source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Yatzachi Zapotec: “One who God sent, who was born a human” (a direct translation would have suggested “that the father is unknown due to the indiscretions of the mother” and where “he is the son of people” is used when one wants to disclaim responsibility for or relationship with a child caught in some mischief — source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Kâte: Ŋic Fâri Wâtuŋne or “the man who is a true support” (source: Renck, p. 106)
Mezquital Otomi: “The son who became a person” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)
Alekano: “The true man who descended from heaven” (source: Ellis Deibler in Notes on Translation June 1986, p. 36ff.)
Central Tarahumara: “One who has been stood up to help” (“This suggests that Christ has been given authority to some appointed task. A very generic word, help, was selected to fill in the lexically obligatory purpose required by the word which means to appoint or commission. Usually this word is used of menial tasks but not exclusively. The choice of this generic term retains the veiled reference to the character of Christ’s work which He intended in using the ‘Son of Man’ title.”)
Chicahuaxtla Triqui: “He who is relative of all people.” (“The Triqui word for relative is a rather generic term and in its extended sense sometimes is diluted to neighbor and friend. But the primary meaning is relative.”)
Tepeuxila Cuicatec: “The Person who Accompanies All People” (“The literal equivalents ‘son of man’ and ‘son of people’ were both rejected because of the false inference of natural birth involving a human father. Furthermore, it was necessary to expand any translation of the Bible by the addition of the pronoun ‘I’ so as to clarify the fact that Jesus is using the third person in referring to Himself. A common expression used by the Cuicatecos when difficulties befall someone, is to say to that one, ‘don’t worry, we are accompanying you.’ By this they mean they share that person’s sorrow. When wedding guests arrive at the home of a son who has just been married, they say to the father, ‘We have come to accompany you.’ By this they mean that they have come to share the father’s joy. These expressions do not refer to ordinary physical accompaniment, which is expressed by a set of different verbs. For example, visits are always announced by some such greeting as, “I have come to visit you,’ ‘I have come to see you,’ or ‘I have come to ask you something.’ The desire to accompany a friend on a journey is expressed by saying, ‘I will go with you.’ Translation helpers used the verb ‘accompany’ in constructing the phrase ‘I, the Person who Accompanies All People.'(…) It reflects the fact that Jesus closely identified Himself with all of us, understands our weaknesses, shares our burdens, rejoices with us in times of gladness, etc.”) (source for this and the three preceding: Beekman in Notes on Translation January 1963, p. 1-10)
Guhu-Samane: “Elder-brother-man” (“Since the term denotes an elder brother in every way such as honor, power, leadership, representation of the younger, etc. it is a meaningful and fitting — though not ostentatious — title.” Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator 1965, p. 198ff. )
Navajo (Dinė): Diné Silíi’ii — “Man he-became-the-one-who” (“This terra presented a difficulty not only in Navajo but also one peculiar to all the Athapaskan languages. It lies in the fact that all these languages, so far as we know, have a word phonetically similar to the Navajo diné which has three meanings: ‘man, people in general,’ ‘a man,’ ‘The People’ which is the name the Navajos use for themselves. (The name Navajo was first used by the Spanish explorers.) Although it seemed natural to say diné biye’ ‘a-man his-son,’ this could also mean ‘The-People their-son’ or ‘a-Navajo his-son,’ in contrast to the son of a white man or of another Indian tribe. Since the concept of the humanity of Christ is so important, we felt that diné biye’ with its three possible meanings should not be used. The term finally decided on was Diné Silíi’ii ‘Man he-became-the-one-who.’ This could be interpreted to mean ‘the one who became a Navajo,’ but since it still would impart the idea of Christ’s becoming man, it was deemed adequate, and it has proven acceptable to the Navajos.”) (Source: Faye Edgerton in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 25ff. )
Toraja-Sa’dan: “Child descended in the world” (“using a poetic verb, often found in songs that [deal with] the contacts between heaven and earth”) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
Obolo: Gwun̄ Ebilene: “Child of Human” (source: Enene Enene).
Mairasi: Jaanoug Tat: “Person Child” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Costa Rican Sign Language: “It was impossible to translate the expression ‘Son of Man.’ The son-man sign simply means ‘male child.’ The Costa Rican Sign Language (LESCO) team opted for an interpretation of the term and translated it ‘Jesus.'” (Source: Elsa Tamez (in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 59ff. )
Lokạạ: wẹẹn wạ ọnẹn or “son of a person.” “This translation is symbolic in that it uses indigenous Lokạạ words. However, since the publication of the New Testament in 2006, this phrase has gained popularity within contemporary Lokạạ society as an expression to describe an important person whose career is going well. In the New Testament, the phrase ‘son of man’ is used to describe Jesus as prototypically human, but the Lokạạ phrase is now being used to describe an exceptional person in Lokạạ society.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
In many West African languages, using a third person reference as a first person indicator is common practice with a large range of semantic effects. Languages that use the exact expression “son of man” as a self-reference or reference to another person include Lukpa, Baatonum, Mossi (“son of Adam”), Yoruba (“son of person”), Guiberoua Béte, or Samo. (Source: Lynell Zogbo in: Omanson 2000, p. 167-188.)
In Swahili the expression Mwana wa Mtu or mwana wa mtu or “son/daughter of human person,” which is used by several Bible translations, also has “the idiomatic meaning of ‘a human being’” (source: Jean-Claude Loba-Mkole in An Intercultural Criticism of New Testament Translations 2013, see here). The same is true for the Lingala expression Mwana na Moto — “son/daughter of human person.” (Ibid.)
In Balinese “we are again bordering on theological questions when we inquire as to which vocabulary shall be used to translate the texts where Jesus speaks of himself as ‘the Son of man.’ One of the fixed rules governing the use of these special vocabularies is that one may never use the deferential terms in speaking of oneself. This would be the extreme of arrogance. Now if one considers the expression ‘Son of man’ primarily as a description of ‘I,’ then one must continually indicate the possessions or actions of the Son of man by Low Balinese words. In doing this the mystery of the expression is largely lost. In any case the vocabulary used in most of the contexts would betray that Jesus means the title for himself.
“However, a distinction can actually be made in Balinese between the person and the exalted position he occupies. For example, the chairman of a judicial body may employ deferential terms when referring to this body and its chairman, without this being taken as an expression of arrogance. Considered from this standpoint, one may translate in such a way that Jesus is understood as using such deferential words and phrases in speaking of himself. The danger is, however, that the unity between his person and the figure of “the Son of man” is blurred by such usage.
“On request, the New Testament committee of the Netherlands Bible Society advised that ‘the sublimity of this mysterious term be considered the most important point and thus High Balinese be used.'”
“One of the first things that we did in working through the earlier part of the New Testament was to decide on how we would translate some of the more difficult technical terms. It was immediately obvious that something must be done with the translation of ‘the Son of Man,’ since the literal rendering anak manusia (literally ‘child of a man’) held absolutely no meaning for Malay readers. We felt that the title should emphasize the divine origin and authority of the one who used this title, and at the same time, since it was a title, we decided that it should not be too long a phrase. Finally, a phrase meaning ‘the One whom God has ordained’ was chosen (yang dilantik Allah). It is interesting to note that the newly-begun Common Indonesian (Alkitab Kabar Baik, published in 1985) has followed a similar route by translating ‘the One whom God has chosen’ (yang depilih Allah).”
