the Jews (Judeans)

In the English Good News Bible (2nd edition of 1992), this occurrence of the Greek hoi Ioudaioi, traditionally “the Jews” in English, is translated with “Judeans” or “people from Judea.” For an explanation of the differentiated translation in English as well as translation choices in a number of languages, see the Jews.

Martha

The name that is transliterated as “Martha” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “hostess” (referring to Luke 10:40). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Martha” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with the signs for “woman” and “clean.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Martha” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Mary (of Bethany) and more on Bible Odyssey: Mary and Martha .

Mary (of Bethany)

The Greek that is transliterated as “Mary (of Bethany)” in English is translated in Spanish Sign Language with a signs for “woman” and “listen,” referring to Luke 10:39. (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Mary” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

See also Martha and more on Bible Odyssey: Mary and Martha .

complete verse (John 11:19)

Following are a number of back-translations of John 11:19:

  • Uma: “So, there were many Yahudi people who came to comfort Marta and Maria at the death of their relative.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore many Yahudi went to Marta and Mariyam to comfort them because their brother had died.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There were many Jews from Jerusalem who had gone to Martha and Mary to comfort them because of their dead brother.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So many Jews had gone to go comfort Marta and Maria.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “and many were the Judio who went there to Marta and Maria’s place, to comfort them because of their brother who had died.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Many Jews had gone to greet Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother who had died.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Ojitlán Chinantec: “And many Jews came to the house of Martha and Mary to help on the occasion of the death of Lazarus, their brother.”
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “Many Israelites had come to see Martha and Mary. They wanted to make them forget their sorrow about their dead brother Lazarus.”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “And many of our fellow Israelites from Jerusalem had arrived where Martha and Mary were to comfort them because their brother had died.” (Source for this and two above: John Beekman in Notes on Translation 12, November 1964, p. 1ff.)

Translation commentary on John 11:19

In Greek verses 18 and 19 are two separate sentences. Good News Translation combines them into one, thus bringing together the motifs of the short distance between Bethany and Jerusalem and the visit of the many Judeans. In some languages many Judeans can be best expressed as “many people from Judea” or even “many people from that part of the country.”

To comfort them about their brother’s death (Phillips “to offer them sympathy over their brother’s death”; New English Bible “to condole with them on their brother’s death”) is literally “to comfort them concerning the brother.” Either rendering (about their brother’s death or “about their brother”) is legitimate, as is also the rendering of Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“to comfort the two of them”).

The verb rendered to comfort appears again in verse 31; elsewhere in the New Testament it is used only in 1 Thessalonians 2.11 (2.12 in Good News Translation) and 5.14, where it seems to have the meaning “to encourage” or “to cheer up.” In some languages an equivalent of comfort may be “to speak helpful words.” If one translates in this manner, it will be possible to translate the final phrase, more or less literally, “about their brother’s death” or “about the fact that their brother had died.” However, if one uses a verb meaning “to encourage” or “to cheer them up,” it may be necessary to indicate the brother’s death as cause, for example, “to cheer them up because of the fact that their brother had died.”

Embalming was not practiced in ancient Palestine, and so burial took place on the day of death. It was common, therefore, for the mourners to remain and offer their comfort to the bereaved after the time of burial.

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on John 11:19

11:19

and: The word and connects the fact that Jerusalem was near to the fact that many people came to comfort Martha and Mary. Because Jerusalem was near it was possible for people to come from there to comfort them. It may be natural to indicate this connection. For example:

so (NET Bible Bible)

many of the Jews: The phrase the Jews here refers to people who lived in Judea, the area where Bethany and Jerusalem were. The word does not just refer to Jesus’ opponents as it has before (including 11:8a). The mention of Jerusalem being near Bethany could imply that these Jews were from Jerusalem. Refer to these people in a way that is natural in your language. For example:

many of the people (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
many Judeans (Good News Translation)
-or-
many of the Jewish people of the region (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
many people had come from the city (Contemporary English Version)

had come to Martha and Mary: These people traveled from Jerusalem or the area to Bethany to see Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. It is likely that Martha was older than Mary and that is why her name is first.

to console them: The verb console refers to comforting someone who is mourning because a loved one died. These people came to mourn with the sisters and give them comfort and encouragement. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:

to offer them sympathy

in the loss of their brother: This phrase here means “about their brother Lazarus’ death.” In many languages it may be natural to indicate that their brother had died. For example:

about their brother’s death (Good News Translation)
-or-
over the loss of their brother (NET Bible Bible)
-or-
because their brother had died (Contemporary English Version)

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