avoid and pass by on the other side of the road

The Rennellese translation uses one specific term — haka tihitihi — that encompasses the meaning of “to avoid and pass by on the other side of the road.” This was a particularly fitting translation because it “has a strong negative component. The example people gave was ‘moving to the other side of the road if a child has defecated on the road.’” (Source: David Clark and Nico Daams)

parable of the good Samaritan (image)

Image taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .

For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.

The parable is illustrated for use in Bible translations in West Africa by Wycliffe Cameroon like this:

Illustration 1999 Mbaji Bawe Ernest, © Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Used with permission.

Following is a painting by Chen Yuandu 陳緣督 (1902-1967):

Housed in the Société des Auxiliaires des Missions Collection – Whitworth University.

Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.

marking the Parable of the Good Samaritan as historical

Indonesian uses a way to introduce a person in the beginning of a story that communicates to the reader or listener whether the story is a historical account a non-historical account. Ada seorang is used for the historical account and adalah seorang for the non-historical account. “In the Indonesian Common Language Bible (Alkitab dalam Bahasa Indonesia Masa Kini, publ. 1985), the second formula is used in the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16), and in many other places. The first formula however is used in the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. Why is it used here when in fact this is a non-historical account? Simply because while it is a parable, yet Jesus told it as if it was a real historical account. This is shown, for example, by the ending of the parable where Jesus asked the religious teacher to give his opinion as to which man showed love to his neighbor.” (Source: Daniel Arichea in The Bible Translator 1986. p. 235f. )

complete verse (Luke 10:31)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 10:31:

  • Noongar: “That day, a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the man, he walked away on the other side of the road.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Not long after that, there was also a priest passing on that on. When he saw that wounded man, he walked around him and went on.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And at the same time there was a Yahudi priest going on that road. When he saw the person he made a detour on the other side.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And just after the time that those robbers had left, a Jewish priest of God arrived but when he saw that person who had been robbed, lying there, he just passed around him and continued on his way.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When that’s how it was, there was a priest heading-downhill along that path, but when he saw that dying-one, he passed-him-by-at-a-distance.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “A priest happened to be traveling at that time. When he saw that person lying there, he by-passed him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 10:31

Exegesis:

kata sugkurian ‘by coincidence.’

katebainen en tē hodō ekeinē ‘went down on that road,’ i.e. also from Jerusalem to Jericho. Note the durative imperfect.

kai idōn auton antiparēlthen ‘and when he saw him he passed by on the opposite side’ (with shift to the punctiliar aorist), perhaps because of Lev. 21.1 antiparerchomai.

Translation:

By chance, or, “it so happened that” (New English Bible), serves to introduce another event happening, or, going to happen, at the same time and place; hence, ‘at that very time’ (Sranan Tongo), ‘that being so’ (Tae’) are possible renderings also.

Priest, see on 1.5.

Was going down that road, or, ‘was going (down) along that road.’

Saw him, or specifying the pronoun, ‘saw that man,’ ‘saw the man that had-been robbed’ (Balinese).

Passed by on the other side, or, ‘took the other side of the road and passed by’ (Bible de Jérusalem), ‘made a detour around him’ (Willibrord, Tae’), ‘he cut the road (i.e. went to the other side) before him and passed’ (Sranan Tongo).

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.