compassion, moved with compassion

The Greek that is translated with “moved with compassion (or: pity)” in English is translated as “to see someone with sorrow” in Piro, “to suffer with someone” in Huastec, or “one’s mind to be as it were out of one” in Balinese (source: Bratcher / Nida).

The term “compassion” is translated as “cries in the soul” in Shilluk (source: Nida, 1952, p. 132), “has a good stomach” (=”sympathetic”) in Aari (source: Loren Bliese), “has a big liver” in Una (source: Kroneman 2004, p. 471), or “crying in one’s stomach” in Q’anjob’al (source: Newberry and Kittie Cox in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 91ff. ). In Mairasi it is translated with an emphasized term that is used for “love”: “desiring one’s face so much” (source: Enggavoter 2004) and in Chitonga with kumyongwa or “to have the intestines twisting in compassion/sorrow for someone” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 128f.).

See also Seat of the Mind for traditional views of “ways of knowing, thinking, and feeling.”

on a journey, traveled

The Greek that is translated as “as he journeyed” or “(who) was on a journey” in English is translated as “a man from afar” (literally for “on a far journey”) in Toraja-Sa’dan, which implies that the Samaritan was a foreigner, which the priest and Levite were not.

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 . “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 10:33)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 10:33:

  • Nyongar: “‘After, a Samaritan man went down that road. He approached the man. When he saw him, mercy filled his heart.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Not long from there, a Samaria person who was on a journey also passed. When he saw that wounded person, his love welled-up.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Not long after there was a person of the tribe of Samariya who came on his journey to that place. When he saw the person, he really felt pity.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “It wasn’t long before there arrived there also, a person who was not a Jew because he was from Samaria. And when he saw that person who’d been robbed, lying there, he pitied him very much.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Later still there was (appreciative particle) one-from-Samaria who passed by. When he saw that dying Jew, he was touched-with-pity,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But before long, there was a Samaritano who also happened by. He saw that person who’d been done like that to by the robbers. When he saw, he really pitied.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 10:33

Exegesis:

Samaritēs de tis hodeuōn ‘but a Samaritan who was travelling.’ Samaritēs is emphatic. For the Samaritans and the opinion held about them by the Jews see commentaries and IDB IV, 190-197.

hodeuō ‘to travel,’ ‘to make one’s way,’ without indication of direction or goal of the journey. That the Samaritan was not on his way home may be gathered from v. 35.

ēlthen kat’ auton ‘came upon him,’ unintentionally. For kata cf. on v. 32.

kai idōn esplagchnisthē ‘and when he saw (him) he was moved with pity.’ For splagchnizomai cf. on 7.13.

Translation:

Samaritan, see on 9.52b.

As he journeyed, or, ‘who was on a journey’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC, Balinese), ‘a man from afar (lit. on a far journey)’ (Toraja-Sa’dan, which has the advantage of suggesting that the Samaritan was a foreigner, which the priest and Levite were not).

Came to where he was, but not yet at the man’s side (see v. 34); hence, ‘approached that man,’ or with further specification, ‘came towards (or, passed) the place where he lay neglected, or, the place of the victim’ (Bahasa Indonesia, Balinese).

He had compassion, or, ‘he pitied (him),’ see on 7.13.

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.