Translation commentary on Luke 10:34

Exegesis:

kai proselthōn katedēsen ta traumata autou ‘and after going to him he bandaged his wounds.’ proselthōn denotes a deliberate act as compared with ēlthen kat’ auton (v. 33).

katadeō ‘to bind up,’ ‘to bandage,’ ‘to dress.’

trauma ‘wound.’

epicheōn elaion kai oinon ‘pouring on (scil. the wounds) oil and wine,’ present participle denoting an act which is simultaneous with katedēsen, though in the normal order of things the bandaging follows the applying of oil and wine. For elaion cf. on 7.46. Here it serves to soften the pains. oinos ‘wine’ most probably was applied as a disinfectant (Grundmann).

epicheō ‘to pour on,’ ‘to apply.’

epibibasas de auton epi to idion ktēnos ‘and after putting him on his own beast.’ de marks the transition to a new series of acts.

epibibazō (also 19.35) ‘to cause to mount,’ ‘to put,’ ‘to load.’

ktēnos ‘beast,’ a generic term, here of an animal used for riding, probably a mule.

ēgagen auton eis pandocheion ‘he brought him to an inn.’

pandocheion ‘inn,’ cf. on 2.7 (kataluma).

epemelēth autou ‘he looked after him,’ ‘he took care of him.’ epimeleomai also v. 35.

Translation:

Bound up…, pouring on … Where this sequence is felt to be unacceptable one may say, ‘bound up…, having poured on…’ (Ekari), or transpose the clauses, cf. e.g. Good News Translation and many other versions. The second verb has been rendered ‘to drip-on’ (Balinese), ‘to wash/bath with’ (Shona 1966, New English Bible), and cf. below.

This medical use of oil (i.e. vegetable oil) and wine (see above on 1.15) is sometimes uncommon or unknown. If so, the function may better be explained or substituted, cf. ‘medicined (lit. cooled) them, with oil and wine’ (Tae’ 1933, similarly Tzeltal), ‘medicined his many wounds’ (Tboli).

Set him, or, “lifted him” (New English Bible, similarly Toraja-Sa’dan), ‘made him ride’ (Javanese).

His own beast, or, ‘the animal he-was-riding-on himself’ (Bahasa Indonesia KB).

Inn may be described, ‘lodging house,’ ‘house to pass (or, where travellers pass) the night,’ ‘house where they receive travellers/guests.’

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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 10:34

10:34a

He went to him: The Samaritan approached the wounded man and probably knelt down beside him while he treated him. This phrase shows the contrast between the way the priest and Levite acted and the way the Samaritan acted.

and bandaged his wounds: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bandaged is literally “wrapped.” The man probably wrapped or tied strips of cloth around the man’s wounds/injuries.

pouring on oil and wine: In New Testament times, people used oil and wine as medicines. The oil and wine cleansed and soothed wounds.

In some cultures, oil and wine are not used to treat wounds. In other languages, these words are not known or the action of pouring oil and wine on wounds would cause confusion. If this is the case in your language, you can:

• Make explicit the function of the oil and wine. For example:

He treated his wounds with olive oil and wine. (Contemporary English Version)

• State only the function of the oil and wine, but do not translate the actual words. For example:

cleaned…his wounds (God’s Word)

You may also want to include a footnote that explains this action. For example:

The Samaritan cleaned/treated the wounds with olive oil and wine. In those days people used oil and wine as medicines.

oil: In this context oil probably refers to olive oil. This oil came from the fruit of olive trees. People used this oil for many purposes, including cooking, fuel for lamps, and as medicine.

Be careful not to use a word for oil that refers only to motor oil.

wine: The term wine describes an alcoholic drink. It is made from the juice of a fruit called grapes. When grape juice ferments, it becomes wine. Because wine contains alcohol, people also used it to clean and heal wounds.

In some areas, people may not be familiar with grapes or with wine. If that is true in your area, some other ways to translate wine are:

• Use a general term for an alcoholic drink.

• Use a specific term that can also be used to refer to alcoholic drinks in general. For example:

millet beer
-or-
palm wine
-or-
something like palm wine

• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:

fermented fruit juice/water
-or-
grape juice
-or-
fermented grape juice

This word also occurs in 7:33a.

General Comment on 10:34a

The Samaritan probably poured the oil and wine directly on the man’s wounds before he bandaged the wounds. He did not first put the bandages on the man and then pour oil and wine on top of the bandages. Some ways to make the sequence of events clear are:

• Keep the same order, but indicate the sequence of events in another way. For example:

bandaged his wounds after he poured wine and oil on them

• Put the phrases in chronological order. For example:

poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them (Good News Translation)

Translate this in the way that is most natural in your language.

10:34b

he put him on his own animal: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he put means “he set” or “he placed.” The Samaritan had to lift the injured man onto the animal he had been riding. The man was severely wounded and perhaps unconscious. The verb that you use here should be appropriate for a man in that condition. For example:

he lifted him onto his own beast (Revised English Bible)

animal: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as animal is a general term. It refers to an animal that can carry baggage or that a person can ride. In that area, it would have been a donkey or mule. In areas where donkeys are not known, you may use a more general term. For example:

animal (Good News Translation)
-or-
beast (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
mount (New Jerusalem Bible)

brought him to an inn: In this context, the phrase brought him to an inn implies that the Samaritan walked to the inn, guiding the donkey and perhaps supporting the man. Use a natural term in your language to express this idea.

inn: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as inn refers to a “guest house” or small “hotel.” It was a building where travelers could pay for a place to sleep and buy food to eat. It was not a place where people came to receive medical treatment.

10:34c

took care of him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as took care refers to giving physical help to someone, for example, by bringing him food. Since the Samaritan was already taking care of the injured man, in some languages it may be natural to indicate that. For example:

⌊continued to⌋ take care of him

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