complete verse (Luke 11:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 11:25:

  • Noongar: “So the evil spirit returns and he sees the house cleaned and mended.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “When he returns going to the person that he left earlier, he sees (emphatic) that there is no-one living in him. That person is like a house that is swept clean, it looks neat/orderly.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When he arrives there, he sees that it is swept and prepared already.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he returns and he finds that place where he lived, and all things are put in their proper place and it has been thoroughly cleaned.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “And he will return and come-upon it already cleaned and nicer than before.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And then on his arrival, he will find that he hasn’t been succeeded by another, although it’s now like a house which is cleaned and in order now.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 11:25

Exegesis:

heuriskei sesarōmenon kai kekosmēmenon ‘he finds (the house) swept clean and in order,’ with oikon understood. That the house is also untenanted may be fairly inferred.

saroō (also 15.8) ‘to sweep clean,’ ‘to clean.’

kosmeō (also 21.5) ‘to put in order,’ or ‘to decorate,’ here preferably the former.

Translation:

He finds it swept, or, ‘sees/discovers that it is swept,’ cf. on 7.10. Explanation of the metaphorical use of ‘house’ in v. 24 may lead here to something like, ‘he finds that man like a house swept’ (Dios Habla Hoy). Swept, or, “swept clean” (New English Bible, adding the result), “cleaned” (An American Translation, substituting the result). The verb is often a derivation of, or a phrase containing, ‘broom/brush.’ The implied agent is ‘people,’ ‘somebody.’

Put in order, i.e. all things (in it) put in their right place.

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 11:25

11:25a

On its return: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as On its return is literally “and having come.” In some languages, it may be necessary to say explicitly where the unclean spirit comes. For example:

When the unclean spirit comes back ⌊to the person it lived in before⌋
-or-
When the unclean spirit returns ⌊to the person it had left⌋

11:25b

it finds the house swept clean and put in order: Luke 11:25b figuratively compares the condition of the man to a clean and tidy house. In some languages, it will be necessary to change this metaphor to a simile. For example:

it finds ⌊that the person is like⌋ a house swept clean and put in order

The relevant point of similarity in this context is that a clean house is ready for someone to live in. In the same way, a person who is spiritually empty is available for a spirit (good or bad) to live in him. (In Matthew 12:44, it says explicitly that the house is empty.) In some languages, it may be necessary to make this point of similarity explicit. For example:

⌊the man is like⌋ an ⌊empty⌋ house that has been cleaned and arranged neatly
-or-

⌊the man is like⌋ a house that has been cleaned and arranged neatly ⌊so it is ready for someone to live there⌋

it finds: In this context it finds means “the unclean spirit learns or discovers.” This implies that the unclean spirit finds something it had not expected. Some other ways to translate this are:

it discovers
-or-
it learns

swept clean: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as swept clean is literally “swept.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word clean. In some languages it may not be necessary to include a word such as clean, since this idea may already be implied.

To sweep a house means to clean the floor by brushing it with a broom. In some cultures people do not clean a floor by sweeping it. If that is true in your culture, you may want to use a more general expression. For example:

clean (Good News Translation)

put in order: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as put in order means “made neat” or “tidied up.” The things in the house are in their right place, and the house looks nice and neat, ready for someone to live in.

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