unclean spirit / evil spirit

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated/transliterated in English as “unclean spirit” or “evil spirit” is translated in Paasaal it is translated as gyɩŋbɔmɔ, which is also the term used for “demon.” Wyɩŋbɔmɔ are “beings that are in the wild and can only be seen when they choose to reveal themselves to certain people. They can ‘capture’ humans and keep them in hiding while they train the person in herbalism and divination. After the training period, which can range from a week to many years, the ‘captured’ individual is released to go back into society as a healer and a diviner. The gyɩŋbɔmɔ can also be evil, striking humans with mental diseases and causing individuals to get lost in the wild. The Pasaale worldview about demons is like that of others of the language groups in the area.” (Source: Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)

Note that often the words for “demon” “unclean spirit” are being used interchangeably.

complete verse (Luke 11:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 11:26:

  • Noongar: “Then he goes out and brings back seven other evil spirits. They are worse and they come and stay there. So when everything happens, the life of this man becomes sicker and worse than his life before.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “That is why he first goes and calls seven of his fellow demons who are more evil than he. They come enter into the person who had been left earlier, and they live there. Finally that person is more pitiable than he was from the beginning.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then he goes and fetches seven other demons, their badness is worse than his and they all enter the body of the person and live there. The result for that person is, what happens to him now is worse than before.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then he goes away again and he brings with him seven of his fellow demons that are even more evil than he is, and they get inside and they live there in that person. And the situation of that person is even worse than it was at first.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He will then go and invite seven evil-spirits who are more-malicious than he so that they will go and live-together-with him. Surely that person will become increasingly-more pitiful than at first.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore what he will do is set out again to round up seven of his companions who are more evil that he, for they will companion him in possessing/making-crazy again. Therefore what will happen to that person is that his condition will be much worse.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 11:26

Exegesis:

tote ‘then,’ i.e. when he sees that the house is untenanted.

poreuetai kai paralambanei ‘it goes (away) and brings.’ For paralambanō cf. on 9.10.

hetera pneumata ponērotera heautou hepta ‘seven other spirits more evil than itself,’ cf. on 8.2.

eiselthonta katoikei ekei ‘after going in they live there.’ Subject is the spirits. For eiselthonta cf. on 8.30. katoikeō also 13.4.

kai ginetai ta eschata tou anthrōpou ekeinou cheirona tōn prōtōn ‘and the last state of that man is worse than the first.’

eschatos ‘last.’ Here ta eschata refers to a period in a man’s life as contrasted with an earlier period (ton prōtōn), and not to his final, or, eternal state.

cheirōn ‘worse,’ ‘more severe,’ without moral connotation.

Translation:

Brings, or, ‘causes, or, calls to accompany him’ (East or Toraja-Sa’dan).

Other spirits here refers to additional specimens of the spirit class; hence, ‘seven spirits more,’ ‘seven more of his companions who are devils also’ (Tzeltal). In this context, however, the comparison may be thought to imply that the items mentioned are in one class, and, therefore, the equivalent of “other” may be omitted, as in Pohnpeian, Trukese, Batak Toba, and cf. ‘in comparison to him seven very wicked spirits’ (Ekari). Spirits, see on 9.39.

Enter and dwell there, i.e. enter and stay permanently, or settle down, in that house; or without the metaphor, ‘take possession of that man and hold him in their power’; cf. also on “enter” in 8.30.

The last state of that man becomes worse than the first, or, ‘in the end the state of that man (or, the possessed man) … than in the beginning.’ The clause is resultative.

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 11:26

11:26a

Then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Then indicates that the events in 11:26a follow the events in 11:25b. Use a natural way in your language to connect this sequence of events.

it goes and brings: The phrase it goes and brings indicates here that the unclean spirit goes away and then brings back seven other unclean spirits. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

the spirit finds (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
the spirit goes and brings along (God’s Word)
-or-
it goes away and invites

seven other spirits more wicked than itself: This phrase indicates that there were seven other demons or unclean spirits that were more evil/wicked than the first unclean spirit.

11:26b

they go in and dwell there: The pronoun they refers to the unclean spirit plus the seven other unclean spirits. These eight unclean spirits are pictured as entering and living in the person, as people enter and live in a house. There are at least three ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor of the house. For example:

they enter ⌊that house⌋ and live there

• Use terms that refer directly to unclean spirits possessing a person. For example:

they take possession of the person and keep him under their control

• Use general terms that could refer to either a house or a person. For example:

They enter and take up permanent residence there. (God’s Word)
-or-
they come and live there (Good News Translation)

Use an option that is clear and natural in your language.

11:26c

And: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as And introduces what happens as a result of 11:26a–b. Another way to introduce this result is:

And so (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
As a result

the final plight of that man is worse: The phrase the final plight of that man refers to the time in the man’s life when eight demons are living in him. At this later time, these unclean spirits will cause many bad things to happen to the man. Then, his situation will be much worse than before.

The phrase final plight does not refer to the man’s final destiny.

than the first: The phrase the first refers to the first condition of the man. This was the time in the man’s life when only one demon lived in him.

General Comment on 11:26a–c

Some other ways to translate 11:26c are:

In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. (God’s Word)
-or-
So the person has even more trouble than before. (New Century Version)

In some languages, it may be more natural to use future tense verbs rather than present tense in this verse. For example:

Then it will go and take…and they will go and live there. And the final condition of that man will be worse than the first.

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