complete verse (Luke 12:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:29:

  • Noongar: “‘So don’t be sad, always worrying about the things you will eat or drink.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “So do not be extremely busy considering what you will eat or what you will drink. Do not be afraid.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Don’t be sad/troubled/worried and don’t always think about as to what you should eat or drink.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Don’t you worry; don’t permit your thinking to be about what you’re going to eat and what you’re going to drink,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore what you eat and drink, it’s not that which should monopolize your thoughts and about which you should worry,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore as for you, don’t agitate your mind/thinking about food or drink and put far away the habit of always worrying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Luke 12:29

Exegesis:

kai humeis ‘and you,’ with continuing emphasis.

mē zēteite lit. ‘do not seek.’ zēteite (here and v. 31) and epizētousin (v. 30) have approximately the same meaning, i.e. ‘be intent on,’ ‘be preoccupied with.’

mē meteōrizesthe ‘do not live in a state of anxiety’ (cf. Phillips).

Translation:

And do not seek, contrasting those who know God’s care and “the men of little faith” who do not; hence, “and so you are not to set your mind on” (New English Bible), ‘so do not always be looking for’ (cf. Good News Translation).

Of anxious mind, or, “all upset” (Good News Translation), referring to the emotion that accompanies the seeking. Some idiomatic renderings used here are, ‘divided your-spirit’ (Toraja-Sa’dan), ‘irresolute (a reduplicated form of ‘why’) your mind’ (Batak Toba), ‘receive jump-of-heart’ (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.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 12:29

Paragraph 12:29–31

12:29

In the two preceding paragraphs, Jesus told his disciples not to worry about food or clothes. 12:29 repeats Jesus’ command not to worry about food or drink. Then it gives more general instructions not to worry about such things, as pagans do, but to seek God’s kingdom.

Versions such as the New International Version, Revised Standard Version, and New Jerusalem Bible do not start a new paragraph with this verse. The Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, and some other versions do start a new paragraph here. You should do whatever is appropriate in your language.

12:29a

And do not: In Greek, this verse begins with the emphatic plural pronoun “you.” More literally, it says “And you, do not….” This emphatic pronoun may contrast the disciples with the birds and flowers (preceding context) or with people who do not know God (12:30). If possible, translate this sentence in a way that focuses attention on “you” (the disciples). For example:

As for you, do not seek (New American Bible)

do not be concerned about what you will eat or drink: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do not be concerned about is literally “do not seek,” that is, do not make this your life’s aim or goal. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Don’t always think about what you will eat and what you will drink (New Century Version)
-or-
Do not focus your thoughts on the food and drink that you need
-or-
Do not use all your time and energy in getting enough to eat and drink

12:29b

Do not worry: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worry occurs only here in the New Testament. It refers to feeling fear and anxiety. Its meaning is almost the same as the word that was translated as “worry” in 12:22b.

about it: The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the phrase about it. It is not translated from anything explicit in the Greek text. Consider if you need to supply a phrase indicating what the disciples were not to worry about. Jesus meant that they were not to worry about what they were going to eat and drink, as in 12:22a.

General Comment on 12:29a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to change the order of words in these two verse parts or to combine them in different ways. For example:

So don’t be all upset, always concerned about what you will eat and drink. (Good News Translation)
-or-
Don’t keep worrying about having something to eat and drink. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Stop thinking and worrying about the food and drink that you need.

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