36be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks.
The Greek that is translated as “knock (on a door)” in English is translated as “call” (Zanaki, Yanesha’) “speak” (Tzeltal), or “clap” (Zarma).
This is sometimes due to the fact that doors are not being used in the respective cultures (as, for instance, in Yanesha’) or, as Nida (p. 45f.) explains, other cultural differences:
“One cannot say to the Zanaki people along the winding shores of sprawling Lake Victoria, ‘Behold I stand at the door and knock’ (Revelation 3:20). This would mean that Christ was declaring Himself to be a thief, for in Zanaki land thieves generally make it a practice to knock on the door of a hut which they hope to burglarize; and if they hear any movement or noise inside, they dash off into the dark. An honest man will come to a house and call the name of the person inside, and in this way identify himself by his voice. Accordingly, in the Zanaki translation it is necessary to say, ‘Behold I stand at the door and call.’ This wording might be slightly strange to us, but the meaning is the same. In each case Christ is asking people to open the door. He is no thief and He will not force an entrance; He knocks — and in Zanaki “He calls.” If anything the Zanaki expression is a little more personal than our own.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 12:36:
Noongar: “like workers who are waiting for their master to return after a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks they will open the door at once.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “‘Don’t be lax, always be watchful waiting for my arrival. It is better that you be like the slaves who waited for the arrival of their nobleman from a wedding feast. Those slaves, their clothes were ready, and their lamps were continually lit, so that when their nobleman arrived and asked-to-be-opened the door, they [could] immediately open it for him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then Isa said yet, ‘You must always be ready for my return, like servants waiting for their master when he comes home from a wedding. They are dressed for work and they don’t turn off the lamp. When their master arrives and calls from the outside they immediately open for him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For those servants, now they are always ready and they do not put out the light. And when their master comes and calls at the gateway, immediately they let him in.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus continued to say to his disciples, ‘You must be ready like servants who are waiting for their master who has gone to join-in-a-wedding. They are dressed and holding-torches so that thus when their master comes-home and knocks, they will be able to open the doorway immediately.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “‘It’s good if you are always ready. Be like people who are prepared, and who have the lamp lit already, for they are waiting for their master coming from a wedding, so that when he arrives the door can be opened at once for him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
kai humeis homoioi anthrōpois prosdechomenois ton kurion heautōn ‘and you (must be) like men waiting for their master,’ with este understood. humeis is emphatic. For kurios cf. on 1.6. For prosdechomai cf. on 2.25.
pote analusē ek tōn gamōn lit. ‘when he will return from the party.’ pote introduces here an indirect question, depending on some verb of asking, implied in prosdechomenois. The article tōn does not refer to a specific occasion.
analuō ‘to depart,’ ‘to return,’ here preferably the latter.
gamos (also 14.8) ‘marriage,’ in the plural ‘wedding celebration,’ ‘wedding party,’ or ‘party,’ ‘banquet,’ here preferably the latter.
hina elthontos kai krousantos eutheōs anoixōsin autō ‘so that when he comes and knocks on the door they may open the door for him at once.’ With elthontos kai krousantos is understood autou (absolute genitive). krouō means ‘to knock on the door,’ and anoigō means here ‘to open the door’ (cf. 11.9f).
Translation:
Be like, or, ‘(you should) be/act/behave like,’ ‘do like this, like’ (Ekari).
Men, or, because of their relationship to a master, ‘servants,’ ‘a man’s servants’ (Ekari).
Who are waiting for their master to come home, or, ‘for their master’s return,’ ‘until their master returns’; ‘who are awaiting their master asking themselves (or, each other), “When will he (or, the/our master) come home?” ,’ ‘who are (awake) at home and ask themselves (or, each other), “When will the/our master return?” ’ Master, cf. the note on “Lord” in 1.6, sub (a).
From the marriage feast, preferably, ‘from a feast/banquet.’
So that they may open to him, or, “ready to let him in” (New English Bible), ‘and are ready to open the door for him.’ For to open cf. 11.9; a different cultural situation may lead to renderings like, ‘open the house’ (Tzeltal), ‘go to meet him’ (Tae’ 1933).
At once when (or, as soon as) he comes and knocks is sometimes better transposed, cf. e.g. “when he comes…, they will open … at once” (Good News Translation). For to knock see 11.9. A Malay idiom used here is ‘asks-for the door.’
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.
Then you will be like servants waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet: This simile provides a specific context for the metaphors in 12:35. Jesus wanted his disciples to be ready to receive him. They should be ready in the same way that servants should be ready to welcome their master when he returns from a wedding feast.
servants: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as servants is literally “men.” It often refers to people in general. In this context, it clearly refers to servants.
the wedding banquet: In NT times, wedding celebrations often continued until late into the night. If this is not true in your culture, you may translate this simply as “a feast/banquet.”
General Comment on 12:35–36b
In some languages, it may be more natural to give the setting for the figures of speech before giving other details. For example:
36b
⌊You must remain ready⌋ like servants who are waiting for their master to return from a wedding feast. 35They are dressed for work and their lamps are shining/lit
Notice that this example makes clear that the phrases about clothing and lamps describe the servants, not the disciples. This helps to avoid the wrong meaning that Jesus wanted his disciples to keep their robes tucked into their belts and carry lamps.
12:36b
so that when he comes and knocks, they can open the door for him at once: This clause tells the purpose for which the servants were waiting alertly for their master. They were dressed, ready to serve him, and they had their lamps burning so that they could open the door and let him into the house as soon as he arrived.
he comes and knocks: To knock has a symbolic meaning here. In the Jewish culture, when a person arrives at someone’s home, he makes known his arrival by knocking on the door of the house. In some cultures, people do not knock on the door. They call or cough or indicate in some other way that they have arrived. If the action of knocking on a door does not have this meaning in your culture, you may:
• Make explicit the meaning of the action. For example:
when he comes and knocks to indicate that he has arrived
• Use an action that has the right meaning in your area. For example:
when he arrives and calls out
• Translate the meaning without the action. For example:
when he arrives and makes known to them that he is there
See how you translated the verb “knock” in 11:9d.
they can open the door for him at once: The phrase open the door for him indicates that the servants will unlock and open the door so that their master can enter. In some languages it may not be necessary to make the door explicit, depending on how you translated “knocks” in the preceding clause. Use an expression that is natural in your language.
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