humble (verb)

The Greek that is translated as “humbled” in English is rendered in Gumuz as “become small” (source: Loren Bliese) and in Uma as “make hearts low” (“proud,” the opposite is translated as proud “make hearts high”) (source: Uma Back Translation).

complete verse (Luke 14:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 14:11:

  • Noongar: “Because all people who want other people to see them great, they will be put lower, and all people who put themselves low, they will be put higher.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “All who make their hearts high/proud, the Lord God makes-them-low, and all who make their hearts low/humble, the Lord God makes-them-high.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For whoever honors himself/makes himself great, will be humbled/caused to be low. And whoever humbles himself will be honored.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “That person who thinks that his rank is high, God will make him low. But that person who thinks that his rank is low, God will make his rank high.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because the one who makes-himself -high will be made-low, but the one who makes-himself -low will be made-high.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For it’s true, the one who is arrogant/self-important will be made low/unimportant. And the one who is humble will be made high/important.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 14:11

Exegesis:

hoti pas ho hupsōn heauton tapeinōthēsetai ‘for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled.’ For hupsoō cf. 1.52. For tapeinoō cf. on 3.5; here it is used in a figurative sense. The agent of tapeinōthēsetai is God, since the saying and the preceding parable are to be understood as referring to a religious attitude.

ho tapeinōn heauton hupsōthēsetai ‘he who humbles himself will be exalted.’ For the agent of hupsōthēsetai see above.

Translation:

One may have to shift to an ‘if’ clause (cf. 9.24), and/or to an active form, ‘God will humble him, … exalt him’ (cf. 6.37).

Exalts himself … humbles himself, or, ‘tries to reach a high position (or, makes his own power great, Kekchi)…, accepts (or, is ready to be in) a low position.’

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.