complete verse (Luke 16:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:5:

  • Noongar: “So he called all the people to him. These people must repay money or goods to the boss. He asked the first person, ‘How much must you give the boss?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘So, from there, he called each person who was in debt to his boss. To the first one he said: ‘How much is your (sing.) debt to my boss?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then he called one after the other all those who had debts to his master. He said to the first one, ‘How much is your debt to my master?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then he called one by one, all of those who owed money to his master. And he said to the first one, ‘How much do you owe my master?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Then he called all who were-in-debt to his master. He said to one, ‘How much is your (sing.) debt to my master?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, what he did was he called for all who had a debt to his master. He questioned the first he called for. He said, ‘How much is your debt to my master?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 16:5

Exegesis:

kai proskalesamenos hena hekaston tōn chreopheiletōn tou kuriou heautou ‘after summoning each of his master’s debtors,’ i.e. he called all of them one by one. For proskaleō cf. on 7.18. chreopheiletēs (cf. on 7.41) refers here either to tenants who are behind with the rent, or, to merchants who are behind in settling their accounts, preferably the former.

poson opheileis tō kuriō mou ‘how much do you owe my master?’ opheilō (also 7.41) refers to what one has to pay, not what one has purchased, and hence, to pay for.

Translation:

Summoning, or, ‘having called’ (cf. v. 2).

His master’s debtors, or, ‘those (who were) in debt, or, who had to pay (something) to his master’; or, following the interpretation preferred in Exegesis, “his employer’s tenants” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation).

The first, or, ‘the one who came first’ (e.g. in Batak Toba).

How much do you owe, cf. 7.41; or, “what rent do you have to pay” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation).

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.