complete verse (Luke 16:25)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 16:25:

  • Noongar: “But Abraham said, ‘Remember, my son, when you were alive, you had all the good things, but Lazarus had all the bad things. But now he is sits happily in this place while you have pain.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Abraham said: ‘Remember, child: While you (sing.) were still living in the world, you (sing.) received/got all the good, while Lazarus (emphatic) received/got only the bad. At this time, he is comforted here, and as for you (sing.), you (sing.) receive/get suffering/difficulty.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But Ibrahim said, ‘Friend, remember that you have received already all kinds of good during your lifetime but Lasarus has received bad. But now his situation is good here, and you are suffering pain.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, Abraham answered, calling, ‘Grandchild, remember that when you were still alive, your life was filled with happiness. But as for Lazarus, his life was filled with torment, and now Lazarus is happy, and you are in torment.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘But Abraham said, ‘Remember my child that during your (sing.) lifetime, you (sing.) had all the good things that you (sing.) wanted, and as for Lazarus, it was pure hardship that he underwent. But now he is enjoying himself here and you (sing.) in-turn are the one being hardshipped there.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But the reply of Abraham was, ‘Son, what you are to remember is your life while still under the heavens, that you caused yourself to have-an-abundance-of-everything. As for Lazaro here, he experienced big hardship/suffering. But today, he is being comforted here. You now are the one who is experiencing far from ordinary hardship/suffering.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Abraham

The name that is transliterated as “Abraham” in English means “father of a multitude,” “father of mercy,” “father of many nations.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 )

In the vast majority of sign languages, including American Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “hold back arm” (referring to Genesis 22:12).


“Abraham” in American Sign Language (source )

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with a sign for that demonstrates his new destiny. Previously, he had been called to wander from his home, and the name “Abram” reflected this movement (see here). The new sign name is in one location and stays there, showing Abraham will be given a land to call his own. At this time, Abraham was in the southern part of Canaan, which is shown on the base arm by the location near the elbow. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Abraham” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

In Tira it is transliterated as Abaram. The choice of this, rather than the widely-known “Ibrahim,” as used in the Tira translation of the Qu’ran, was to offset it against the Muslim transliteration which originates from Arabic. (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )

Click or tap here to see two short video clips about Abraham (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also our ancestor Abraham and Abram.

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Abraham .

2nd person pronoun with low register (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used anata (あなた) is typically used when the speaker is humbly addressing another person.

In these verses, however, omae (おまえ) is used, a cruder second person pronoun, that Jesus for instance chooses when chiding his disciples. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also first person pronoun with low register and third person pronoun with low register.

Translation commentary on Luke 16:25

Exegesis:

teknon ‘child,’ i.e. ‘my child,’ implying that he is still considered as belonging to the people of Abraham.

mnēsthēti ‘remember,’ pointing to what he was supposed to know.

apelabes to agatha sou en tē zōē sou ‘you received to the full your good things during/in your lifetime.’ apolambanō means usually ‘to receive back,’ but here ‘to receive to the full’ (cf. apechō in 6.24). ta agatha sou does not mean ‘your possessions’ (cf. 12.18) but ‘the good things that were your share,’ ‘your share of blessings’ (cf. An American Translation).

kai Lazaros homoiōs ta kaka ‘and Lazarus likewise the bad things,’ with apelaben understood. homoiōs is best understood as corresponding to en tē zōē sou in the preceding clause.

nun de hōde parakaleitai ‘now he is being comforted here.’ nun goes with this and with the next clause and indicates the contrast with the life of Lazarus and the rich man before dying; hōde refers to the place where Abraham now is.

su de odunasai ‘and you are in agony.’

Translation:

Remember, or, ‘think again,’ ‘bring back to mind’; and cf. the note on “remembrance” in 1.54.

In your lifetime, or, ‘while you were (still) alive’ (cf. New English Bible, Balinese).

You … received your good things, or, ‘you were very greatly favoured’ (Tzeltal), ‘you saw good’ (Kituba). In Foe the verb is rendered in the far past tense, referring to yesterday and before, and in the aspect used when a speaker describes what he observed. Your good things, or, ‘your share of the good things, or, good fortune (Javanese), or, pleasure (Bahasa Indonesia RC), or, happiness (Marathi), or, joy,’ ‘whatever which good to-you’ (Trukese), ‘things that pleased you (Shona 1966), or, gave you joy.’

And Lazarus in like manner evil things, taken as the opposite of the preceding “that”-clause but in elliptical form, sometimes has to be filled out entirely, ‘but that L. in his lifetime received his evil things’ (or equivalent expressions, see above, and cf. e.g. ‘great his suffering he lived in the world,’ Tzeltal), but more often partially, only some of the corresponding terms being repeated, or rendered by a synonym, as required by idiom.

Comforted, cf. on “received … consolation” in 2.25.

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 16:25

16:25a

But: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as But introduces Abraham’s polite refusal of the rich man’s request. Some versions do not translate this conjunction explicitly.

Abraham answered: The verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as answered is literally “said.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. Use a verb that is natural in your language for answering a request in this way.

Child: In this context, the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Child means “descendant.” Use a term of address that an old man might use for an adult great-grandchild or great-great-grandchild.

remember: In this context remember means to think about or consider something that one already knows. In some languages it may be more natural to put a colon or period at the end of this statement and start a new clause in 16:25b. For example:

remember this: in your lifetime…

16:25b

during your lifetime: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as during your lifetime means “while you were alive.” In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that this phrase refers to the rich man’s life on the earth before he died. For example:

when you lived ⌊on the earth⌋

you received your good things: In this context, the clause you received your good things probably means “you received all the good things that you desired.” The rich man had lived a very comfortable life, with plenty to eat and fine clothes to wear. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

you had everything you wanted (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
you had your fill of good things (New Jerusalem Bible)

16:25c

while Lazarus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as while Lazarus introduces a contrast with the rich man’s life. The life of Lazarus had been very different. The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions introduce the contrast with “and Lazarus.” In some languages it may be natural to indicate this contrast more explicitly. For example:

and/but as for Lazarus, he…

received bad things: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as received bad things is literally “likewise bad things.” The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the verb received from the preceding context. The whole clause means “As for Lazarus, he experienced all kinds of bad things in his lifetime.” He had a very hard life and suffered in many ways. Other ways to translate this clause are:

Lazarus’ life was filled with misery (God’s Word)
-or-
bad things happened to Lazarus (New Century Version)

16:25d

But now he is comforted here, while you are in agony: This part of the verse expresses a complete contrast between the present situation of the two men and their situation before they died (16:25b–c).

he is comforted: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he is comforted refers to the mental comfort and encouragement that Lazarus was receiving from being in his present enjoyable situation with Abraham. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

he is happy (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
he is enjoying himself (Good News Translation)
-or-
he receives comfort/encouragement

here: The word here refers to the place where the poor man now was. Since Abraham is the one speaking, in some languages it may be possible to translate here as “with me.”

you are in agony: See the note on 16:24c. In some languages it may be natural to supply a word such as “there” to correspond with the contrasting word “here” in the preceding clause.

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