two in one bed

The Greek in Luke 17:34 that is translated as “two in one bed” in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “two in one house” to avoid sexual connotation. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

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 Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). This disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )

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

See also formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese).

bed

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “bed” or similar in English is translated in Noongar as maya-ngwoorndiny or “bark sleeping” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

See also mat, bed.

complete verse (Luke 17:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:34:

  • Noongar: “I tell you, that night, two people will be asleep in one bed; one person will be taken and the other person will remain.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Truly I say to you: On the day of my return, two people who sleep together at night, one will be taken, the other will be left behind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I tell you, when I come back here, there will be two lying together at night, one will be taken and the other left behind.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And at that time, if my return takes place at night and there are two people sleeping together, one will be able to go along with me and the other will be left behind.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “I tell you that if it is night when I come and there are two sleeping-together in one bed, one will be taken and one will be left.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What I will say to you really is true that at my returning here, people will be divided up. If night is when I come, maybe there will be two persons sleeping together but if they are not the same in being my people, one will be left, only one taken.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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 formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Luke 17:34

Exegesis:

legō humin ‘I tell you,’ cf. on 3.8.

tautē tē nukti ‘on that night.’ The shift from ‘that day’ in v. 31 to ‘that night’ here is due to the situation that is envisaged here and does not imply that the coming of the Son of man will take place during the night, cf. Plummer.

esontai duo epi klinēs mias ‘there will be two people in one bed,’ probably to be understood as two men, cf. ho heis and ho heteros. For klinē cf. on 8.16.

ho heis paralēmphthēsetai ‘one will be taken,’ probably to be understood as ‘taken along,’ i.e. by the angels who gather the elect.

ho heteros aphethēsetai ‘the other will be left (behind).’

Translation:

In that night, i.e. at that time, in the night. To avoid the implication rejected in Exegesis it may be wise to say something like, ‘then, or, at that time, there will be two men in one bed at night.’

There will be two men in one bed, or, ‘there will be two men lying/sleeping in one (or, in the same) bed’; or where this would have undesirable associations, ‘two men will both be lying/sleeping.’

One will be taken and the other left. Where no passive form can be used one may have to say, ‘the angels will take one (of them) and will leave behind the other,’ or, ‘God will choose one (of them), reject the other.’

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 17:34

Paragraph 17:34–37

For 17:34–35 see also Matthew 24:40–41. These verses indicate that some people who live and work close to one another will be separated at the time when Jesus returns.

17:34a

I tell you: The pronoun you is plural here. Jesus often used the words I tell you to introduce a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and that people should listen carefully to it. Some other ways to show this emphasis are:

let me tell you this
-or-
listen carefully to this:
-or-
I assure you

If you have another way in your language to emphasize a statement or to alert people to listen with special attention, consider using it here.

on that night: Here Jesus was referring back to what he said in 17:30 about the Son of Man being revealed (when he returns and everyone will see him). In some languages it may be better to use a different phrase to refer back to it. For example:

At that time ⌊when I return⌋
-or-
When ⌊I, the Son of Man, return⌋

two people will be in one bed: The Greek text does not say whether these two people are men or women, children or adults. A husband and wife, or two children, or any other two people might be in one bed. So use an expression for be in one bed that does not have sexual connotations. For example:

two ⌊family members⌋ will be ⌊sleeping⌋ in/on one bed

Jesus was not referring to any specific two people. He was saying that similar separations will happen all over the world when he returns.

17:34b

one will be taken and the other left: The verbs will be taken and left are passive. Here are some ways to translate these actions:

• Use passive verbs. For example:

one ⌊person⌋ will be taken and the other ⌊person⌋ will be left.

• Use active verbs and supply a subject. The subject may be either God or Jesus, since the clause refers to the time of Jesus’ coming. For example:

⌊God⌋ will take one ⌊of them⌋ and leave the other ⌊one⌋.
-or-

⌊I⌋ will take one person and leave the other person.

There are two ways to interpret the words One will be taken and the other left:

(1) The people who are taken will go to safety with Jesus. The people who are left will be punished. For example:

one will be taken away; the other will be left behind (Good News Translation)

(2) The people who are taken will go away to be punished. The people who are left will not endure that punishment. For example:

destruction will take one

It is recommended that you attempt to leave this ambiguous, as most English versions do. The point is that the righteous and wicked will suddenly be separated.

However, if you must decide between the interpretations, it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Most Bible scholars follow this interpretation. It fits the context of Noah and Lot, who were taken away to be safe while the other people were punished.

taken and…left: Note that the words taken and left refer to two opposite actions. In some languages it may be natural to use a conjunction that implies contrast. For example:

God will take one but will leave the other.

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