20You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery. You shall not murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. Honor your father and mother.’ ”
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated in English as “you shall not commit adultery” is translated in Toraja-Sa’dan with an established figure of speech: Da’ mupasandak salu lako rampanan kapa’ or “you shall not fathom the river of marriage” (i.e “approach the marriage relationship of another.”) (Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21 ff. ).
In Hakha Chin the usual term for “adultery” applies only to women, so the translation in Hakha Chin is “do not take another man’s wife and do not commit adultery.” (Source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “adultery” in English (here etymologically meaning “to alter”) is typically understood as “marital infidelity.” It is (back-) translated in the following ways:
Toraja-Sa’dan: “to measure the depth of the river of (another’s) marriage”
North Alaskan Inupiatun: “married people using what is not theirs” (compare “fornication” which is “unmarried people using what is not theirs”) (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “You shall not kill/murder” or similar in English is translated in Una as “Don’t kill people” because in Una an object needed to be added. (Source: Kroneman 2004, p. 407)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:20:
Noongar: “You know your Law. Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not lie about other people, obey [lit.: hear-do] your mother and father.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “You already know the rules that are written in the Law of the Lord: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not give false witness, and we must honor our mothers and fathers.’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “You know the commandments of God: Do not commit adultery. Do not kill. Do not steal. Do not give testimony which is not true. Honor your mother and father.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You know the commands of God which were left behind for us, which are: don’t be unfaithful to your wife, don’t murder, do not steal, don’t you tell lies in the courtroom, respect your father and mother.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “You (sing.) know the law of God which says, ‘Don’t (sing.) commit-adultery, don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t testify telling-lies, and honor your (sing.) father and your (sing.) mother.’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Probably you know the laws. Don’t behave immorally with one not your spouse. Don’t kill your fellowman. Don’t steal. Don’t give evidence which isn’t true. Honor/respect your father and your mother.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
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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 important aspect of addressing someone else in one’s or someone else’s family is by selecting the correct word when referring to them. One way to do this is through the usage of an appropriate title within a conversation as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
When the speaker humbly refers to his or her mother in the presence of respected interlocutor(s), haha (母) is often used as in the case of Abraham referring to his mother before Abimelech (Genesis 20:12). This form is very appropriately chosen as Abraham is speaking to Abimelech the king of Gerar. While haha can carry this humbling effect in reference to the speaker’s mother, in some types of dialogues/utterances such as in poetry (Song 3:4) and proverbial teachings (e.g. “honor your father and mother” in Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16 et al.), haha is used without the humbling effect. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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®).
Except for the place of the first two commandments which occur in Mark in the inverse order, and for the omission of mē aposterēsēs by Luke, v. 20 is identical to Mk. 10.19.
Translation:
To bear false witness, or, ‘to give false testimony,’ i.e. to state, as though one has seen or heard them personally, things that are not true; or, less specifically, ‘to tell lies.’
For the sequence of father and mother see above on 2.33.
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.
You know the commandments: The phrase the commandments here refers to the Ten Commandments (Exodus chapter 20) and more generally to the Law of Moses (the first five books of the Old Testament). Some other ways to translate this are:
the commands/laws of God -or-
what God commanded
Jesus mentioned five of these commandments explicitly in 18:20b–f.
18:20b–f
In the Greek text the five commands in 18:20b–f use a singular form. They are addressed to every person individually. Consider if singular or plural verbs would be more natural in this context in your language.
18:20b
Do not commit adultery: The command Do not commit adultery indicates that a married person must not have sexual relations with someone that he/she is not married to. It also indicates that an unmarried person must not have sexual relations with a person who is married. This command was given in Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18.
18:20c
do not murder: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as murder literally means “kill.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. In this context it refers to the illegal or unlawful ending of a person’s life. Use the same word or phrase that you used in Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17.
18:20d
do not steal: The command that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do not steal indicates that a person should not wrongfully take something that does not belong to him. Cultures may have different rules or customs about stealing. The biblical command forbids a person to take something that he has no right to take.
18:20e
do not bear false witness: The command that the Berean Standard Bible translates as do not bear false witness means “do not lie in a legal trial or court case.” This command forbids anyone to tell a lie in order to help a guilty person avoid punishment or in order to cause an innocent person to receive punishment. The expression can also refer to telling lies in any situation. Some other ways to translate the command are:
You must not testify falsely. (New Living Translation (2004)) -or-
Do not tell lies about others. (Contemporary English Version)
18:20f
honor your father and mother: The command the Berean Standard Bible translates as honor your father and mother means “respect your father and mother.” This command includes both attitudes and actions. A person must have a respectful attitude toward his father and mother. He must also honor them by listening to them and helping them. Here is another way to translate this:
respect your father and your mother (Good News Translation)
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