Translation commentary on Luke 18:25

Exegesis:

eukopōteron … estin kamēlon … dielthein ē plousion … eiselthein lit. ‘it is easier that a camel passes through … than that a rich man enters…,’ hence, ‘it is easier for a camel to pass through … than for a rich man to enter….’ For eukopōteron cf. on 5.23.

kamēlon dia trēmatos belonēs dielthein ‘for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle.’

kamēlos ‘camel.’

trēma ‘opening,’ ‘hole.’

belonē ‘needle,’ instrument used for sewing.

Translation:

Camel. Where a borrowing is used, because the animal is unknown in the culture, it may be useful to indicate the point of comparison, cf. e.g. Tzeltal, which uses camello but makes explicit that the reference is to its bigness. In some regions another animal is proverbial for its bigness, e.g. ‘elephant’ (Batak Toba).

The eye of a needle is elsewhere called its ‘face’ (Kekchi), ‘loop’ (Tae’), ‘foot’ (Tzeltal). A term for some sort of needle seems usually to be available, e.g. a coarse bone or bamboo needle used to sew pandanus leaves to make raincapes or mats (Ekari), or for stitching reed mats with bark fibres (Nyanja).

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 18:25

18:25a–b

Indeed: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Indeed is often translated as “For.” The Revised Standard Version and several other English versions translate it that way. It often introduces a reason or explanation for something. Here it introduces a statement that emphasizes what Jesus said in 18:24b. Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. You may do what is natural in your language for this context.

it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God: This is a comparison. It emphasizes what Jesus said in 18:24b. Jesus compared a difficult action (a rich man entering the kingdom of God) to an impossible action (a camel going through the eye of a needle). This comparison implies that it is also impossible for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

Some other ways to translate this comparison are:

It is difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. But it is extremely difficult for a rich man to go into the kingdom of God.
-or-
It is difficult for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. It is even more difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
-or-
It is harder for a rich man to go into God’s kingdom than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

a camel: The camel was the largest animal that Jewish people owned and cared for. It is a four-legged animal that weighs about six hundred kilograms (1300 pounds). It is two meters (6.5 feet) tall at the shoulder. It carries people and cargo.

If camels are not known in your area, here are some ways to translate it:

• Write the word camel according to the sounds of your language and add a descriptive phrase. For example:

⌊a large animal called⌋ a camel

• Borrow the word that means camel from another language. If this word is not well known, you may want to add a descriptive phrase.

• Use only a descriptive phrase instead of the word camel. For example:

a ⌊very large⌋ animal

You may want to have a picture of a camel in your translation. You may also want to include a footnote to give more information. For example:

Literally “a camel.” A camel is a large four-legged animal that weighs about six hundred kilograms and is about two meters tall at the shoulder. It was one of the largest animals in Israel.

the eye of a needle: The phrase the eye of a needle refers to the small hole in a sewing needle. The thread passes through this hole. Jesus used this phrase as an example of a very small hole. Use an expression for this that is natural in your language. For example:

the hole of a needle
-or-
a ⌊sewing⌋ needle hole
-or-
the path/road ⌊in⌋ a needle

for a rich man: Notice that here Jesus used the singular phrase a rich man instead of the plural form “the rich” in 18:24b. This phrase refers to any rich person, whether male or female. It is helpful to make this clear. For example:

for a rich person (God’s Word)

General Comment on 18:24–25

In some languages it may be natural to combine these two verses. For example:

24–25It is very hard for a rich person to enter God’s kingdom. If a camel could walk through the hole in a ⌊sewing⌋ needle, then it might be possible for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

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