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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

In San Blas Kuna it is rendered as “help the heart,” in Laka, it is “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver,” in Huautla Mazatec the back-translation of the employed term is “lift out on behalf of,” in Anuak, it is “have life because of,” in Central Mazahua “be healed in the heart,” in Baoulé “save one’s head” (meaning to rescue a person in the fullest sense), in Guerrero Amuzgo “come out well,” in Northwestern Dinka “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source: Bratcher / Nida), in Matumbi as “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), and in Noongar barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In South Bolivian Quechua it is “make to escape” and in Highland Puebla Nahuatl, it is “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand.” (Source: Nida 1947, p. 222.)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (Luke 18:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 18:26:

  • Noongar: “All the people listening to Jesus asked, ‘Then who can save his life?'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “All the people who heard the words of Yesus were surprised, they said: ‘If thus, who [in the world] can receive eternal life?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When the people heard what Isa said, they said, ‘Na, who can then go to heaven, if it is like that?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when the people heard this, they said, ‘If it’s not possible for a rich man, it must not be possible for anybody to come to own life which has no end.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for those who heard that, they said, ‘If that indeed is so, who perhaps can be saved?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Those who heard that questioned, saying, ‘Well if it’s like that, that it’s hard for the rich to be saved who have big means, well who in fact can be saved? Isn’t it so that no-one can?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 18:26 – 18:27

Exegesis:

eipan de hoi akousantes ‘those who heard (this) said,’ to each other, or to Jesus, preferably the latter.

kai tis dunatai sōthēnai ‘then who can be saved.’ kai at the beginning of a question expresses astonishment. sōthēnai means here ‘to attain salvation,’ cf. on 8.12.

(V. 27) ta adunata para anthrōpois ‘the things which are impossible with men, i.e. for men.’

adunatos ‘impossible,’ here used as a substantive.

dunata para tō theō estin ‘are possible for God.’ The clause is an answer to the question of v. 26 in the form of a general pronouncement.

Translation:

Who can be saved, or, ‘who can reach/acquire salvation’ (Balinese, Javanese).

(V. 27) What is impossible with men is possible with God, or, ‘things men cannot do, God can (do),’ or, ‘God is able to do what no men can do.’

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.