Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 19:40:
Noongar: “Jesus said, ‘I tell you, if they are silent, these stones will start calling out!'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Yesus said: ‘No! Because if my disciples were quiet, those stones would make-a-loud-noise praising me.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “He answered he said, ‘I tell you that if these don’t say anything, the stones in this road will call out praising me.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then Jesus answered, ‘It cannot be, because if they stop praising then all of those stones there will replace them in praising, because it’s very necessary today that there is someone praising.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “But Jesus said, ‘If they are quiet, in-the-future indeed (prophetic formula), even these stones will take-their-place in praising-me.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying to them, ‘What I will say to you is true that if they are stopped, the rocks/stones will call out next.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Bariai: “But he said, ‘I say to you(pl), if they be quiet, the stones will be yelling.’” (Source: Bariai Back Translation)
Kupsabiny: “Jesus said to the Pharisees, ‘I am telling you, if these people keep quiet, the stones will talk.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “But Yesus said to them: ‘Believe this! If these people themselves will become quiet, then these many rocks which are here will hoot [shout]!’ says He to them.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Hiligaynon: “Jesus answered them, ‘The truth, if they keep-quiet, the stones are the ones who will-shout praises.’” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
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 Translator2002, 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 religious leaders with the formal pronoun, showing respect. Compare that with the typical address with the informal pronoun of the religious leaders.
The only two exceptions to this are Luke 7:40/43 and 10:26 where Jesus uses the informal pronoun as a response to the sycophantic use of the formal pronoun by the religious leaders (see formal pronoun: religious leaders addressing Jesus).
In most Dutch translations, the same distinctions are made, with the exception of Luke 10:26 where Jesus is using the formal pronoun. In Afrikaans and Western Frisian the informal pronoun is used throughout.
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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 first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
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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).
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, kotae-rare-ru (答えられる) or “answer” is used.
ean houtoi siōpēsousin lit. ‘if they were silent, or, will be silent’ (preferably the latter), conditional clause in the future, equivalent to an aorist subjunctive and hence to be rendered in the present. siōpaō, cf. on 1.20.
Translation:
If these were silent, preferably, ‘if these are silent,’ ‘if these (people) say nothing, or, do not shout,’ ‘if these shut their mouth’ (Sranan Tongo).
The very stones, would cry out, preferably, ‘will cry out, or, shout.’ Emphasizers like ‘without-doubt’ (Bahasa Indonesia) are often added to bring out better the contrast with the preceding clause, as does “very” in the Revised Standard Version.
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.
In this verse, Jesus refused to do as the Pharisees asked him to do in 19:39. In some languages it may be natural to introduce the refusal in some way. This verse begins in Greek with a conjunction that the Contemporary English Version and New Century Version translate as “But” in order to show a contrast. Most English versions do not translate this conjunction. Begin the verse in a natural way in your language.
I tell you: Jesus often used the words I tell you to begin a statement that he wanted to emphasize. It indicates that the statement was important and people should listen carefully to it. Some other ways to translate this emphasis here are:
I assure you -or-
Listen to this: -or-
I can guarantee that (God’s Word)
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.
He answered: In Greek the phrase He answered occurs at the beginning of the verse. It introduces Jesus’ response to the Pharisees. Place the phrase where it is natural in your language.
19:40b–c
if they remain silent, the very stones will cry out: This statement contains implied information. Jesus implied that it was necessary for his disciples to praise God and welcome him as the Messiah. Jesus said this to answer the Pharisees and tell them that the disciples were right. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:
⌊No, I will not ask them to be silent, for⌋ if they were quiet, then the stones would shout out ⌊in their place⌋. -or-
⌊It is so right for them to do this, that⌋ if they did not, then the stones would cry out. -or-
⌊You are wrong in what you ask.⌋ If my disciples stop shouting out praise, then the rocks will shout out.
the very stones will cry out: The clause the very stones will cry out is a figure of speech. The stones would not literally shout, and the disciples also would not be silent. In some languages there are special verb forms that are used to describe a hypothetical situation like this that will not really happen. For example:
If they kept quiet, the stones…would burst into cheers! (New Living Translation (2004))
cry out: Here the verb cry out describes glad shouts of praise such as the disciples were shouting. It does not refer to crying out because of distress or anger. Use an appropriate verb in your language. In some languages it may be necessary to make the meaning more explicit. For example:
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