send away empty-handed

The Greek that is typically translated as “send (him) away empty-handed” in English is translated in Punu with the existing idiom “send (him) away holding his hands.” (Source: Nida 1952, p. 54)

In Western Highland Chatino it is translated as “(they) didn’t give him even one grape.” (Source: B. Moore / G. Turner in Notes on Translation 1967, p. 1ff.)

See also empty-handed.

empty-handed

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “empty-handed” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically with “with hands only.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

See also send away empty-handed.

complete verse (Luke 20:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 20:11:

  • Noongar: “So the man sent another servant; but the people beat him and injured him, and sent him away with nothing.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “After that, the owner of field/garden then ordered another slave [to go]. But they just beat him too, they sassed/spoke-harshly-to him, and expelled him without anything [lit., dry].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then the owner of the vineyard told a different servant of his to go to them. They also beat him and shamed him and sent him home without anything.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “As for that owner, he sent again another servant to those taking care of the field and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and they sent him home without anything.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So the farm owner again sent a slave. But it was just the same, they whipped him and shamed him and then they caused-him-to-return without giving him anything.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When that owner observed, he sent another of his slaves, but they in fact clubbed-his-head and really did to him what was shameful, and sent him back also taking nothing at all.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 20:11

Exegesis:

kai prosetheto heteron pempsai doulon lit. ‘and he went on to send another slave,’ i.e. ‘again he sent a slave.’

atimasantes lit. ‘after humiliating (him).’

atimazō ‘to dishonour,’ ‘to treat shamefully,’ ‘to humiliate.’

Translation:

He sent another (or a second) servant, or, ‘again (or, for the second time) he sent a servant (of his).’

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 20:11

20:11a

So he sent another servant: In Greek, this clause is literally “And he proceeded to send another slave,” as in the New American Standard Bible. It tells what the owner of the vineyard did when his servant returned without any grapes. He sent another servant. In some languages it may be helpful to use a different conjunction or a phrase or clause to introduce the event. For example:

So/Then he sent a different servant.
-or-
After ⌊that servant returned empty-handed⌋, the owner sent another servant.
-or-
He tried again and sent a second servant… (Revised English Bible)

20:11b–c

but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed: The farmers/tenants also abused this slave/servant that the master sent to them. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

…that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed. (NET Bible)
-or-
They insulted him and beat him. Then they made him return to his master without any grapes.

beat: The word beat is the same Greek word that was used in 20:10d.

treated him shamefully: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as treated…shamefully means “dishonored, insulted.” It refers to treating a person badly in order to humiliate him. By treating the servant with contempt in that way, the farmers/tenants were also treating his master, the owner, with contempt. In some languages there may be an idiom to express this meaning. Some other ways to translate the meaning are:

treated him outrageously (NET Bible)
-or-
manhandling him disgracefully (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
They insulted him terribly (Contemporary English Version)

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