complete verse (Luke 20:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 20:18:

  • Noongar: “‘All people who fall on this stone will be badly injured; but if this stone falls on a person, the stone will crush him to dust.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Like a pot that falls on a stone breaks, like a pot that is squeezed by a stone is-smashed, like that also will be the people who refuse/deny me.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said yet, ‘All those who fall on this stone their bodies will be crumbled. And on whom this stone falls will be crushed/flattened.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “‘And as for that stone, if a person falls upon it, the one falling on it will be completely broken up. But if there is a person on whom that stone falls, his body will be completely smashed.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken-into-pieces, and whoever also it strikes will be broken-into-bits (diff. word) like dust.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Try to understand this. Each one who falls onto this supporting stone/rock will certainly be broken in pieces. But that one on whom this rock falls, he really will be crushed.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 20:18

Exegesis:

pas ho pesōn ep’ ekeinon ton lithon sunthlasthēsetai ‘every one who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces.’ The clause is an expansion of v. 17 but it changes the picture considerably since it refers no longer to a cornerstone, but a stone which is in such a position that one can fall upon it, or, as the rest of v. 18 shows, it can fall upon somebody.

sunthlaō ‘to crush together,’ ‘to dash to pieces,’ here of people. eph’ hon d’ an pesē, likmēsei auton ‘(the man) on which it falls, him it will crush.’

likmaō ‘to winnow’ (so usually in Greek), hence ‘to scatter (like chaff),’ or ‘to crush to powder,’ ‘to pulverize,’ preferably the latter.

Translation:

The translator should not feel called upon to set right the incongruity that exists between v. 17 and v. 18 (as shown in Exegesis).

Every one who … may better become ‘when a person … he,’ cf. on “whoever…” in 9.24.

Will be broken to pieces, or, ‘will go to (or, break into) pieces,’ ‘will shatter himself on it’ (Bible de Jérusalem). ‘will break his body’ (Sranan Tongo).

When it falls on any one it will crush him, or, ‘the man whom the stone falls upon, that one it will smash completely’ (Sranan Tongo); or, keeping the same subject, and using a passive form of the first verb, or of both, ‘he who is-fallen-upon by it (or, by the stone) will turn-to-pulp, or, will be shattered’ (Javanese, Malay).

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 20:18

20:18

In 20:17 Jesus compared himself as the Messiah to a stone that was rejected by the builders. Here in 20:18 Jesus continued to compare himself to a stone, but he referred to different verses in the Old Testament. He probably alluded to Isaiah 8:14–15 and Daniel 2:34–35, 44–45, but he did not quote them exactly.

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed: Here Jesus used two comparisons to describe what will happen to people who reject him as the Messiah. The two comparisons have the same meaning: people who reject Jesus will be destroyed. They will be like a person who falls on a large stone or like someone on whom the stone falls.

In some languages it may be helpful to use a simile and make the meaning more explicit. For example:

A person ⌊who rejects the Messiah⌋ is like someone who falls on a ⌊huge⌋ stone. He will be broken to pieces. Or he is like a person on whom the ⌊huge⌋ stone falls. He will be completely crushed.

It may also be helpful to include a footnote. For example:

Here the stone represents Jesus. Jesus was saying that the people who reject him will be destroyed.

20:18a

Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces: This clause refers to what happens to a person who falls on the stone. The clause is a metaphor. It indicates that if a person rejects the Messiah, the person will be completely destroyed. In some languages it is not natural to speak of a person being broken to pieces. Some other ways to translate this are:

• Use a more general expression. For example:

The man who falls on that stone will be broken (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)

• Refer more specifically to the person’s body. For example:

If a person falls on that stone, his body/bones will be completely broken up
-or-
All those who fall on this stone their bodies will be crumbled

Translate the metaphor in a way that is natural in your language.

will be broken to pieces: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as will be broken to pieces is passive. In some languages it may be more natural use an active verb here. For example:

the stone will break/shatter him into pieces.

20:18b

but he on whom it falls will be crushed: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a situation that is different from the one in 20:18a, but it has a similar result. In some languages it may be more natural to use a conjunction like “and.” For example:

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken, and the person on whom it falls, that person will be crushed! (New Century Version)

In some languages a conjunction is not needed. For example:

Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person. (God’s Word)

he on whom it falls will be crushed: In Greek this clause literally says “when it falls on anyone, it crushes him.” Notice that the Berean Standard Bible translated the verb “crush” with a passive verb. In many languages it is natural to translate it as active. See the examples in the preceding note.

The verb “crush” indicates here that the stone will smash or flatten the person. It may imply that it will completely grind the person to dust. For example:

that person will be crushed to dust (Good News Translation)

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