complete verse (Luke 21:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 21:8:

  • Noongar: “Jesus replied, ‘Watch out! Don’t listen to lies. Many people will come to deceive, pretending that they speak for me, and they will say, ‘I am the One!’ and ‘The Day has come!’ Don’t follow them!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘Be careful, that you may not be fooled/deceived. Because many people will appear who say that they are the Redeemer King. There will also be those who say that Kiama Day has really come. But do not follow them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “He answered he said, ‘Be careful so that you will not be deceived. For many will come who call themselves by my name and say that they are the Almasi. And they will also say, ‘The end of the world is now.’ But do not follow/obey them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘Be on your guard so that you do not become disciples of lying people, because there are many who will appear using my name, and each one of them will say that he is the one that God chose to rule. And they will say also, ‘This is the time when God will punish mankind.’ However, don’t you believe it because it’s a lie.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus answered and said, ‘Be-careful so you will not deceived. Because many will come who will say, ‘I indeed am the Messiah,’ and they will also say, ‘The day has almost arrived.’ But you should not join them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying, ‘Be careful that you aren’t misled by anyone. Because many will come who will falsely-claim my name, saying, ‘I am the one who is that one referred to as Cristo,’ and ‘It’s the end time now.’ But don’t you believe/go-along-with it.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

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 Translator 2002, 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 his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

1st person pronoun referring to God (Japanese)

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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.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

See also pronoun for “God”.

Translation commentary on Luke 21:8

Exegesis:

blepete mē planēthēte ‘beware lest you are led astray.’

planaō ‘to mislead,’ here in the passive ‘to be misled,’ ‘to be deceived,’ ‘to be led astray.’

polloi gar eleusontai epi tō onomati mou ‘for many will come under my name.’ eleusontai means here ‘to appear on the scene.’

ho kairos eggiken ‘the time has drawn near,’ or, ‘is at hand.’ kairos is the moment appointed by God for the eschatological events to happen. eggizō (cf. 7.12) is used here in a temporal sense.

mē poreuthēte opisō autōn ‘do not go after them,’ ‘do not follow them.’ opisō (cf. 9.23) here implies following as a disciple, or an adherent.

Translation:

Take heed that you are not led astray. What is to be avoided is the being led astray, of course, but in some languages a literal rendering of the negation in the dependent clause may suggest that it is the opposite, i.e. the not being led astray. To prevent this a rendering by two co-ordinated imperatives may be advisable, ‘take heed; don’t be led astray.’ — Take heed, or, ‘take care,’ ‘be on your guard,’ ‘watch out.’ — That you are not led astray, or, ‘deceived/misled,’ or, ‘that you do not go astray, or, err, or, believe lies’; Sranan Tongo has an idiomatic phrase, ‘that people do not turn your head.’

For in my name, or more descriptively, ‘as though they were I (or, were representing me).’

The time, or making explicit what this term implies in this context, ‘his time,’ ‘the time that he/the Christ comes.’ In Ekari the appropriate idiom is, ‘(the time when) the knots will be untied’ (cf. the Tboli rendering of “at the end of” in 2.21).

Go after, see on “come after” in 9.23.

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 21:8

21:8–11

In these verses, Jesus told his disciples about terrible events that would occur after he left this world and before he will return to it. Jesus said that during that time certain persons would falsely claim to be the Messiah. There would be wars, famines, and earthquakes. Jesus wanted his disciples to understand that it was very important to remain faithful to God during these times of suffering.

The parallel passages for 21:8–11 are Matthew 24:4–8 and Mark 13:5–8.

21:8a

Jesus answered: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Jesus answered is literally “And he said.” Here, “he” refers to Jesus. The verb answered introduces Jesus’ reply to the question that the disciples asked him. Introduce it in a natural way in your language.

See to it that you are not deceived: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as See to it is literally “See.” Here it is a command to the disciples to be watchful and aware of possible danger. This danger is explained later in the verse. People would try to deceive them. They had to be watchful and protect themselves from being deceived. Other ways to translate this command are:

See that you are not led astray (English Standard Version)
-or-
Be careful that you are not deceived (God’s Word)
-or-
Watch out; don’t be fooled (Good News Translation)

that you are not deceived: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that you are not deceived is passive. In this context it indicates that the disciples should not allow anyone or anything to cause them to believe something that is not true. Some ways to translate this clause are:

• As a passive clause. For example:

don’t be fooled (Good News Translation)
-or-
that you are not misled (Revised English Bible)

• As an active clause. For example:

Don’t let anyone mislead you…. (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Be careful that ⌊people⌋ do not deceive/mislead you.

21:8b

For: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason for what Jesus told his disciples in 21:8a. Connect this reason to 21:8a in a way that is natural in your language. Another way to do this in English is:

⌊I say this⌋ because

many will come in My name, claiming: The words many will come in My name, claiming indicate that many men will say in public that they have Jesus’ authority. In this context the phrase will come introduces these men as people who will do and say things in the future. It does not indicate that they will come to any particular place. Some other ways to translate this clause are:

many will appear, using my name, saying
-or-
many men will publicly claim to have my authority. They will say

many will come…claiming: Here the phrase many will come indicates that many individual men will come at different times. They will not come as a group at the same time. In some languages it may be helpful to make this explicit. For example:

there will be many men who will come…. Each of them will claim…

claiming: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as claiming is literally “saying.” It introduces the two things that the men will say in 21:8c and 21:8d. Each man will say that he is the Messiah and that the time is near. The Berean Standard Bible uses the word claiming to imply that what they will say is not true. In some languages it may be necessary to indicate that explicitly. For example:

⌊will lie,⌋ saying
-or-
will ⌊falsely⌋ claim

See the General Comment on 21:8a–e at the end of 21:8e for examples of using indirect speech here.

21:8c

I am He: In this context the clause I am He indicates that each man will claim to be the Messiah. The word I is emphatic in Greek. It indicates that each man will say that he is the Messiah, the one whom God promised to send as king and savior. Some ways to translate I am He here are:

• Use the term for “Christ” or “Messiah” in your language. For example:

I am the Messiah (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
I am the promised Deliverer-King
-or-
I am Christ (Contemporary English Version)

• Use a more general term. It is good if this term implies that he is the one whom people were expecting. For example:

I am the One (New Century Version)

For help in translating “Christ” or “Messiah,” see the note at 20:41b. There are parallel verses in Matthew 24:5 and Mark 13:6.

21:8d

and: The word and introduces another false statement that each man will say. Another way to introduce the statement is:

Each one will also say

The time is near: The word time refers to the time of the “end” that will be mentioned in 21:9d. This “end” could be the end of the temple or the end of that age (era of time). It may be helpful to refer to it in a similar way here and in 21:9d. Some ways to translate The time is near are:

The time ⌊when this age will end⌋ has arrived.
-or-
The time has come! (Good News Translation)
-or-
The ⌊end of this era⌋ is here.
-or-

⌊This period of time/history⌋ is now ending.

21:8e

Do not follow them: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Do not follow them is a command that Jesus gave to his disciples. It is not another thing that the false messiahs will say. In some languages it is helpful to make that explicit. For example:

When they say that, do not follow them.
-or-
Then Jesus said, “Do not follow them.”

follow them: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as follow them is literally “go after them.” It indicates that the disciples should not believe those people and go with them. They should not become their followers. Some other ways to translate the command are:

Do not believe them.
-or-
But you should not join them.

General Comment on 21:8a–e

In 21:8c and 21:8d Jesus quoted what other people will say. In some languages it will be more natural to use indirect speech for one or both of these statements. It may also be helpful to indicate when the quotes or indirect speech ends. For example:

8aJesus said, “See to it that you are not deceived, 8bbecause many men will come using my name. 8cEach one will say that he is the Messiah, 8dand he will say that the time has come. 8eDo not follow any of them.”
-or-
He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you. For many will come in my name, claiming to be the Messiah and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them….” (New Living Translation (1996))

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