complete verse (Luke 21:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 21:34:

  • Noongar: “‘Watch out! Don’t just think about eating and drinking and everything of this World. That Day can quickly come and trap you!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘Be-on-the-watch, don’t be busy always partying and getting drunk, or always thinking about your life in the world, with the result that you are lax on the day of my arrival. For I will come suddenly.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘You should be watching,’ said Isa. ‘Perhaps that is what you are always thinking about having fun and drinking and your troubles about your livelihood. And then suddenly the day of my return will come and you are caught/found at foolishness.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus said, ‘Be on your guard so you won’t end up having a good time and drinking and just looking for the worldly things that you need, because if you’re not on your guard you will be suddenly overtaken by God’s day of punishment for mankind. And you’ll be just like a trapped rat” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus continued to say, ‘Be careful so you don’t get-sidetracked by drunkenness or other foolish behavior and you don’t become burdened by your means-of-livelihood lest you be startled-speechless by my coming.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Do be careful not to be overly fascinated with celebrations/having-happy-times and going drinking. And be careful that it isn’t the things of this life which are dominant in your mind, they being what you are always/often thinking about. For as long as it’s like that, it’s certain that you really will panic when I arrive, for you won’t be ready.” (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.

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (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 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).

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

Translation commentary on Luke 21:34

Exegesis:

prosechete de heautois ‘be on your guard,’ cf. on 12.1, here followed by mēpote and subjunctive to indicate that against which one has to be on one’s guard.

mēpote barēthōsin humōn hai kardiai ‘lest your hearts be weighed down.’ For mēpote cf. on 4.11. For bareō cf. on 9.32; here it is used in the sense of being no longer sensitive to what is happening. The meaning kardia has here is ‘mind.’

en kraipalē kai methē kai merimnais biōtikais ‘by dissipation and drunkenness and anxieties of this life.’ For merimna cf. on 8.14.

kraipalē ‘intoxication’; ‘dissipation,’ ‘carousing.’

methē ‘drunkenness.’

biōtikos ‘belonging to daily life.’

kai epistē eph’ humas aiphnidios hē hēmera ekeinē ‘and (lest) that day come upon you suddenly,’ still dependent upon mēpote. The clause indicates what may be the consequences of the attitude described in the preceding clause. For ephistamai epi with accusative cf. on 2.9; here its meaning is almost ‘to set upon,’ ‘to catch.’ hē hēmera ekeinē is the day of the coming of the Son of man, cf. 17.30f.

aiphnidios ‘sudden.’ Here it goes with the predicate and means, ‘as a sudden one,’ hence to be rendered emphatically.

Translation:

Take heed to yourselves lest …, or, ‘take care that … not…,’ or in two sentences, ‘be on your guard; do not let…,’ and cf. on v. 8.

Lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, or, taking the nouns as subjects, ‘lest dissipation, etc. weigh down your hearts’ (cf. Sranan Tongo). A further shift to verbal clauses may lead to, ‘that you are not dissipated, etc.; if you do that (or, if you are so), your hearts will be weighed down.’ The phrase your hearts (are) weighed down contrasts with “look up and raise your heads” in v. 28; so occupied that they are not on the look-out for the coming of the Son of man; hence, ‘your hearts … closed for anything else,’ “your minds … dulled” (New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament), “yourselves … occupied” (Good News Translation), ‘your hearts die’ (Kele), ‘your hearts … made unfeeling’ (Shona 1966); or with a syntactic shift, ‘making-fiesta … has gone-to-your-hearts’ (Tzeltal, using an idiom for being engrossed in something, usually with unfavourable connotation). Some renderings used for dissipation, i.e. intemperate, or loose living (cf. on 15.13), are, ‘much-eating’ (Shona 1963, using an intensive form of the verb), ‘feasting’ (Balinese, similarly Tzeltal, see above), ‘fullness of bellies’ (Zarma, using an idiom for satisfying all kinds of physical desires). For drunkenness see 12.45. Cares of this life, i.e. excessive care for the daily necessities of life; hence, ‘worries/anxiety for your livelihood.’ ‘much-thinking (intensive verbal form) about what is of this life’ (Shona 1966), ‘worrying/fretting over what you have to live on.’ Cf. also on 8.14 and 12.22.

That day, or less generically, ‘that awful day’; or quite explicitly, ‘the day the Son of man comes.’

Come upon you suddenly, or, “takes you by surprise” (An American Translation). In the receptor language a ‘day’ may not ‘come,’ however, but ‘break,’ ‘dawn,’ etc., or a personal subject may be required, e.g. ‘you shall see the day dawn.’ Suddenly, or, ‘quite unexpectedly,’ ‘when you do not expect it at all.’

Like a snare, see v. 35.

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 21:34

Paragraph 21:34–36

21:34a

watch yourselves: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as watch yourselves means “be alert, concerned, and watchful.” Here Jesus used the word to introduce a warning. He warned his disciples to be alert and careful to avoid anything that would prevent them from being faithful to the Lord. They must be ready always for him to return. Some other ways to translate this are:

Watch out (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Be on guard (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
watch yourselves (English Standard Version)
-or-
Make sure that (God’s Word)

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this warning. Translate it in a natural way in your language.

21:34b–d

or your hearts will be weighed down…and that day will spring upon you suddenly: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as or here introduces what would happen if the disciples were not careful. It introduces the purpose for the warning in 21:34a. This purpose has two related parts:

(a) so that their hearts will not be weighed down:

(b) so that the day does not close on them unexpectedly.

Some other ways to translate this connection are:

so that your hearts are not weighed down…and that day catch you unexpectedly (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
do not let your minds be dulled…so that the great day catches you suddenly (Revised English Bible)

Some English versions begin a new sentence at 21:34b. Be sure that this connection with 21:34a is clear and natural in your language.

21:34b

your hearts will be weighed down: The clause your hearts will be weighed down is more literally “your hearts will be burdened.” This is a figure of speech. It implies that the disciples should not become like people who are carrying a heavy load and cannot do anything else. The disciples must not become too busy with other things. If they are too busy, they will not have the strength to pray and be faithful to Jesus. Then they will not be ready when he returns.

In some languages a literal translation of the figure of speech may give a wrong meaning. Some other ways to translate it are:

• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:

become occupied with too much (Good News Translation)
-or-
always thinking about

• Use a different figure of speech that expresses the meaning in your language. For example:

consumed with/by
-or-
get-sidetracked by

Translate the meaning in a natural way in your language.

21:34c

by dissipation, drunkenness, and the worries of life: Here Jesus mentioned three things that can “weigh down people’s hearts” so that they are not faithful in following the Lord.

dissipation: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dissipation refers literally to going to parties, getting drunk, and not behaving with self-control. In this context dissipation also refers figuratively to any kind of self-indulgence that makes a person less interested in God and his ways.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

too much feasting (Good News Translation)
-or-
carousing (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
entertaining yourselves with pleasure (Translator’s Reference Translation)

In some languages there may be an idiom to describe this.

drunkenness: The word drunkenness refers to being intoxicated (drunk) and also to the foolish way people act when they are drunk. Describe this in a natural way in your language. Another way to translate it is:

⌊do not⌋ drink too much ⌊wine/liquor⌋ and behave foolishly

the worries of life: The word worries means “anxieties, cares.” Jesus referred to any worries that people have in their lives here on earth. The word the does not imply that Jesus referred to certain specific anxieties. The Greek text does not have the article here. Other ways to translate the worries of life are:

troubles about your livelihood
-or-
the worries of this life (Good News Translation)
-or-
worrying about worldly things (New Century Version)

life: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as life refers specifically to physical life and the normal activities that people do as they live. It often refers to worries about how to sustain life. For example, people worry about how they will get enough food and clothes or about where they will live.

A similar word for life was used in 8:14, where some people let the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke the word. See the translation suggestions in the preceding note.

21:34d

and: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and here introduces the second part of the purpose or reason why the disciples should be careful (21:34a). See the note on 21:34b, for more information.

The clause here in 21:34d also tells the result of 21:34b–c. It tells what will happen if the disciples allow their hearts to be weighed down by dissipation, drunkenness, or worry. In some languages it may not be natural to translate the connection with a simple conjunction like and. Some other ways to translate it are:

If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you (Contemporary English Version)
-or-

Don’t let that day catch you unaware (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-

so that the day will not catch you by surprise

Translate the connection in a natural way in your language.

that day will spring upon you suddenly like a snare: In this clause Jesus used a simile to describe what will happen if his followers do not stay alert (21:34a). They will not be ready on the day when he returns. They will not expect Jesus to come on that day, just as a bird or animal does not expect the trap that catches it.

Some other ways to translate this simile are:

you will not be ready for that day, and it will surprise you like a snare catching an animal/bird
-or-
that day will come when you do not expect it, just as a bird does not expect the snare that catches it
-or-
that day will arrive suddenly like a snare suddenly seizes an animal

that day: The phrase that day refers to the day of the Lord, the day when Jesus will return (21:27) and redeem his people (21:28c) and the kingdom of God will begin (21:31b). If you need to use a more specific expression, you may refer to the day when Jesus returns or to the last day/time. For example:

the day ⌊when I return⌋

you: The pronoun you refers to the disciples who will be alive at the time Jesus returns. See the first note on 21:28b.

like a snare: In some English versions the phrase like a snare is translated as part of 21:35, instead of 21:34d. For example:

and that day catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap (New Revised Standard Version)

This difference does not change the meaning, and either division of the verses is fine. You may want to follow the decision of the major language version in your area.

snare: The word snare refers to a device that people use to catch an animal or bird. Some ways to translate it are:

• Use a general word or phrase that can describe any type of snare. For example:

trap

• Use a word that refers to a specific kind of snare. For example:

net
-or-
noose

• Translate snare as a phrase and specify an object that the trap catches. You may use a general or a specific object. For example:

the way a snare shuts on an animal/bird
-or-
as a snare catches a rat

Translate the simile in an appropriate way in your language.

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