synagogue, temple (inner), temple (outer)

In many English translations the Greek terms “hieron” (the whole “temple” in Jerusalem or specifically the outer courts open to worshippers) and “naos” (the inner “shrine” or “sanctuary”) are translated with only one word: “temple” (see also for instance “Tempel” in German [for exception see below] and “tempel” in Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans).

Other languages make a distinction: (Click or tap here to see more)

  • Navajo: “house in which worship is carried out” (for naos)
  • Balinese: “inner part of the Great Temple” (“the term ‘inner part’ denoting the hindmost and holiest of the two or three courts that temples on Bali usually possess”) vs. “Great Temple”
  • Telugu: “womb (i.e. interior)-of-the-abode” vs. “abode”
  • Thai: a term denoting the main audience hall of a Buddhist temple compound vs. “environs-of-the-main-audience-hall”
  • Kituba: “place of holiness of house-God Lord” vs. “house-God Lord”
  • Shipibo-Conibo: “deep in God’s house” vs. “God’s house” (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022): “inner court of the temple” (Tempelinnenhof) vs. “temple”

Languages that, like English, German, Dutch, Danish, or Afrikaans don’t make that distinction include:

  • Mandarin Chinese: “聖殿 Shèng diàn” (“holy palace”)
  • Loma: “the holy place”
  • Pular: “the sacred house” (source for this and the one above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Zarma: “God’s compound”
  • Eastern Highland Otomi: “big church of the Jews”
  • Yatzachi Zapotec: “big house on top (i.e. most important)”
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house that is looked upon as holy, that is sacred, that is taboo and where one may not set foot” (lit. “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” — because taboo is violated — using a term that is also applied to a Muslim mosque) (source for this and the three above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
  • Mairasi: Janav Enggwarjer Weso: “Great Above One’s (God’s) House” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Noongar: Maya-maya-Kooranyi: “Sacred House” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Huehuetla Tepehua: “the big church of the Israelites”
  • Aguaruna: “the house for talking to God” (source for this and above: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
  • Guhu-Samane: “festival longhouse of God” (“The biiri, ‘festival longhouse’, being the religious and social center of the community, is a possible term for ‘temple’. It is not the ‘poro house’ as such. That would be too closely identified with the cult of poro. The physical features of the building, huge and sub-divided, lend it further favor for this consideration. By qualifying it as ‘God’s biiri’ the term has become meaningful and appropriate in the context of the Scriptures.”) (Source: Ernest Richert in The Bible Translator, 1965, p. 81ff. )
  • Enga: “God’s restricted access house” (source: Adam Boyd on his blog)

Another distinction that tends to be overlooked in translations is that between hieron (“temple” in English) and sunagógé (“synagogue” in English). Euan Fry (in The Bible Translator 1987, p. 213ff. ) reports on this:

“Many older translations have simply used transliterations of ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ rather than trying to find equivalent terms or meaningful expressions in their own languages. This approach does keep the two terms separate; but it makes the readers depend on explanations given by pastors or teachers for their understanding of the text.

“Translators who have tried to find meaningful equivalents, for the two terms ‘temple’ and ‘synagogue’ have usually made a distinction between them in one of two ways (which focus on the contrasting components of meaning). One way takes the size and importance of the Temple to make a contrast, so that expressions such as ‘sacred meeting/ worship house of the Jews’ and ‘big sacred meeting/worship house of the Jews’ are used. The other way focuses on the different nature of the religious activity at each of the places, so that expressions such as ‘meeting/worship house of the Jews’ and ‘sacrifice/ceremony place of the Jews’ are used.

“It is not my purpose in this article to discuss how to arrive at the most precise equivalent to cover all the components of meaning of ‘temple’. That is something that each translator really has to work through for himself in the light of the present usage and possibilities in his own language. My chief concern here is that the basic term or terms chosen for ‘temple’ should give the reader of a translation a clear and correct picture of the location referred to in each passage. And I am afraid that in many cases where an equivalent like ‘house of God’ or ‘worship house’ has been chosen, the readers have quite the wrong picture of what going to the Temple or being in the Temple means. (This may be the case for the word ‘temple’ in English too, for many readers.)”

Here are some examples:

  • Bambara: “house of God” (or: “big house of worship”) vs. “worship house” (or: “small houses of worship”)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: “house where-the-belly-gets-swollen” (see above) vs. “meeting house for discussing matters concerning religious customs” (and “church” is “house where one meets on Sunday”)
  • Navajo: “house in which worship is carried out” vs. “house of gathering” (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida)

    • Bangandu: “the great house of God” vs. “house of prayer” (Source: Ervais Fotso Noumsi in Le Sycomore, 16/1, 2022 )

Click or tap here to see a short video clip about Herod’s temple (source: Bible Lands 2012)

Click or tap here to see a short video clip showing synagogues in New Testament times (source: Bible Lands 2012)

See also this devotion on YouVersion .

complete verse (Luke 22:53)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 22:53:

  • Noongar: “I was sitting beside you inside the Temple every day. Couldn’t you get me there? But this is your moment, coming when the powers of darkness are ruling.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Every day I have been with you in the House of God, but none of you laid your hands on Me then. It is just in the time of darkness that you dare to arrest me. This is your time, and the time of the king of darkness!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Every day I have been there with you in the temple but you did not seize me. But this is the time that belongs to you/is given to you so that you can seize me and this also is the time when the leader of demons rules.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “When I was with you everyday there in the house of God, teaching, you did not arrest me then. But this is the time determined for you, so that you might carry out the will of Satan.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Daily emphatically I was in the Temple teaching you, but you weren’t-arresting me. But now has arrived your opportunity which God has determined/established and the opportunity also of Satanas who rules in the darkness.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Since every day I was teaching there in the Templo, but you didn’t arrest me there. However this night, you have been permitted to have the opportunity. And Satanas has been left-alone/allowed to go ahead with the evil he wants to do.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing religious leaders

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 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.

first person pronoun referring to God

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 show 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 22:53

Exegesis:

kath’ hēmeran ‘daily,’ ‘day by day,’ with emphasis, going with the following absolute genitive.

ontos mou meth’ humōn en tō hierō ‘when I was with you in the temple.’ meth’ humōn does not imply personal contact. For hieron cf. on 2.27.

ouk exeteinate tas cheiras ep’ eme ‘you did not stretch out your hands against me,’ hence either ‘you did not lay hands on me’ (as a reference to an act), or, ‘you did not raise a hand against me’ (as an expression of hostile intent), preferably the latter.

all’ hautē estin humōn hē hōra ‘but this is your hour,’ meaning either ‘now at this time and this place you dare to arrest me,’ or ‘this is your appointed time,’ i.e. appointed by God. The latter is preferable.

kai hē exousia tou skotous ‘and (this is) the power of darkness,’ i.e., now the power of darkness is at work. For detailed interpretations of this clause and its relationship to hautē estin humōn hē hōra see commentaries. For translation purposes it seems advisable to understand the clause as expressing a complementary aspect of the situation: not only the hour of Jesus’ human adversaries but also of the activity of the power of darkness, i.e. of the devil.

Translation:

You did not lay hands on me, preferably, ‘you did not raise a hand against me,’ or, ‘you did not even try/dare to touch me’ (cf. Tae’ 1933). For the rendering of the phrase according to the other interpretation see on 20.19.

This is your hour, or more explicitly, ‘this is the moment for you to act,’ ‘now you are allowed (or, God allows you) to do this.’

And the power of darkness, i.e. ‘and (this is the moment) for the power of darkness to act,’ ‘it is also the time of darkness when it has strength’ (Shona 1966), parallel to the preceding phrase. Power of darkness, i.e. the powerful/mighty/strong one who is characterized as dark, or, where idiomatically preferable, the reversed construction, ‘the dark one who is powerful.’ If the phrase would not be understood as referring to the devil, such a reference has to be added, e.g. ‘the devil who rules in darkness.’

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.

formal second person plural pronoun

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 show 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. )

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 22:53

22:53a

Every day: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Every day means “day by day, regularly, for many days.” Jesus probably referred especially to each day in the week that had just passed. Other ways to translate it are:

Day after day (Revised English Bible)
-or-
daily (New American Standard Bible)

I was with you in the temple courts: Here Jesus was still speaking to the men who came to arrest him. He reminded them that they had seen him every day in the temple courts. He had taught there publicly each day of that week. Many of them had heard what he said. Other ways to translate this clause are:

I have been there with you in the temple
-or-
You were with me ⌊as I taught⌋ in the temple courts.

temple courts: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temple courts is literally “temple.” Here it refers to the public area around the temple building, not to the building itself. For more information, see the notes on 21:37a. See also temple, Meaning 1, in the Glossary.

22:53b

you did not lay a hand on Me: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as you did not lay a hand on Me is an idiom. In this context it implies the meaning “you did nothing to arrest/capture me.” Here is another way to translate this:

you did not try to arrest me (Good News Translation)

Jesus implied here that if he had really done anything wrong, the authorities would have arrested him openly. They did not arrest him in public because they were afraid that the people might harm them for arresting an innocent man.

22:53c

But this hour belongs to you: In this context hour refers to a particular short period of time. Here it has the meaning “opportunity.” The clause this hour belongs to you indicates that on that particular night, in the dark, they had the opportunity to arrest Jesus and to harm him. It also implies that God had allowed them to have that brief opportunity. It was only a short time that they would have to harm him.

Some other ways to translate the clause are:

This is your time
-or-
This opportunity has been given to you
-or-
You have ⌊been allowed⌋ this time
-or-

⌊God⌋ ⌊has allowed⌋ you to have this brief time

In some languages it may be necessary to make clear the purpose of the hour. For example:

this is your hour to act (Good News Translation)
-or-
this is the time that belongs to you…so that you can seize me

22:53d

and to the power of darkness: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as and to the power of darkness is more literally “and the power/authority of darkness.” It was nighttime, and dark, when the crowd of men came to arrest Jesus. The darkness symbolizes Satan and his evil power, including the power of the evil spirits that he rules. The phrase the power of darkness implies here that Satan was influencing the people who arrested Jesus.

In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that darkness refers here to evil or to Satan. For example:

when in the darkness Satan does what he wants to do
-or-
evil power rules/works now in the dark
-or-
when Satan uses his dark/evil power

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