48When his parents saw him they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously looking for you.”
Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Luke 2:41-52:
Every year Mary and Joseph went to Jerusalem for Passover,
and when Jesus was twelve, they went there as usual.
After Passover, his parents left,
not knowing Jesus had stayed on in the city.
They thought he was traveling with friends,
and they went a whole day before looking for him.
When they could not find Jesus with relatives or friends,
they returned to Jerusalem and for three days
anxiously searched everywhere.
Finally, they found Jesus in the temple,
listening to the teachers, asking them questions,
and surprising everyone by his wisdom and knowledge.
“Son, why have you done this to us?” asked his mother.
“Your father and I’ve been frantically searching for you.”
“Why did you have to search for me?” questioned Jesus.
“Didn’t you know I’d be here in my Father’s house?”
But they didn’t understand what he meant.
Jesus returned home to Nazareth with his parents,
and was always obedient to them.
But his mother never stopped thinking about all of this.
As Jesus grew up, he grew wiser and stronger —
so much so that God and people were pleased with him.
God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).
Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.
In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.
While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”
In that system, one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and others for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.
Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”
In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)
Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”
In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )
In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)
The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.
Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are Twents as well as the closely related Indonesian and Malay. In the latter two languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
kai idontes auton exeplagēsan ‘and when they saw him they were astonished,’ resuming the subject of heuron in v. 46, i.e. his parents.
ekplēssomai ‘to be astonished,’ stronger than existamai (v. 47).
ti epoiēsas hēmin houtōs ‘why have you done to us like this,’ i.e. “why have you treated us like this” (New English Bible); the phrase is clearly reproachful.
ho patēr sou kagō odunōmenoi ezētoumen se ‘your father and I were looking for you in great anguish.’ The subject consists of a noun in the 3rd person and a pronoun in the 1st, hence the verb is in the 1st person plural. odunōmenoi ‘(being) in great anguish’ goes with the subject of the verb ezētoumen, and indicates the state of mind in which Joseph and Mary were during their search.
odunaomai (also 16.24) ‘to feel pain,’ here of mental pain.
Translation:
They, or to avoid ambiguity, ‘they-two,’ or, ‘his parents.’
Astonished, cf. on “wondered” in 1.21.
Son (lit. ‘child,’ cf. on 1.7), or, ‘my child/son/boy’; in Balinese ‘ah, little-one’ is the closest natural equivalent.
Why have you treated us so, or, ‘why have you done this to us’; or more explicitly reproachful, by using a more specific rendering of “why”, cf. ‘how could you…,’ and/or of the verb, e.g. ‘cause-trouble-to’ (Balinese), ‘behave badly towards,’ or adverb (Javanese, which adds to ‘so’ a particle expressing disapproval). In some languages, e.g. Toraja-Sa’dan, to treat so is rendered by a causative derivation of ‘so.’ The pronoun us must sometimes be specified, e.g. ‘us, your parents.’
Your father and I have … The combination of a compound subject (consisting of a reference to a third and first person singular) with the verb may require some adaptation, such as adding the pronoun of the first person plural, e.g. ‘we (or, we-two), your father and I, …’ (followed by the verb in plural or dual, where such categories exist; cf. Bible de Jérusalem); or a shift to the singular, e.g. ‘I, together with your father (or, and your father also).’ In Tboli the singular pronoun is absorbed by the plural, so to speak, cf. ‘look, us two your father continually sorrowful look-for you.’ Your father should be rendered by the term that is normally used in the receptor language by the mother when speaking about her husband to the children, e.g. ‘father,’ treated as a proper name, as shown by the use of a name qualifier (Balinese). Similarly the pronoun I should be rendered by the form normally used in family life, e.g. ‘mother’ (in the sense of ‘I, your mother’) in Balinese and Sundanese. To employ the humble form used by a speaker when addressing a person of superior rank (as done by a few versions in languages using honorifics) is not advisable.
Anxiously. Versions in English and several other languages have to render the attributive participle, qualifying the state of mind of the agent, by an adverbial expression, qualifying the action performed by the agent while being in that state of mind. Elsewhere it is better to shift to a co-ordinate verbal clause, ‘and we were worrying,’ “and have been very anxious” (An American Translation). Several translators follow An American Translation in using a stronger expression than Revised Standard Version does, e.g. ‘much distressed/troubled’ (Thai, Tagalog, Ekari, Sundanese), “in anguish and grief” (Translator’s New Testament), in order to give expression to the emphatic position the word has in the clause. For anxious, i.e. worrying and apprehensive of ills that may happen, cf. on 10.41.
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.
kai emnēsthēsan tōn rēmatōn autou ‘and (indeed) they remembered his words.’
(V. 9) hupostrepsasai apo tou mnēmeiou ‘after returning from the tomb,’ i.e. to the city.
apēggeilan tauta panta tois hendeka kai pasin tois loipois ‘they reported all this to the eleven and to all the others.’ For apaggellō cf. on 7.18. tauta panta refers to what they had seen and heard. The relationship of ‘all the others’ to the eleven is not stated but presumably the phrase refers to disciples, or followers of Jesus in the wider sense.
Translation:
(V. 9) Returning, or, ‘after they had come back.’
The eleven, or, ‘the eleven disciples.’
All the rest, or, ‘all the remaining (ones)’ (Marathi), ‘all the other followers (of Jesus)’; or again, ‘all their (referring to the eleven) associates/companions’ (Javanese, Batak Toba), ‘all those with them.’
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.
When His parents saw Him, they were astonished: The text does not tell the reason why Jesus’ parents were astonished. They were probably amazed that he was speaking with the teachers. It was not normal for a child of Jesus’ age to be in a group of such teachers and to speak with them about religious matters.
astonished: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as astonished is a strong word. It is a different word from the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as “astounded” in 2:47, but the meaning is very similar. Some other ways to translate this word are:
they were overwhelmed (NET Bible) -or-
they were shocked (God’s Word) -or-
They were overcome (New Jerusalem Bible)
2:48b
Child: When Mary addressed Jesus as her Child, she was using a term of affection that a mother would use. Use a natural term in your language.
why have You done this to us: This question can be interpreted in two ways:
(1) As a real question that expects an answer.
(2) As a rhetorical question that does not seek an answer.
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). Mary wanted Jesus to answer her, and Jesus did answer Mary’s question.
Although this question is real, it is also like a rhetorical question because it expresses Mary’s surprise and distress. Mary implied that Jesus should not have stayed behind in Jerusalem without telling her or Joseph.
There are several ways that you can translate this:
• As a question. For example:
why have you done this to us? (Good News Translation)
• As a request from Mary for Jesus to explain his actions. For example:
explain to us why you have treated us like this.
• As a statement that expresses surprise or mild rebuke. For example:
what you did ⌊has upset/worried⌋ us. -or-
⌊I do not understand⌋ why you have treated us like this.
Mary was seeking an answer, and she was also expressing surprise and/or mild rebuke. Translate this in the way that is most natural in your language.
2:48c
anxiously searching for You: The phrase anxiously searching for You means that Joseph and Mary had been looking hard to find Jesus. They had worried about him.
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