Luke 7:11 – TIPs

The widow at Nain (image)

Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1973).

Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe.

For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.

complete verse (Luke 7:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 7:11:

Nyongar: “Soon after, Jesus went to a town, Nain. His disciples and many other people followed him.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Not long after that [lit. from there], Yesus went to a town called Nain, with his disciples and many other people with them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Not long after that, Isa went to a town called Nain. He went with his disciples and also great crowds of people followed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And a few days after that Jesus went to a town called Nain; there were very many people who went with him, including his disciples.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It wasn’t long and Jesus went to the town they called Nain. His disciples and many people went-with him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “From that day, it wasn’t long till Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples went with him and many people also.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

The Greek that is often translated as “disciple” in English typically follows three types of translation: (1) those which employ a verb ‘to learn’ or ‘to be taught’, (2) those which involve an additional factor of following, or accompaniment, often in the sense of apprenticeship, and (3) those which imply imitation of the teacher.

Following are some examples (click or tap for details):

Ngäbere: “word searcher”
Yaka: “one who learned from Jesus”
Navajo, Western Highland Purepecha, Tepeuxila Cuicatec, Lacandon: “one who learned”
San Miguel El Grande Mixtec: “one who studied with Jesus”
Northern Grebo: “one Jesus taught”
Toraja-Sa’dan: “child (i.e., follower) of the master”
Indonesian: “pupil”
Central Mazahua: “companion whom Jesus taught”
Kipsigis, Loma, Copainalá Zoque: “apprentice” (implying continued association and learning)
Cashibo-Cacataibo: “one who followed Jesus”
Huautla Mazatec: “his people” (essentially his followers and is the political adherents of a leader)
Highland Puebla Nahuatl: based on the root of “to imitate” (source for this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
Chol: “learner” (source: Larson 1998, p. 107)
Waorani: “one who lives following Jesus” (source: Wallis 1973, p. 39)
Ojitlán Chinantec: “learner” (Source: M. Larson / B. Moore in Notes on Translation February 1970, p. 1-125.)
Javanese: “pupil” or “companion” (“a borrowing from Arabic that is a technical term for Mohammed’s close associates”)
German: Jünger or “younger one” (source for this and one above: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
German das Buch translation by Roland Werner (publ. 2009-2022). “student” or “special student” (using the traditional German term Gnade)
Nyongar: ngooldjara-kambarna or “friend-follow” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as apprentice.

In Luang several terms with different shades of meaning are being used.

For Mark 2:23 and 3:7: maka nwatutu-nwaye’a re — “those that are taught” (“This is the term used for ‘disciples’ before the resurrection, while Jesus was still on earth teaching them.”)
For Acts 9:1 and 9:10: makpesiay — “those who believe.” (“This is the term used for believers and occasionally for the church, but also for referring to the disciples when tracking participants with a view to keeping them clear for the Luang readers. Although Greek has different terms for ‘believers’, ‘brothers’, and ‘church’, only one Luang word can be used in a given episode to avoid confusion. Using three different terms would imply three different sets of participants.”)
For Acts 6:1: mak lernohora Yesus wniatutunu-wniaye’eni — “those who follow Jesus’ teaching.” (“This is the term used for ‘disciples’ after Jesus returned to heaven.”)

Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.

In American Sign Language it is translated with a combination of the signs for “following” plus the sign for “group.” (Source: RuthAnna Spooner, Ron Lawer)

“disciples” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor

In British Sign Language a sign is used that depicts a group of people following one person (the finger in the middle, signifying Jesus). Note that this sign is only used while Jesus is still physically present with his disciples. (Source: Anna Smith)

“Disciple in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Translation commentary on Luke 7:11

Exegesis:

kai egeneto ‘and it happened,’ cf. on 1.8.

en tō hexēs scil. chronō lit. ‘in the subsequent time,’ hence ‘(soon) afterwards.’

hexēs (also 9.37) adv. ‘next.’

eporeuthē…, kai suneporeuonto ‘he went … and (with him) went.’ The aorist eporeuthē describes the main event, the imperfect suneporeuonto describes the accompanying circumstances.

hoi mathētai autou ‘his disciples,’ cf. on 6.13.

kai ochlos polus ‘and a great crowd,’ as in 6.17 and 7.9.

Translation:

His disciples … went with him, is sometimes better subordinated, e.g. ‘accompanied by (or, together with) his disciples….’

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.