The Greek that is translated in English as “your daughter is dead” is translated in Mangga Buang with the euphemism “your daughter’s eyes are closed.” (Source: Deibler / Taylor 1977, p. 1078)
Raising a Girl (image)
Painting by Wang Suda 王肅達 (1910-1963),
Copyright by the Catholic University Peking, China
Copyright by the Catholic University Peking, China
Text under painting translated from Literary Chinese into English:
Raising a Girl
Proof that Jesus is the true God
Image taken from Chinese Christian Posters . For more information on the “Ars Sacra Pekinensis” school of art, see this article , for other artworks of that school in TIPs, see here.
teacher
The Greek that is translated as “teacher” (also: “master”) in English is translated in the 1941 Yiddish by Einspruch as rebe (רֶבּי) or “Rabbi” in an effort to identify Jesus as a teacher of the Jews. (Source: Naomi Seidmann in Elliott / Boer 2012, p. 151ff.)
Likewise, a number of Hebrew translations, including the 2018 and 2020 editions by the The Bible Society in Israel also use “Rabbi” (רַבִּי).
See also rabbi.
complete verse (Luke 8:49)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 8:49:
- Noongar: “As Jesus was speaking, a messenger came from the boss’s house. He said to Jairus, ‘Your daughter has died. Stop troubling the Lord now.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
- Uma: “While Yesus was still speaking, a messenger from the house of Yairus arrived who said to Yairus: ‘Your (sing.) child has died. Do not any longer bother/trouble Teacher.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “While Isa was still talking with the woman, somebody arrived from the house of Jairus. He said to Jairus, ‘Your daughter has died (lit. is no more). Don’t trouble the teacher now.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “While Jesus was still speaking then, someone arrived who’d come from the house of Jairus. And they said to Jairus, they said, ‘Don’t trouble Jesus any longer to come along because you cannot overtake the breath of your child.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Jesus was still speaking as there arrived from Jairus’ house those who told him, ‘Let’s not distract/bother the teacher any more, because your (sing.) child has died.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “What Jesus was saying hadn’t yet ended when someone arrived following/coming-a-while-later after Jairo. He said to Jairo, ‘Your daughter has died (lit. her illness became severe). Probably (it’s okay) even if this Teacher is no longer caused to continue on to the house.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
daughter (Japanese honorifics)
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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 to do this is through the usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by either using -san or –sama with the latter being the more formal title. In most of these verses, the Hebrew that is translated as “daughter” in English is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as musume-san (娘さん), combining the word for “daughter” (musume) and the suffix title –san.
In three verses (Job 1:18, Mark 5:35, Luke 8:49), o-jyō-san (お嬢さん) is used. O-jyō-san has a slight higher register than musume-san and tends to also be used for young and unmarried girls.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
See also son (Japanese honorifics).
Honorary "rare" construct denoting God (“speaking”)
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, hanashiteo-rare-ru (話しておられる) or “speaking” is used.
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
Translation commentary on Luke 8:49
Exegesis:
eti autou lalountos ‘while he was still speaking.’
erchetai tis ‘somebody came.’ The historical present has a note of suddenness.
para tou archisunagōgou lit. ‘from the leader of the synagogue,’ or, since he is with Jesus and not at home, ‘from the house of the leader of the synagogue’ (cf. Bible de Jérusalem, de chez le chef).
archisunagōgos (also 13.14) ‘leader, or president of the synagogue,’ whose duty it was to take care of the arrangements for the worship services.
legōn hoti ‘saying,’ introducing direct speech.
tethnēken hē thugatēr sou ‘your daughter has died,’ but in English better rendered ‘your daughter is dead,’ cf. on 7.12.
mēketi skulle ton didaskalon ‘do not trouble the teacher anymore.’ For skullō cf. on 7.6. didaskalos as a title occurs usually in the vocative (cf. on 3.12), but here in the accusative.
Translation:
While he was still speaking, or, ‘he was still speaking, there/suddenly…’ (Balinese); the idea of continuance inherent in “still” may here be rendered otherwise, cf. “before he had finished speaking” (The Four Gospels – a New Translation).
Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more. Supposing that the messenger is one of the ruler’s servants, languages like Javanese, Sundanese will use honorific forms here. The first clause is the actual message, the second points to the consequences of the new situation; it expresses not a prohibition but an advice, ‘you should not…,’ or ‘there is no need now to….’ For to trouble, or, ‘to bother,’ ‘to put to inconveniences,’ ‘to give labour’ (Marathi), cf. also on the reflexive form in 7.6. Sometimes a circumlocutionary rendering of the verb must be given, cf. e.g. ‘do not keep saying to the teacher, “Please, come (to my house)” ,’ or, ‘Why don’t you say to the teacher, “You are not to come”?’ (Auca). — If Teacher has to be possessed one may say ‘our (inclus.) Teacher/Master.’
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 8:49
Paragraph 8:49–50
In this paragraph, Luke returned to the story about Jairus and his daughter. Use a natural way in your language to focus again on the people who were introduced before the story about Jairus was interrupted in 8:43.
8:49a–b
While He was still speaking, someone arrived: Jesus was still speaking to the woman whom he healed when someone came with a message for Jairus. Express this timing in a natural way in your language.
In some languages it may be helpful to mention who Jesus was speaking to. For example:
While Jesus was still speaking to her
-or-
As Jesus was still talking to the woman
someone arrived: The person who came may have been a slave, or he may have been a friend or member of Jairus’ family. Translate this in a general way. For example:
someone came (New International Version)
-or-
a man came (Revised English Bible)
-or-
a messenger came (Good News Translation)
from the house of the synagogue leader: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as from the house of the synagogue leader is literally “from the synagogue ruler.” The Berean Standard Bible and many other English versions supply from the house of because Jairus himself was already with Jesus.
Consider what would be the most natural way in your language to refer to Jairus, the synagogue ruler, here. In some languages it may be enough to simply say “Jairus.” In other languages it may be more natural to avoid using Jairus’ name here and to simply say “the synagogue leader.” See the note on “a synagogue leader” at 8:41a.
8:49c
Your daughter is dead: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Your daughter is dead is literally, “Your daughter has died.” Use a natural expression in your language to tell someone that a family member has died. In many languages, there will be a euphemism for this.
he told Jairus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as he told Jairus is literally “saying.” The man was talking to Jairus, who was still with Jesus. In some languages it may be necessary to make this explicit, as the Berean Standard Bible does. For example:
He said ⌊to Jairus⌋
-or-
He told ⌊the synagogue leader⌋
The Berean Standard Bible has placed the phrase he told Jairus after the words “Your daughter is dead.” In the Greek text, it comes before these words. Place it where it is most natural in your language.
8:49d
Do not bother the Teacher anymore: In this context, the words Do not bother the Teacher anymore imply that Jairus should leave Jesus. He should no longer expect Jesus to go to his house. The man said this because he did not believe that Jesus could help someone who had already died. It may be helpful to supply some of this implied information. For example:
So do not continue to bother the teacher. ⌊He cannot do anything for her now.⌋
In Greek the man used a command form to make a polite suggestion. In some languages this form may sound harsh. Use a form that is polite and natural in your language for a suggestion of this kind. Also, translate it in a way that is appropriate for someone, possibly a slave, to speak to a respected man.
A similar expression is found in 7:6c.
bother: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as bother here means “to trouble (someone).” The man assumed that Jesus was a busy teacher and that Jairus had troubled Jesus by asking him to heal his daughter. In this context, bother does not mean to do something purposely to annoy someone.
In some languages, there may be another word or phrase that expresses this sense more clearly. In other languages it may be helpful to make explicit the sense of bother. For example:
do not bother the teacher any longer ⌊by urging/asking him to go to your house⌋
the Teacher: The phrase the Teacher here refers to Jesus. The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Teacher was a polite title for a Jewish religious leader. It was a title of respect for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. If you have another term in your language to refer to a religious leader or teacher, it may be appropriate to use it here.
Be careful not to use a term that can refer only to a schoolteacher. This term also occurs in 7:40, where it is used as a term of address.
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