The Greek term that is translated in English as “bread” or “loaf” is translated in Samo, it is translated as “Sago,” which serves “like ‘bread’ for the Hebrews, as a generic for food in the Samo language. It is a near-perfect metonymy that has all the semantic elements necessary for effective communication.” (Source: Daniel Shaw in Scriptura 96/2007, p. 501ff.)
In Chol it is translated as waj, the equivalent of a tortilla. (Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)
John Beekman (in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 180f. ) explains: “The word ‘bread’ in Scripture primarily occurs as either a specific term for bread (including the Lord’s Supper), or as a generic term for food. It is not surprising, however, the some aboriginal groups use something other than bread as the staff of life. The Chols, with their cultural focus in the cultivation of corn, use waj, a type of thin corn flake. Since a meal is not complete without this main item of food, the term has been extended to include any other foods which may be served along with waj. While bread is known to them, its use is limited to a few occasions during the year when it functions as a dessert. In translating this term in the Chol New Testament, consistent use has been made of the word waj whenever the function of bread as a basic food was in focus. John 6:35, “I am the bread of life,” was thus translated with this word. If the word for bread had been used, it was feared that the Chol would compare Christ to the desirable, but not absolutely necessary, dessert.”
Robert Bascom adds his thoughts to this in relation to other Mayan languages (in Omanson 2001, p. 260): “In many Mayan languages, ‘bread’ can be translated waj or kaxlan waj. The first term literally means anything made from corn meal, while the second term literally means ‘foreigner’s waj,’ and refers to the local wheat-based sweet breads which are so popular within the broader European-influenced culture of the region. On the one hand, waj would be a better dynamic equivalent in cases where ‘bread’ meant ‘food,’ but in cases where the focus is literal or the reference well-known, kaxlan waj would preserve a flour-based meaning (though in biblical times barley was more in use than wheat) and not insert corn into a time and place where it does not belong. On the other hand kaxlan waj is not the staff of life, but refers to a local delicacy. In cases such as these, it is even tempting to suggest borrowing pan, the Spanish word for ‘bread,’ but native speakers might respond that borrowing a foreign word is not necessary since both waj and kaxlan waj are native terms that cover the meaning (though in this case, perhaps not all that well).”
The Greek that is translated as “this is my body” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with das bin ich or “this is me.” They explain (p. 102): “Literally: ‘This is my body for you.’ For Paul, ‘body’ does not refer to the corporeal body and certainly not to the corpse hanging on the cross. Rather, ‘body’ stands for the sum of a person’s social contacts.”
In 1 Corinthians 11:24 the phrase that is translated in English as “this is my body that is (or: “broken”) for you” is translated by Berger / Nord as “this is me and I am there for you.”
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
Los discípulos estaban comiendo alrededor de la mesa y Jesús tomó pan y lo bendijo y lo rompió y distribuyó (diciendo): “Este es mi cuerpo, uds comanlo.”
Jesús tomó la copa del vino de uva y dio gracias a Dios y se la dio (diciendo): “Uds, discípulos, bebanla.” Y los discípulos bibieron de la copa y la pasaron uno al otro.”
Jesús (dijo): “Este es mi sangre que fluye para que Dios tenga un nuevo pacto con uds y muchas personas, les advierto, ahora no bebo vino, después en el futuro cuando uds se junten al reino de Dios, beberé nuevo vino de uva.”
Después cantaron hymnos y salmos y cuando acabaron de cantar Jesús y los discípulos salieron y fueron al Monte de los Olivos.
The disciples were eating around the table and Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it and handed it out (saying): “This is my body, eat it.”
Jesus took the cup of grape wine and gave thanks to God and gave it (saying): “You, disciples, drink it.” And the disciples drank from the cup and passed it around.”
Jesus (said): “This is my blood that flows for God to make a new covenant with you and many people, I tell you, that I do not drink wine now, but afterwards in the future, when you will join me in the kingdom of God I will drink new grape wine.”
Then they sang hymns and psalms and when they finished singing Jesus and the disciples left and went to the Mount of Olives.
The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread had begun. This feast lasts only seven days. This feast has been around for a long time. Here is the country of Egypt. The Jews were slaves there. Slavery lasted for many years. A man named Moses freed the Jews from slavery, broke their chains. This is the story of the feast that the Jews still celebrate. On the first day of the feast, the Jews sacrifice a lamb, cook it and eat it in memory of these events.
The disciples asked Jesus:
— Today is the first day of the holiday. Where shall we gather to have a festive meal?
Jesus chose two disciples and said to them:
— Go to the city. There you will see a man with a jug of water. Follow him. He will enter a house. You will tell the owner of the house: “Our teacher asks to give us a room for a festive meal.” The owner of the house will agree and take you to the second floor. There will be a room, large, clean, with dishes and utensils. There you will be able to prepare food for us.
The two disciples went into the city. There they really met a man with a pitcher of water, the owner of the house gave them a room on the second floor; everything happened exactly as Jesus said. The two disciples made all the preparations. Evening came. Jesus and the disciples entered the house, went up to the second floor, sat around the table and began to feast.
Jesus said to his disciples:
— I tell you for sure: one of my disciples will betray me! This man is among us, he eats with us.
The disciples began to look at each other anxiously and ask: “Jesus, am I the one who will betray you?”
Jesus said:
— The man who dips bread into this dish with me, he will betray me.
The disciples were alarmed. Jesus said:
— It is written in the scriptures that the Son of God, who became man, that is, me, must die. But the man who betrays me — woe to him! It would have been better for him not to have been born into this world.
Jesus took the bread, said a prayer of thanksgiving, broke the bread into pieces and began to distribute it to the disciples. The disciples ate the bread.
Jesus said to his disciples:
— This bread is my body!
Jesus took the cup of wine, thanked God and said to the disciples, “Drink this wine.” And the disciples drank wine from the cup.
Jesus said:
— This wine in this cup is my blood.
God makes a new covenant with people. My blood is shed to save many people. I tell you for sure: I will not drink this wine on earth anymore. Then, when the day of the Kingdom of God comes, then I will drink new wine there.
The disciples sang a psalm, went out and climbed the Mount of Olives.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Начался первый день праздника Пресных хлебов. Этот праздник длится всего семь дней. Этот праздник возник давно. Вот страна Египет. Евреи там были рабами. Много лет продолжалось рабство. Человек по имени Моисей освободил евреев из рабства, порвал их цепи. Это история праздника, который евреи отмечают до сих пор. В первый день праздника, евреи приносят в жертву ягненка, готовят его и едят в память об этих событиях.
Ученики спросили Иисуса:
— Сегодня первый день праздника. Где мы соберемся, чтобы совершить праздничную трапезу?
Иисус выбрал двух учеников и сказал им:
— Идите в город. Там вы увидите человека с кувшином воды. Идите за ним. Он войдет в один дом. Вы скажете хозяину дома: «Наш учитель просит дать нам комнату для праздничной трапезы». Хозяин дома согласится и поведет вас на второй этаж. Там будет комната, большая, чистая, посуда с утварью. Там вы сможете приготовить для нас еду.
Два ученика пошли в город. Там они действительно встретили человека с кувшином воды, хозяин дома дал им комнату на втором этаже; все исполнилось в точности, как говорил Иисус. Два ученика сделали все приготовления. Наступил вечер. Иисус с учениками вошли в дом, поднялись на второй этаж, сели вокруг стала и стали пировать.
Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Говорю вам точно: один из учеников предаст меня! Этот человек среди нас, ест вместе с нами.
Ученики стали тревожно переглядываться и спрашивать: «Иисус, не я ли предам тебя?»
Иисус сказал:
— Человек, который макает хлеб вот в это блюдо вместе со мной, он предаст меня.
Ученики были встревожены. Иисус сказал:
— В писании написано, что Сын Бога, ставший человеком, то есть я, должен умереть. Но тому человеку, который предаст меня, — горе ему! Лучше бы ему было не рождаться на этом свете.
Иисус взял хлеб, прочитал молитву благодарения, разломал хлеб на части и стал раздавать ученикам. Ученики ели хлеб.
Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Этот хлеб — это тело мое!
Иисус взял чашу с вином, поблагодарил Бога и сказал ученикам: «Пейте это вино». И ученики отпивали из чаши вино.
Иисус сказал:
— Это вино в этой чаше — это кровь моя.
Бог с людьми заключает новый договор. Моя кровь проливается ради многих людей, чтобы спасти их. Говорю вам точно: это вино на земле я больше пить не буду. Потом, когда наступит день Царствия Божьего, тогда там я буду пить новое вино.
Ученики пропели псалом, вышли и поднялись на Масличную гору.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 14:22:
Uma: “While they were eating, Yesus took bread and he prayed-over-it saying thank you to God. After that, he chunked it and offered it to them, he said: ‘Take it, eat it. This is my body.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “While they were eating, Isa took bread and after he had given thanks to God, he broke it (in pieces) and gave it to them. He said, ‘Take it. This bread is my body.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And while they were still eating, Jesus took a piece of bread, and he gave thanks to God, and he broke it and gave it to his disciples, and he said, ‘This is my body; eat it.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “While they were still eating, Jesus took some bread and thanked God. Then he broke-it-repeatedly-into-pieces and gave it to his disciples saying, ‘Take this, because this is my body.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “When they were still eating, Jesus picked up bread and then gave thanks to God. After he had given thanks, he divided it and then gave it to those disciples of his. He said, ‘Here, take it and eat it, for this is my body.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Willy Wiedmann, the artist, commented on this picture: “In spite of some difficulty, and unlike Leonardo da Vinci [see here ] I did not set my last supper in a theatrical scene with Jesus in the center behind an elongated table with all the disciples, with two at each end so that that there are 11 seated behind the table. And not like the panel by Juan de Juanes (1623-79) [see here ] in which the six disciples left and right are very dynamic figures. And also not like Martin Schongauer’s Last Supper [see here ] with a slightly shorter table (also incidentally very similar to Juanes in the attitudes of the figures) and two figures seen from the back in the foreground of the panel. Instead I have given the Master the middle place to the foreground, with his back to us to finally leave the controversial Jesus-existential questions unanswered. Slightly symbolically it means that he is leaving his world. The iris color is meant to transfer the rainbow to Jesus, that God once linked to Noah (my kingdom is not of this world). I attempted to present answers that correspond to the characters of each individual.”
Image and text taken from the Wiedmann Bible. For more information about the images and ways to adopt them, see here .
For other images of Willy Wiedmann paintings in TIPs, see here.
Painting by Wang Suda 王肅達 (1910-1963),
Copyright by the Catholic University Peking, China.
Text under painting translated from Literary Chinese into English:
Beginning of the Holy Communion
You have this as food and this is my body.
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.
