village

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “village” or “town” in English is translated in Noongar as karlamaya or “fire (used for “home“) + houses” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

In Elhomwe it is typically translated as “place.” “Here in Malawi, villages very small, so changed to ‘places,’ since not sure whether biblical reference just to small villages or also to bigger towns. (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)

complete verse (Matthew 10:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 10:11:

  • Uma: “‘When you arrive in a village, search there for people who have good hearts to receive you into their homes. Stay/live there until you go on to the next village.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘When you arrive in a town or a village, look for a person who has good customs. Stay there with him as long as you are there in that place.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus said, ‘If you arrive at a big town or even a little one, look for a person who will receive you, and you go up in his house. Stay there until you leave that village. (‘Stay’ here means ‘make it your headquarters.’)” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘When you arrive in a town, look-for someone worthy to show-hospitality to you, and stay there until you leave that town.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well, whatever town or bario you come to, what you are to look for is a person of good ways who will welcome/treat you properly. There is where you are to stay while you are in that place.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When you arrive at a city or town, look for a man who is respected in the town, ask him for permission to stay with him. There you must stay at his house until you depart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 10:11

Whatever town or village you enter can be “Whenever you enter a town or village” or “When you arrive in some town or village.” If a language makes no distinction between town and village, then the translation can simply be “a town.” See comments on 9.35.

Who is worthy is difficult to interpret, and a number of translations merely retain the word worthy without further qualification (Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, New American Bible). Other translations suggest that worthiness means either “a deserving inhabitant” (Moffatt; Barclay “someone who deserves the presence of my messengers”) or “some suitable person” (An American Translation). Jerusalem Bible interprets the meaning to be “someone trustworthy,” and Phillips “someone who is respected.” The exegesis of Good News Translation: (“someone who is willing to welcome you”) is followed by Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition (“someone who is ready to receive you”); this meaning finds support in the mention of “a worthy house” (verse 13), which is contrasted with the person who “will not receive you” (verse 14).

And stay with him until you depart indicates that the disciples are not to search for better accommodations once they have found a home that will receive them. New English Bible translates “and make your home there until you leave.”

Stay with him may be rendered as “live in his house” or “stay with him in his house.”

Instead of simply depart, in some languages it may be necessary to say “depart from that town.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Matthew 10:11

Paragraph 10:11–15

10:11a

Whatever town or village you enter: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as town refers to either a town or a city. It is larger and more important than a village.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Whenever you arrive in a town or village
-or-
When you arrive in a large village or a small village

find out: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible has translated as find out means “question, examine.” In this context, it refers to looking for and finding the right kind of person.

Here are some other ways to translate this verb:

look for (Good News Translation)
-or-
search for (New International Version)

who is worthy: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as worthy means “of value,” “of merit” or “fitting,” “proper,” or “suitable.” This phrase probably refers to a respected person who was willing and able to give hospitality to the disciples.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

someone who is willing to welcome you (Good News Translation)
-or-
someone who is respected (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
some suitable person (Revised English Bible)

10:11b

stay at his house until you move on: In this context, the verb stay refers to sleeping and probably eating there. Jesus did not want the disciples to go from one house to another looking for better food or a better bed.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

stay with him until you leave (New Jerusalem Bible)

-or-

live there until you leave ⌊that town⌋

This phrase does not mean that the disciples could not leave the house. They could go out of the house and preach and do other activities.

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