house

The Greek that is translated in English as “house” or similar could not be translated directly in Kui since a house cannot personalize its occupants. So the translation here was “people of the house.” (Source: Helen Evans in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. )

complete verse (Matthew 10:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 10:12:

  • Uma: “When you enter into a house, say to the owner of the house/the host: ‘The Lord bless you!'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When you go up to a house say, ‘May God give you peace.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when you go up into a house, invoke a blessing on those who live there saying, ‘May God bless you’, so that God might bless them if they receive you. But if they don’t receive you, never mind, because God will not go ahead and bless them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When you enter a house, say, ‘May God bless you who-live-here.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On entering the house, say, ‘Hopefully that peace of mind which God gives will be yours (pl.).'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When you enter a house, say: ‘May God bless the people who live here.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 10:12

The house (so also New English Bible) refers specifically to the house mentioned in verse 11; one may then render “his house” (New Jerusalem Bible, An American Translation, Phillips) or “his home” (New American Bible). “A house” of Good News Translation suggests that a general rule is being laid down apart from a specific reference to the house of verse 11, but the alternative interpretation seems more appropriate. Thus a possible translation is “When you go into that house” or “When you enter that man’s house.”

Salute it (so also New Jerusalem Bible) means “greet it” or better “greet the people who live there.” New Jerusalem Bible does provide a note indicating that the greeting is a wish of peace, and that the particular content of the wish is brought out in verse 13. A number of translations have attempted a dynamic equivalent: “give it your blessing” (Phillips), “wish it well” (An American Translation), “wish the house peace” (New English Bible). When verses 12 and 13 are taken together, Barclay has the best restructuring: “greet it” (verse 12) is rendered “give your greeting to it,” which is made explicit in verse 13, where “let your peace remain on it” is translated “let your prayer for God’s blessing rest upon it.” INCL uses direct discourse and has the one entering say “May God bless you.” See further at verse 13.

For languages in which it would sound strange to greet a house, as in salute it, it is better to say “give your greeting to the people in it.” Of course, it is also possible to use direct speech, as in “say to the people in it, ‘I greet you’ ” or “… ‘May all be well with you.’ ”

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 .