The Greek that is translated as “tax collector” in English is translated in Tagbanwa as “money-grabbing official receivers of payment” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation) and in Noongar as mammarapa boya-barranginy or “people taking money” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation). Likewise, in Cashibo-Cacataibo, it is the “ones who take the money” (source: Bratcher / Nida 1961).
In Mairasi it is translated as “the people who collect money pertaining to head payment.” (Source: Enggavoter 2004)
Click or tap here to see a short video clip about tax collectors in biblical times (source: Bible Lands 2012)
The name that is transliterated as “Thomas” in English is translated in Finnish Sign Language with the sign signifying “doubt” (referring to John 20:25). (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
The term that is transliterated as “Matthew” in English is translated in American Sign Language with a sign that combines the sign “M” with the sign for tax, referring to Matthew 9:9. This sign was adopted from Kenyan Sign Language. (Source: Ruth Anna Spooner, Ron Lawer)
“Matthew” in American Sign Language, source: Deaf Harbor
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 10:3:
Uma: “The names of those twelve apostles/sent ones of Yesus are these: First, Simon, who is also called/named Petrus; after that, Andreas the relative of Simon; Yakobus the child of Zebedeus; Yohanes the relative of Yakobus; Filipus; Bartolomeus; Tomas; Matius the tax collector; Yakobus the son of Alfeus; Tadeus; Simon the Zelot; and Yudas Iskariot (he’s the one who will sell Yesus to his enemies).” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Pilip and Bartolome, Tomas and Mateo, the tax collector and Yakub the child of Alpa. The others were Taddeo and” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “There was also Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Felipe and Bartolome, Tomas and Mateo who collected taxes, Santiago Alfeus’ son and Taddeus,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Felipe, Bartolome, Tomas and Mateo who was that official-receiver of payment to the government, Santiago who was the son of Alfeo, Tadeo,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Philip. Bartholomew. Thomas. Matthew, the tax collector. James, the son of Alphaeus. Lebeo, who also had another name, Thaddaeus.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
Philip is a Greek name. Traditionally Bartholomew is identified with Nathanael (John 1.46).
Thomas (the word means “twin”) is here joined with Matthew, identified as the tax collector. This identification links Matthew with the one mentioned in 9.9.
Since Matthew was presumably no longer a tax collector, some translators say “Matthew who used to be a tax collector” or “Matthew who had collected taxes before.”
A second James (the son of Alphaeus) is mentioned. As we have seen elsewhere (1.1 and 4.21), the son of Alphaeus will be “Alphaeus was his father” in many languages.
James is joined with Thaddaeus. There is textual evidence that the name Thaddaeus should be replaced by the name Lebbaeus, and some Greek manuscripts even combine the two forms of the text (“Thaddaeus who was called Lebbaeus” or “Lebbaeus who was called Thaddaeus”). TC-GNT, however, believes the strongest evidence supports the text that has Thaddaeus, which is also followed by most all modern English translations; one exception is New English Bible, which has “Lebbaeus” in the text and “Thaddaeus” in the margin.
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 .
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