complete verse (Matthew 10:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 10:36:

  • Uma: “Because of this my coming, the people of one household will oppose one another, some will follow me, some will not. A male child is opposed to/has differences with his father, a female child is opposed to/has differences with her mother, a child-in-law is opposed to/has differences with his/her parent-in-law.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The worst enemies of a person are his relatives.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And a person will be against his close relatives.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “and a person’s enemies will be his own family.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Really a person’s enemy will be from within his own household.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the enemies of the person who believes in me, those who live in his house will fight him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

enemy / foe

The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Ge’ez, and Latin that is translated as “enemy” or “foe” in English is translated in the Hausa Common Language Bible as “friends of front,” i.e., the person standing opposite you in a battle. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In North Alaskan Inupiatun it is translated with a term that implies that it’s not just someone who hates you, but one who wants to do you harm (Source: Robert Bascom), in Tarok as ukpa ìkum or “companion in war/fighting,” and in Ikwere as nye irno m or “person who hates me” (source for this and one above: Chuck and Karen Tessaro in this newsletter ).

Translation commentary on Matthew 10:35 – 10:36

To set … against (so also Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible) is the wording of many translations; New American Bible has “to set … at odds with” and An American Translation “to turn … against,” and it can also be “to make sons their fathers’ enemies.”

This is the only passage to which the lexicons assign this meaning for the verb, which has “divide in two” as its primary meaning. But the primary meaning also suits the context well, especially the figure of the sword in verse 34. If this symbolism is carried into verse 35, then one can translate “I have come like a sword that separates sons from their fathers….” And if the separation is understood in the sense of “setting against,” then it is possible to arrive at “… that separates sons from their fathers and makes them enemies.” Unless something of this nature is done, then there is not a clear relation between verses 34 and 35.

A man against his father may require slight rewording: “a son against his father.” On the other hand, a daughter against her mother may need to be “a woman against her mother,” and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law may be here “a woman against her mother-in-law.” In the Jewish culture sons and daughters were to be obedient to their parents, and a daughter-in-law was expected to obey her mother-in-law.

A man’s foes (Good News Translation “a man’s worst enemies”) will be those of his own household (Good News Translation “the members of his own family”): Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch widens the application: “The closest relatives will become enemies.” The purpose of the saying is to underline the division that comes in families when some of its members accept the Christian message and others do not. Since Jesus is addressing his disciples, it may be necessary to shift to the second person: “The members of your own family will become your worst enemies.”

Most of verses 35-36 are taken from Micah 7.6, a quotation also found in Luke 12.53; but neither Gospel follows precisely either the Hebrew or the Septuagint. Some translators have indicated that Jesus is quoting (or referring to) an Old Testament passage. They have said “For, as it is written in the Scriptures, I have come….”

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 10:36

10:36

The Greek of 10:36 begins with a conjunction that is often translated as “and.” However, some English versions like the Berean Standard Bible do not translate this conjunction. Because this verse is probably a summary of 10:35, translate the connection of 10:36 to 10:35 in a way that indicates this verse has the same general meaning as 10:35.

Here is one way to introduce this summary:

What I mean is

In some languages, no connecting word or phrase is necessary.

A man’s enemies will be: In some languages, it may be more natural to use “your” instead of “a man’s.” For example:

Your enemies will be (New Living Translation (2004))

the members of his own household: This phrase refers to the people who live in the man’s house. This would include any relative or servant.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

those who live in his own house (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
members of his own family (New Century Version)

-or-

in your own family (Contemporary English Version)

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