complete verse (Matthew 11:4)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 11:4:

  • Uma: “When Yesus heard that question, he said to the messenger: ‘Return, say to him there all that you have heard and seen:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then Isa answered the disciples of Yahiya, he said, ‘Go and tell Yahiya what you have heard me say and what you have seen me do.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘Go back to John and tell him what you’ve seen that I have done and what you’ve heard that I have spoken. What you should tell him is that because of me the blind can already see, the lame can already walk, lepers are cured, and deaf people are now able to hear. I have raised the dead, and I have caused the Good News to be understood by poor people. Far better off is the person who does not doubt that I am the one God sent.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus said, ‘Return to Juan to tell him what you saw and heard,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus replied, saying, ‘Go back to Juan and tell him what you have heard and seen,” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus said to them: ‘Go back now, tell John what you have seen happening. Tell him the words you have heard me speak.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.

One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Matthew 11:4

And Jesus answered them represents a Semitic Greek construction, literally “and answering Jesus said to them.” As elsewhere, And is simply a device to show the story is continuing. Some languages use a word like “So” or “Then,” and others do not need any word.

Go is a participle in Greek, while tell is an imperative. But the use of a participle for an imperative is not uncommon in Greek, especially when accompanied by an imperative.

Jesus does not answer John’s question directly, but rather he orders the messengers to report what they hear and see. Quite possibly the reference is to the miracles of Jesus mentioned in chapters 8–9 and to the work of the disciples whom Jesus had earlier sent out to continue his work of preaching and healing. Upon the testimony of these events, the disciples of John are then to decide whether Jesus is the Coming One.

Some languages will require some kind of object for both hear and see. It will probably not be good to indicate specifically at this point in the passage what they are. Rather, some general phrase will suffice: “what you are hearing people say and what you are seeing yourselves.” Some have wanted to make the object of hear “what I am saying to people,” but “what people are saying” fits the context a little better.

The Scriptural support for Jesus’ appeal comes from Isaiah 35.5-6; 42.18; 61.1. Significant is the observation that in the Isaiah passage the coming salvation event is accompanied by the punishment of God’s enemies (Isa 34.1-17; 61.5-7), while here Jesus speaks only of deliverance. Moreover, the Isaiah passages do not mention either the cleansing of lepers or the resurrection of the dead (verse 5). Finally, the proclamation of good news to the poor, here placed in the position of emphasis, is introduced as an entirely new element of the coming salvation. And it receives even further emphasis by the arrangement of hearing before that of seeing.

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 11:4

11:4a

Jesus replied: The verb replied introduces Jesus’ answer to the question that John’s disciples asked in 11:3. It indicates that Jesus did not ignore the question even though his answer was indirect. He wanted John’s disciples to see the miracles that he was doing. The miracles showed that he was the Christ, the one whom the prophets said would come.

So the implied direct answer is “Yes, I am the Christ/Messiah.” But he did not openly say “Yes, I am the Christ” until his trial (26:62–64). So your translation should keep the implied answer of “Yes, I am the Christ” as implied only.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus answered John’s disciples (God’s Word)
-or-
Jesus replied (New International Version)

Go back and report to John: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as report refers to giving information about something. Jesus instructed John’s disciples to go give a report to John about the things that they heard and saw.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Go back to John and tell him (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Go back and report to John (New International Version)

11:4b

what you hear and see: The words what you hear and see refer to the words and deeds of Jesus. According to Luke 7:21, Jesus was healing people while John’s disciples were there with him. So John’s disciples were eye witnesses to at least some of Jesus’ miracles. It is possible that they did not see all the miracles that Jesus mentioned, but they had heard reports about them. They probably also heard Jesus preach.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

what you are hearing and seeing (Good News Translation)
-or-
the words that you are hearing and the deeds that you are seeing

-or-

what you hear ⌊me say⌋ and see ⌊me do⌋

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