numbers in Ngalum

Many languages use a “body part tally system” where body parts function as numerals (see body part tally systems with a description). One such language is Ngalum that uses a system that ends at the number 27 but can be extended. To clarify, the Ngalum translators have in some cases combined the traditional system with a numeric system.

“60,” for instance is translated as deng lao topa bangupnen tep, 60 “round two add wrist like, 60′ (one round, or deng is 27 in Ngalum, so two rounds — lao — is 54, plus — topa — bangup, that is “wrist” or “six” makes 60).

Likewise for the numbers 30 and 100 in these verses.

Source: Lourens de Vries in A survey of the history of Bible translation in Indonesia, Beekman Lecture 2013.

See also large numbers in Angguruk Yali and numbers in Kombai.

he who, whoever

The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being discussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”

See also love your neighbor as yourself.

complete verse (Matthew 13:23)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 13:23:

  • Uma: “‘The seed that fell in the fertile [fat] ground stands-for people who hear the Word of God and really think-about/in-heart it. In those people the Word of God really fruits. There are those who fruit a little, there are those who fruit much, there are those who fruit very much.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And what was broadcasted in the good soil is a figure of the people who hear the message of God and believe it. In the figure of plants, the message of God which they heard produces fruit in their livers. Some have very much fruit, some have much and others have enough/just right.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And that which was planted which falls on the good soil, it refers to the people who listen to the word of God,and they understand it, and it gains its end in them. For some it gains its end in a small way, for others it gains its end in a larger way, and for some it gains its end in a very large way.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As for what fell on the good soil, those are the ones who hear the word of God while-simultaneously also they understand it, and the word has results in their lives. Some have many results, some have a-moderate-number, and some also have little.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But this one, this which is meant by good ground which is scattered on, these people listen and understand this truth. Well since they really take it to heart (lit. store it well in their heads), that’s why their(emphatic) believing bears fruit, like these full-headed grain-stalks with a hundred, sixty or thirty grains in each (head).'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But other people are compared with the good earth where the seeds landed. When they heard the words they understood about the word. It did them good in hearing the word. And some of those overflowingly the word they heard did them good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

word / command (of God) (Japanese honorifics)

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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kotoba (みことば) or “word (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Translation commentary on Matthew 13:23

Note that as in verse 22, As for puts the focus on the seed. Therefore another way the sentence can be rendered is “As for the seed that was scattered on the good soil, that is like what happens when a person hears the word and understands it….”

What was sown on good soil pertains to the seeds of verse 8 (Good News Translation “the seeds sown in the good soil”). For good soil, see Matthew 13.8.

This is, an equational marker indicating a metaphor, is altered to a simile by Good News Translation through the rendering “stand for” (see also verse 19). Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “with others it eventually ends up like the seed which was sown on good ground.” Barclay translates “The picture of the seed which was sown on the good ground represents the man who hears the word and understands it.” Barclay also structures the last sentence of this verse in such a manner as to retain “the man” as the subject and at the same time to indicate clearly that a hundredfold … sixty … thirty are references to the original amount of seed placed on the soil: “He indeed bears a crop which produces sometimes a hundred times, sometimes sixty times, sometimes thirty times as much as he received.”

The idea of a person bearing fruit can be difficult for many readers. Translators generally find that using similes is very helpful, as in “he will do many good things, just like the seeds that produced plants with one hundred or sixty or thirty grains” (see Matthew 13.8 for the appropriate plant language) or “his life will become like the seeds that produced plants that had one hundred or sixty or thirty seeds each.” But see also the Barclay example cited above.

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 .