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.

The Parable of the Sower (image)

The parable of The Parable of the Sower is illustrated for use in Bible translations in West Africa by Wycliffe Cameroon like this:

Illustration 1999 Mbaji Bawe Ernest, © Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. Used with permission.

complete verse (Matthew 13:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 13:8:

  • Uma: “There were also seeds which fell in fertile [fat] ground. That sowed-thing/seed fruited, some a hundred times more than the sowed-thing, some sixty times, some thirty times.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, other seeds fell on good soil and bore fruit. Some yielded very much, some much and some also enough/just right.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there were also that to be planted which fell on good soil, and these, by contrast, bore fruit. There were some of these plants that gave fruit thirty for each plant, and there were also some plants that gave fruit sixty for each plant, and there were also plants that gave fruit one hundred for each plant.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But as for still others, they fell on the good soil, afterwards they grew and-then they bore-fruit. Some bore-fruit one hundred each, some sixty each, and some also thirty each.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But what got scattered on good soil/ground fruited well with full-heads-of-grain. Some had one hundred grains on a single stalk. Some had sixty and some thirty.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Others of the seeds landed on good earth and very much did they produce. Some had a hundred for each seed. Some others had sixty for each seed. Some others had thirty for each.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 13:8

Other seeds (Good News Translation “some seeds”) is literally “Others” (New Jerusalem Bible). New English Bible renders “some of the seed.” The reference is obviously to another group of seeds, and the wording is purely a stylistic matter.

Good soil or “good ground” (Barclay) is a literal rendering of the Greek text and is followed by most translations. New Jerusalem Bible has “rich soil.” The reference is to soil that is fertile, sufficiently deep, and not plagued by thorn bushes.

And brought forth grain is literally “and they are giving fruit.” In this context “fruit” is used generically of “grain,” and “to give fruit” is a Semitic idiom equivalent in the present context to the meaning given by Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

How brought forth grain will be rendered depends to some extent on what the farmer was said to be sowing in verse 3. “Produced a harvest,” “there was a good crop (from the seeds),” or “bore a lot of grain (or seeds, or food)” are possible ways.

The real purpose of the parable is to draw attention to the miracle of harvest: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. God brings about a miracle, and the seed that falls into the good soil bears tremendously. The last phrases, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty, also depend on what was sown in verse 3 for their translation. If crops that have heads of grain are known, then translators can say “some plants had heads of one hundred seeds (or, grains), some had heads of sixty, and some had thirty.” Other translators will say “Some plants produced one hundred seeds (or, fruits)….” For those who have had to use “food” or “crop” for grain, the translation can be “The seeds produced a crop, some of them one hundred times more than had been planted, some sixty times more, and others thirty times more.”

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 .