complete verse (Matthew 14:34)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 14:34:

  • Uma: “When they arrived at the other side of the lake, they landed in the land that is called Genesaret.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When they crossed over they arrived at the place Gennesaret.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they had crossed the lake, they docked at Gennesaret.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “When they had crossed-to-the-other-side and they had landed in the region of Gennesaret,” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After they had crossed over (the lake), there in Genesaret is where they came to shore.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “They arrived at the edge of the lake at the land of Gennesaret.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 14:34

And when they had crossed over: see comments on “the other side” in verse 22.

Often it will be important to repeat what body of water they had crossed over, as in “crossed over the lake.” Note that this is a continuation of the trip they had already begun. Therefore it may be necessary to say “When they had reached the other side” or “When they finished (their) crossing and came to the other side.”

Came to land at Gennesaret may be “landed (or, got out) at the land of Gennesaret.”

Gennesaret was a village located on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee. But the name also applied to the fertile and densely populated plain west of Lake Galilee and south of Capernaum. By the use of the word “place” to describe Gennesaret in the following verse, the intimation is made that reference is to the plain rather than to the village. Some languages will have “the region (or, the territory) of Gennesaret.”

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 14:34

Paragraph 14:34–36

14:34a

When they had crossed over: This clause means that Jesus and his disciples traveled/sailed the rest of the way across the lake in the boat. They reached the other side of the lake.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

After they finished crossing ⌊the lake⌋
-or-
When they finished going across ⌊the lake and arrived at the other side⌋

14:34b

they landed: This clause means that the disciples brought the boat to the land at the edge of the lake. That is where they landed and docked the boat. It is implied that they then got out of the boat onto the shore.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they came to shore (New Century Version)
-or-
they came to land (English Standard Version)
-or-
they reached the edge of the lake, ⌊then they got out of the boat⌋

at Gennesaret: This was the name of a village and the surrounding area on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee. The village was south of the town of Capernaum. It is not known whether Gennesaret here refers to the village or to the area.

Here is another way to translate this word:

near ⌊the village of⌋ Gennesaret

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