complete verse (Matthew 15:10)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 15:10:

  • Uma: “After that, Yesus call the many people to approach him, he said to them: ‘Hear so that you know:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “After that, Isa called the people again to him and he said to them, ‘Listen and understand what I am saying:” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus called to the many people that they should come near to him. ‘Listen you,’ he said, ‘so that you might understand.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Then Jesus called the many-people and said to them, ‘Listen to this so that you will understand.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Jesus caused the crowd to come close and he said, ‘Listen all of you and try-to-understand what I am saying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Jesus called to the people and then said: ‘Listen well to the words I speak. Take them to heart.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

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

Translation commentary on Matthew 15:10

And he called is translated “Then Jesus called” by Good News Translation because this begins a new section.

If translators render called with a word that means “called out” or “shouted,” the emphasis will probably be wrong. “Summoned” or “invited to come” is more appropriate.

The people (Good News Translation “the crowd”) are the people of 14.34-36.

Hear and understand is translated “Listen and understand” by Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible; New English Bible has “Listen to me, and understand this.” The function of the two imperatives is to lead the crowd to listen carefully and to try to understand what Jesus is going to say to them. “Listen to me so you can understand” is also good.

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 15:10



Paragraph 15:10–11

15:10a

This verse begins a new part of the story. In some languages, it may be more natural to begin this paragraph with a time word. For example:

Then (Good News Translation)
-or-
After that

Jesus called the crowd to Him: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as called also means “summon, ask (someone) to come.” Jesus invited the people who had been listening to gather around him. He did this because he wanted to talk to them.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Jesus called the crowd together (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Jesus told the crowd of people to gather around him

the crowd: When Jesus was talking with the Pharisees and scribes in 15:1–9, other people were standing around listening. Here Jesus began to speak directly to these people.

15:10b

Listen and understand: The expression Listen and understand indicates that:

(a) Jesus intended to say something important to the crowd.

(b) He strongly urged the people to listen carefully to what he said and understand it.

Listen means “concentrate on what I am saying.” The word understand emphasizes that everyone should think carefully about the meaning of what Jesus was about to say.

Use an expression in your language that people say when they want others to give careful attention and think about the meaning of what they hear. For example:

Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. (Contemporary English Version)

-or-

Listen and understand what I am saying (New Century Version)

This clause refers to the things that Jesus was about to say. Your translation should indicate that Jesus was referring to something that he was going to say. He is not talking about something that he had already said.

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