the blind lead the blind

The now commonly-used English idiom “the blind lead the blind” (as in when an inexperienced person is guiding someone a person who is equally inexperienced) was first coined in 1526 in the English New Testament translation of William Tyndale (in the spelling the blynde leede the blynde). (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 285)

In Russian, this phrase (Если слепой ведет слепого — Yesli slepoy vedet slepogo) is also widely used as an idiom. The wording of the quote originated in the Russian Synodal Bible (publ. 1876). (Source: Reznikov 2020, p. 12)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

complete verse (Matthew 15:14)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 15:14:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘Never mind [lit., Leave] those Parisi people! Because every planted-thing that is not planted by my Father in heaven will definitely be pulled up. Those Parisi people are like blind leaders, because they do not know the true/right road to go to God. And if a blind-person leads a fellow blind-person, they will certainly both fall into the ditch.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Do not be troubled about them. They are leaders but they are like blind people. If a blind person leads another blind person, na, they both will fall into the hole.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Never mind the Pharisees. They are like blind people. If there is a blind person who leads by the hand another blind person, both of those blind persons will fall into a pit.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So leave-those Pharisees -alone, because they are like blind-ones who are leading their companions on the path. And if a blind-one is the one-leading his companion who is blind, they two will fall-over the cliff.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Just leave them alone. They are blind leaders-by-hand. Well as long as it’s a blind person who is leading-by-hand another blind person, of course they both could fall into a dug-hole.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Leave them alone, don’t be afraid of them. These are blind men teaching other blind men. When they encounter a hole, there where the teacher falls, along with him will fall the learner.'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 15:14

Let them alone (so also Barclay) is translated “Leave them alone” by New Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible. The problem with these renderings is that they may imply the meaning “Don’t bother with them” or “Don’t disturb them.” The true meaning is “Don’t be concerned about them” or “Don’t worry about them” (Good News Translation); it may also be stated without the use of a negative: “Forget about them.”

It is imperative to make clear that them refers to the Pharisees, not to the plants! The problem may be resolved if a comparison is used in verse 13, such as “The Pharisees are like plants”; otherwise Let them alone may be translated “Don’t worry about those Pharisees!”

Blind guides is followed in some Greek manuscripts by the qualifying phrase “of the blind” (see footnotes in New English Bible and New International Version). In the UBS Greek New Testament the phrase is found in brackets, indicating its uncertainty in the text. Some languages will require that blind guides be expressed in the form “blind people who guide” with the object stated, as in “blind people who try to guide others.”

On the basis of if a blind man leads a blind man, one may then translate blind guides as either “blind people who guide other blind people” or “blind leaders of the blind” (Good News Translation).

In this context leads should not be translated by a word that means simply “goes in front of.” It obviously refers to directing someone such as a blind person so that he knows where to go.

Commentators note that “leader of the blind” was a title enjoyed by Jewish teachers (see Rom 2.19). Jesus’ accusation is that the Pharisees cannot lay claim to this title, because they themselves are blind and in need of someone to lead them. Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition translates in dynamic fashion: “They would lead the blind, and they themselves are blind.”

Pit (also New Jerusalem Bible) translates the same noun used in 12.11; it also is used in Luke 6.39, though nowhere else in the New Testament. The word basically means any sort of deep hole, and so may also be rendered “ditch” (New English Bible “the ditch”). Barclay has “a hole in the road.”

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 15:14



15:14a

Disregard them: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Disregard them means “do not be concerned/worried about what the Pharisees think.”

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

Don’t worry about them! (Good News Translation)
-or-
Do not be troubled about them
-or-
ignore them (New Living Translation (2004))

15:14b

They are blind guides: There is a textual issue here:

(1) Some Greek manuscripts include a word at the end of this clause that can be translated as of the blind. For example:

they are blind guides of the blind (New American Standard Bible)

(New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Standard Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Contemporary English Version, King James Version)

(2) Some Greek manuscripts do not include the words “of the blind.” For example:

they are blind guides (New International Version)

(Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, New International Version, English Standard Version, NET Bible, God’s Word, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Revised English Bible, New Century Version)

It is recommended that you follow option (1). The UBS Handbook Greek New Testament contains this word.

The phrase They are blind guides is a metaphor. In this metaphor, Jesus compared the Pharisees to people who guide/lead blind people. Yet they themselves were blind. They were blind guides in the sense that they were spiritual leaders of other people. But they themselves did not “see” the spiritual truths that Jesus was explaining.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

They are blind leaders of the blind (Good News Translation)

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

They are like blind people leading other blind people (Contemporary English Version)

• Change the metaphor to a simile and make explicit the way that they are similar. For example:

They are like blind people who lead other blind people. ⌊They teach other people, but they themselves do not understand the truths that I am saying.⌋

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

They are people who do not understand the spiritual truths that I am teaching. Yet they are leaders of other people who also do not understand.

guides: In Greek, the word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as guides is a noun. In some languages, it will be more natural to change this noun into a verb. For example:

one blind person leads another blind person

You should use the normal expression in your language for someone who leads/guides a blind person. In some languages, the person leading holds a stick that the blind person also holds. In other languages, the person leading holds the hand of the blind person.

15:14c

If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit: In this sentence, Jesus continued the metaphor that he began in 15:14b. Here, Jesus talked about the disaster that would happen to the Pharisees and their followers. He compared it to blind people falling into a pit.

Here are some other ways to translate this metaphor:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

And if a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a ditch. (New Century Version)

• Make the meaning of fall into a pit explicit. For example:

When a blind person leads another blind person, both people will fall into a ditch. ⌊This means that something bad will unexpectedly happen to them.⌋

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

⌊One day,⌋ something bad will ⌊unexpectedly/suddenly⌋ happen to both of them.

a pit: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as a pit refers to any deep hole. It can be a hole that someone dug. Or it can be a hole like a ditch that rain and water made.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

ditch (Good News Translation)

-or-

hole

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