complete verse (Matthew 15:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 15:20:

  • Uma: “Behavior like that is what makes people evil in the sight of God. Eating not washing hands first, that is not what makes people evil in the sight of God.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “All these make people unclean, not if he eats but hasn’t washed his hands in the way the Pariseo command.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “These are the deeds which displease God, but he is not displeased when we eat without washing our hands according to the custom of the Pharisees.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “These are the things-that-make-a person -dirty. But a person’s eating without having washed-hands correctly, that’s not what-makes-him -dirty.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “These are the things which cause a person to be disgusting in the sight of God. But when one will eat without first washing his hands according to what was said in your handed-down teachings, that won’t cause a person to be disgusting in the sight of God.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “This is what makes a person have sin. But when a person doesn’t wash his hands when he eats, that isn’t a sin.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 15:20

Verse 20 is essentially a repetition of verse 11, only in negative form. See comments there. See also Matthew 15.2 for a discussion of unwashed hands.

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 .