complete verse (Matthew 17:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 17:21:

  • Uma: “[[But a demon like that earlier, he will only go away if/when you pray and fast.]]'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But that kind of demon cannot be driven out except only when you pray and fast.)'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “However, this kind of demon, it can only be caused to go out by means of praying and by means of abstaining from food. There is no other way.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But evil-spirits like those, they don’t come-out if the one casting-out does not persist in praying to God.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But that kind of evil spirit can’t be driven out unless you persevere in prayer and fasting.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning those like this evil spirit which walked with the boy, in order to separate them from the person they walk with, it is necessary to pray to God and fast.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In Nepali translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and other people with the medium honorific pronoun timīlē (तिमीले) or timīlēharū (तिमीलेहरू). This disciples respond with a high honorific pronoun. (Source: Chitra Chhetri in The Bible Translator 2009, p. 73ff. )

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Matthew 17:21

As footnotes in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation both indicate, some manuscripts add verse 21. It is the consensus of scholars that this verse was added to the Gospel at a later date, perhaps under the influence of the parallel in Mark 9.29. There are no apparent reasons why a scribe would have removed the verse, if it had been an original part of the text.

This kind … comes out … by prayer and fasting is semantically equivalent to “only prayer and fasting can drive this kind out” (Good News Translation). For some languages it may be necessary to translate the two nouns prayer and fasting as verbs: “Only if you pray and fast will you be able to drive this kind out” or “You can drive this kind out only as you pray and fast.” Since this kind is a reference to demons, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “… can such spirits be driven out.”

For a discussion of fasting, see comments at 6.16. The sentence can be “You can only drive out this kind of evil spirit by praying and worshiping God by not eating” or “This kind of evil spirit can only be driven out of a person when people have prayed and worshiped God by going without food.”

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 17:21



17:21

There is a textual issue here. The best Greek manuscripts do not have the words in 17:21. Most English versions do not include these words in the text. They include this verse only as a footnote. This verse was probably added later to make this story in the book of Matthew be like the story in the book of Mark.

It is good to include this verse only as a footnote, as many English versions do. Here is an example footnote:

Only some of the later Greek manuscripts include 17:21, which says: “But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

(See below for help in translating this verse.)

If the major language version in your area includes this verse in the text, you may want to include it in brackets. For example:

[But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”] (New American Standard Bible)

If you put 17:21 in a footnote, here are several ways to number the verses:

• At the beginning of 17:20, put the verse numbers 20–21. Put the footnote marker at the end. For example:

20–21Jesus replied: (Contemporary English Version)

It is because you don’t have enough faith! But I can promise you this. If you had faith no larger than a mustard seed, you could tell this mountain to move from here to there. And it would. Everything would be possible for you. ‡

• Put in the number 21 after the last word of 17:20, and have the footnote marker after it. For example:

20Jesus answered, “Because your faith is too small. I tell you the truth, if your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. All things will be possible for you.” 21‡ (New Century Version)

• Do not include verse number 21. Put the footnote marker after verse 20. For example:

20He told them, “Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ‡ (God’s Word)

(New American Standard Bible) But this kind: The phrase this kind refers to “this kind of demon.” For example, the God’s Word footnote says:

However, this kind ⌊of demon⌋ (God’s Word)

(New American Standard Bible) does not go out: These words refer to “casting out” the demon. For example, the Contemporary English Version footnote says:

to force out (Contemporary English Version)

(New American Standard Bible) except by prayer and fasting: These words means that “only prayer and fasting” will force that type of demon out of a person. For example, the New Century Version footnote says:

only if you use prayer and give up eating (New Century Version)

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