Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:10:
Mairasi: “‘Watch out! Do not think lowly of any of these little people! Because you must place in your liver’s crack [remember], Great Above One’s sent ones [angels], those who specifically guard them, stay over there constantly in front of My Father Who is Great Above One in Surga [Heaven].” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
Uma: “‘So, be very careful, don’t disregard little children like this child, [not] even one. Because truly-truly I say to you: the angels who watch-over them stay continually in front of my Father in heaven.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “‘Be careful,’ said Isa, ‘do not put-down/despise even one of these little children because I tell you, the angels who watch over them are always there in the presence of my Father in heaven.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And people who are like these children, don’t you treat disdainfully even one of them because true is what I tell you, that the angels of God who help them are never away from the presence of my Father God who is in heaven.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “‘See that you do not look-down-on even one of these who are of no account. Because I tell you that their angels are constantly with (lit. at the place of) my Father in heaven.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus said next, ‘Be careful that you (pl.) don’t insult/belittle even one of these humble ones who are like this child having belief in me. For this which I will say to you really is true, that they are cared for by angels who can always come into the presence of my Father there in heaven.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do not think that the children are of no value. I tell you that there in heaven where my Father is, the angels who stay there where he is are the ones who care for the children.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
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. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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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 to do this is through the usage (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 choice of a first person singular and plural pronoun (“I” and “we” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. The most commonly used watashi/watakushi (私) is typically used when the speaker is humble and asking for help. In these verses, where God / Jesus is referring to himself, watashi is also used but instead of the kanji writing system (私) the syllabary hiragana (わたし) is used to distinguish God from others.
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
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 rare (られ) 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, o-rare-ru (おられる) or “is/be present” is used.
See that you do not despise one of these little ones may be translated “Be careful not to look down on one of these little ones” or “Make sure you never consider one of these little ones as unimportant.”
Despise is also used in 6.24; see comments there. Although some translators have wanted to render it as “hate,” most translators have something similar to Barclay: “think of one of these little ones as of no importance.”
For comments on one of these little ones, see Matthew 18.6 and 10.42.
In heaven their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven emphasizes the importance that God attaches to those who believe in him. The Jews believed in guardian angels (see Dan 10.10-14; Acts 12.15; Rev 1.20; 12.7), but Jewish teachers taught that only the highest category of angels had access to the presence of God. Jesus is thereby affirming that these little ones are of such significance to God that the most powerful angels represent them in his presence.
In heaven … in heaven will be unnecessarily repetitious in many languages. Moreover, the meaning of behold the face of my Father is not very clear. The meaning is well expressed by Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch: “Their angels always have access to my Father in heaven.” Except for the repetition of “in heaven,” Barclay is excellent: “I tell you that in heaven their guardian angels always have the right of access to the presence of my Father who is in heaven.”
For angels, see comment on 1.20. The use of their sometimes is a problem for translators, since the expression they might use in the receptor languages may give the idea that these little ones owned the angels. “Guardian angels” of Barclay is a helpful model, and some translators have said “the angels assigned to take care of them” or “the angels who look after them.”
Again, as we suggest above, “right of access” of Barclay is a helpful model for translating behold the face of my father. This can also be expressed as “always can approach” or “always have the right to speak with God.” In some West African languages “can always take the case of these little ones to God” is natural.
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 .
In this section, Jesus told a type of parable. In this parable, a shepherd rejoices more over finding one sheep that wandered away than over a large flock of sheep that did not wander. This parable shows that every believer is important to God. This section also shows that one believer should not look down on another one.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus used a lost sheep as an illustration
-or-
The parable about a lost sheep
There is a parallel passage for this section in Luke 15:3–7.
18:10a
Jesus probably spoke the words in 18:10–14 immediately after 18:5–9. If it will be helpful for your readers, you may want to start this section with words that show that Jesus continued speaking. For example:
⌊Jesus continued,⌋ …
See that: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as See that is a warning.
Here are some other ways to translate this warning:
Beware that (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Be careful. (New Century Version)
This verb is not a command to look at something.
you do not look down on: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as look down on means “look down on, think nothing of, treat with contempt, or scorn.” This clause is a warning not to consider humble believers as worth little.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
you do not despise (English Standard Version)
-or-
Don’t think…are worth nothing (New Century Version)
any of these little ones: Jesus used this phrase in a figurative sense. He was referring to people who are humble like little children. He was referring to people of all ages who believe in him, both children and adults.
This is the same phrase as in 18:6a. Translate it the same way in both places. For example:
one of these ⌊people who are like⌋ little children
18:10b
For: Verse 18:10b is the reason for the command that the people should not despise one of these little ones (in 18:10a). The Greek introduces this reason with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For.
Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. Instead, they let the context indicate the connection. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.
Here is another way to introduce this reason:
Because
their angels in heaven: The pronoun their refers to “these little ones” (in 18:10a), the humble believers. This entire phrase probably refers to angels who take care of humble believers in some way. Humble believers are so important to God that even they have angels representing them before God in heaven.
In the Bible, the word angels usually refers to messengers from God. However, the idea that each person has an angel who guards him was common among the Jews at the time.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
angels from heaven ⌊who care for⌋ them
-or-
the spiritual beings in/from heaven ⌊who take care of⌋ them
in heaven: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heaven refers to the place where God lives. In some languages that will be the same word as “the sky.”
Also, in some languages, it will not be natural to have in heaven here and also at the end of the verse. If that is true in your language, you can combine the two phrases into one.
18:10c
always see the face of My Father in heaven: This whole clause indicates that the angels are present before God in heaven. That is why they can see the face of My Father.
The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as always indicates that the angels are able to approach God at any time. It does not mean that they never leave.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
are continually in the presence of my Father in heaven (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
are always with my Father in heaven (Contemporary English Version)
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