complete verse (Matthew 18:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 18:11:

  • Mairasi: “(Also do not look down on them because I Myself People/person Child [Son of Man], My coming was so that I would look for the people whose faces were dry [lost])” (source: Enggavoter 2004)
  • Uma: “[[Because my intention/plan, I the Child of Mankind, coming to earth, is to search for people who are far from God and to lift them from the punishment of their sins.]]” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “(I, the Son of Man, my purpose for coming here to the world is to save the people who are far from God.)” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because I, the Older Sibling of Mankind, the reason I came here to the earth is so that I might free mankind so that they might not be punished because of their sins.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because I who am Child of a Person, I came here to go look-for and save the lost people.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And as for me who am the One From Heaven Born of Man/human, the reason I came here was in order to free/save the ones being lost.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The Man who came from heaven came to save the people who are lost.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 18:11

As RSV’s footnote indicates (see also Good News Translation), this verse is not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts. TC-GNT concludes that it was obviously borrowed from Luke 19.10, most likely with the intention of providing a connection between verse 10 and verses 12-14.

The phrase Son of man is first used in 8.20; see comments there.

To save the lost may need to be rendered “to save lost people.”

Some translators have found they have to make the relationship indicated by For quite explicit, as in “For the reason the Son of Man came is to save the lost” or “For the work of the Son of Man is to save….”

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 18:11



18:11

There is a textual issue here. Verse 18:11 is not present in some of the earliest and best Greek manuscripts of Matthew. It was probably added in some of the later Greek manuscripts based on Luke 19:10. Many English translations are like the Berean Standard Bible, English Standard Version, and New International Version and do not include this verse as part of the text. They have it only as a footnote.

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 18:11. It says: For the Son of Man came to save the lost.

(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:

[For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] (New American Standard Bible)

If you put 18:11 in a footnote, here are several ways to number the verses:

• At the beginning of 18:10, put the verse numbers 10–11. Put the footnote marker at the end. For example:

10–11Don’t be cruel to any of these little ones! I promise you that their angels are always with my Father in heaven. ‡ (Contemporary English Version)

• Put in the number 11 after the last word of 18:10, and have the footnote marker after it. For example:

10Be careful. Don’t think these little children are worth nothing. I tell you that they have angels in heaven who are always with my Father in heaven. 11‡ (New Century Version)

• Do not include verse number 11 in the text. Put it in the footnote. Put the footnote marker after verse 10. For example:

10Be careful not to despise these little ones. I can guarantee that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father, who is in heaven. ‡ (God’s Word)

the Son of Man: Jesus used this phrase to refer to himself. In some languages, this phrase by itself would refer to someone other than Jesus. If that is true in your language, consider translating it as:

⌊I,⌋ the Son of Man

This phrase last occurred in 17:22b.

save: In this context, the word save refers to rescuing people from sin and eternal punishment so that they are reconciled to God.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

rescue
-or-
deliver

In some languages it may be necessary to say what a person is saved from or for. For example:

rescue ⌊from sin⌋
-or-
help ⌊so they can have life with God⌋

the lost: The Greek phrase that the English Standard Version translates as the lost is used in a figurative way here. It refers to people who have sinned against God and are not able to reconcile with him unless they receive help.

In some languages a literal translation may not communicate the right meaning. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate this:

• Use a simile to indicate that the word lost is used in a figurative way. For example:

people who ⌊live/act as if they⌋ are lost

• Use a simile and make the meaning explicit. For example:

those who are ⌊like⌋ ⌊people⌋ who are lost because they do not know the way to God

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

people who need help ⌊to reconcile with God⌋

In some languages there are similar figures of speech that could be used here. For example:

people who are far from God

-or-

those who have strayed away from the true path

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