complete verse (Matthew 19:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 19:20:

  • Uma: “That young man said: ‘I have followed all those commands. What else must I do?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “The man said, ‘I am following already all that. What else shall I do?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the person answered also, ‘All of this I have guarded; what yet do I lack that is given me to do?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So then that man said, ‘I have been fulfilling all these commands. What else must I do?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “That young man replied, saying, ‘I have been obeying all those already. Well what else must I do?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The man answered: ‘Concerning these words you speak, I have done them all since I was a child. So now what is the word lacking which I haven’t done?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 19:20

For stylistic reasons Good News Translation translates The young man said to him as “the young man replied” and places it after the quotation of the man’s words. For many languages it will be more natural to retain the order of the Greek and introduce the speaker before giving his words. Young man is used in Matthew’s Gospel only here and in verse 22. There is no way to determine with precision the age limitations indicated by the word.

All these, a reference to the commandments quoted by Jesus in verses 18-19 (Good News Translation “all these commandments”), is placed in an emphatic position in the Greek text. There is poor textual support for the phrase “from my youth up” (King James Version), which was obviously brought into the text on the basis of the parallels in Mark (10.20) and Luke (18.21). At the risk of shifting All these to a less emphatic position, Good News Translation restructures the clause to reflect a more natural word order for English speakers: “I have obeyed all these commandments.” A way to retain the emphasis on All these is to say “All of these commandments are ones I have obeyed.”

What do I still lack? is translated “What more do I need to do?” by New Jerusalem Bible and “Where do I still fall short?” by New English Bible. According to Mark, the young man does not ask the question; instead, Jesus says to him “You lack one thing” (10.21).

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 19:20



19:20a

All these I have kept:
As in 19:17c, the Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as kept means “obeyed” or “followed.” The context implies that the young man felt that he had always followed all these commandments.

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

I have obeyed all these commandments (Good News Translation)
-or-
I have ⌊carefully⌋ followed all of those ⌊commands/laws⌋

the young man: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as young man refers to a relatively young man. He was perhaps between the ages of 21 and 28. This is the same person who asked Jesus the question in 19:16a.

19:20b

What do I still lack?: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as lack means “miss something that is to one’s benefit.” The young man asked what more he needed to do have eternal life (19:16).

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

What is still missing in my life? (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
What more do I need to do? (New Jerusalem Bible)

-or-

What else must I do? (Contemporary English Version)

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