The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is translated as “envy” or “envious” in most English translations is, according to Nida (1952, p. 134), translated into Tzeltal and Tabasco Chontal in the following manner:
“Envy is bred of covetousness and self-centeredness. The Tzeltals, who recognize a covetous man as having a ‘small heart,’ say that an envious person has ‘a greedy heart.’ ‘Small hearts’ and ‘greedy hearts’ go together, and the soul shrinks in direct proportion to its greediness. The envious person is never satisfied, for he can never keep step with his own insatiable ego.
“The Chontal Indians, living in the low, swampy delta land of Tabasco in southern Mexico, regard envy in a more subtle way. They say of the man who is envious of his neighbor, ‘He did not want to see his neighbor.’ This describes the end result of envy. People cannot bear to see others enjoying the privileges which they insist should be their own. The envious man has acquired such a self-directed stare that he cannot take his eyes off self to see another’s enjoyment.”
In Central Mazahua is is translated as “jealous of each other, their fellow people,” in Sayula Popoluca as “hate those who have something” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.), in Matumbi as sukya, which means “envy” but also “hate” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext), and in Kupsabiny as “blackstomached” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation).
The Greek that is translated as “lawful” in English is translated in a 1922 translation into Chagatai, a precursor language of both Uzbek and Uighur, with the Arabic loan word jayiz (جائز), meaning “permitted (because there is no prohibition by religion)” in an Islamic context. (Source: F. Erbay and F.N. Küçükballı in Acta Theologica 2025 45/2, p. 133ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 20:15:
Uma: “May I not do according to my desire with my money? Why are you jealous of others if my heart is good to them?’ ‘” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Is it that I do not rule over my money (i.e. can do with it as I please)? Perhaps you are jealous because I am generous?’ ‘” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Can it not be that I am the one to be in charge of my own money? Are you jealous of them because of my generosity?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Is it not perhaps my right to do what I want with my money? Are you maybe resentful/envious because I did not act-selfishly?’ ‘” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Don’t I have the right to do whatever I want to with my own possessions? Are you just envious of my good-relationship with my fellowman?”” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do you rule me? Isn’t there permission that I determine by myself what I will do with my money? Are you envious of your fellow workers for the good I want to do them?’ said the field-owner.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
With what belongs to me is translated “with my own money” by Good News Translation, New English Bible, and New International Version. Since the preposition with may also mean “in” or “on,” the phrase may also mean “on my own land” or “on my own estate.” Nevertheless, this alternative possibility is not represented in any of the standard translations. It is possible to change the question form to a strong affirmation: “I have the right to do what I wish with my own money!” New English Bible does away with the question form: “Surely I am free to do what I like with my own money.”
Do you begrudge (so also An American Translation) translates an idiomatic expression (literally “is your eye evil”) which Good News Translation and New English Bible take to mean “are you jealous.” New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version, and New American Bible each use the term “envious.” The same idiom is found in the list of sins in Mark 7.22. “Are you annoyed” is also acceptable.
Generosity (so also An American Translation; Good News Translation, Moffatt, New Jerusalem Bible “generous”) translates the adjective “good,” which here has the specific connotation of generosity. The question Or do you begrudge my generosity? may take the form of a statement: “You should not be jealous just because I am generous.” It may be necessary to indicate some recipient of generosity, as in “Are you jealous because I am generous toward someone else?” or “Does it make you jealous when I am generous to these people?”
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 .
Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine?: This is a rhetorical question. The owner used this rhetorical question to emphasize that he had the right to do what he wanted to do with his own money. He also used this rhetorical question as a mild rebuke.
Here are some other ways to translate this emphasis and rebuke:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? (New International Version)
-or-
It is lawful for me to do what I want with my own money, is it not?
• As a statement. For example:
I can do what I want with my own money. (New Century Version)
Translate this rebuke and emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
Do I not have the right: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as have the right refers to doing something that is lawful or right.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
Is it not lawful for me (King James Version)
-or-
Is it against the law (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Don’t I have the right (Contemporary English Version)
to do as I please: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as I please is more literally “I want.” The same verb occurs in 20:14b. Translate it here as you did there.
with what is mine?: The words what is mine refer to “my things” or “my money.”
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
with what is mine
-or-
with my own money (Revised English Bible)
20:15b
Or: One of the functions of the conjunction Or is to introduce a question that is parallel to a previous question. This conjunction also adds additional information. Here Or does not function to separate things. It does not indicate that only one of the two questions is true.
Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. For example:
Are you jealous because I am good to those people?’ (New Century Version)
In some languages, it will not be natural to translate this conjunction either.
are you envious because I am generous?: This is a rhetorical question. It is a rebuke. The owner rebuked the worker for being jealous of his generosity toward the other workers.
Here are some other ways to translate this rebuke:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
Why should you be envious because I am generous? (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
Are you jealous because I am good to those people? (New Century Version)
• As a statement. For example:
You should not be jealous because I am good/generous ⌊towards other people⌋
• As a command. For example:
Do not be jealous of ⌊the ones to whom⌋ I have been generous.
Translate this rebuke in a way that is natural in your language.
are you envious: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as are you envious is more literally “is your eye evil?” This is an idiom. In Jesus’ time, there were many uses of this idiom. In this context, it probably refers to jealousy or envy.
Here are some other ways to translate this idiom:
are you envious (NET Bible)
-or-
Why should you be jealous (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
are you annoyed
because I am generous: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as because I am generous is more literally “because I am good.”
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
because I am good
-or-
because I am kind to others (New Living Translation (2004))
General Comment on 20:15b
Verse 20:15b is the end of the owner’s speech and the end of Jesus’ parable. The Berean Standard Bible indicates this with closing quotes. Your translation should clearly indicate that the parable ends here.
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