complete verse (Matthew 21:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 21:1:

  • Uma: “They were close to Yerusalem, they arrived in the town of Betfage on Mount Zaitun. There Yesus ordered two of his disciples to go on ahead,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “When Isa and company were already close to Awrusalam and could see already the village Betpage there at the hill Jaitun, Isa sent two of his disciples ahead.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And when they were already near to Jerusalem because they were near the village of Bethphage, also near the mountain called Olive Place, Jesus said to two of his disciples,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “As (pl.) Jesus were approaching Jerusalem, they arrived across-from Betfage below the hill Olivo. He sent-ahead two of his disciples” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “When they were close now to Jerusalem, on their reaching Betfage on the Hill of Olibo, Jesus sent ahead two of his disciples.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When they were about to arrive at the city of Jerusalem, they were now walking at the hill where there was a wood of olives. It was near the town of Bethphage. Jesus sent two of his learners.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

olive

The olive family has over four hundred species in the world. Many of them grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but it is the one in the Bible, the European Olive Olea europaea, that has become famous. It is likely that the olive was domesticated in Egypt or the eastern Mediterranean basin in the third millennium B.C. The botanist Newberry argued that Egypt was its original home. We know from the Bible that olives grew in the hills of Samaria and in the foothills. There is a wild variety, called Olea europaea sylvestris, that is smaller than the domestic one; it produces a smaller fruit with less oil. The Apostle Paul refers to this wild variety in Romans 11:17 and 11:24. Olives are easily propagated by cuttings and by grafting fruitful species into less fruitful ones. They grow best on hillsides where the rain drains off quickly. The fruit forms by August but does not ripen until December or January.

The olive is not a big tree, reaching up to perhaps 10 meters (33 feet), but with pruning it is usually kept to around 5 meters (17 feet) tall. The leaves are grayish green above, and whitish underneath. The bark of young trees is silvery gray but gets darker and rougher as the tree ages. The trunk also gets twisted and hollow and may reach over a meter in thickness. Olives grow for hundreds of years, and some in Israel have possibly reached two thousand years.

The fruit of the olive is about 2 centimeters (1 inch) long and a bit more than a centimeter (1/2 inch) thick. It has a hard stone inside and a soft skin that covers the oily flesh. Today a mature tree may yield 10-20 kilograms (22-44 pounds) of fruit, which, when processed, will yield 1.3-2.6 kilograms (3.6 pounds) of oil.

For the Jews the “big three” trees were the vine, the fig, and the olive. People ate olive fruits, but more importantly, they squeezed the oil from the fruits, and used it for cooking, for lamps, for rubbing on the body, for medicine, and in religion. Jacob poured olive oil on the stone where he saw a vision of angels, declaring it a holy place (Genesis 28:18). Moses, similarly, anointed the Tabernacle and its equipment with olive oil mixed with sweet-smelling resins (Exodus 40:9). Aaron and the priests who served in the Tabernacle were also anointed (Exodus 29:21).

Some types of wild olive grow in Africa, India, and Australia, but are not well-known. The so-called “African olive” produces a black, oil-bearing fruit much like an olive. It is common as a snack in northern Nigeria. The “Chinese olive” is also a species of Canarium and may be a possible cultural substitute, if it produces edible fruit and oil. The “Russian olive” grown in dry regions of the world is a member of the Elaeagnus family and not a true olive. A variety of olive (Olea cuspidate) is used for building in India and Nepal, but it is probably not possible to use it in the Bible except perhaps in a study Bible where you could say that the biblical olive was related to this tree.

Since most of the kinds of olive trees in the world do not have edible fruit, it may not be possible to substitute a local variety. If it is done, however, a footnote would be required saying that the Palestinian kind produced edible fruit and oil. If a variety of Canarium is eaten in your area, you could use the local name for it. Otherwise transliterate from a major language.

Olives in the Garden of Gethsemane, Wikimedia Commons

Source: Each According to its Kind: Plants and Trees in the Bible (UBS Helps for Translators)

Translation commentary on Matthew 21:1

All four of the Gospels tell of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Mark 11.1-11; Luke 19.28-38; John 12.12-19), but they each do it in a way that differs from that of the other three. In the comments to follow, attention will be given to some of the unique features that appear in Matthew.

When they drew near is translated “As Jesus and his disciples approached” by Good News Translation. Since this part of the Gospel is frequently used in public reading separately from the previous narrative, it is important that the reader and hearer understand from the outset who is meant by they of the Greek text. In many languages when they drew near will have to be preceded by some statement indicating that they were going toward Jerusalem; for example, “Jesus and his disciples went toward Jerusalem. As they were getting close….”

Jesus’ approach to the city of Jerusalem was made from the direction of Jericho, that is from the east. The exact location of the village of Bethphage is unknown, though it is probably east of Bethany. The name means “house of figs,” with reference to a particular kind of fig that ripens late in the season. Bethphage is mentioned only in conjunction with Jesus’ final entry into Jerusalem; both Mark (11.1) and Luke (19.29) have “to Bethphage and Bethany,” whereas Matthew does not mention Bethany until 26.6. Since Bethphage will not be known to most readers, it may be helpful to say “the village of Bethphage.”

The Mount of Olives is a part of the main mountain range which runs north and south through central and southern Palestine|fig:Map_Palestine-Jesus.jpg. It overlooks Jerusalem from the east and is separated from the city by the deep crevice of the Kidron Valley.

The structure of the text, to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, with to occurring twice, is odd in English and may be misunderstood if translated literally. “Bethphage at the Mount of Olives” of Good News Translation is better. Translators can also say “to Bethphage, a village at the Mount of Olives.”

Mount is a little misleading, since it refers here to a hill, not to a mountain. “Hill” (Barclay) is therefore better. Also, readers must not get the impression that what is involved is a large heap of olives. “Hill (or, Mount) of Olive Trees” is sometimes a better translation.

Sent is perhaps better expressed by “sent … on ahead” (Good News Translation, An American Translation), “sent … ahead” (Phillips), or “sent on” (Barclay). Notice that Good News Translation starts a new sentence here. Translators will need to look at verses 1, 2, and 3 together to decide on the most natural way to structure the whole passage. Sent may have to be rendered “told two of his disciples to go on ahead of them.”

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 .