image

The Greek that is rendered as “image” in English translations is translated in Pökoot with körkeyïn, a word that is also used to translate words like parable and example.

See also parable.

complete verse (Matthew 22:20)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 22:20:

  • Uma: “Yesus said: ‘Whose appearance and whose name is on that money?'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said to them, ‘Whose picture and whose writing is it on this money?'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus asked, ‘Whose form and name is written on here?'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “he said to them, ‘Whose face and whose name is this?'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After he took hold of it, he said, ‘Well, whose picture and name is here on this money?'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “After looking, Jesus said: ‘Whose face is on the money here? Whose name is on the money?'” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Honorary "are" construct denoting God ("say")

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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 Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) 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, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Matthew 22:20

This verse is restructured much better by Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition: “He held out the coin where they could see it and asked them, ‘Whose picture and name are inscribed on this?’ ” Translators may also consider a rendering such as “Then Jesus said to them, ‘Whose picture and name are written (or, do you see) on this coin (or, money)?’ ” Notice that in these examples likeness is translated as “picture.” “Image” is also possible. Translators should not use a word that would mean “photograph,” however. The inscription is the writing of the name of the Emperor, which is why it is translated as “name.” This question as well as the reply of verse 21 and Jesus’ counter-question to his opponents are the same in Mark (12.16-17) and Luke (20.24-25).

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 .