complete verse (Matthew 22:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 22:24:

  • Uma: “Those Saduki people came saying to Yesus: ‘Teacher, the prophet Musa taught like this: If a man dies, yet he doesn’t have any children, his sibling must marry his widow so that the dead person will have some descendants.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “They asked him, they said, ‘Sir, Musa wrote he said, ‘If a man dies and he has no children then his younger brother shall marry that widow in order that his older brother has descendants.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And they said, ‘Teacher, Moses taught long ago that, for example, if there is a man and he has a wife and that man dies, it is necessary for the brother of the man to marry his widow so that the dead person might have children through him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “They said to him, ‘Sir teacher, our law that Moses wrote says, ‘If there is a married-couple who have no children and the man dies, his brother must marry the widow so that if they have a child, that will be like a child of the dead-one.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “On arriving, they said, ‘Teacher, Moises taught that if a man who is married dies, that married couple having no children yet, he is to be succeeded by his brother in marrying (that wife). For if they have a child, it is to be regarded as like it is indeed the child of that dead (person).” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “‘Listen, teacher, in the law which Moses wrote, there is written this word which says that when a man dies and he didn’t have any children, then concerning the wife of the dead man who is left, the dead man’s brother will marry the widow so that there will be children as though they were the children of the dead man.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Moses

The name that is transliterated as “Moses” in English means “taken out of the water,” “saved out of the water,” “a son.” (Source: Cornwall / Smith 1997 ). See also Translation commentary on Exodus 2:10.

It is translated in Spanish Sign Language and Polish Sign Language with a sign in accordance with the depiction of Moses in the famous statue by Michelangelo (see here ). (Source: John Elwode in The Bible Translator 2008, p. 78ff. )


“Moses” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

American Sign Language also uses the sign depicting the horns but also has a number of alternative signs (see here ).

In French Sign Language, a similar sign is used, but it is interpreted as “radiance” (see below) and it culminates in a sign for “10,” signifying the 10 commandments:


“Moses” in French Sign Language (source )

The horns that are visible in Michelangelo’s statue are based on a passage in the Latin Vulgate translation (and many Catholic Bible translations that were translated through the 1950ies with that version as the source text). Jerome, the translator, had worked from a Hebrew text without the niqquds, the diacritical marks that signify the vowels in Hebrew and had interpreted the term קרו (k-r-n) in Exodus 34:29 as קֶ֫רֶן — keren “horned,” rather than קָרַו — karan “radiance” (describing the radiance of Moses’ head as he descends from Mount Sinai).

In Swiss-German Sign Language (and Hungarian Sign Language) it is translated with a sign depicting holding a staff. This refers to a number of times where Moses’s staff is used in the context of miracles, including the parting of the sea (see Exodus 14:16), striking of the rock for water (see Exodus 17:5 and following), or the battle with Amalek (see Exodus 17:9 and following).


“Moses” in Swiss-German Sign Language, source: DSGS-Lexikon biblischer Begriffe , © CGG Schweiz

In Vietnamese (Hanoi) Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the eye make up he would have worn as the adopted son of an Egyptian princess. (Source: The Vietnamese Sign Language translation team, VSLBT)


“Moses” in Vietnamese Sign Language, source: SooSL

In Korean Sign Language it is translated with the sign that depicts the arms held up by Moses to assure the Israelites victory over the Amalekites (see Exodus 17:11).


“Moses” in Korean Sign Language, source: Korean Sign Language Bible House

In Estonian Sign Language Moses is depicted with a big beard. (Source: Liina Paales in Folklore 47, 2011, p. 43ff. )


“Moses” in Estonian Sign Language, source: Glossary of the EKNK Toompea kogudus

For more information on translations of proper names with sign language see Sign Language Bible Translations Have Something to Say to Hearing Christians .

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Moses .

Translation commentary on Matthew 22:24

The Sadducees follow the pattern of the Pharisees in addressing Jesus as Teacher (see verse 16). Their question reflects the Jewish law according to which the brother of a dead man would marry his brother’s widow, if the man had died without having any children. This law was instituted in Israel to provide the dead man with offspring, so that his name would continue after him.

Moses said may also be translated “The Law of Moses teaches.” What follows can be either direct discourse, as in the Revised Standard Version text, or indirect, as in Good News Translation. Translators should do what is more natural in their own language.

If a man dies … for his brother represents a somewhat free adaptation of the Septuagint rendering of Deuteronomy 25.5-6, and it differs slightly from each of the two other forms of the quotation (Mark 12.19; Luke 20.28). Because of the similarity in sound between the Greek noun for “resurrection” (anastasin) and the Greek verb for raise up (anastēsei) in this verse, some scholars conclude that Matthew even intends a play on words. But the evidence is rather meager, since the two words are at a distance from one another in the Greek text. Moreover, it is extremely doubtful if such a wordplay could be effectively transferred in translation.

Good News Translation has significantly restructured raise up children for his brother so as to convey clearly the meaning: “so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man’s children.” Barclay has a somewhat simpler rendering: “raise a family for his brother.” In any case it will be necessary in some languages to have a footnote briefly explaining the Jewish custom.

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 22:24

22:24a

saying, “Teacher: Here, the word Teacher refers to a religious teacher. It was a polite title for a Jewish man who had authority to teach the things about God. Use a title that is an appropriate way to address a religious teacher in your culture. It should not refer only to a school teacher.

Here are some other ways to translate this word:

Sir
-or-
Master

This same word is in 22:16b. Translate it the same way here.

Moses said: The words that Moses said are the word that he wrote in Deut 25:5–6. For that reason it is also possible to translate this as:

Moses wrote that (Contemporary English Version)

22:24b–d

Some versions are like the English Standard Version and treat the clauses in 22:24b–d as direct speech. However, these clauses are not a direct quote from Deuteronomy. So it is also possible to translate them as a description of what Moses wrote. For example:

Moses wrote that if a man dies having no children his brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. (Contemporary English Version)

22:24b

If a man dies: The context indicates that this man was a married man. So another way to translate this is:

If a married man dies (New Century Version)

having no children: The Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as children can refer to either male or female children. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

without any children (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
-or-
childless (God’s Word)

22:24c

his brother: In Greek, the phrase his brother can refer to either an older or younger brother. If you must choose one, then translate it as “younger brother.”

must marry: This Greek verb is in the future tense, but the context makes it equivalent to a command. The brother was required to marry the widow even if he already had his own wife. If you have a word or phrase for this custom in your language, use it here.

the widow: The Greek phrase that the English Standard Version translates as the widow is more literally translated “his woman.” It refers to a woman who was married to a man before he died. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

his wife (New American Standard Bible)

22:24d

and raise up offspring: This phrase refers to having sexual relations with the brother’s widow so that she bears children.

The Greek word that the English Standard Version translates as offspring is more literally “seed” (as in the King James Version). It generally refers to descendants, people who carry on a family line. Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

and provide an heir (Revised English Bible)
-or-
so that they can have children (Good News Translation)
-or-
so that the dead person will have some descendants

for his brother: This phrase means “as his brother’s heirs.” Any children of this new marriage would be considered the dead man’s children. Here is another way to translate this phrase:

who will carry on the brother’s name (New Living Translation (2004))

-or-

who will be considered the dead man’s children (Good News Translation)

General Comment on 22:24b–d

It might be useful to add a footnote explaining this custom if it is not common in your area. For example:

The brother did not get rid of his own wife before marrying the widow. This practice was intended to make sure that the dead man’s name would not be forgotten, his property would remain in the family. and his widow would be taken care of.

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