complete verse (Matthew 22:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 22:9:

  • Uma: “So, go into the big roads, whoever you meet/find, urge them to come attend the wedding feast.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, go now to the roads and bring all the people you can find here to the feast.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore, go out on the paths where there are many people there, and even how many people you see, have them come here.'” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Go therefore to the streets of the town to invite all that you find there.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore go to the trails where many people are. Invite all you meet to this feast.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But now go to the roads. Whatever persons you encounter, tell them to come attend the wedding,’ he said.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 22:9

The thoroughfares (Good News Translation “the main streets”) is literally “the intersections of the roads.” The reference is probably to the points at which the roads of the town intersect (Jerusalem Bible “the crossroads in the town”); in effect this means “throughout the entire city” (Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, 1st edition). The point is that the servants should go out to where they will most likely find people, so that “the main intersections” or “the city streets” will probably convey the meaning correctly.

As many as you find means simply “whomever you meet” or “all the people you find there” (as long as “find” does not imply that somehow these people had been lost).

As many as you find is less specific than Luke, who identifies the new guests as “the poor and maimed and blind and lame” (14.21). It is quite obvious that Luke here reflects his own interest in the presentation of the Good News to the poor and blind (see Luke 4.18). The persons whom the servants did invite, when described by Matthew (“both bad and good” of verse 10), point toward the conclusion which Matthew gives to the parable (verses 11-13).

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 22:9

22:9a

Go therefore: The Greek conjunction that the English Standard Version translates as therefore indicates a result. The first group of invited guests refused to come, so the king commanded his servants to Go to and invite other people.

Here is another way to translate this phrase:

So go (NET Bible)

to the main roads: The Greek phrase that the English Standard Version translates as main roads is more literally “outlets of the roads.” It probably refers to the places where the city roads went through the city wall and extended out into the countryside. These were probably main roads, but that wasn’t the focus of the phrase.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

where the roads leave the city (God’s Word)
-or-
to the places where the paths/trails exit the town

22:9b

and invite to the wedding feast: The verb invite and the phrase the wedding feast are the same words as in 22:3b. There, the English Standard Version translates these words as “call…to the wedding feast.”

Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

Invite…to the wedding (God’s Word)
-or-
tell to come to the celebration

as many as you find: This phrase refers to everyone the servants found. The servants were not supposed to decide which people should come and which should not. They were supposed to invite everyone.

Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

whoever you find

-or-

everyone you see (New Living Translation (2004))

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