complete verse (Matthew 24:40)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 24:40:

  • Uma: “At that time, two people will be working together in the fields, one will be taken the other left-behind.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “On the day of my return there will be two men working in a field, one will be taken and one will be left behind.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “At that time there will be two men working in the field. My angels will take one of them and leave the other.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If there are two men working in the fields, one will be taken and the other left.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “At that time, people will-be-sorted-into-sets. Maybe two people will be working in the field, but if they are not the same being my people, one will be left, only one taken.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “On that day two men will be together working. One person will be taken away, the other will be left.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

he who, whoever

The Greek that is typically translated with a generic expressions such as “he who,” “whoever,” or “if anyone” in English is translated with the plural form (“they”) in Daga. “A literal translation of these conveys the idea that one specific unnamed individual is being discussed. Thus, for instance, in John 5:24 ‘he who hears my word and believes in him who sent me has eternal life’ meant in Daga that there was one fortunate individual to whom it applied.”

See also love your neighbor as yourself.

Translation commentary on Matthew 24:40

Verses 40-41 contain two illustrations which show that life will continue as usual until the time when the Son of man comes. In the words of one scholar, the emphasis is upon “the sharp cleavage caused by the coming of the Son of Man, rather than the unexpectedness of the event.”

The expression two men does not refer to two specific men but is really just an example of how things will be. Translators may say “At that time, if there are two men working in the field, one will be taken and one will be left.”

One is taken and one is left may require restructuring in the active: “The Son of man will take one of them away, but he will leave the other” or “… one of them with him, but he will not take the other one.”

The use of the present tense (is taken … is left) in verses 40-41 reflects narrative style and simultaneously emphasizes the absolute certainty of Jesus’ words. Luke (17.34-35) prefers the future, as in fact do most translations. See the examples in the discussion of these verses.

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 .