hypocrite

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The Greek and Hebrew terms that are translated as “hypocrite” in English typically have a counterpart in most languages. According to Bratcher / Nida (1961, p. 225), they can be categorized into the following categories:

  • those which employ some concept of “two” or “double”
  • those which make use of some expression of “mouth” or “speaking”
  • those which are based upon some special cultural feature
  • those which employ a non-metaphorical phrase

Following is a list of (back-) translations from some languages:

The Latvian term liekulis was likely coined by the Bible translation of Ernst Glück (1654–1705) in the late 17th century and is still being used today (source ).

The English version of Sarah Ruden (2021) uses “play-actor.” She explains (p. li): “A hupokrites is fundamentally an actor. The word has deep negativity in the Gospels on two counts: professional actors were not respectable people in the ancient world, and traditional Judaism did not countenance any kind of playacting. I write ‘play-actor’ throughout.”

See also hypocrisy.

cut into two, punish

The Greek that is translated into English either as “punish” or “cut into pieces” is translated into Lashi with an existing expression that says: “cut him into two.” This is exactly what the Greek word means.

gnashing of teeth

Th Greek that is translated as “gnashing of teeth” or similar in English is translated as “gnashing their teeth in pain” in Estado de México Otomi for clarity purposes (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.).

See also gnash / grind teeth.

weeping and gnashing of teeth

The Greek that is translated as “weeping and gnashing of teeth” or similar in English is translated in the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) with heulen und vor Schmerz mit den Zähnen klappern or “weep and chatter teeth in pain.”

Also in German, the idiom Heulen und Zähneklappern (originally: Heulen und Zähneklappen), which today is used to express anger and outrage, often in a humorous context (literally “weeping and chattering of teeth”), was first coined in 1522 in the German New Testament translation by Martin Luther. (Source: Günther 2017, p. 79)

For other idioms or terms in German that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

complete verse (Matthew 24:51)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 24:51:

  • Uma: “That slave will be beaten severely and tossed outside, he’ll be treated/regarded as a deceiver. Out there he will weep and suffer/groan.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, then he will be really punished by his master and he will be sent to the place which belongs to the people who pretend to follow God. There the people will wail and gnash their teeth.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for this servant, his master will punish him, and he will do to him what will be done also to those people whose faith is a lie. Then he will yell and gnash his teeth because of his great remorse.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “He will thoroughly punish him and throw him in hell where people cry-bitterly and grit-their-teeth so that he will join-in-experiencing the punishment of hypocrites.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “What will happen is, he will be punished by his master without restraint. He will be caused to be with people who pretend to believe/obey God, there in the hardship/suffering which is without ending. What will happen to him there is, he will cry-loudly and his teeth will grind.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The boss then will very much whip him, until he is cut all over from it. He will throw him out to be with the people who are not truly good people. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 24:50 – 24:51

The master of that servant … and put him with agrees word for word with Luke 12.46. The difference comes at the end, where Matthew has the hypocrites and Luke has “the unfaithful.” There men will weep and gnash their teeth, one of Matthew’s favorite formulas (see 8.12), is not to be found in the Lukan parallel.

The connection between verse 50 and the previous one depends on the if-clause in verses 48-49: “if that wicked servant … begins to beat his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken, then his master will arrive at a time when the servant does not expect him.”

When he does not expect him is potentially ambiguous, and so Good News Translation identifies the pronominal subject: “when the servant does not expect him.” It is possible to translate all of verse 50 as “Then the servant’s master will come back at the day and the time when the servant does not expect him” or, with even fewer words, “Then one day his master will come back fully unexpected” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

As the RSV footnote indicates, punish may also be translated “cut in pieces.” The root meaning of the verb is to dismember a person who has been condemned to death, though the only other place in the New Testament where the verb is used suggests the meaning “punish with absolute severity” (Luke 12.46).

Put him with is translated “make him share the fate of” by Good News Translation; it is also possible to render “treat him the same way that hypocrites are treated” or “give him the same punishment that one gives hypocrites.”

Hypocrites was discussed at 6.2. Despite the fact that in Matthew this is one of the worst things that Jesus says about certain people, it does seem a little strange in this context. Barclay has rendered it “those whose religion is only a pretence.” “Those who pretend to be faithful to God but aren’t” may also be good.

Weep and gnash their teeth was discussed at 8.12.

Verses 48-51 also need to be translated together if they are to sound natural in the receptor language. An example is:

• But if that servant is wicked, he will think to himself that his master will be gone for some time, and therefore he can begin to beat the other servants of the household and spend his time eating and drinking with drunkards. But then the master will come home totally unexpectedly, and he will punish that servant and treat him the same way that people are treated who only pretend to obey God. And those people cry out and gnash their teeth in pain.

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 .