complete verse (Matthew 24:6)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 24:6:

  • Uma: “You will hear news about wars far off, you will also hear the sound of warring that is close by. But don’t be afraid, for all that must happen first, but these happenings don’t mean that the end of the world has come.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You will hear about fighting in the country and stories/reports about fighting in far places/countries, but do not be afraid. All this has to happen but that is not yet the day of the end.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You will hear nearby you the tumult because of war, and you will hear also the news about war in a far country. But don’t you be afraid, because things like this must happen before the end of this time.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “You will hear the racket of war that is coming-close to you and news of war in other countries, but do not be afraid. These things must happen, but the end of the world is still not yet.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “You will get news of trouble and wars. However don’t let it disturb your mind/thinking, because these really will happen but it’s not yet the end of the world.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When you hear that there are now big wars or you hear that there are going to be wars, do not fear. Because it must be that this happens. But these are not the signs of the end.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal pronoun: Jesus addressing his disciples and common people

Like many languages (but unlike Greek or Hebrew or English), Tuvan uses a formal vs. informal 2nd person pronoun (a familiar vs. a respectful “you”). Unlike other languages that have this feature, however, the translators of the Tuvan Bible have attempted to be very consistent in using the different forms of address in every case a 2nd person pronoun has to be used in the translation of the biblical text.

As Voinov shows in Pronominal Theology in Translating the Gospels (in: The Bible Translator 2002, p. 210ff. ), the choice to use either of the pronouns many times involved theological judgment. While the formal pronoun can signal personal distance or a social/power distance between the speaker and addressee, the informal pronoun can indicate familiarity or social/power equality between speaker and addressee.

Here, Jesus is addressing his disciples, individuals and/or crowds with the formal pronoun, showing respect.

In most Dutch translations, Jesus addresses his disciples and common people with the informal pronoun, whereas they address him with the formal form.

Translation commentary on Matthew 24:6

Wars and rumors of wars is the well-known and traditional rendering. But the noun translated rumors may also mean “noise” (of battle), which is the grounds for “the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away” (Good News Translation). Both Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch (“when wars break out near and far”) and New English Bible (“the noise of battle near at hand and the news of battles far away”) reflect this same exegesis. The word rumors in English is usually used for news about things that may or may not have happened, but it is important to note that the sense here is that there will be wars everywhere. The Good News Bible rendering is thus a good model to follow.

Are … alarmed translates a verb which also appears in the Marcan parallel (13.7); elsewhere in the New Testament it is used only in 2 Thessalonians 2.2. Translators may render the sentence as “Don’t let yourself become frightened” or “Be sure that you don’t panic.”

This must take place states a basic assumption of apocalyptic literature: history is under the control of God, and so the course of human events is determined by divine decree (see Dan 2.28). This belief, which developed among the Jews during a period of extreme persecution, is now used to encourage Christian believers to remain calm, even when earth-shaking events are taking place. Nothing can take place that contradicts the divine will.

Note that this refers to the wars that will go on, not to the panic or fear the disciples might experience. In some languages the pronoun used will make this clear, but other translators will say “these things (or, events)” or even “these wars.”

But the end is not yet receives fuller explanation in Good News Translation: “but they do not mean that the end has come.” New English Bible prefers a positive reformulation: “but the end is still to come.” Verse 8 repeats the affirmation that the end is not signaled by historical happenings.

The end refers to the end of the age, the same as “the close of the age” in Matthew 24.3, and translators can render it with a similar expression.

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 .