The Greek word in Matthew 25 that is translated as “lamps” in the vast majority of English translation is translated by a number of modern German translations (Neue evangelistische Übersetzung 2010, BasisBibel 2021, Neue Genfer Übersetzung 2009) as “torch” (Fackel).
Michael Peppard (in: Journal of Biblical Literature 2024, p 663ff. ) explains: “As signified by some German translations, many biblical scholars in Germany have interpreted λαμπάδες as torches for over one hundred years. Their arguments date back at least to Ludwig Schneller, the German Protestant pastor who lived in Palestine during the mid-1800s, founded the Schneller Orphanage in Jerusalem, and published a kind of exegetical memoir in 1896. The idea was later given scholarly gravitas by the influential Joachim Jeremias (…).
“The term λαμπάς in the parable is almost always mistranslated in English as ‘lamp,’ a word whose intended referent, in our era, is an ancient terra-cotta oil lamp. But the usual ancient Greek word for a terra-cotta oil lamp was λύχνος, while λαμπάς almost always means torch or some other bright blazing fire. The smaller λύχνος for indoor, table-top illumination is the one that Jesus, in a famous metaphor, advises listeners not to ‘hide under a bushel’ but to ‘put on a lampstand’ (Matt 5:14–16).
“Abstracted from any literary context, as in classical Greek dictionaries, λαμπάς signifies a pole or stick either wrapped with oil-soaked material or topped by a vessel with oil-soaked material inside. (…) A vessel torch had some kind of basin for holding oil and some durable material as a wick, as do many modern torches used at outdoor events. Thus, a torch would be ‘prepared,’ as in our parable (ἐκόσμησαν; Matt 25:7), by filling the basin with oil and arranging whatever material was functioning as the wick.”
The different Hebrew, Ge’ez, and Greek terms that are translated as “(olive) oil” and “(animal) fat” in English are translated in Kwere with only one term: mavuta. (Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:3:
Uma: “The five stupid young-women brought their torches, but they didn’t bring oil.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The stupid ones took their lamps but they did not take oil for refilling when the oil in their lamps was used up.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The stupid ones, they brought lamps, but they did not bring extra kerosene in preparation for when the kerosene inside their lamps would be exhausted.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “As for the five who weren’t thoughtful, they took-along their lamps, but they forgot to take-along any reserve oil.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “As for those simple-minded ones, they had no reserve to put into their lamps.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “The five foolish girls took their lights, but when the oil would end, they didn’t bring the oil they would need.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1979).
Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.
The following artwork “Ten Virgins” is by Nyoman Darsane (1939-2024):
Nyoman Darsane was born and raised as a Hindu. Like many Balinese rice farmers, his father was also a musician who played in the orchestra of the local ruler. Darsane was brought up together with one of the princes and educated in the palace. That provided him with a deep knowledge of Hindu-Balinese religion and culture. It paved the way for him to become not only a painter but also a musician, dancer, and puppet player. An academic training at the college in Semarang, Java, finally made him familiar with the Western tradition as well. His early paintings are reminiscent of Gauguin, van Gogh, and Nolde. Darsane thus belongs to the heterogeneous group of the so-called academicians, those artists who have studied at one of the country’s art colleges. Although they are experimenting with Western influences in style, they have continuously been searching for their own Balinese identity. In Darsane’s case a special emphasis adds to this search: since he converted to Christianity he has been trying to mold this religion into a Balinese form.
Darsane was supported by the Bishop Wayan Mastra (b. 1931), who theologically comes from a more evangelical background. As a tiny minority among the Hindu-Balinese people, the Bali Church embraced inculturation. Churches are built in traditional Balinese temple style and local artists have been asked to design the decoration of the buildings. Balinese music and dance are used in the liturgy and the impact of these cultural traditionscan be seen in Darsane’s paintings.
As a result of his conversion at the age of seventeen, Darsane had been excluded from his family and ostracized by his village community. The Hindu-Balinese religion originated from the encounter between Hinduism and Balinese tribal religions, and it still has many features of this primal religion. Religion and community are closely intertwined; whoever turns away from the common religion also renounces the solidarity of the community. Darsane’s constant effort to give Christianity a Balinese shape finally convinced his family and the community that he stilt is one of them. Today he is again well respected and his advice even in religious matters is highly appreciated. (Source: Volker Küster in Pongracz / Küster / Cook 2007, p. 34; image: p. 113)
In many languages it is not really very natural to have a transition like For here, and most translations omit it. However, For can be seen as necessary in explaining why Jesus called the young women foolish. In that case verses 2 and 3 can be restructured something like this: “Five of them were wise, but five were foolish because they didn’t take with them any oil for their lamps.” In fact, it is also possible to include verse 4 in the restructuring and say “Five of them were wise, and they took containers of oil, but five were foolish….”
Oil is translated “extra oil” by Good News Translation on the basis of “our lamps are going out” of verse 8. This intimates that the girls originally had oil in their lamps but failed to take an additional supply to refill them. But it also makes sense to say merely that they didn’t take any oil with them, since in either case the point is that they did not have lamps that could be lit.
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 .
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