lamps

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.”

See also paragraph 5 in Translation commentary on Matthew 25:1.

virgin

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The Hebrew and Greek that is mostly translated as “virgin” in English can be translated as “woman that is untouched” in Batak Toba or “a woman with a whole (i.e. unopened) body” in Uab Meto.

“Similar words for ‘girl,’unmarried young woman,’ suggesting virginity without explicitly stating it, are found in Marathi, Apache, or Kituba. Cultural features naturally influence connotations of possible renderings, for instance, the child marriage customs in some Tboli areas, where the boy and girl are made to sleep together at the initial marriage, but after that do not live together and may not see each other again for years. Hence, the closest attainable equivalent, ‘female adolescent,’ does not imply that a young girl is not living with her husband, and that she never had a child, but leaves uncertain whether she has ever slept with a male person or not. Accordingly, in Luke one has to depend on Luke 1:34 to make clear that Mary and Joseph had not had sexual intercourse. A different problem is encountered in Pampanga, where birhen (an adaptation of Spanish virgen — ‘virgin’), when standing alone, is a name of the ‘Virgin Mary.’ To exclude this meaning the version uses “marriageable birhen,” thus at the same time indicating that Mary was relatively young.” (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel, see here)

In Navajo (Dinė), the term that is used is “no husband yet” (Source: Wallis, p. 106) and in Gola the expression “trouser girl.” “In the distant past young women who were virgins wore trousers. Those who were not virgins wore dresses. That doesn’t hold true anymore, but the expression is still there in the language.” (Source: Don Slager)

The term in Djimini Senoufo is katogo jo — “village-dance-woman” (women who have been promised but who are still allowed to go to dances with unmarried women). (Source: Übersetzung heute 3/1995)

In Igbo translations, typically a newly-created, multi-word phrase is used that very explicitly states that there has not been any sexual relations and that translates as “a woman (or: maiden) who does not know a man.” This is in spite of the fact that there is a term (agb͕ọghọ) that means “young woman” and has the connotation of her not having had sexual relations (this is for instance used by the Standard Igbo Bible of the Bible Society of Nigeria for Isaiah 7:14). Incidentally, the euphemistic expression “know” (ma in Igbo) for “having sex” has become a well-known euphemism outside of Bible translation. (Source: Uchenna Oyali in Sociolinguistic Studies Vol. 17 No. 1-3 (2023): Special Issue: Gender and sexuality in African discourses )

In Chichewa, it is translated as namwali which is used to refer to a girl who has reached puberty stage and is ready to get married. Apart from the physical aspect, the word also has social implications in the sense that it is used to recognize the fact that the girl has become responsible enough to make informed decisions and take care of herself and others. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also virgins (Revelation 14:4) and complete verse (Matthew 1:23).

complete verse (Matthew 25:7)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:7:

  • Uma: “The ten young-women [immediately] got up, and each got her torch ready.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then the girls got up and got their lamps ready.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And the ten virgins woke up, and they inspected their lamps and fixed them.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The ten young-ladies immediately-got-up and readied their lamps.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Those ten girls got up at once. They trimmed those lamps of theirs.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “All the girls got up and found their lights were low and they wanted to put in more oil so they would burn good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 25:7

All those maidens is translated “The ten girls” by Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch. The precise form used will be determined by the best way in the receptor language to refer to these girls again.

Rose is translated “woke up” by some (Good News Translation, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, New Jerusalem Bible, New American Bible) and “got up” by New English Bible. In many languages it will be necessary to indicate both actions: “… woke up. Then they got up and trimmed their lamps.”

Trimmed is a technical term used in English to describe what one does to make a lamp burn most efficiently. The lamps are probably already lit, so what is needed is adjusting the wick, that is, adjusting how much of the wick is exposed for burning, and adding oil. Translators should use whatever expression in their language will describe this kind of activity, possibly “adjusted their lamps.”

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 .