complete verse (Matthew 27:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 27:15:

  • Uma: “Every Paskah big day, the Governor usually released one person who was imprisoned, whoever the people wanted.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Na, each year at the time of the Celebration of Remembrance the governor had the custom to release one prisoner, whoever the people wanted to be freed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Pilate’s custom each year at the Feast of the Passover was he will set free one prisoner that the people ask for.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The custom of Pilato at each fiesta called Passed-By, he would release one prisoner that the many-people chose.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “The governor had made it a custom that at each Fiesta of Passed-by there would be one person he would release from imprisonment, whoever the crowd wanted to ask for.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Pilate had a custom of releasing one prisoner during the feast of the Passover. But the people were the ones who chose which prisoner would be released.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 27:15

Many translators will render the feast with the more specific “the Festival of the Passover” (see Good News Translation).

Was accustomed to may be expressed as “was in the habit of” (Good News Translation) or in a clause such as “it was the governor’s custom.”

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 .