The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is typically translated as “footstool” in English is translated as “(put your enemies) underneath your feet like grass” in Enxet. (Source: Reiling / Swellengrebel)
In Upper Guinea Crioulo it is “(put your enemies) under your feet so you can rest your feet on them.” (Source: David Frank in this blog post )
In Whitesands is is “door-cloth.” “This would be that rag at the door that you use to wipe your feet after walking in the dirt or mud. Similar to a doormat. The point of comparison would be that a door rag is so low in value/position compared to the one using it.” (Source: Greg Carlson)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 5:35:
Uma: “But I say: don’t swear/make vows at all. If we (incl.) make a promise, don’t swear naming the sky or earth. Because the sky is the sitting-place of God and the earth is his stepping-place. Don’t swear naming the city of Yerusalem, because that is the city of God the big King.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “But I, I say: if you promise anything do not swear calling on (lit. uttering) heaven, because there is the sitting place of God. Do not swear calling on the earth because this is the resting place of God’s feet. Do not swear calling on the city of Awrusalam because this is the city ruled/held by the Most Powerful King.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And I say to you, if there is that which you promise to anyone, don’t you swear saying that may heaven and earth where you stand collapse if what you say isn’t true, because heaven is where God sits and the earth is where his feet rest. And don’t you also say that may the town of Jerusalem be destroyed if what you say isn’t true, because that’s where the great king will live.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Don’t moreover say, ‘Look you (sing.) earth,’ because that is where he stretches-out his legs, or ‘Look you (sing.) Jerusalem,’ because that’s the town of the high King.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Or say, ‘The world is my witness,’ because this is like the stool of his feet. Also don’t say, ‘Jerusalem is my witness,’ because this is the city of the praiseworthy King.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Do not call upon earth as a witness because it is God who rules all the earth, it is as though you called upon him as a witness. Do not call upon the city of Jerusalem as a witness, because it is there God is the king, it is as though you called upon him as a witness.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The name that is transliterated as “Jerusalem” in English is signed in French Sign Language with a sign that depicts worshiping at the Western Wall in Jerusalem:
While a similar sign is also used in British Sign Language, another, more neutral sign that combines the sign “J” and the signs for “place” is used as well. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Jerusalem” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Matthew 5:33-37:
You know what the Bible teaches about promises —
“Don’t make a promise in the Lord’s name,
unless you intend to keep it!”
But I tell you not to swear by anything when you make a promise —
not by heaven — it’s God’s throne,
not by the earth — it’s God’s footstool,
not by Jerusalem — it’s the city of the great king,
not by your own head — you can’t grow white or black hairs at will.
When you make a promise, just give your word!
Anything else comes from the devil.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
The Greek noun footstool is translated by a phrase (“the resting place for his feet”) in Good News Translation. The picture is that of God as king; he is seated upon his throne (verse 34), with his feet resting upon a footstool. See Isaiah 66.1 and 1 Chronicles 28.2.
According to at least one source, the Jews are known to have taken vows by Jerusalem, though not oaths. However, the principle would be the same, since it is the city of the great King, that is, of God. In the Greek text the preposition used before Jerusalem is not the same as that used before heaven and earth, though most all translations translate it by. It literally means “toward,” and so one scholar suggests that it may reflect the rabbinic teaching that a vow made “by Jerusalem” is not valid unless it is sworn “toward Jerusalem” (that is, while facing in the direction of Jerusalem). The reference to Jerusalem as the city of the great King is an allusion to Psalm 48.2. The great King is, of course, God.
By the earth and by Jerusalem will be translated the same way as “by heaven” in verse 34. Even though the text has “toward Jerusalem,” the sense is still that one swears “in the name of or by Jerusalem.”
The footstool can be “the small stool where he rests his feet” or “the place for resting his feet.”
The city of the great King can be “the city where the great King rules (or, lives).” Two sentences that may be better are “the city where God the great King rules” or “the city that belongs to God, the great King.”
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 .
or by the earth: The word or introduces the second item in the list of examples. It may be more natural in your language to repeat some of the words. For example:
or ⌊do not make an oath⌋ using the word “earth”
for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the basis for the command not to swear by earth.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Do not swear by earth, because it is God’s footstool
-or-
The earth is God’s footstool, so don’t swear by the earth. (Contemporary English Version)
it is His footstool: A footstool is a small, low seat on which someone rests his feet while sitting down. Here the word footstool represents the earth as the place where God the King figuratively rests his feet while he is sitting on his heavenly throne. Using the earth as God’s footstool implies that he subjects the “earth” and all on it to his will.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
the resting place for his feet (Good News Translation)
-or-
the place where he stretches out his legs
In some language, it may be more natural to translate non-figuratively. For example:
because the earth belongs to God (New Century Version)
-or-
because it is under God’s control
5:35b
or by Jerusalem: The word or introduces the third of the list of examples. It may be more natural in your language to repeat some of the words. For example:
or ⌊do not make an oath⌋ using the word “Jerusalem”
for: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as for introduces the basis for the command not to swear by Jerusalem.
Here are some other ways to translate this:
Do not swear by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the Great King
-or-
Jerusalem is the city of the great king, so don’t swear by it. (Contemporary English Version)
it is the city of the great King: The phrase the great King refers to God. God’s temple was in the city of Jerusalem. So God has a special relationship with Jerusalem.
If people in your area will not understand that the words the great King refer to God, you may want to make that clear. For example:
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