26Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
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Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the choice of a benefactive construction as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017.
Here, yashinatteite (養っていて) or “be feeding” is used in combination with kudasaru (くださる), a respectful form of the benefactive kureru (くれる). A benefactive reflects the good will of the giver or the gratitude of a recipient of the favor. To convey this connotation, English translation needs to employ a phrase such as “for me (my sake)” or “for you (your sake).” (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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 6:25-34:
I tell you not to worry about food, drink, or clothes!
Life is more than what you eat and wear.
Birds don’t plant or harvest,
yet your Father above takes care of them,
and you are worth much more than a flock of birds.
You may think the more you worry, the longer you live.
That’s simply not so.
Why worry about what you will wear?
Even royalty looks drab beside daffodils and regal lilies,
yet God colors and clothes the wild flowers,
even though they will wither in the summer heat.
Why do you have such little faith? God will take care of you.
Worry — wearisome worry about food, drink, and clothes —
Only a heathen would nurture such worries.
Put God first in everything you do and worry no more,
then all your needs will be met.
Why worry about tomorrow? Today is worrisome enough.
The Greek that is translated with the capitalized “Father” in English when referring to God is translated in Highland Totonac with the regular word for (biological) father to which a suffix is added to indicate respect. The same also is used for “Lord” when referring to Jesus. (Source: Hermann Aschmann in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 171ff. )
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between. In the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017, God the Father is addressed with mi-chichi (御父). This form has the “divine” honorific prefix mi– preceding the archaic honorific form chichi for “father.”
If, however, Jesus addresses his Father, he is using chichi-o (父を) which is also highly respectful but does not have the “divine” honorific. (Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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®).
Look at is not really an order to look at the birds, but is Jesus’ way of drawing attention to them by way of illustration. Some translators have said “Take for example the birds” or “Consider the birds.”
Birds of the air is a typical Jewish expression; it merely means “birds.” The parallel in Luke 12.24 has “crows”; according to Jewish teaching, crows were unclean birds. New Jerusalem Bible and New American Bible have “the birds in the sky,” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the birds.” Since of the air is simply a part of the idiomatic expression the birds of the air, referring to all birds, it is unnecessary to reproduce the full form in translation. The reference is not to birds that fly in contrast to birds that do not fly; it is an inclusive formula covering all birds.
Of course, in those languages where it is quite natural to say birds of the air, there will be no need to drop of the air. But translators should be sure that it is in fact natural and not just something they have become accustomed to from the Bible.
Sow may need an object, as in “sow seed,” “plant crops,” or “sow seeds in fields.”
Similarly with reap, an object is often required: “harvest crops,” “harvest the fields,” or “gather the crops in when they are ripe (or, ready).”
And so, too, with gather, where it may be necessary to say “gather the crops into the barns” or “gather into barns what they’ve reaped.”
In place of heavenly Father Luke (12.24) has “God.” See the discussion in 5.16. It may have to be “God, your Father in heaven” in some languages.
Feeds may also have the less restricted meaning of “takes care of” (Good News Translation). The context suggests that the wider meaning is intended. In the New Testament this verb occurs elsewhere in Matthew 25.37; Luke 4.16; 12.24; 23.29; Acts 12.20; James 5.5; Revelation 12.6, 14. Translators can render feeds as “gives them what they need” or “makes sure they have what they need to live.”
The rhetorical question, Are you not of more value than they? has a form in Greek which requires the answer “Yes.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch utilizes an exclamatory sentence: “And you are worth much more than all birds!” The intent or thrust of the question can be carried in several ways, including “You are certainly of more value than they,” “You are of more value than they, aren’t you?” and “Don’t you think you are worth more than they are?”
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 .
Look at the birds of the air: This clause begins an example of why his disciples should not worry. In some languages, it may be necessary to include some implied information to indicate that this is an example. Here is one way to do this:
⌊For example,⌋ look at the birds of the air
Look at: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Look at in this context means “Think about carefully.” If people in your area will think this command is only to literally Look, you may want to use another verb. For example:
Consider
-or-
Think about
birds of the air: The phrase birds of the air is a Jewish way of saying simply “birds.” In many languages it will not be necessary to translate the words of the air. For example:
birds (Good News Translation)
6:26b
They do not sow: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as sow means to “plant by throwing.” The particular method of planting is unimportant here. You will want to use a general verb for planting seeds or cultivating crops. For example:
they do not plant seeds (Good News Translation)
-or-
They don’t plant (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
They do not make fields
or reap: The word reap means “harvest a crop.” The particular method of “reaping” is unimportant here. You will want to use a general verb for harvesting crops.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
gather a harvest (Good News Translation)
-or-
or harvest (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
harvest/cut grain
or gather into barns: The word barns refers to buildings used for storing food for later use. It is implied that Jesus was referring to the harvest or grain that is gathered into the barns.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
gather ⌊the grain⌋ ⌊and put⌋ in storerooms
-or-
put ⌊the crops/seed⌋ in storage places/bins
-or-
place ⌊the grain⌋ in a granary
6:26c
and yet: Verse 6:26c is an unexpected outcome of the statements about birds. The Berean Standard Bible has supplied the word yet to indicate this unexpected result. Birds do not plant, harvest, or store grain. In spite of that, they have enough food to eat.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
but (New Century Version)
-or-
nevertheless
-or-
but even so
your heavenly Father: The phrase your heavenly Father refers to God who lives in heaven. If the use of your implies that God is not also Jesus’ Father, it may be more natural to say “our” father.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
your Father ⌊who is/lives⌋ in heaven
-or-
⌊God,⌋ your/our(incl.) Father in heaven
feeds them: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as feeds them refers to providing food for the birds.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
provides food for them
-or-
takes care of them (Good News Translation)
Implied in this statement is ⌊they do not starve because⌋ your heavenly Father feeds them.
6:26d
Are you not much more valuable than they?: This is a rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to emphasize that you are truly more valuable to God than birds are. Jesus was using a method that is called arguing from the lesser to the greater. If God takes care of the less important birds, he will take care of you because you are more important. The pronoun you is emphasized in the Greek. Some ways to translate this emphasis are:
• As a rhetorical question. For example:
You are much more valuable than they are, are you not?
-or-
Are you not worth more than the birds? (Revised English Bible)
• As a statement. For example:
And you know that you are worth much more than the birds. (New Century Version)
-or-
And of course, you are more valuable to God than mere birds are.
Translate this emphasis in a way that is natural in your language.
The implied conclusion of this verse is that God will provide food for people too. If people in your area will not come to that conclusion, you may want to include it in the text or in a footnote.
Here is an example of including it in the text:
You are certainly much more valuable ⌊to God⌋ than the birds. ⌊So God will certainly provide the food you need.⌋
Here is an example footnote:
Jesus expected the disciples to understand that God will provide the food they need.
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