lamp

The Greek that is translated as “lamp” in English is translated in Noongar as karla-maat or “firestick” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang).

complete verse (Luke 11:36)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 11:36:

  • Noongar: “If light fills all your body, and no part is in darkness, all your body will become bright, like fire when its light shines on you.'” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “If the Lord shines-on our hearts to the point that there is no longer any darkness, all our lives are really light, like a house that is shined-on by a lamp.'” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If your whole body is light and there is none, not even a little bit of darkness, your whole body is very light/bright it is as if there is a lamp shining on it.'” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “If his understanding of what is right is good, he has no evil deeds. It’s as if what he does is bright, just like he were illuminated by a lamp.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because if your (sing.) mind is totally bright/lit-up with absolutely no darkness, you (sing.) will be properly illuminated as if with a strong light.'” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But as long as your mind/thinking has been enlightened by God, it has no more that is dark. Your whole life is really clear/bright, as if being right in the light of a bright lamp.'” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Amele: “If your whole body is light (fulacdoc) and not in darkness it is completely light. Like the light (fulacdoc) of a lamp (gowoc ‘flame, light, lamp’) goes throughout the whole place so that light (fulacdoc) lights your whole body” (Source: John Roberts in this article )
  • Kabwa: “Therefore, if your whole body is full of light without any darkness, it will shine just as a lamp gives you light with its brightness.”
  • Suba-Simbiti: “Therefore whenever it happens that your whole body has light, and darkness is not in there, you will see well, like when you are given light by a lamp which is lit.” (Source for this and above: R.M. Mészároš in Journal of Translation 18/2022, p. 115ff. )

Translation commentary on Luke 11:36

Exegesis:

ei oun to sōma sou holon phōteinon ‘if then your whole body (is) bright,’ taking up the first conclusion of v. 34.

mē echon meros ti skoteinon ‘having no dark part,’ elaborating holon.

estai phōteinon holon ‘it will be wholly bright,’ best understood as determined by what follows, i.e. the reference to a light from outside: when the light from the inside is in order, then the body will enjoy also the light from the outside.

hōs hotan ho luchnos tē astrapē phōtizē se ‘as when the lamp illuminates you by its light.’

astrapē here ‘light,’ ‘brilliance’ (cf. 10.18).

phōtizō ‘to illuminate.’

Translation:

Having no part dark, or, ‘there-is not a bit in it dark’ (Bahasa Indonesia RC).

A lamp with its rays gives you light, or, ‘the rays/light of the lamp illuminate(s) you, or, cause(s) you to be bright,’ or simply, ‘the lamp shines on you.’

Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.

SIL Translator’s Notes on Luke 11:36

11:36a

So: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as So introduces a conclusion. This is the conclusion that Jesus drew from what he had said in 11:34b (“your whole body also is full of light”). Since it does not directly relate to Jesus’ command in 11:35, several English versions (Contemporary English Version, Good News Translation, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004)) do not translate this conjunction. Use a natural way to translate a conclusion like this in your language.

if your whole body is full of light: See the note on 11:34c, which is almost identical. In the context of the warning in 11:35, there may be an implication here of truly having light (as opposed to being in darkness). Another way to translate this clause is:

if ⌊God’s⌋ light fills every part of you
-or-
if your entire mind is illuminated

As in 11:34c, some languages may have to translate the direct meaning instead of the figure. See the examples there.

11:36b

with no part of it in darkness: In this context the phrase with no part of it in darkness means “no part of your body is without light.” Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

and no part of it dark (New International Version)
-or-
with no dark corners (New Living Translation (2004))

If you need to translate this meaning more explicitly, you can say:

and there is no error in your understanding

11:36c

you will be radiant: The clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you will be radiant is literally “the whole will be full of light,” which is almost the same expression as in 11:36a, “if your whole body is full of light.” The Berean Standard Bible varies the language in order to avoid a translation that is merely repeating itself. To do the same in your translation, you may:

• Use different wording (see the meaning lines in the Display of 11:36c).

• Emphasize that the entire person or every part of the person is illuminated.

• Emphasize the comparison between inner, spiritual light in 11:36c and a literal bright lamp in 11:36d. For example:

your whole life will be light as if you were close to a bright lamp
-or-
your mind will truly be bright like a person who is shined on by a strong light

11:36d

as though a lamp were shining on you: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as as though a lamp were shining on you is more literally “as the lamp in its brightness/brilliance shines on you.” This clause compares the inner illumination of God’s truth in a person’s life (11:36a–c) to a bright lamp that shines on a person. Another way to translate this is:

as when a lamp shines on you with its brightness (Good News Translation)

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