complete verse (Luke 17:1)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:1:

  • Noongar: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Things which push people to sin must happen, but it is very terrible for the person bringing other people to sin!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Yesus spoke to his disciples, he said: ‘Definitely there are those who cause-to-fall people with the result that they sin. But disaster to those people who cause-to-fall!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Then Isa said to his disciples, ‘Certainly there are temptations/tempters coming to humans causing them to sin. But the person who tempts his companion so that he does sin is to be pitied, for God will really punish him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And there was that which Jesus said to his disciples, he said, ‘it is not possible that there will be no causes for people who believe in me, to sin. However, I really pity a person who’s the cause for anyone who believes in me, to sin, because God’s punishment on him will be very heavy.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Granted of course that there will be temptations that arrive whereby-a person -will-sin, but to-be-pitied nonetheless is the person that is-the-cause of that temptation.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “This too is what Jesus taught his disciples, saying, ‘Where-can-be-got what-causes-a person -to-sin really can’t be removed. But what will happen to the people is really terrifying who are the source of what-causes-to-sin.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 17:1

Exegesis:

eipen de pros tous mathētas autou ‘then he said to his disciples,’ implying that what precedes was addressed to a larger audience. No indication as to sequence in time or place is given.

anendekton estin tou ta skandala mē elthein lit. ‘it is impossible that the temptations should not come,’ i.e. ‘the temptations are bound to come.’

anendektos ‘impossible,’ cf. ouk endechetai in 13.33.

skandalon ‘temptation to sin,’ ‘enticement to apostasy.’ The article ta is best understood as generic.

plēn ouai di’ hou erchetai ‘but alas (for him) through whom they come,’ with toutō understood. For ouai cf. on 6.24.

Translation:

Temptations to sin are sure to come, or, ‘without doubt there will come/arise/happen things that cause people to sin.’

For woe to see on 6.24.

(He) by whom they come, or, ‘he who is the means of (lit. the road for) their coming’ (cf. Javanese, Balinese), ‘the one who causes them to come/arise/happen.’

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 17:1

Section 17:1–10

Jesus taught his disciples about sin, faith, and duty

At the end of chapter 16, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. He concluded his parable about Lazarus and the rich man. Here in 17:1–10, he spoke to his disciples and taught them about several issues.

English versions divide these verses into sections in different ways. For example:

(a) Most versions put 17:1–10 together in one section and have one heading. (The Notes follow these versions.)

(b) Some versions divide 17:1–10 into three sections with a heading for each one. For example, the Good News Translation has:

17:1–4
Sin

17:5–6
Faith

17:7–10
A servant’s duty

Some other possible headings for this section are:

Jesus taught his disciples to not cause others to sin, to forgive others, and to serve him humbly
-or-
Teachings about Forgiveness and Faith (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Sin, Forgiveness, Faith, and Service (NET Bible)

There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 18:6–7 and 18:15 and in Mark 9:42. However, Jesus may have spoken these passages in a different context from the one in this section.

Paragraph 17:1–3a

17:1a

Jesus said to His disciples: There are different views about when Jesus said the things in this section to his disciples. He may have said them at a different time from the preceding section. It is good to connect this section to the preceding one in a way that will not imply a time connection. The Berean Standard Bible does this by not using a conjunction. The Greek text has a conjunction that versions suc as the Revised Standard Version translate as “And.” Use a way that is natural in your language.

disciples: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as disciples means “learners” who are in a special relationship with a teacher. The learners commit themselves to their teacher in order to learn from him and live according to his teaching and example. Disciples often lived with their teacher and followed him wherever he went.

Some ways to translate this are:

students/learners
-or-
apprentices
-or-
followers

See how you translated this term at 5:30a. See disciple in the Glossary for more information.

It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come is literally a double negative, “It is impossible for traps not to come.” If you would not use a double negative like this in your language, some other ways to say this are:

Snares will certainly come
-or-
Causes for falling are sure to come (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-

⌊People⌋ will surely encounter/meet traps
-or-
There will indeed be causes for falling

stumbling blocks: The Berean Standard Bible expression stumbling blocks is the translation of one Greek word. This word literally means “traps” or “snares.” Some scholars prefer the meaning “stumbling stone” because of how the word is translated in the Greek Old Testament.

In the New Testament this word is often used as a figure of speech. In this context it refers to things that tempt people to sin, that is, to disobey, distrust, or deny God.

Some ways to translate stumbling blocks are:

• Translate the meaning without using a figure of speech. For example:

things that cause people to disobey/offend ⌊God⌋
-or-
something that causes people to sin (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
lure/tempt other people to reject ⌊God’s way⌋

• Use a figure of speech that expresses the same meaning in your language. For example:

snares
-or-
things that ruin people
-or-
things that spoil people’s faith ⌊in God⌋

Notice that some of these examples refer explicitly to God. Sometimes a temptation is specifically related to losing faith in Jesus. However, if you must make explicit who is sinned against, it is better to refer more generally to God.

17:1b

but: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as but introduces a contrast. Temptations are sure to come (17:1a), but the person who causes temptations to come will still be punished severely (17:1b). Express the contrast in a natural way in your language.

woe to the one through whom they come: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as woe to the one through whom they come means “woe to that person who causes the temptations to come” or “woe to the person who causes other people to sin.” For example:

how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
the person who tempts his companion so that he does sin is to be pitied, for God will really punish him

In some languages there may be an idiom to express this. One example in English is:

the person who leads someone astray will have a terrible punishment

woe to the one: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as woe to the one means that something terrible will happen to the person. He or she will suffer greatly. In this context, it implies that God will punish the person severely. This same word occurs in 6:24a.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

how terrible for the one (Good News Translation)
-or-
how horrible it will be for the person (God’s Word)
-or-

⌊God⌋ will severely punish that person

The word woe is not a curse. Jesus was not asking God to curse this person.

the one: The phrase the one refers here to any person or people who cause other people to sin. It is not referring to a particular person. Use a natural way to refer to any person or people who do this.

they come: The word they refers to the “stumbling blocks” in 17:1a.

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