complete verse (Luke 17:32)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 17:32:

  • Noongar: “Remember Lot’s wife!” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “Remember what happened to the wife of Lot!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Remember as to what happened to the wife of Lot of old.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Remember also what happened to the wife of Lot when she turned around to see her possessions, because she turned into salt.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Remember what happened to Lot’s spouse.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Think about what happened to the wife of Lot.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 17:32

Exegesis:

mnēmoneuete tēs gunaikos Lōt ‘remember Lot’s wife,’ who did turn back.

mnēmoneuō ‘to remember’ refers here to something taken to be known generally.

Translation:

Remember, or, ‘think of,’ ‘bring back to your mind,’ and cf. on 1.54.

Lot’s wife, or, ‘the case/story of Lot’s wife,’ “what happened to Lot’s wife” (Phillips).

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 17:32

17:32

Remember Lot’s wife!: Jesus wanted his disciples to remember what happened to Lot’s wife as a warning that they should not delay. Lot’s wife looked back toward Sodom while she, Lot, and their daughters were escaping. When she looked back, she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). If your readers do not know what happened to Lot’s wife, it may be possible to imply that something bad happened to her by saying:

Remember(plur) ⌊what happened to⌋ Lot’s wife!
-or-
Remember ⌊how/why⌋ Lot’s wife ⌊died⌋!

You may also want to include a footnote or cross-reference in your translation. For example:

Jesus is warning His followers not to make the same mistake that Lot’s wife made. She disobeyed God’s command to not look back and turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). We also need to obey Jesus’ commands without hesitation. See a related warning in Luke 9:62. (Translator’s Reference Translation)

Remember: Here Jesus wanted his disciples to think about what happened to Lot’s wife and to be warned by it. In some languages a different verb may be more natural. For example:

Think about
-or-
Consider
-or-
Learn from

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