Kölsch translation (publ. 2017): nix zo Käue han or “have nothing to chew on” and singe Mage hät geknottert wie ne Hungk or “his stomach growled like a dog” (source: Jost Zetzsche)
German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): Hunger überfiel ihn or “Hunger overtook (lit.: “attacked”) him” (in Matthew 4:2)
Kupsabiny: “hunger ate him” (source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
Mairasi: “feeling tuber pains” (tubers are the main staple) (source Enggavoter 2004)
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:3:
Noongar: “Jesus said to them, ‘You have read of the thing David did when he and his men were hungry, haven’t you?” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “Yesus said to them: ‘Have you not read what King Daud and his companions long ago did when they were hungry?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Isa answered he said, ‘Haven’t you read as to what King Da’ud did in old times when he and his companions were hungry?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘It cannot be that you have not read in the long ago writing about what King David did. He and his soldiers were hungry.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Jesus answered saying, ‘You have certainly read what King David and his companions did when they became-hungry.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “They were answered by Jesus, saying, ‘What, didn’t you yet read what was done by king David in the past, when he and his companions were hungry?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
The Greek Iēsous is “only” a proper name but one with great importance. The following quote by John Ellington (in The Bible Translator1993, p. 401ff. ) illustrates this:
“In Matthew’s account of the birth of Jesus Christ, Joseph is told that when Mary gives birth to a son ‘you will name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins’ (1:21). This name is a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew name [Yeshua (יֵשׁוּעַ) which is a short form of a name meaning] ‘the Lord [Yahweh] saves.’ The name is very significant and is in itself especially dear to Christians around the world. (…) Unquestionably great importance is attached to the name of Jesus by Christians of all persuasions and backgrounds.”
While Iēsous (pronounced: /i.ɛː.suːs/) is transliterated as “Jesus” (pronounced /ˈdʒiːzəs/) in English (but was translated as “Hælend” [the “healing one”] in Old English — see Swain 2019) it is transliterated and pronounced in a large variety of other ways as well, following the different rules of different languages’ orthographies, writing systems and rules of pronunciation. The following is a (partial) list of forms of Jesus in Latin characters: aYeso, Azezi, Cecoc, Chesús, Chi̍i̍sū, Chisɔsi, Ciisahs, Ciise, Ciisusu, Djesu, Ɛisa, Ƹisa, Eyesu, Gesù, Gesû, Gesü, Ġesù, Ghjesù, Giêsu, ꞌGiê‑ꞌsu, Giê-xu, Gyisɛse, Hesu, Hesús, Hisus, Hisuw, Ià-sŭ, Iesen, Ié:sos, Iesu, Iesui, Iesusɨn, Iesusiva, Ié:sos, Ihu, Iisus, Iisussa, Ijeesu, iJisọsị, Iji̍sɔ̄ɔsi, Iosa, Íosa, Ìosa, İsa, I’sa, Isiso, Isõs, Ísu, Isus, Isusa, Iisussa, Isuthi, Itota, Îtu, Isuva, Izesu, Izesuq, Jasus, Jeeju, Jeesus, Jeesuse, Jeezas, Jehu, Jeisu, Jeju, Jejus, Jeso, Jesoe, Jesosa, Jesoshi, Jesosy, Jesu, Jesû, Jesua, Jesuh, Jesuhs, Jesuo, Jesús, Jésus, Jesúsu, Jethu, Jezed, Jezi, Jézi, Ježiš, Jezu, Jezus, Jézus, Jėzus, Jēzus, Jezusi, Jėzus, Jezuz, Jiijajju, Jíísas, Jiisusi, Jiizas, Jíìzọ̀s, Jisas, Jisase, Jisasi, Jisasɨ, Jisaso, Jisesi, Jisɛ̀, Jisos, Jisọs, Jisɔs, Jisu, Jiszs, Jizọs, Jizɔs, Jizọsi, Jizọsu, Jòso, Jusu, Jweesus, Ketsutsi, Njises, Sesi, Sisa, Sísa, Sisas, Sīsū, Sizi, Txesusu, uJesu, Ujísɔ̄si, ŵaYesu, Xesosi, ´Xesús, Xesús, Yasu, Ya:su, Ɣaysa, Yecu, Yeeb Sub, Yeeh Suh, Yeesey, Yeeso, Yeesso, Yēēsu, Yehsu, Yëësu, Yeisu, Yeisuw, Yeshu, Yeso, Yesò, Yëso, Yɛso, ye-su, Yésu, Yêsu, Yẹ́sụ̃, Yésʉs, Yeswa, Yet Sut, Yetut, Yexus, Yezo, Yezu, Yiesu, Yiisa, Yiisu, Yiitju, Yis, Yisɔs, Yisufa, Yitati, Yusu, ‑Yusu, :Yusu’, Zeezi, Zezi, Zezì, Zezwii, Ziizɛ, Zisas, Zîsɛ, Zjezus, Zozi, Zozii, and this (much more incomplete) list with other writings systems: ᔩᓱᓯ, ᒋᓴᔅ, Հիսուս, ᏥᏌ, ኢየሱስ, ያሱስ, ܝܫܘܥ, Ісус, Їисъ, 耶稣, იესო, ईसा, イエス, イイスス, イエスス, 예수, येशू, येशो, ਈਸਾ, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ජේසුස්, যীশু, ଯୀଶୁ, ཡེ་ཤུ་, ‘ঈছা, இயேசு, ಯೇಸು, ພຣະເຢຊູ, ယေရှု, ઇસુ, जेजू, येसु, เยซู, យេស៊ូ, ᱡᱤᱥᱩ, ယေသှု, యేసు, ᤕᤧᤛᤢ᤺ᤴ, އީސާގެފާނު, ਯਿਸੂ, ꕉꖷ ꔤꕢ ꕞ, ⵏ⵿ⵗⵢⵙⴰ, ଜୀସୁ, يَسُوعَ,ㄧㄝㄙㄨ, YE-SU, ꓬꓰ꓿ꓢꓴ, 𖽃𖽡𖾐𖼺𖽹𖾏𖼽𖽔𖾏, ꑳꌠ, ᠶᠡᠰᠦᠰ (note that some of these might not display correctly if your device does not have the correct fonts installed).
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In some languages the different confessions have selected different transliterations, such as in Belarusian with Isus (Ісус) by the Orthodox and Protestant churches and Yezus (Езус) by the Catholic church, Bulgarian with Iisus (Иисус) by the Orthodox and Isus (Исус) by the Protestant church, Japanese with Iesu (イエス) (Protestant and Catholic) and Iisusu (イイスス) (Orthodox), or Lingala with Yesu (Protestant) or Yezu (Catholic). These differences have come to the forefront especially during the work on interconfessional translations such as one in Lingala where “many hours were spent on a single letter difference” (source: Ellington, p. 401).
In Literary and Mandarin Chinese where transliterations of proper names between the Catholic and Protestant versions typically differ vastly, the Chinese name of Jesus (Yēsū 耶稣) remarkably was never brought into question between and by those two confessions, likely due to its ingenious choice. (Click or tap here to see more).
The proper name of God in the Old Testament, Yahweh (YHWH), is rendered in most Chinese Bible translations as Yēhéhuá 耶和華 — Jehovah. According to Chinese naming conventions, Yēhéhuá could be interpreted as Yē Héhuá, in which Yē would be the family name and Héhuá — “harmonic and radiant” — the given name. In the same manner, Yē 耶 would be the family name of Jesus and Sū 稣 would be his given name. Because in China the children inherit the family name from the father, the sonship of Jesus to God the Father, Jehovah, would be illustrated through this. Though this line of argumentation sounds theologically unsound, it is indeed used effectively in the Chinese church (see Wright 1953, p. 298).
Moreover, the “given name” of Sū 稣 carries the meaning ‘to revive, to rise again’ and seems to point to the resurrected Jesus. (Source: J. Zetzsche in Malek 2002, p. 141ff., see also tetragrammaton (YHWH))
There are different ways that Bible translators have chosen historically and today in how to translate the name of Jesus in predominantly Muslim areas: with a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) (which is used for “Jesus” in the Qur’an), the Greek Iēsous, or, like major 20th century Bible translations into Standard Arabic, the Aramaic Yēšūaʿ: Yasua (يَسُوعَ). (Click or tap here to see more.)
Following are languages and language groups that use a form of Isa include the following (note that this list is not complete):
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Some languages have additional “TAZI” editions (TAZI stands for “Tawrat, Anbiya, Zabur, and Injil” the “Torah, Prophets, Psalms and Gospel”) of the New Testament that are geared towards Muslim readers where there is also a translation in the same language for non-Muslims. In those editions, Isa is typically used as well (for example, the Khmer TAZI edition uses Isa (អ៊ីសា) rather than the commonly used Yesaou (យេស៊ូ), the Thai edition uses Isa (อีซา) rather than Yesu (เยซู), the Chinese edition uses Ěrsā (尔撒) vs. Yēsū (耶稣), and the English edition also has Isa rather than Jesus.)
In German the name Jesus (pronounced: /ˈjeːzʊs/) is distinguished by its grammatical forms. Into the 20th century the grammatical rules prescribed a unique Greek-Latin declination: Jesus (nominative), Jesu (genitive, dative, vocative), Jesum (accusative), from which today only the genitive case “Jesu” is still in active use. Likewise, in Seediq (Taroko), the morphological treatment of “Jesus” also occupies a special category by not falling under the normal rule of experiencing a vowel reduction when the object-specific suffix an is added “since it was felt that the readers might resent that the name has been changed that drastically.” (Compare Msian for “Moses” (Mosi) as an object, but Yisuan for “Jesus” (Yisu).) (Source: Covell 1998. p. 249)
In Lamba the name ŵaYesu consists of a transliteration Yesu and the prefix ŵa, a plural form for “proper names when addressing and referring to persons in any position of seniority or honor.” While this was avoided in early translations to avoid possible misunderstandings of more than one Jesus, once the church was established it was felt that it was both “safe” and respectful to use the honorific (pl.) prefix. (Source C. M. Doke in The Bible Translator 1958, p. 57ff. )
In virtually all sign languages, “Jesus” is signed with the middle finger of each hand pointing to the palm (or wrist) of the other in succession (signing the nails of the cross). In the context of Bible translation this has been pointed out as theologically problematic since the “semantic connections of the original name Jesus do point towards ‘salvation,’ they do not naturally lead to crucifixion.” (Source: Phil King in Journal of Translation 1 (2020), p. 33ff.)
Following is the oldest remaining Ethiopian Orthodox icon of Jesus from the 14th or possibly 13th century (found in the Church of the Saviour of the World in Gurji, Ethiopia). As in many Orthodox icons, Jesus’ right hand forms the Greek letters I-C-X-C for IHCOYCXPICTOC or “Jesus Christ.” Another interpretation of the right hand is that it shows three fingers pointing to the Trinity, while the two other fingers point to Jesus’ two natures.
Orthodox icons are not drawings or creations of imagination. They are in fact writings of things not of this world. Icons can represent our Lord Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and the Saints. They can also represent the Holy Trinity, Angels, the Heavenly hosts, and even events. Orthodox icons, unlike Western pictures, change the perspective and form of the image so that it is not naturalistic. This is done so that we can look beyond appearances of the world, and instead look to the spiritual truth of the holy person or event. (Source )
The following is the so-called “Wales Window for Alabama.” It is a stained-glass window by the artist John Petts from Carmarthenshire, Wales, created in response to the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing which took place in 1963:
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
The style of the following drawing of Jesus by Annie Vallotton is described by the artist as this: “By using few lines the readers fill in the outlines with their imagination and freedom. That is when the drawings begin to communicate.” (see here )
Illustration by Annie Vallotton, copyright by Donald and Patricia Griggs of Griggs Educational Service.
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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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, kotae-rare-ru (答えられる) or “answer” is used.
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®).
kai apokritheis pros autous eipen ho Iēsous ‘and in answer Jesus said to them.’ As in 5.30 Jesus answers to a question which is directed to his disciples.
oude touto anegnōte ho epoiēsen Dauid ‘have you not even read what David did?’ The use of oude ‘not even’ in this question appears to imply slight reproach (cf. e.g. Translator’s New Testament).
hote epeinasen autos kai hoi met’ autou [ontes] ‘when he was hungry himself and those who were with him.’ For the story to which Jesus refers cf. 1 Sam. 21.6.
(V. 4) [hōs] eisēlthen eis ton oikon tou theou ‘how he went into the house of God.’ The clause explains touto ho epoiēsen Dauid ‘that which David did’ in v. 3 and is also in the form of an indirect question.
ho oikos tou theou ‘the house of God,’ in the time of David the Tabernacle, not the Temple.
kai tous artous tēs protheseōs labōn ephagen kai edōken tois met’ autou ‘and after taking the loaves of the presentation ate (them) and gave (them) to those with him.’ As explained there the accurate meaning of the phrase is ‘bread of the Presence (of God).’ prothesis.
hous ouk exestin phagein ei mē monous tous hiereis ‘which it is not permitted to eat except only the priests.’ hous refers back to tous artous. tous hiereis is the subject of phagein.
Translation:
The two verses are variously read and punctuated, see GOOD NEWS BIBLE and punctuation apparatus. For translational purposes they are often best divided in two or more sentences, the first introducing, the rest stating and elaborating, the case referred to, e.g. ‘you have read what D. did haven’t you? Once he and those with him were hungry. He entered…’ (cf. Ekari).
Not, preferably, ‘not even.’ The emphasis on the negation can sometimes be expressed by a verbal form adverbially used, e.g. ‘I-should-think’ (Batak Toba), or by an intensifying affix.
Read, see on 4.16.
He was hungry, he and those who were with him. It is usually preferable to say, ‘he and those (who were) with him (or, his companions) were hungry.’ For hungry see on 4.2b. In Balinese a double translation is required, ‘when he was faint (honorific for ‘hungry’) and his followers were hungry (non-honorific).’
(V. 4) House of God, or, ‘house for God’; Balinese has ‘house lodging-place of God,’ adding the term for the shrines into which the gods are believed to descend during a temple festival. Cf. also on “my Father’s house” in 2.49. Where ‘house of God’ is used specifically, or even exclusively, with reference to the temple in Jerusalem a qualifying phrase may be useful, e.g. ‘in (the city of) Nob.’
Bread of the Presence. A rather literal rendering is possible in Toraja-Sa’dan, which combines the word ‘bread’ with a derivation of the verb ‘to stand-in-front-of/be-in-the-presence-of/wait-upon (someone in exalted position).’ Other, somewhat freer renderings are, ‘bread to-do-homage’ (Tae’), ‘holy bread’ (Pohnpeian, Trukese, cf. the Hebrew term in 1 Sam. 21.4ff), ‘consecrated loaves’ (New English Bible), ‘placed bread’ (Ekari), ‘church-bread’ (Sranan Tongo, where ‘church’ has acquired a more generic connotation). For bread in general cf. references on 4.3.
Which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat is in the Greek separated from its antecedent, ‘bread of the Presence’ by ‘and gave (it) to those with him.’ By keeping too closely to the clause to the clause order of the original some translators have led the ordinary receptor to take David’s men, and not the bread/loaves, as the object of the priests’ eating. To avoid such a misunderstanding one may shift the relative clause so that it directly follows its antecedent (cf. e.g. Revised Standard Version, Pohnpeian), or repeat ‘bread/loaves’ directly before the relative clause (Bible de Jérusalem, Trukese, Sranan Tongo, Malay); or again, one may use a co-ordinated sentence, e.g. ‘As-a-matter-of-fact nobody is allowed to eat it except…’ (Javanese), “Yet it is against our Law for anyone to eat it except…” (Good News Translation). For priests see references on 1.5.
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.
In 6:3–4 Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ accusation by referring to a story about King David, who had lived long before.
This story is found in 1 Samuel 21:1–6. This story was a good illustration for what Jesus wanted to say to the Pharisees. David was fleeing from King Saul. He and his men were hungry.
They came to the tabernacle, and David asked the high priest for food. The only food available was the consecrated bread. Only priests were allowed to eat that bread. However, the high priest gave the bread to David and his men to eat. Even though David did something that was not allowed, God did not punish him or his men.
In order for people to understand this story, they need to know this background information. It may be necessary to include footnotes in your translation to explain it. You may also need to make some of the implied information explicit in the text. The notes on these verses will give suggestions.
In Greek, 6:3–4 is one long question. It is a rhetorical question.
Some English versions translate 6:3–4 as one long, rhetorical question. For example:
3And Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4how he entered the house of God, and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” (Revised Standard Version)
The Berean Standard Bible and other English versions translate 6:3–4 as a rhetorical question and a statement. For example:
3Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men were hungry? 4He went into the house of God, took the bread offered to God, ate it, and gave it also to his men. Yet it is against our Law for anyone except the priests to eat that bread.” (Good News Translation)
You should translate this long, rhetorical question in a way that is natural in your language.
6:3a
Jesus replied: In this verse, Jesus answered the question that the Pharisees asked his disciples in 6:2. Jesus understood that the Pharisees were criticizing him when they asked the disciples about their picking grain. Therefore, even though the Pharisees did not mention Jesus in 6:2, Jesus responded to their question.
You should introduce Jesus’ answer in a natural way in your translation. You may need to make explicit that Jesus heard the question. For example:
⌊Hearing their question,⌋ Jesus, said to them
6:3b
Have you not read what David did: The clause Have you not read what David did introduces the rhetorical question. Jesus used this rhetorical question to rebuke the Pharisees. He rebuked them because they accused the disciples of breaking the Sabbath laws. The Pharisees had knowledge about the law but not a true understanding of it.
Some ways to translate the beginning of this rhetorical question are:
• As a question. For example:
Haven’t you ever read what David did…? (God’s Word) -or-
Didn’t you understand what you read about ⌊the time when⌋ David…?
• As a statement. For example:
You surely have read what David did (Contemporary English Version) -or-
You speak as if you have never read what David did -or-
It cannot be that you have not read in the Scriptures about what King David did
Translate the rhetorical question in an appropriate way in your language for this context.
read: Jesus referred to something the Pharisees would have read in the Scriptures. If your readers would not understand that this story is in the Scriptures, you may need to supply this information. For example:
Haven’t you read in the Scriptures what David did…? (New Living Translation (2004))
David: David was a king of Israel. He lived many years before Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees and the other Jewish people had great respect for David. This story happened in David’s early life, before he became king. If your readers are not familiar with the life of David, you should include some information about him in a footnote.
6:3c
when he and his companions were hungry: This clause introduces a particular situation in David’s life. David and his companions were hungry and needed food. Jesus wanted the Pharisees to compare that situation with his disciples picking grain on the Sabbath.
his companions: David’s companions were the men who were with him at the time. Some other ways to translate this are:
his men (God’s Word) -or-
his followers (Contemporary English Version) -or-
those with him (New Century Version)
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