complete verse (Luke 6:43)

Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 6:43:

  • Noongar: “A good tree does not bear bad fruit and a bad tree does not bear good fruit.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “‘There is not a good tree that gives bad fruit. so also there is not a bad tree that gives good fruit.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Isa said also, ‘A good tree does not bear fruit that is not good and a tree which is not good does not have good fruit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Jesus said again, ‘The tree which has no disease, it’s fruit is good, and it will not give bad fruit. The tree that has a disease, its fruit is bad, and it does not bear good fruit.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Jesus also said, ‘The good tree, it doesn’t bear-bad -fruit, and neither does the bad tree bear-good -fruit.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “‘As for a good tree, of course it doesn’t bear bad fruit. And also a tree which is sick doesn’t bear good fruit.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Luke 6:43

Exegesis:

ou gar estin dendron kalon poioun karpon sapron ‘for there is no good tree which bears rotten fruit,’ or, ‘a tree is not good when it bears rotten fruit,’ taking kalon as predicate. The former is preferable. gar expresses here continuation, not explanation.

sapros ‘rotten’ (here of rotten fruit and a rotten tree), or, somewhat more general, ‘bad.’

oude palin ‘nor, on the other hand.’ Several translations do not render palin (cf. e.g. Translator’s New Testament, An American Translation).

palin ‘again,’ here ‘in turn,’ ‘on the other hand.’

Translation:

Another possible change in the structure is, ‘a good tree does not bear bad fruit,’ etc. (cf. Good News Translation).

For good or bad trees bearing bad or good fruit.

To bear fruit (for which cf. 3.8) is used here in a literal sense, but the sentence as a whole has figurative meaning.

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 6:43

Paragraph 6:43–45

In this paragraph, Jesus used another illustration or extended metaphor. He compared different kinds of people to different kinds of trees. He said that the way a person acts shows the kind of person he is.

The Berean Standard Bible does not translate the Greek conjunction that introduces this illustration, but many English versions translate it as “for.” This conjunction indicates that this illustration reinforces what Jesus had just said. Connect this illustration to what Jesus had just said in a way that is natural in your language. Some ways to connect this illustration are:

Think about this:
-or-
You know

6:43–45

good…bad…evil: The words good and bad (or good and evil) describe many things in the passage: trees, fruit, people, treasure in a person’s heart, and actions. If possible, use general words for good and bad that can be applied to all these things. This will help maintain the unity of the passage. If not, be sure to use words for good and bad that are appropriate for the thing that is being described. (See the notes for each verse for more explanation of the way these words are used in each context.)

6:43a–b

No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit: This is a general statement about something that is always true. The fruit that a tree produces reflects the tree itself. Healthy fruit trees produce good, edible fruit. Trees that are not healthy do not produce good, edible fruit. Jesus used this proverb to teach a spiritual lesson. He meant that good people do not do evil deeds. Some other ways to translate this general statement could be:

Good trees do/cannot bear bad fruit. Bad trees do/cannot bear good fruit.
-or-
There is no such thing as a good tree producing bad fruit, nor yet a bad tree producing good fruit. (Revised English Bible)

6:43a

good tree: The exact sense in which this tree is good is not certain. However, the context indicates that a good tree is healthy, and it produces tasty fruit for people to eat.

In each of these senses, it is true that a “good tree does not produce bad fruit.” Try to translate “good” in a general way. Your translation should fit well with the idea of bearing good fruit, since this is important in the context.

tree: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as tree can refer to any large woody plant. If possible, choose a general word that includes trees and large bushes such as the bushes with thorns mentioned in 6:44b–c.

bad fruit: If possible, use a general word for bad here. If you must choose a word that is more specific, choose a word that refers to fruit that is not suitable for eating.

6:43b

a bad tree: As with “good tree” in 6:43a, it is recommended that you choose a general word for bad that could include the meanings “unhealthy” and “unable to produce good fruit.”

good fruit: If possible, use a general word for good here. If you must choose a word that is more specific, choose a word that refers to fruit that is suitable for eating. Such fruit tastes good.

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