Translation commentary on Luke 9:62

Exegesis:

oudeis … euthetos estin… ‘nobody … is fit…,’ subject and predicate of the clause. The subject is modified by a twofold participial clause, see next note.

epibalōn tēn cheira ep’ arotron kai blepōn eis ta opisō lit. ‘who has put his hand to the plough and is (still) looking behind (him).’ epibalōn is in the aorist and blepōn in the present. The clause is used in a metaphorical way and refers to the attitude of a person who has made a decision (punctiliar aspect) but does not live up to it (durative aspect, cf. New English Bible, “keeps looking back”). arotron.

euthetos … tē basileia tou theou ‘fit for the kingdom of God,’ i.e. able to meet its demands.

euthetos (also 14.35) ‘fit,’ ‘suitable,’ ‘usable.’

Translation:

No one who puts … is fit for is sometimes better reversely expressed, ‘anyone who puts … is unfit for…,’ or, ‘if a person puts…, he is not fit for, or, not able to….’

Puts his hand to the plough, or, ‘takes hold of the plough’ (Western Highland Purepecha, similarly several Indonesian languages), ‘starts ploughing,’ ‘is ready to plough’ (Bahasa Indonesia 1968), or more generically, ‘has started working his fields’ (cf. Sranan Tongo). Where a plough is unknown one may use the name of a tool used for the same kind of agricultural work, such as ‘hoe’ (Kele), and cf. ‘touches the helve of the hoe’ (Medumba), ‘takes the hoe into his hand’ (Bali).

Is fit for the kingdom of God, or, ‘is able to work under God’s rule, or, where God reigns’; or, if the clause is reversely expressed (see above), ‘is useless where God is king’ (cf. 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 9:62

9:62a–b

No one who puts his hand to the plow and then looks back is fit for the kingdom of God: In this verse Jesus used a metaphor about farming with a plow. Jesus indicated here that a person who says he will follow Jesus but then wants to return to his former way of life cannot do useful work in God’s kingdom. He is like a person who looks behind him as he uses a plow. The similarity between these people is that neither one is able to do useful work. A person who looks backward while plowing a field will make crooked furrows. Similarly, a person who is sidetracked by his former way of life will not serve God effectively in his kingdom.

In some languages the meaning of this metaphor may be clear. If it is not clear, other ways to translate this metaphor are:

• Change the metaphor to a simile. Make the implied topic explicit. For example:

⌊No one who starts to be my disciple and then turns back to his former way of life⌋ will be useful to serve/work in God’s kingdom. He is like someone who begins to plow a field but then he looks backwards.

• Make the topic explicit. State each part of the metaphor as a separate sentence. For example:

If anyone starts to plow a field and then looks back, ⌊his work will be useless. In the same way, if anyone starts to follow me and turns aside to do other things,⌋ he will not be able to do useful work in God’s kingdom.

• State the meaning directly. For example:

Whoever starts to follow me and then looks back is of no use in serving God in his kingdom.

Translate this metaphor in the way that is most natural in your language.

9:62a

puts his hand to the plow: The phrase puts his hand to the plow describes someone who grasps a plow to begin to use it to prepare his field for planting. Other ways to translate this phrase are:

begins to plow a field (New Century Version)
-or-
starts plowing (Contemporary English Version)

plow: A plow (or plough) was a sharply pointed wooden tool used for breaking up the soil before planting seeds. It was pulled by a horse or an ox. The farmer held the plow in order to keep it going in a straight line.

and then looks back: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as looks back means “looks behind him.” If a farmer looks behind him as he plows, he will not be able to guide the plow in a straight line. Figuratively, this refers to a disciple who thinks longingly about how he used to live before he followed Jesus. This prevents him from following Jesus with all his heart.

9:62b

is fit for the kingdom of God: Jesus was saying here that no one who commits himself to be a disciple of Christ and then wants to go back to his former life can serve God in a useful way in his kingdom.

In this context is fit for the kingdom of God probably refers to the way a person serves and obeys God in order to benefit God’s kingdom. That would include telling people about God ruling his people through the Messiah. It would also include helping people to believe in Jesus (as in 9:60b) and other types of service. Some ways to translate fit for the kingdom of God are:

serve God effectively to benefit his reign/chieftaincy
-or-
serve God in a useful way as he rules his people

fit for: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as fit means to be useful or able to serve effectively.

the kingdom of God: The phrase the kingdom of God refers to God ruling as king over his people. This same phrase occurs in 9:60b. See also the first note in this part of the verse for translation suggestions for this context.

General Comment on 9:62a–b

In some languages it may be more natural to begin this verse without using a negative phrase such as “no one.” For example:

Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God. (Good News Translation)
-or-
If someone starts to plow and then looks backward, his work in God’s kingdom will be useless.

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