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 Matthew 12:3:
Uma: “Yesus answered: ‘Have you not read what Daud and his friends did long ago because they were hungry?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Isa said to them, ‘Have you not read as to what Sultan Da’ud did in old times when he and his companions were hungry?” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And Jesus answered, ‘It isn’t possible that you haven’t read in the writing long ago 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: “Jesus replied saying, ‘Haven’t you read what was done by king David, when he and his companions were hungry?” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “When Jesus answered, he said: ‘One time David was hungry along with those who went with him. It seems like you have never read where it is written what he did.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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®).
He said to them is translated “Jesus answered” by Good News Translation. The use of the pronoun (He) or of the proper noun (“Jesus”) will depend entirely upon the expectations of the receptor language. Further, it should be clear that them refers to the Pharisees, not to the disciples.
Have you not read…? is a rhetorical question which assumes the answer “Yes.” In languages where this literary device for showing emphasis is not common, one may translate “You have surely read” or “I know you have read.” In some languages it may even be necessary to indicate where they read this: “… in our Law,” or “… in our Bible,” or “… in our holy Scriptures.”
The question (or, affirmation) can also be reordered, as in “You know what David did, I am sure, because you have read in God’s book….”
It may be necessary to qualify David as “King David.” The reference is to 1 Samuel 21.1-6.
When is translated “that time when” by Good News Translation; this restructuring is helpful in calling attention to a specific time in the past.
He was hungry, and those who were with him (Good News Translation “he and his men were hungry”): in Hebrew and in languages influenced by Hebrew, such as the Greek of the New Testament, this sort of structure is common. One frequently finds a singular verb and subject followed by other subjects who join the main subject in the action indicated by the verb. In many languages, including English, the most natural restructuring is to link the subjects by the conjunction “and” and then to use a plural verb form, as in Good News Bible.
Those who were with him refers to “his companions” or “his followers.” “His men” of Good News Translation is also good.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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