parable

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The Greek that is usually translated as “parable” in English is translated in other languages in a number of ways:

In British Sign Language it is translated with a sign that combines the signs for “tell-a-story” and “compare.” (Source: Anna Smith)


“Parable” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)

Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as analogy because “the Greek word has the sense of tossing down something alongside something else. Hence an analogy.”

See also image and figures of speech.

complete verse (Matthew 13:18)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 13:18:

  • Uma: “‘Listen, I’ll tell you the meaning of the parable of the sower earlier.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “‘Now really listen so that you understand as to what the meaning is of the parable about the person who broadcasts seed.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Then Jesus said again, ‘Think about the meaning of this parable about the person who planted.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “‘Listen then so that I will tell the meaning of the parable concerning the one who went to broadcast seed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Now/today, listen to the meaning of this illustration about the planter-by-scattering.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Concerning the words I compared about the sower, listen well about this word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 13:18

Hear then is literally “You therefore hear,” in which “You” is placed in the position of emphasis, as is “your” in verse 16. Both New English Bible (“You, then, may hear…”) and Jerusalem Bible (“You, therefore, are to hear…”) reflect very closely the Greek sentence structure. The “You” refers to the disciples as opposed to the crowds of people who were thronging around Jesus.

A literal translation of the remainder of this verse is confusing, for it gives the impression to the reader that Jesus is about to tell the parable: Hear then the parable of the sower. Jesus is not calling upon his disciples to hear the parable again, but to understand its meaning. Good News Translation tries to bring this out by translating “Listen, then, and learn what the parable of the sower means.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “I will tell you what the parable of the sower means.”

It is interesting to note that there are languages, for example many in West Africa, where Hear commonly is used to mean “understand.” Readers will have little difficulty with a literal rendering. However, in most other cases something like Good News Translation or Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch will be better. Other possibilities are “Now, therefore, listen to the meaning…” or “Therefore you should listen now to the meaning….”

For comments on parable and sower, see Matthew 13.3.

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 .