The Greek term that is translated in English as “bread” or “loaf” is translated in Samo, it is translated as “Sago,” which serves “like ‘bread’ for the Hebrews, as a generic for food in the Samo language. It is a near-perfect metonymy that has all the semantic elements necessary for effective communication.” (Source: Daniel Shaw in Scriptura 96/2007, p. 501ff.)
In Chol it is translated as waj, the equivalent of a tortilla. (Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)
John Beekman (in The Bible Translator 1962, p. 180f. ) explains: “The word ‘bread’ in Scripture primarily occurs as either a specific term for bread (including the Lord’s Supper), or as a generic term for food. It is not surprising, however, the some aboriginal groups use something other than bread as the staff of life. The Chols, with their cultural focus in the cultivation of corn, use waj, a type of thin corn flake. Since a meal is not complete without this main item of food, the term has been extended to include any other foods which may be served along with waj. While bread is known to them, its use is limited to a few occasions during the year when it functions as a dessert. In translating this term in the Chol New Testament, consistent use has been made of the word waj whenever the function of bread as a basic food was in focus. John 6:35, “I am the bread of life,” was thus translated with this word. If the word for bread had been used, it was feared that the Chol would compare Christ to the desirable, but not absolutely necessary, dessert.”
Robert Bascom adds his thoughts to this in relation to other Mayan languages (in Omanson 2001, p. 260): “In many Mayan languages, ‘bread’ can be translated waj or kaxlan waj. The first term literally means anything made from corn meal, while the second term literally means ‘foreigner’s waj,’ and refers to the local wheat-based sweet breads which are so popular within the broader European-influenced culture of the region. On the one hand, waj would be a better dynamic equivalent in cases where ‘bread’ meant ‘food,’ but in cases where the focus is literal or the reference well-known, kaxlan waj would preserve a flour-based meaning (though in biblical times barley was more in use than wheat) and not insert corn into a time and place where it does not belong. On the other hand kaxlan waj is not the staff of life, but refers to a local delicacy. In cases such as these, it is even tempting to suggest borrowing pan, the Spanish word for ‘bread,’ but native speakers might respond that borrowing a foreign word is not necessary since both waj and kaxlan waj are native terms that cover the meaning (though in this case, perhaps not all that well).”
In Mairasi it is translated bread tubers. Tubers are the main food staple and are therefore synonymous with food. (Source: Enggavoter 2004). In Yagaria, Kâteand Yabem it is translated as “taro cake.” (Source: Renck, p. 101)
Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 16:12:
Uma: “Only then did the disciples know that it was not yeast that is mixed with bread that Yesus was talking about. The intention of his words, so that they watch out for the teachings of the Parisi and Saduki people.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “so-then they understood that he had not spoken about yeast in bread, but that they should stay away from the teachings of the Pariseo and Sadduseo.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And then his disciples understood that they were not to avoid the yeast used in bread, but rather the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “And then they understood that what Jesus was telling them to beware of was not the yeast/baking powder that is used in the cooking of bread but rather the teachings of the Pharisees and Saducees.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well, at that the disciples understood that what they were being caused to be careful of was the teaching of the Pariseo and the Saduceo, not the raising-agent of bread.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “When the learners understood that Jesus wasn’t talking about the leaven which leavens bread that they were to be careful of. Rather the word he spoke was that they should not follow the word taught by the Pharisees and the Saducees.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek that is a transliteration of the Hebrew Pərūšīm and is typically transliterated into English as “Pharisee” is transliterated in Mandarin Chinese as Fǎlìsài (法利賽 / 法利赛) (Protestant) or Fǎlìsāi (法利塞) (Catholic). In Chinese, transliterations can typically be done with a great number of different and identical-sounding characters. Often the meaning of the characters are not relevant, unless they are chosen carefully as in these cases. The Protestant Fǎlìsài can mean something like “Competition for the profit of the law” and the Catholic Fǎlìsāi “Stuffed by/with the profit of the law.” (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 51)
In Finnish Sign Language it is translated with the sign signifying “prayer shawl”. (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
Scot McKnight (in The Second Testament, publ. 2023) translates it into English as Observant. He explains (p. 302): “Pharisee has become a public, universal pejorative term for a hypocrite. Pharisees were observant of the interpretation of the Covenant Code called the ‘tradition of the elders.’ They conformed their behaviors to the interpretation. Among the various groups of Jews at the time of Jesus, they were perhaps closest to Jesus in their overall concern to make a radical commitment to the will of God (as they understood it).”
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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 are (され) 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, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” 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®).
“The disciples” of Good News Translation translates they of the Greek text. It is important that the subject be specified here, for the same reason discussed in Matthew 16.7 (see comments there).
The leaven of bread is translated “the yeast used in bread” by Good News Translation. The expression may also be rendered “the yeast that one puts in bread” or, if there is a firm distinction between “bread” (cooked dough) and “dough” (uncooked bread), then a further adjustment may be made: “the yeast which one places in dough (to make it rise).”
For some languages a reversal of sentence order, placing the negative sentence last, may be more natural: “Then the disciples understood that he was referring to the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. He was not warning them to guard themselves from the yeast used in bread.” Other possibilities are “Then the disciples understood that when Jesus told them to watch out for the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, he didn’t mean the leaven used in making bread (or, leaven that makes bread dough rise). He meant the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” and “Then the disciples realized that he was warning them about the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which was like (or, which had a spoiling effect like) yeast in bread dough.”
There will be readers who will find even these sentences difficult, particularly if in the translation the fermenting or spoiling effect of yeast has not been made clear enough. If translators are not able to convey this notion of “spoiling” in the word or phrase used for leaven, then it may be necessary here to have a very explicit simile such as “teaching that spoils (others) like leaven causes bread dough to ferment.”
The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees is what they taught, not what was taught to them, and some translators will have to make that explicit.
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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