complete verse (Matthew 25:29)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 25:29:

  • Uma: “For people who are trusted with what is given to them, they will be given still more so that they have a more-and-more. But people who aren’t trusted, the little that they have will be taken away from them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “A trustworthy person will be given more so that he has very much. But the one who is not trustworthy, even the little that had been entrusted to him will be taken away from him.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For he who can be trusted with that which was entrusted to him will get more. But he who cannot be trusted, even the little bit that was entrusted to him will be taken away from him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because whoever has capability (i.e. wealth, skill, ability), it will be added-to so that what he has increases, but the one who has no capability, even the little that he has will be taken-back.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for the one who is trustworthy and hard-working, he will be rewarded by having that means/ability of his increased. But as for the one who is not trustworthy and is lazy, even the little ability/means he had already will be lost-permanently to him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because to the worker who has much will be given even more. But the worker who has very little, there will be taken away what little he has.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Matthew 25:29

The structure and content of this verse are similar to that of 13.12. See the discussion there. Has and be given often require a direct object, but it should be unspecified, as in “has nothing” (Good News Translation) and “will be given more of it.” Note also that Good News Bible renders abundance with a general expression, “more than enough,” but this can also be “more than enough of it.”

Taking even what he has from someone who has nothing may be a problem unless it is understood as in Good News Translation, “even the little that he has.”

Several commentators are of the opinion that the passive verbs will … be given and will be taken away must be understood as ways of speaking of God without mentioning the sacred name. If this judgment is followed, then one may translate “God will give” and “God will take away.” Such a shift causes no problem in 13.12, but it is almost impossible here because of verse 30, where apparently the master of the servants is still speaking. Therefore if the actor in this verse needs to be mentioned, the best solution is to shift to a first person singular subject with the master of the servants speaking: “To every person who has something, I will give even more, and he will have more than enough. But for the person who has nothing, I will take away from him even the little that he has.”

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 .