complete verse (Matthew 28:11)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 28:11:

  • Uma: “While the women were gone, several of the soldiers who had been guarding the grave went into the village, and they announced to the leading priests all that had happened at the grave earlier.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “While the women were still on the way, some of the guards went to the town and told the leading priests all that had happened.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “After the women had left, some of the soldiers who were watching the tomb left also. They went to the town, and they told the chief priests everything that had happened.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “While the women were on the way, some of the soldiers who were at Jesus’ burial-place, they went to the city, and they reported (connotes bad news) to the leaders of the priests all that had happened.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “After those women had left, some of those soldiers who had been caused to guard went to the city and told to the chiefs of the priests all which had happened.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “While the women went along on the road, some of the soldiers who had guarded the tomb went to the city to tell the chief priests what all had happened.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Sung version of Matthew 28

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®).

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Translation commentary on Matthew 28:11

The women do as the Lord had commanded them and go on their way to tell Jesus’ “brethren” of his resurrection and of his command for them to meet him in Galilee. While they were going may need some expansion. They is the women, for example, and going may require a destination: “While the women were on their way to the disciples.”

Matthew once again introduces the word behold (see comments at 1.20) to draw attention to a significant aspect of the narrative: some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. It is significant that the guard (the same word used in 27.65-66) reports to the chief priests and not to Pilate. However, this is not as surprising as it may seem at first glance, since according to 27.65 the guard is apparently placed under the authority of the chief priests. Guard is a singular noun employed in a collective sense, and so the basis for “soldiers” of Good News Translation.

In this context all that had taken place refers specifically to the events of verses 2-3; it does not include the dialogue between the angel and the women, nor does it tell of the women’s departure to make the news known. Thus translators may have “everything that happened when the angel came to the tomb.”

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 .