Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)
The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).
For this verse, translators typically select the inclusive form (including the addressee).
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)
In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 10:1:
Uma: “Relatives, remember what happened to our ancestors whom the prophet Musa brought out of the land of Mesir. All of them were shadowed by the cloud, the sign that God was with them. All of them passed through the sea that dried-up.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My brothers, I will remind you what happened to our (incl.) forefathers the Yahudi at the time when they followed Musa in those old times. They were all overshadowed by a cloud, a sign that God went with them. They also all crossed on foot in the middle of the sea which they call the Red Sea and nothing happened to them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I want you to know, brothers, what the ancestors of us (excl.) Jews did who went along with Moses. They were sheltered over by the cloud which was the sign that God had come down to them. And they crossed over the sea which was called Red, and they were not drowned.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I want you to remember brothers what happened to our ancestors who followed Moses. All of them were protected and guided-by the cloud that God caused-to-accompany them. They also all walked-safely -through what is called Reddish Ocean.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For I want, my siblings in believing, that you understand the meaning of what happened to our fellow people of God in the time of Moises. All of them, (they) were shaded by the cloud that God graciously-gave them. All of them also, by the strength of his supernatural-power (they) were able to cross the sea that is called Red Sea.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, do not forget this word here, that God caused that the cloud went before where the people who were our ancestors should go and he caused that the people crossed the Red Sea.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
The various Greek, Aramaic, Latin and Hebrew terms that are translated as “sea,” “ocean,” or “lake” in English are all translated in Chichewa with one term: nyanja. Malawi, where Chichewa is spoken, has a lot of lakes but does not share a border with the ocean. (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)
Revised Standard Version, Good News Bible, and many other translations use a positive expression such as “I want you to know (or, remember)” to translate the Greek double negative, “I do not want you not to know.” The translations “remember” (Good News Bible) or “remind” are better than know because most if not all of Paul’s readers certainly knew the Old Testament stories to which he refers. What Paul is saying is that he wants to make sure that they understand the inner meaning in these stories. Paul often uses the expression “I want you to remember” (Good News Bible) when introducing teaching that he considers important enough to repeat (compare 12.1; 2 Cor 1.8; also Rom 1.13; 11.25; 1 Thes 4.13).
Brethren, here as elsewhere, should normally be translated as “fellow Christians” or “fellow believers.” It does not refer to actual family members.
Fathers here has the meaning “ancestors” as in Good News Bible. The following words show that Paul is not referring to the patriarchs only, but also to the whole people of Israel at the time of their liberation from Egypt.
Our before fathers is expressed in the Greek text, no doubt because Paul considers that all his readers, whether Jews or Gentiles by race, share as Christians in the heritage of Israel. Contrast Heb 1.1, where the Greek simply has “to the fathers.”
Under the cloud can be expanded to “under the protection of the cloud” (Good News Bible). Paul’s language recalls Psa 105.39, which speaks of “a cloud for a covering.”
The cloud: the definite article the in English would normally indicate that the cloud was information known to both Paul and his readers. They would know which particular cloud he was talking about. New English Bible (not Revised English Bible) and Barclay expand this phrase to “the pillar of cloud”; New Jerusalem Bible translates “our ancestors all had the cloud over them” and adds a footnote to explain the Old Testament reference. This helps modern readers to know which cloud is spoken about. It will be helpful in many languages to avoid the passive voice here and say, for example, “the pillar of cloud protected all of them” or “a cloud, like a pillar, protected….”
It will be helpful to translate the word sea as “Red Sea” (see Good News Bible) in order to help modern readers identify this body of water. vTranslators must decide as a matter of general principle how to translate “Red Sea” throughout the Bible. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, like other common language translations, has “Red Sea” here, as in the Greek, but “Reed Sea,” as in the Hebrew, in Exodus 10.19 and generally in the Old Testament. See note in Good News Bible Word List. It is important to use the same name throughout the Bible. This should normally be the Old Testament form, but if a different form is current in the receptor languages, this should be used everywhere.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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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