complete verse (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 10:12:

  • Uma: “So, the people who say that their faith is strong, they must be very careful, lest they fall into sin like them long ago!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore if there is a person there who says that his trust in God is strong, he ought to be careful perhaps/lest he will suddenly be taken-along/influenced by temptation and he will sin.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of this, as for that person who thinks that his faith is strong, he must carefully draw tight his faith (he should strengthen his faith) because he might sin just the same.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore the one who thinks/says his faith is strong, he should be-careful lest he sin.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore let anyone be-wary-of-danger who, in his mind/inner-being, is sure that he can stand in well-grounded belief, for maybe very soon he also will be defeated by Satanas and fall into big sin.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore the one who says he never will sin must take care very good that he does not commit sin. Because our ancestors committed sins.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 10:12

Any one: Paul is not thinking of any particular individual here, but rather “any Christian,” male or female. Good News Bible uses “you” forms to avoid exclusively male reference.

Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch restructures this verse to give another imperative like “we must” in other verses. It says “so be careful: anyone who thinks that he is standing firm should take care that he does not fall.”

Good News Bible correctly adds “firm” to bring out the meaning of stands.

As in verse 7, fall does not mean simply to stumble, but rather to fall in such a way as to be destroyed.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Any Christian who thinks that he is secure in his faith had better be careful that he doesn’t fall (or, fail).

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 .