flesh (human nature)

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The Greek that is often translated as “flesh” in English (when referring to the lower human nature) can, according to Nida (1947, p. 153) “very rarely be literally translated into another language. ‘My meat’ or ‘my muscle’ does not make sense in most languages.” He then gives a catalog of almost 30 questions to determine a correct translation for that term.

Accordingly, the translations are very varied:

The Toraja-Sa’dan translation uses a variety of terms for the translation of the same Greek term (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight)

  • A form of kale tolinona or “corporeal” is for instance used in Romans 9:5 or Colossians 1:22 (and also in Genesis 6:3 and Exodus 30:32)
  • A form of mentolinona or “the human” is for instance used in Matthew 16:17 or John 1:14
  • Phrases that include pa’kalean or “bodiliness” (also: “human shape”) are for instance used in Romans 6:6 or 1 Peter 2:11 (as well as in Isa 52:14, Isa 53:2, and Lamentations 4:7

(Source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1952, p. 207ff. )

See also spirit / flesh, old self, and flesh (John 1:14).

complete verse (1 Corinthians 3:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 3:3:

  • Uma: “for you are still following the evil desires of your hearts. For if you have envy in your hearts and are arguing, doesn’t this show that you are following the evil desires of your heart, like people who do not-yet know the Lord?” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “because you still follow the behavior of the people in this world. Some of you are jealous, some of you quarrel. That is a sign that you are following your desires like the people who do not follow God.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Because you are still controlled by your desires. For there are some of you who are jealous; and there are some of you who are quarelling; and because of this it seems that you are still controlled by your desires like people who have not yet believed in Jesus.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “because your minds are still human. I say that, because there you are arguing and you are jealous/envious. And if that’s what you are doing, you are indeed human and you take-after the thoughts and behavior of worldly people.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because the evil desires of the body are still dominant in your minds/inner-being, for with you still is envying and striving-for-mastery-over one another. Those ways of yours, they testify that you are still indulging your own bodily desires, just like people who haven’t yet believed/obeyed Cristo.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because still you do like other people live. You still are jealous. You still quarrel. You still do not speak the same word. You still do like the people who do not know God.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.

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).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:3

For the first clause, see comments on 1 Cor. 3.2.

Of the flesh, in contrast with “of the Spirit,” means “controlled, not by the Holy Spirit, but by natural human impulses.” Good News Bible states this as “still live as people of this world live.” One may also state this as “because your lives are still controlled by natural human desires (or, instincts),” or even “because natural human desires control your lives.” As the rest of the verse shows, these impulses are essentially the tendency toward self-centeredness. There is no reference in this passage to sexual sins.

While there is jealousy: while may refer to time and mean “as long as”; so New Jerusalem Bible, New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible. It often refers to space and means “where.” It may also have a logical meaning, “whereas” (King James Version), “inasmuch as” (Fee), or “since” (New International Version). This last meaning seems to fit the context best and is preferred by most commentators. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente has “Your discords and divisions show that you still think and behave like others” (that is, non-Christians). In other languages one may need to render this as “You are jealous of each other and quarrel with each other. This shows….”

King James Version, following many Greek manuscripts, adds “and divisions” after “jealousy and strife,” but the UBS Greek text omits this word. Scribes may have added it from Gal 5.20, the only other place in the New Testament where it is used. The phrase there is jealousy may be rendered as “you are jealous of each other.”

Revised Standard Version‘s among you and Good News Bible‘s “with one another” translate the same Greek phrase, which comes before jealousy and strife and applies to both nouns.

The last part of the verse forms a rhetorical question that, as we discussed in the comments on 1.13, will often be translated as a strong statement rather than a real question. One might say, for example, “Since there is … this proves that you belong to this world….” In languages in which rhetorical questions are natural, it is an advantage to keep this and the following rhetorical question in verse 4 in translation. The reason is that these rhetorical questions are followed by a real question in verse 5a, to which the answer is given in verses 5b and 6.

Revised Standard Version is misleading to keep the Greek and before behaving, as it gives the impression that something new is to be said. Actually, this final phrase is explaining are you not of the flesh. Good News Bible shows this fact clearly by dropping the and.

The last few words of this verse are literally “and walk according to man.” “Walk” is a common biblical metaphor for “live” in the sense of “behave.” Many languages will be able to follow this metaphor. The Thai common language version (Thai Common Language Version) has “walk your life.” So one may also say “Walk your life as ordinary people do,” or “Walk your life following human standards.”

Men in this passage means virtually the same as flesh and includes women, too.

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 .