8Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! Quite apart from us you have become kings! If only you had become kings, so that we might be kings with you!
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 exclusive form, only referring to Paul himself.
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 4:8:
Uma: “Do you think thus, that you have no more lacks? Do you think the strength of your faith in the Lord is really sufficient? Are you really ruling as kings, and we (excl.) apostles of the Lord Yesus aren’t? That would indeed be good, relatives, if you really had become kings, so that we (excl.) could rule along with you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “You mistakenly-think that you don’t need to ask anything from God because you say that you have already everything. You mistakenly-think that your trust in God is strong and that you are leaders in God’s kingdom, but we (excl.) the apostles not yet. It would be good if it were true that you were really leaders so that we (excl.) would be leaders together with you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Perhaps you are thinking mistakenly that you no longer need God’s help; it’s as if you have already been made immortal, and all the blessings of God, you’ve already received. Perhaps you are thinking mistakenly that you are already ruling in the kingdom of God, but as for us apostles, we have not yet been able to rule. I really wish that it were true, that you are already ruling, so that we also might rule with you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Oh you (expression of rebuke) from-Corinto! You think you already-have all that you need and you already have all the abilities that the Holy Spirit gives. You think you have already begun to rule, but as for us (excl.) apostles, not yet. It would be nice if it were true that you are already ruling so that we (excl.) could join-in-ruling also.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For apparently in your mind/thinking you are now rich, in that you are abundantly-supplied with everything that God gives. Probably you mistakenly-thought that you have surpassed us (excl.) because you have now attained (the status of) reigning in the kingdom of God. If that were true it would be good, for if it were like that we (excl.) would reign, too, along with you, and we (excl.) would no longer have any hardships.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “In your thoughts, in that you know this word, now you think that you lack nothing. You are living well you think, it is as though you were ruling it seems from how you act. We though, you throw aside as though we are of no value. If only it were really true that you rule, ruling everywhere. Also then would then come to us a little bit of authority from the work you would be doing.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Some languages do not have a concept of kingship and therefore no immediate equivalent for the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as “king” in English. Here are some (back-) translations:
Ninia Yali: “big brother with the uplifted name” (source: Daud Soesilio in Noss 2007, p. 175)
Nyamwezi: mutemi: generic word for ruler, by specifying the city or nation it becomes clear what kind of ruler (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
Ghomála’: Fo (“The word Fo refers to the paramount ruler in the kingdoms of West Cameroon. He holds administrative, political, and religious power over his own people, who are divided into two categories: princes (descendants of royalty) and servants (everyone else).” (Source: Michel Kenmogne in Theologizing in Context: An Example from the Study of a Ghomala’ Christian Hymn))
Faye Edgerton retells how the term in Navajo (Dinė) was determined:
“[This term was] easily expressed in the language of Biblical culture, which had kings and noblemen with their brilliant trappings and their position of honor and praise. But leadership among the Navajos is not accompanied by any such titles or distinctions of dress. Those most respected, especially in earlier days, were their headmen, who were the leaders in raids, and the shaman, who was able to serve the people by appealing for them to the gods, or by exorcising evil spirits. Neither of these made any outward show. Neither held his position by political intrigue or heredity. If the headman failed consistently in raids, he was superceded by a better warrior. If the shaman failed many times in his healing ceremonies, it was considered that he was making mistakes in the chants, or had lost favor with the gods, and another was sought. The term Navajos use for headman is derived from a verb meaning ‘to move the head from side to side as in making an oration.’ The headman must be a good orator, able to move the people to go to war, or to follow him in any important decision. This word is naat’áanii which now means ‘one who rules or bosses.’ It is employed now for a foreman or boss of any kind of labor, as well as for the chairman of the tribal council. So in order to show that the king is not just a common boss but the highest ruler, the word ‘aláahgo, which expresses the superlative degree, was put before naat’áanii, and so ‘aláahgo naat’áanii ‘anyone-more-than-being around-he-moves-his-head-the-one-who’ means ‘the highest ruler.’ Naat’áanii was used for governor as the context usually shows that the person was a ruler of a country or associated with kings.”
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 to do this is through the usage of appropriate suffix title referred to as keishō (敬称) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017 by using –sama. Here, ō-sama (王様) “king” is a combination of the nominal title ō “king” and the suffix title –sama.
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).
Paul now returns to addressing the readers as a group, rather than addressing a typical individual within the Corinthian church.
In these first three sentences Paul is being ironic. Revised Standard Version shows irony by making these sentences into statements rather than questions. Translators need to determine how they express irony or sarcasm in their own languages.
You are filled translates a verb which in nonfigurative language means “to have enough to eat (and drink),” as in Acts 27.38. The contrast with verse 11 (“we hunger and thirst”) makes it possible that Paul really meant this here. Arndt-Gingrich, though, think the language is figurative, referring to spiritual food. Good News Bible appears to agree. Translators will need to decide whether to think of this phrase as figurative or literal language. If it is decided to pick a literal meaning, one may say “Already you have received enough to eat and drink.” The translator’s choice will affect the understanding of rich in the second sentence. It is unlikely that this word has a literal meaning (see 1.26). In many languages which can use a word for rich both literally and figuratively, there will be no problem. If a translator feels that Paul is using this word in a figurative or spiritual sense, one can render this sentence as “You already have all the spiritual blessings, don’t you?” “Do you already have all the spiritual blessings?” or “God’s Spirit has given you all the gifts you need, hasn’t he?”
Without us (Good News Bible‘s “even though we are not”) may also mean “without our help,” but the last part of the verse supports Good News Bible‘s translation. This phrase also introduces the theme of a contrast between the apostles’ hard life and the easy life which the Corinthian Christians expect to enjoy or think that they already have.
The phrase you have become kings refers to a particular past event. You did reign in the next sentence has exactly the same construction in Greek. In certain languages there is no word which equals the concept of king. In such cases one may use a word for a high ruler such as a chief, and say “Do you already rule as chiefs, even though we do not?” or “You already rule as chiefs.”
We and you in the last clause are emphasized, adding to the contrast. The final sentence of this verse may be restructured as “I wish you were really ruling so that we could rule together with you.”
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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