11inquiring about the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings intended for Christ and the subsequent glory.
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Peter 1:11:
Uma: “The prophets long ago foretold the blessing that you have received now, relatives, they foretold how God [would] show you his love at this time. From the leading of the Spirit of Kristus in their hearts, God made known to them the suffering(s) that would strike the person [lit., body] of Kristus and the bigness of life that he would receive when those sufferings were past. But those prophets long ago, they did not know how what they foretold would come to pass. That is why they really investigated, they wanted to know when and how the fulfilling/happening of all that they foretold [would be].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “God’s Spirit who was there with them made-known/revealed to them about the suffering/persecution Almasi endured and about his being made great/honored when those sufferings/persecutions were over. They really wanted to know when this would happen and how this would happen, therefore they studied.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “They studied as to when and how this would be fulfilled, for they were inspired to do this by the Holy Spirit who comes from Christ. He caused them to understand that there would be tribulations which Christ would have to endure here on the earth. And when those were finished, He would be made very high.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Because even though they were the spokesmen (lit. place-of-speaking) of the Spirit of Cristo when he predicted Cristo’s suffering and his being-made-high which followed, they still repeatedly-searched to find-out koma the time of its fulfillment and the way it would be fulfilled.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “For they really wanted to comprehend at what time and in what way these things would happen which they were caused to tell by the Espiritu Santo of Cristo. Because those things they were caused to tell were alluding to (lit. hitting) none other than the hardships which would be experienced by Cristo and the praise/glory which would be its outcome.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Because Christ caused that the Holy Spirit accompanied these prophets. This Holy Spirit caused them to write the word that Christ must suffer and afterwards it would be seen that no one is as great as he. But these prophets then wanted to know about what person he would be or what day he would live. And they very much searched in order to understand this word.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
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 (or a lack) of an honorific prefix as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. When the referent is God, the “divine” honorific prefix mi- (御 or み) can be used, as in mi-tama (御霊) or “Spirit (of God)” in the referenced verses.
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme rare (られ) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, o-rare-ru (おられる) or “is/be present” is used.
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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.
The reason for the footnote in the Good News Translation is that the Greek text is ambiguous. Translated literally, the Greek is: They inquired into which (or into whom) and what kind of time was indicated by the spirit of Christ in them when they were predicting the sufferings of (or into) Christ and the glories afterward. The Greek expression eis tina may be understood either as referring to a time (with tina understood as a neuter pronoun) or as referring to a person (with tina understood as a masculine pronoun). Some translations reflect this latter understanding (for example, Barclay, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “they tried to discover who this person was and when this would occur”). Most commentaries and translations, however, understand it the way Good News Translation does. The verse is still talking about the salvation which is the subject of the prophets’ search and investigation. When the time would be refers to the time when this salvation is made known, and how it would come refers to the circumstances connected with the revelation of this salvation.
They tried to find out is perhaps best rendered as “they tried to determine” or “… decide.” In the rendering of to find out it is important to avoid an expression which might suggest “inquiring of other persons,” for one would not wish to communicate or suggest the idea that “they were trying to find out from someone….”
It is of course possible to connect the pronominal expressions “into which” and “what kind of time” with what follows, namely, the sufferings that Christ would have to endure and the glories that would follow. This is reflected in some translations (for example, Jerusalem Bible “The Spirit of Christ which was in them foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would come after them, and they tried to find out at what time and in what circumstances all this was to be expected”; also Phillips, Knox). It is, however, much better to take the pronominal expressions not as pointing forward but backward, that is, referring to the salvation mentioned in verse 10 (compare Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Time here is the same as in 1.5, namely, time for a specific purpose.
A completely literal rendering of when the time would be and how it would come could be misunderstood and obscure. For example, when the time would be might be understood as merely “what time of day it would be,” and how it would come might be particularly obscure in view of the fact that it might not refer to salvation. Accordingly, it may be useful to translate when the time would be and how it would come as “when this salvation would take place and how it would come about” or “… how it would happen.”
The rendering of This was the time may be better expressed in some languages as “this was the occasion” or even “this was the day,” especially if a receptor-language term for “day” indicates not just a period of 24 hours but a particular occasion.
In their search, the prophets were not without help, for they were aided by Christ’s Spirit. This expression occurs only here and in Romans 8.9. It was common belief among the Jews that prophets were inspired by the Spirit of God; this belief naturally was taken over by the Christians, but here the Spirit of God is now substituted by the Spirit of Christ. It is possible that Peter here is referring to the activity of Christ before the incarnation, and that it is his Spirit who inspired the Old Testament prophets. But it is more likely that he is here reflecting the common understanding among the early Christians, in which the expressions “the Spirit of God,” “the Spirit of the Lord,” and the “Spirit of Christ” are regarded as having identical meanings (for “the Spirit of the Lord,” see Phil 1.19; Gal 4.6; and Acts 16.7).
Christ’s Spirit in them may be rendered as “Christ’s Spirit which lives in them.” It may be difficult to speak of “a time to which something was pointing.” One may, however, often use an expression such as “the occasion to which Christ’s Spirit was referring.”
The time of salvation is associated with the sufferings that Christ would have to endure and the glory that would follow. These, probably, are the events through which salvation comes, and the Spirit pointed to the time of salvation when he predicted the coming of these events. (For pointed, see Phillips “was referring”; for predicted, see Barclay “declared beforehand”; compare Gal 3.1.) The sufferings that Christ would have to endure is literally “the sufferings into Christ.” Some have taken this to mean the sufferings of Christians for the cause of Christ (for example, Knox “the sufferings which Christ’s cause brings with it”), although most interpreters understand it as referring to the sufferings of Christ himself (compare New American Bible “sufferings destined for Christ”; Barclay, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy). Glory is plural in the Greek, referring probably to a series of events. For those who understand “the sufferings of Christ” as sufferings of Christians in behalf of Christ, “glories” is understood as triumphs, or victory instead of defeat. If, however, “sufferings into Christ” refers to the sufferings that Christ himself experienced, that is, his death on the cross, then “glories” would refer to the events following that: his resurrection, his exaltation, the gift of the Spirit to the Church, the winning of both Jews and Gentiles to the Christian faith, and finally Christ’s return in victory.
It may be important to specify clearly the agent of predicting, so that the final part of verse 11 may be rendered as “when Christ’s Spirit predicted the sufferings that Christ would endure and the glory that would follow.”
The sufferings that Christ would have to endure may be rendered as “the way in which Christ would have to suffer” or “the manner in which Christ must suffer.”
A literal rendering of the glory that would follow might be particularly confusing, especially since in many languages one can not speak of an abstract such as glory actually “following.” A more satisfactory equivalent may be “the later glorious events” or “the wonderful things that later happen.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The First Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. 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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