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.”
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 (excluding the addressee).
Source: SIL International Translation Department (1999).
In Fijian, the paucal exclusive forms neitou and keitou (“of me and a few [two or slight more]”) are used instead. This choice is understandable in view of the introduction found in both letters to the Thessalonians, where the writer Paul indicates clearly that the letters were co-authored by two other colleagues, Silas and Timothy, hence the use of a pronoun referring to three people (“Paul, Silas and Timothy”).
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Thessalonians 4:10:
Uma: “You love all your relatives of one faith in Makedonia. But we really request, relatives, that you add-to those deeds of yours.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “And really you love all who trust in Isa in all of Makedoniya. But we (excl.) ask/beg you, my brothers, that you still increase your love for them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I know that you already hold dear the believers in the whole province of Macedonia. And we also beg you, Brethren, to increase your holding dear in your breath everyone.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and granted, that’s indeed what you’ve been doing to all our brothers in the entire province Macedonia. Therefore we (excl.) are only advising you to add yet more to it.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “The truth of that is, your valuing of all your siblings in believing in all the province of Macedonia is indeed clear. But even though it’s like that, we (excl.) are indeed impressing it upon you anyway that you cause this valuing of yours to increase far more.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “And this word I tell you, is just how you are doing toward all our brothers who live all over the land of Macedonia. And now, my brothers, I ask you the favor that concerning what you are doing, not just continue to do so, but more and more you will love.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The name that is transliterated as “Macedonia” in English is translated in Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) with a sign that shows pillars, a hallmark of the architecture used there in the Roman period and also prominently used today at Archaeological Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia (see here ). (Source: Missão Kophós )
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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 Thessalonians have put their love into practice, not only in their own city, but throughout the surrounding province of Macedonia (cf. 1.8). The Greek means “you are also doing it,” but in English, where the expression “doing brotherly love” is awkward, behaved like this is a good common language equivalent (cf. Bible en français courant). Bijbel in Gewone Taal has “you also put love into practice towards….” (cf. Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). This is better than “you do this with the brothers…” (cf. Biblia Dios Habla HoyJerusalem Bible). The love of the Thessalonians for Christians in other parts of Macedonia no doubt met with a response, but Paul does not say so here: his concern is with what his readers have been doing.
Because it may be difficult to use a general expression such as behaved like this, one may prefer to use a more specific reference to love of the brethren, for example, “loved all the brothers in all of Macedonia,” or “… all fellow believers….”
The UBS Greek text includes in square brackets a definite article between brothers and in all of Macedonia. If it is included, the meaning would be, as in Good News Translation, the brothers in all of Macedonia. If it is omitted (and the textual evidence seems in favor of leaving it out) the most likely meaning would be “you are behaving like this all over Macedonia, to all the brothers.” There is a difference in grammatical form, but the meaning is essentially the same.
The second part of the verse repeats almost verbally expressions used in verse 1. The transitional, translated so, may indicate a contrast, and Phillips and New English Bible accordingly translate “yet” (Barclay cf. Luther 1984La Sainte Bible: Nouvelle version Segond réviséeBible de JérusalemBible en français courant have “but”). The contrast is of limited scope, between the love the Thessalonians are showing and the still greater love Paul recommends, and it should not be overemphasized in translation, as Jerusalem Bible‘s “however” tends to do. So is perhaps slightly ambiguous. On a hasty reading, it could be misunderstood as introducing a conclusion or summing up what has been already said; but when the passage is read as a whole, it is clear that Paul’s thought is looking forward to the specific advice he has to give in verse 11.
To do even more could be misunderstood if translated literally, even as the same phrase occurring in 4.1 can be misconstrued. Paul does not mean that the Christians in Thessalonica should love more people, since he has already indicated the extent of their love. Evidently it is the quality of their lives (as reflected in verse 11) which is here in focus. Therefore “to do even better” may be a more satisfactory equivalent.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
all the brothers throughout Macedonia: Paul here expanded what he was saying to include not only believers in Thessalonica but also in Philippi and Berea and any other town in the region of Macedonia.
brothers: See the note on 1:4.
4:10b
But: Paul knew that the Thessalonians already loved their fellow Christians, but he wanted them to do so even more.
we urge you: This is the same verb that the Berean Standard Bible translated as “encourage” in 2:12a and 3:2b and in 4:1a. See the notes on those verses.
brothers: See the note on 1:4.
to excel more and more: This phrase means “to continue to love your fellow believers more and more.”
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.
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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