complete verse (2 Corinthians 1:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 1:15:

  • Uma: “So, because I said you really know the contents of my heart, that’s why I had a plan the other day [lit., yesterday] to visit you twice, so that you would get also get blessings twice. My purpose the other day [lit., yesterday], I would go first of all to visit you on my trip here to Makedonia, and when I returned from here again, I’d stop in on you again, so that you would help me on my trip going to Yudea.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “I really expect that you will be boasting about me, therefore I planned to come and visit you twice so that you would receive good twice.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since I know that you certainly understand this, I decided that I would first visit you so that I might help you twice.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Since I have no doubts that you are happy with us (excl.), I decided that I would visit you twice koma in order that you would be twice blessed.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well now, because I have assurance of your happiness when we meet-each-other, I decided already back-then to go to you not just once, so that also not just once I could help you in your believing/obeying.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “I thought that you looked well upon me, therefore I decided that I would go there and greet you two times.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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).

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

Translation commentary on 2 Corinthians 1:15

Because I was sure of this: that is, sure that they would understand his motives and purpose. In some languages this will have to be restructured to begin “I knew this very well,” followed by a “therefore…” or “for this reason….” Contemporary English Version makes clear what the demonstrative pronoun this refers to by saying “I was so sure of your pride in us that….”

Paul states in verse 16 that he had planned to visit the Corinthians first on his way to Macedonia and then visit them a second time on his return trip from Macedonia. The Greek word first may be connected closely to the words to you, as in Revised Standard Version, New Revised Standard Version, and Revised English Bible, and mean that he wanted to visit the Corinthians first before going to visit the Macedonians. Or the word first may mean “originally” in the sense of Paul’s original intention (so Good News Translation, God’s New Covenant, Bible en français courant, and Translator’s New Testament). Greek word order seems to favor the Good News Translation translation, but the overall context (see verse 16) is more decisive and favors that of Revised Standard Version.

Some Greek manuscripts have the word “joy” (translated as pleasure in Revised Standard Version), and some have “grace” (New American Bible; translated as “blessed” in Good News Translation). Except for one letter, the spelling of the two words is identical in Greek. Either reading makes sense in the context, and both have good manuscript support. But the UBS Greek New Testament favors the reading followed by Good News Translation. This is also adopted by New International Version, Revised English Bible, and New Jerusalem Bible, which use the English word “benefit” in translation.

Whether read as double pleasure or “blessed twice,” the word double refers to the two visits mentioned in the next verse which he had planned to make to Corinth. Contemporary English Version says “In this way you would have the blessing of two visits from me.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellingworth, Paul. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1993. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .