complete verse (2 Corinthians 2:9)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Corinthians 2:9:

  • Uma: “In more previous letter the other day, I ordered you to punish him. My purpose in writing that letter was so that I would see whether you followed all my commands or not. And you did follow my commands the other day.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “This hep also is the reason why I wrote to you, to test you if you really followed my commands to you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason I sent you my letter was so that I might see whether you were really faithful to all of the commands of Christ.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “The other/one reason I wrote to you previously is to test (implicit: you to see) if you are consistently-obedient.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Another reason also that I wrote you before (is this), so that I would know if you were obeying well all that I had taught you.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Previously I sent you a letter that you reprimand the disobedient. I told you that word because I wanted to know whether you would do what I told you or not. But now it is done, you have reprimanded that man.” (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 2:9

This is why: or, more literally, “For this [purpose].” Many modern versions such as Good News Translation recast the sentence and use “because” later in the sentence.

I wrote refers to the letter mentioned in 2.3. As in 2.3, Good News Translation adds the object “to you.” Since Paul is referring to a specific letter, Good News Translation also adds “that letter.”

That I might test you and know: literally “in order that I might know the value [or, worth] of you.” The term used here has to do with the proven value of something as a result of a testing process. Another rendering can be “so that I may know your true character.” The “test” was to determine whether they were truly committed to Paul and to his apostolic teachings.

Paul does not state the person to whom the Corinthians are to be obedient. Most probably Paul was referring to their obedience to his instructions (so Good News Translation) or to his authority (so Revised English Bible). The implied contrast to their obedience to Paul’s authority is probably not that they were self-willed, but rather that they were obedient to others who were opposed to Paul.

The pronouns you in verses 9 and 10 are plural, again referring to the Corinthian Christians.

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 .