comfort, encourage

The Greek and Hebrew that is translated in English as “encourage” or “comfort” is translated in Enlhet as “become calm of the innermost.” “Innermost” or valhoc is a term that is frequently used in Enlhet to describe a large variety of emotions or states of mind (for other examples see here). (Source: Jacob Loewen in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 24ff. )

In Bacama it is translated as “(to) cool stomach” (source: David Frank in this blog post ), in Yatzachi Zapotec as “cause hearts to mature,” in Isthmus Zapotec “hearts may lie quiet” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.) and in Thai “give heart power to” (source: Bratcher / Hatton 2000).

See also Seat of the Mind / Seat of Emotions and consolation.

complete verse (2 Thessalonians 2:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of 2 Thessalonians 2:17:

  • Uma: “that he strengthen and make-stay your hearts, relatives, so that your words and deeds are all good.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “We (incl.) are loved by our (incl.) Father God, and because of his love there is no end of his encouraging our (incl.) livers and he caused to be certain to us (incl.) our (incl.) expectation/hope of/from him. May our (incl.) Father God and our (incl.) Leader Isa Almasi make firm your livers and give you strength to do and say whatever is good.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “May our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God make you joyful and strenghthen you so that all of your works and all of your words may be good. We (incl.) are always dear in His breath, and by means of His kindness to us we have cause for joy which is forever, and we also have something very good to expect.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “May Jesu Cristo our Lord and God our Father be the ones to continually-strengthen your minds and help you so that what you do and say will be totally good. Because God showed his love to us, and because of his mercy/grace to us, he also gave (us) an unchanging source-of-strengthening of our minds and our good hope/expectation.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “We(excl.) ask that he will encourage/strengthen your mind/inner-being and make you sturdy in deed and word which are wholly good.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “May God strengthen your hearts so that your thoughts will be firm when you speak, and the word which is good you will say. Whatever you do, may all that you do be good.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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).

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

Japanese benefactives (-sete)

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-kao (御顔) or “face (of God)” in the referenced verses.

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

Translation commentary on 2 Thessalonians 2:17

The Good News Translation translation of verse 16 leaves one slight difficulty unsolved. It carries into English an ambiguity of the Greek text, in which the pronoun “he” (of “he may encourage”) may refer to our Lord Jesus Christ, to God our Father, or to both acting jointly. Verse 17 is a continuation of the sentence begun in verse 16, so that the one who loved us and … gave us courage … is the same one who Paul desires may fill you with courage and strengthen you.

Fill you with courage is literally “encourage your hearts.” Any translation of “hearts” which suggest mere emotion is to be avoided (see 1 Thess. 2.4, where Good News Bible has “our motives”; cf. 1 Thess. 2.17, where Good News Bible has “our thoughts”). The Greek word for “heart,” like its Hebrew equivalent, sometimes means the whole “inner man,” as in 1 Peter 3.4. Good News Translation, along with Phillips Jerusalem Bible New English Bible Translator’s New Testament Bijbel in Gewone Taal Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, accordingly replaces “your hearts” by you. However, “heart” can also refer more precisely to judgment and will, as in Mark 7.21, cf. Jeremiah 5.21 (King James Version “without understanding,” Revised Standard Version “senseless”) and Job 12.4 (Revised Standard Version “understanding,” New English Bible “sense”). This would fit in excellently with Paul’s appeal to his readers in 2.1-3 to use good sense and judgment. Similarly, strengthen you is the opposite of being “shaken” (see notes on v. 2).

In a number of languages it is impossible to speak of “filling you (or “your hearts”) with courage,” but one may say “to cause you to be completely courageous,” “to cause you to have complete courage,” or “to cause you to stand up against any and all dangers.”

To always do and say what is good (literally “in every good deed and word”) correctly links always and good with both do and say. The implied meaning is not “strengthen you whenever you are doing or saying something good,” but “strengthen you so that you can do and say what is good” (or perhaps, as in vv. 9-10, “so that you can do and say all kinds of good things”). Good News Translation (cf. Barclay) brings this out. Knox‘s “confirm you in every right habit of action and speech” somewhat over-emphasizes the suggestion that the Thessalonians are already (at least in general, cf. chapter 3) doing and saying what is good. However, Paul by no means denies this.

It may be difficult in some languages to combine the concept of “strengthen” with the idea of doing and saying what is good. The basic underlying meaning of strengthen in this context is an increase in “capacity” or “ability.” In some instances one may wish to translate this as “make you continually able to always do and say what is good.” By the introduction of “continually” and “able,” the concept of abiding strength is clearly indicated.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .