The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “lose heart” or similar in English is translated in Elhomwe idiomatically as “grow tired” and in Makonde as “lose strength in one’s heart.” (Source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
complete verse (Ephesians 3:13)
Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 3:13:
- Uma: “Because of that, relatives, I request that you not be discouraged when you hear that I am in prison, because what I am suffering now carries blessing for you.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Therefore I beseech/admonish you, encourage your livers even though I am here enduring persecution because of my preaching to you. All this is for your good.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And because of all of this, it’s necessary, brothers, that these difficulties that I have to endure because of you, are not a cause for your faith being removed, but rather, you must rejoice because this is for your good.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “Therefore please don’t be discouraged/disillusioned because of my being-persecuted for you, because that will be to-your-benefit just the same.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “Therefore I am really-asking you that you don’t let the hardships I am suffering for your sakes be a means of destroying your belief, for I am telling you that they are for your praise/glory.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “Therefore I tell you not to be sad because of what I suffer for telling you the good news. Rather rejoice that the suffering I pass through for you is working good for you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
request / beg (Japanese honorifics)
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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 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. The concept of “requesting” is translated in the Shinkaiyaku Bible as o-negai (お願い), combining “request” (negai) with the respectful prefix o (お).
(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )
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. )
Translation commentary on Ephesians 3:13
This word of exhortation concludes the section and calls the readers back to verse 1, I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles. Then introduces the logical consequence of the boldness and confidence expressed in the preceding verse: the readers should not lose them because of the writer’s suffering on their behalf.
There are two exegetical problems in this verse: the main verb in Greek “to ask” can mean (1) “I pray” or (2) “I request”; and the lack of an explicit subject for “(not to) become discouraged” makes it possible to take it to be (a) “for you not to be discouraged” or (b) “for me not to be discouraged.” Opinions vary:
1a “I pray to God that you not be discouraged”: Barth; Barclay
2a “I ask you not to be discouraged”: Westcott, Salmond, Abbott, Robinson, Murray, Caragounis, Beare; Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, and most others
1b “I pray to God that I will not become discouraged”: Dodd; Goodspeed, Revised Standard Version margin
As the chart shows, the vast majority understand it as does Good News Translation. The verb “to ask” is used also in 3.20 (of prayer to God; see also Col 1.9).
The verb translated “(not) to be discouraged” is used also in Galatians 6.9; 2 Corinthians 4.1, 16; Luke 18.2; 2 Thessalonians 3.13. And for the noun translated “suffering” see Colossians 1.24.
The statement I beg you is best represented in some languages as “I strongly urge you.” But in some cases the better equivalent is a request implied by some such word as “please,” for example, “Please do not be discouraged.”
Not to be discouraged may be expressed in a number of ways, often idiomatically, for example, “not to lose heart,” “not to give up,” “not to run away,” or “not to think that all is lost.”
There is a problem involved in the English use of because introducing a clause immediately following a negative statement, for this could be interpreted to mean “do not be discouraged because I’m suffering for you,” but rather be discouraged for some other reason. So it may be better to say “do not be discouraged that I’m suffering for you,” or else to begin a new sentence “… do not be discouraged that I’m suffering. It is all for your benefit.”
I am suffering for you can be rendered as “I am suffering for your benefit” or “what I am suffering is actually to help you” or “… will be of help to you.” Other renderings are “the troubles that I am going through for you” (Barclay) and “trials that I go through on your account.”
It is possible to take the Greek relative clause “which is your glory” to refer back to the readers’ lack of discouragement; but it is much more natural to take it to refer to the writer’s sufferings. The relative “which” is more than the simple relative; it has the element of reason in it, “because this is…” (so Abbott).
What is meant by “glory”? In all passages in which the word has appeared (1.6, 12, 14, 17, 18) it refers to God’s glory, as it does also in 3.16; and in 3.21 it is directed to God. As Caragounis points out, “the meaning of ‘glory’ has puzzled all interpreters.” Barth translates “your glorification,” which may be taken to mean progressive growth in Christian virtues and perfection, finally to be attained in the future life with God (so Caragounis: “will lead to your being glorified”). When used of people, the word may have the sense of “honor, prestige, reason for boasting”; so Translator’s New Testament “You should be proud of this”; Phillips “Indeed, you should be honoured” (Moffatt, Goodspeed, Twentieth Century New Testament, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy all have the idea of honor). Or the word may have the general sense of benefit, advantage; so Good News Translation, Bible en français courant; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “It has happened for your benefit, and you should be proud of it.” Perhaps something like the meaning expressed in Colossians 1.27, “the hope of glory” (Good News Translation you will share in the glory of God), is intended here.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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