truth

The Greek, Latin and Hebrew that is usually translated in English as “truth” is translated in Luchazi with vusunga: “the quality of being straight” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. ), in Obolo as atikọ or “good/correct talk” (source: Enene Enene), and in Ekari as maakodo bokouto or “enormous truth” (esp. in John 14:6 and 17; bokouto — “enormous” — is being used as an attribute for abstract nouns to denote that they are of God [see also here]; source: Marion Doble in The Bible Translator 1963, p. 37ff. ).

The translation committee of the Malay “Good News Bible” (Alkitab Berita Baik, see here ) wrestled with the translation of “truth” in the Gospel of John (for more information click or tap here):

“Our Malay Committee also concluded that ‘truth’ as used in the Gospel of John was used either of God himself, or of God’s revelation of himself, or in an extended sense as a reference to those who had responded to God’s self-disclosure. In John 8:32 the New Malay translation reads ‘You will know the truth about God, and the truth about God will make you free.’ In John 8:44 this meaning is brought out by translating, ‘He has never been on the side of God, because there is no truth in him.’ Accordingly Jesus ‘tells the truth about God’ in 8:45, 46 (see also 16:7 and 8:37a). Then, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life’ becomes ‘I am the one who leads men to God, the one who reveals who and what God is, and the one who gives men life.” At 3:21 the translation reads ” … whoever obeys the truth, that is God himself, comes to the light …’; 16:13a appears as ‘he will lead you into the full truth about God’; and in 18:37 Jesus affirms ‘I came into the world to reveal the truth about God, and whoever obeys God listens to me.’ On this basis also 1:14 was translated ‘we saw his glory, the glory which he had as the Father’s only Son. Through him God has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace)’; and 1:17 appears as ‘God gave the law through Moses; but through Jesus Christ he has completely revealed himself (truth) and his love for us (grace).'” (Source: Barclay Newman in The Bible Translator 1974, p. 432ff. )

Helen Evans (in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 40ff. ) tells of the translation into Kui which usually is “true-thing.” In some instances however, such as in the second part of John 17:17 (“your word is truth” in English), the use of “true-thing” indicated that there might be other occasions when it’s not true, so here the translation was a a form of “pure, holy.”

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Eph. 4:15)

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 inclusive form (including the reader of the letter).

Source: SIL International Translation Department (1999)

complete verse (Ephesians 4:15)

Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 4:15:

  • Uma: “We are no longer easily deceived because strong is our holding to the true teaching with loving hearts. We grow stronger and stronger and more and more aware/mature in all things, until we become the same as Kristus. That Kristus, we consider him our Head,” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But we (incl.), that is what we (incl.) speak to our (incl.) companions about, the true teaching because of our (incl.) love for them. So-then our (dual) trust in Almasi becomes stronger and our (dual) conduct/behavior becomes like his conduct/behavior. He is figuratively the head” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for us (incl.) by contrast, it’s necessary that what we say is true and not a lie, to our companions because they are precious in our breath. And by means of this, our imitating all the behavior of Christ will increase.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Yes, we shouldn’t be just believing different teaching, but rather let us be following and telling our fellows the true teaching because of our love to them so that we will be like Cristo and our being joined to him who is compared to our head will become more correct/better.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Rather what’s good is, let us always live according to the truth originating from God, in which our holding dear and valuing are what manages/guides us. For if it’s like that our growth/maturity will all the more improve, we who are like the body of Cristo, he being the head.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But for us, let us earnestly speak the true word. Let us show that we love the people to whom we speak the word. Let us hunt the word that will cause us to become more like Christ. Concerning Christ, he it is who leads and rules all the believers like the head of a person leads in ruling the body.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Christ, Messiah

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The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.

When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח‎) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”

This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.

In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the German Gute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).

In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.

In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).

Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:

  • Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
  • Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
  • Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
  • Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )

In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)


“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )

Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient Greek Septuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):

“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Christ .

Translation commentary on Ephesians 4:15

This verse offers the contrast to the condition described in verse 14. Speaking the truth translates a Greek verb which occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Galatians 4.16. It certainly includes the element of speaking, but is probably broader in scope, including disposition and action as well. So Translator’s New Testament “base our lives on truth (and love).” Perhaps something like “maintaining the truth” (Robinson) or “being faithful to the truth” can express the broader meaning. In any case, it is truth in the fellowship of the church (see 4.25).

In a number of languages it is not possible to speak of “truth” without specifying the content of the truth, for example, “by speaking what is true about God” or “by speaking what is true in the Good News” or “… the truth that God has made known to us” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

There is, however, a further problem involved in the phrase introduced by by at the beginning of verse 15. This way of introducing what is called “means” may be quite impossible in some languages, and therefore one must alter the structure, for example, “instead, we should speak what is true … and in this way we must grow up in every way to Christ.” Or else, by reversing the clauses: “We must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head. We can do this by spreading the truth and having love for one another.” If, however, the phrase by speaking the truth is understood in its broader implication of “living according to the truth,” one may translate “we should live according to what is true in the Good News … and in this way we will grow up….”

A spirit of love translates “in love”; it is the Christians’ love for one another in the body of Christ which guarantees growth and health (see also 5.2); for the idea of growth see 2.21. It may be difficult to speak of a spirit of love, but it is always possible to translate in such a way as to mean “while always loving one another” or “and showing love for one another.”

We must grow up in every way to Christ, who is the head: the growth of the body has Christ as the goal. “To grow up into Christ” does not mean “to become Christ”; it means the growth, the maturity, of all Christians is directed toward the goal which is Christ himself, to become like him and to be completely (in every way) incorporated in him. Translator’s New Testament has “grow up into a perfect union with Christ,” and compare Robinson’s comment: “Learn more and more to live as part of a great whole.” Barclay has “we shall become more and more closely united with him who is the head.” Once again the concrete picture the writer uses is not completely adequate for the spiritual reality he is describing.

The phrase we must grow up reflects a Greek form of the verb indicating an exhortation. In many instances this may be translated as “let us grow up” or “we should grow up.”

The figure of Christ as the head of the body, the church, means that he rules, he governs, the body. It is often necessary to specify what the head is related to, and therefore one may wish to translate who is the head as “who is the head of the church.”

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 .