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).
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 exclusive form (excluding the addressee), making this the only occurrence of an exclusive pronoun in Ephesians.
Source: Velma Pickett and Florence Cowan in Notes on Translation January 1962, p. 1ff.
Following are a number of back-translations of Ephesians 6:22:
Uma: “That is why I send him to go [to you], in order to say to you there how we (excl.) are, in order that your hearts be comforted.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I send Tikikus to you so that he can tell you as to how I am here and what I am doing. This Tikikus is one of our (incl.) beloved brothers because he also trusts in Almasi. He works for our (incl.) Lord/Leader and he is trustworthy in his work. He will tell you about us (excl.) here and he will encourage your livers.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “The reason I am sending him there to you is so that you might know what our situation is here, so that your faith in God might be perfected.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Therefore I am sending him to you so that he will report what is happening to us (excl.) here and so that he will strengthen your minds.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “I sent him there to you so that you would really comprehend our (excl.) situation here, and so that your mind/inner-being would be strengthened.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “This Tychicus I am sending to you in order to greet you. And thus he will tell you what is happening to me. This word he will tell you will strengthen your hearts.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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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).
These two verses are practically identical with Colossians 4.7-8; verse 22 is exactly the same as Colossians 4.8 and should (unlike Good News Translation) be translated the same.
In verse 21 Tychicus is referred to as our dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord’s work (Col 4.7 adds “and fellow slave”).
Since the appositional phrase our dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord’s work is relatively long, it may be better to make it the predicate part of an initial sentence, for example, “Tychicus is our dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord’s work.” The possessive pronoun our may be interpreted as inclusive, since Paul evidently intends for the people at Ephesus to recognize Tychicus as a fellow believer. In a number of languages it is not possible to use a term meaning “brother,” since this may not have any figurative meaning. Therefore our dear brother must be rendered as “our dear fellow believer” or “a fellow believer whom we very much love.”
Faithful servant may perhaps best be interpreted as “one who serves us loyally” or else as “one who serves the Lord faithfully.” Faithful could be interpreted as “faithful to the Lord in the work that is done.”
The phrase in the Lord’s work may be expressed as “in doing work for the Lord” or “in what we do for the Lord.” There is a sense in which the Lord himself is working, but this is being done through Paul, Tychicus, and others.
Will give you all the news about me may be expressed as “will tell you everything about me” or perhaps better “will tell you everything that has been happening to me.”
The Greek construction which Good News Translation translates so that you may know may mean “so that you also may know” (Revised Standard Version and others). It is not clear what other group is implied by this “also.” Barth lists three possibilities and concludes that it means reciprocity: the writer had heard about them (1.15), and now they in turn are to hear about him. This is possible but doesn’t seem too probable. New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament, Barclay, New American Bible, like Good News Translation, translate simply “that you may know”; the Greek for “and” does not necessarily mean here “also, too.”
How I am getting along (Phillips “how I am getting on”) is an idiomatic representation of the Greek phrase which Revised Standard Version, New International Version, Barclay translate “what I am doing”; Moffatt, New English Bible, Translator’s New Testament translate “how I am.”
In some languages it may be important to select carefully an appropriate term for sending, since in this context there is obviously no threat of force or imposition. Therefore it is often more appropriate to translate the first clause of verse 22 as “that is why I am asking him to go to you” or “… to visit you.”
In verse 22 the author repeats his purpose in sending Tychicus to his readers, but in different words from those in verse 21, and this time includes others: to tell you how all of us are getting along. This is the first and only time in the letter that the writer associates others with himself.
The pronoun us in verse 22 is an exclusive first person plural form, since Paul is talking about himself and close colleagues and not about those who are in Ephesus.
In some languages the phrase to encourage you is translated as “cause your hearts to become strong” or “to take away your fears” or “to cause you no longer to worry.”
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 .
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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