sin

The Hebrew and Greek that is typically translated as “sin” in English has a wide variety of translations.

The Greek ἁμαρτάνω (hamartanō) carries the original verbatim meaning of “miss the mark” and likewise, many translations contain the “connotation of moral responsibility.”

  • Loma: “leaving the road” (which “implies a definite standard, the transgression of which is sin”)
  • Navajo (Dinė): “that which is off to the side” (source for this and above: Bratcher / Nida)
  • Toraja-Sa’dan: kasalan, originally meaning “transgression of a religious or moral rule” and in the context of the Bible “transgression of God’s commandments” (source: H. van der Veen in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 21ff. )
  • Kaingang: “break God’s word”
  • Bariai: “bad behavior” (source: Bariai Back Translation)
  • Sandawe: “miss the mark” (like the original meaning of the Greek term) (source for this and above: Ursula Wiesemann in Holzhausen / Riderer 2010, p. 36ff., 43)

In Shipibo-Conibo the term is hocha. Nida (1952, p. 149) tells the story of its choosing: “In some instances a native expression for sin includes many connotations, and its full meaning must be completely understood before one ever attempts to use it. This was true, for example, of the term hocha first proposed by Shipibo-Conibo natives as an equivalent for ‘sin.’ The term seemed quite all right until one day the translator heard a girl say after having broken a little pottery jar that she was guilty of ‘hocha.’ Breaking such a little jar scarcely seemed to be sin. However, the Shipibos insisted that hocha was really sin, and they explained more fully the meaning of the word. It could be used of breaking a jar, but only if the jar belonged to someone else. Hocha was nothing more nor less than destroying the possessions of another, but the meaning did not stop with purely material possessions. In their belief God owns the world and all that is in it. Anyone who destroys the work and plan of God is guilty of hocha. Hence the murderer is of all men most guilty of hocha, for he has destroyed God’s most important possession in the world, namely, man. Any destructive and malevolent spirit is hocha, for it is antagonistic and harmful to God’s creation. Rather than being a feeble word for some accidental event, this word for sin turned out to be exceedingly rich in meaning and laid a foundation for the full presentation of the redemptive act of God.”

In Warao it is translated as “bad obojona.” Obojona is a term that “includes the concepts of consciousness, will, attitude, attention and a few other miscellaneous notions.” (Source: Henry Osborn in The Bible Translator 1969, p. 74ff. ). See other occurrences of Obojona in the Warao New Testament.

Martin Ehrensvärd, one of the translators for the Danish Bibelen 2020, comments on the translation of this term: “We would explain terms, such that e.g. sin often became ‘doing what God does not want’ or ‘breaking God’s law’, ‘letting God down’, ‘disrespecting God’, ‘doing evil’, ‘acting stupidly’, ‘becoming guilty’. Now why couldn’t we just use the word sin? Well, sin in contemporary Danish, outside of the church, is mostly used about things such as delicious but unhealthy foods. Exquisite cakes and chocolates are what a sin is today.” (Source: Ehrensvärd in HIPHIL Novum 8/2023, p. 81ff. )

See also sinner.

complete verse (Ezekiel 18:14)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Ezekiel 18:14:

  • Kupsabiny: “Let us say that this second man has a son. This son sees all the sin that his father is doing and he refuses to follow those.” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “‘But for-example, that wicked man has a male child/(son), and this child saw all the sin which his father did, but he did- not -follow.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “But suppose that man has a son who sees all the sins that his father commits, but he does not do those things:” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Ezekiel 18:14 - 18:17

The third example of individual responsibility in verses 14-17 follows the same pattern as the first two examples. The man in this example is a son of the wicked man in the second example, so he is a grandson of the good man in the first example. In this way God maintains the family connection and disproves the claim that guilt for sin or credit for obedience can be passed down from father to son, as the Israelite exiles were claiming in their proverb.

But if this man begets a son …: Verse 14 begins with the Hebrew word hinneh often rendered “behold” (translated “lo” in King James Version). In all the repetition in this chapter, this attention-getting particle highlights the third example. Here it may also include an element of surprise that the son of a wicked man could be good. This clause may be rendered “But suppose this evil man himself has a son.”

Who sees all the sins which his father has done, and fears, and does not do likewise: The life of the son in this example is the opposite to his father’s life. According to Revised Standard Version, the reason for the son’s change of direction is because he fears. Presumably he foresees the judgment awaiting his father and is afraid of sharing the judgment if he also lives in that way. Although this interpretation makes good sense, it involves a slight, but unnecessary, change in the Hebrew text. Instead of fears, the Hebrew has a verb that means “see,” “look at,” or “take note of.” This verb implies that he makes a deliberate decision to live differently from his father. New Revised Standard Version renders it “considers.” Good News Translation provides a helpful model for the last half of verse 14, saying “He sees all the sins his father practiced, but does not follow his example.”

Who does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbor’s wife, does not wrong any one, exacts no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, withholds his hand from iniquity, takes no interest or increase, observes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes: As in the other two examples, Ezekiel lists the actions of the third man. Again, the things he does are exactly the opposite of what his father did, but they are almost identical to what his grandfather did (see numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14 in the comments on verses 5-9). There are minor changes to four of these actions. First, this man exacts no pledge at all, that is, he “doesn’t even demand security for a loan” (Contemporary English Version). In this way he treats the poor even better than his grandfather did (compare number 6 above). However, some translations misunderstand this clause in Hebrew and wrongly render it exactly the same as in the grandfather’s list (so Good News Translation). Second, he withholds his hand from iniquity (compare number 11 above). Revised Standard Version and many other translations change the Hebrew text here, which reads “he turns his hand back from the poor” (so New Living Translation, King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Hebrew Old Testament Text Project). This reading means he restrains himself from harming or mistreating the poor, so it may be rendered “he won’t allow himself to harm the poor.” This reading is preferable. Third, he takes no interest or increase (compare number 10 above); here the wording in Hebrew is slightly different, but the meaning is the same. Fourth, he observes my ordinances (compare number 13 above), which is literally “he does my laws” (similarly King James Version / New King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Moffatt); once again the Hebrew wording is slightly different, but the meaning is the same. This clause may be rendered “He keeps my laws” (Good News Translation) or “He obeys my laws” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

He shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he shall surely live: Immediately after the list of the third man’s actions, God declares his fate. The Hebrew word for iniquity also has the sense of “guilt” in this context (see the comments on 4.4-5, where it is rendered “punishment”). He shall not die for his father’s iniquity may be rendered “He will not die because of his father’s sins” (Good News Translation) or “His own father sinned [or, was guilty], but this good man will not be put to death for the sins of his father” (Contemporary English Version). For he shall surely live, see Ezek 18.9.

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .