In Highland Puebla Nahuatl there is no immediate equivalent for the Greek that is translated with the English term “heir.” So here an expression is used that means “someone who will receive the property (or: things).” (Source: Nida 1947, p. 200f.) Likewise, in Chimborazo Highland Quichua the translation is “those who receive what belongs to their father” (source: Julia Woodward in The Bible Translator 1950, p. 140ff. ) and in Sayula Popoluca “will receive all that God has for us” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff.).
complete verse (Galatians 3:29)
Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 3:29:
- Uma: “So, because you are connected with Kristus, you are the descendants of Abraham as well, and you also get what God promised to Abraham.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “Because you belong to Isa Almasi, that’s why you are also descendants of Ibrahim and the promise of God to Ibrahim is yours/belongs to you.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since you are subjects of Christ, you have become like the descendants of Abraham and you also will receive the things God promised Abraham.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “And if you are-united-with Cristo, you are counted as descendants of Abraham and you will-join-in-inheriting what God promised him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “And well, as for you, if you are Cristo’s now, you are now being regarded as children of Abraham, who are included in all the good-situation that God promised to him.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “When you walk with Christ, then you are descendants of Abraham. And you have a part in what God promised to give.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Christ, Messiah
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 .
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 Galatians 3:29
This verse functions not only as the climax of Paul’s argument in this section, but picks up again the theme started in verse 7 and referred to again in verses 9, 14, and 16, namely, the question of who are the real descendants of Abraham. The condition for becoming a descendant of Abraham is here stated differently, but the meaning is the same: if you belong to Christ. The if does not introduce a mere hypothesis, but it suggests that what follows is true and certain (compare Jerusalem Bible “merely by belonging to Christ”). Since this condition does imply an actual fact, it may be expressed more accurately as a condition of cause, for example, “because you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham,” or “… belong to the lineage of Abraham.”
Will receive what God has promised is literally “heirs according to the promise.” As in verse 18, the inheritance implied in the word “heirs” is the gift of God, the content of God’s promise, and therefore the “heirs” are the recipients of God’s promised gift. It may, moreover, be necessary to specify those to whom the promise was made, for example, “will receive what God has promised to you as descendants of Abraham,” or “will receive what God has promised Abraham’s descendants,” or even “… Abraham and his descendants.”
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1976. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
SIL Translator’s Notes on Galatians 3:29
3:29
In this verse, Paul used an “if” clause to conclude the argument that he began in 3:6. He pointed out that once a person has trusted in Christ, then he is a true descendant of Abraham.
3:29a
And if you belong to Christ: In this “if” clause, Paul stated a true fact. The Galatians, as believers, did belong to Christ. Paul was not questioning whether the Galatians belonged to Christ. He was stating that they ded belong to Christ and therefore certain other things were true.
In some languages, the word “if” might suggest doubt about whether the Galatians belonged to Christ. So, it may be more natural to avoid beginning this clause with the word ”if.” For example:
Since you belong to Christ
-or-
So because you are connected to Christ
-or-
And now that you belong to Christ (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
You belong to Christ (New Century Version)
3:29b
then you are Abraham’s seed: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seed means “descendants.” Here it refers to “spiritual children/descendants.” The same word occurs in 3:16c.
The result of belonging to Christ is that we become offspring/children of Abraham. Paul already stated in 3:7 that those who believe in Christ are sons of Abraham.
Some other ways to translate this clause are:
then you are the descendants of Abraham (Good News Translation)
-or-
then you are counted as descendants of Abraham
3:29c
and heirs according to the promise: This phrase indicates that believers are also Abraham’s heirs. They are his heirs because that is what God promised. They inherit the same promise that God made to Abraham: they are justified by faith. This is one of Abraham’s blessings.
Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
and inherit/receive what God has promised ?to him?
-or-
and will receive what God has promised (Good News Translation)
-or-
and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you (New Living Translation (2004))
heirs: The word heirs refers to the people who will receive the inheritance.
Another way to translate this word is:
people who receive the inheritance
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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