complete verse (Galatians 5:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 5:8:

  • Uma: “That teaching of theirs is not from God, who called you to be his followers.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “It is not God who stops/forbids you, because he is the one who called/summoned you so that you follow Isa Almasi.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “This separation of yours was not the work of God, because He is the one who invited you so that you might believe.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Their persuading you, it definitely wasn’t from God who called you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “It isn’t God who is the origin of that, for he is the one putting it into your mind/inner-being to believe/obey this truth.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The word which spoils your hearts is not from God. Because God is calling you to continue in that which was.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Honorary "are" construct denoting God (“call”)

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 usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, mes-are-ru (召される) or “call” is used.

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on Galatians 5:8

Some suggest a play on words between “persuade” and “obey,” since their roots are related. However, this is hard to reproduce in English, and few translators attempt it.

The action of the Galatians is hard to explain, and whoever caused it must have had some special method. Paul is only sure of one thing: this kind of persuasion did not come from God. Literally, the text has “him who calls you,” but from Pauline usage this clearly means God (see 1.6,15).

It was not done by God, who calls you may be understood as a negative response to the question Who made you stop obeying the truth! This verse may therefore be rendered as “It was certainly not God, since he is the one who calls you,” or “… has called you.” As in other contexts, it is important in employing a verb meaning call to avoid an expression which would simply mean “to shout at.” The meaning here is essentially “invite you to become his own,” or, as in some languages, “urges you to come to him.”

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 5:8

5:8

Such persuasion: This phrase refers to the teaching of the false teachers who were trying to persuade the Galatians to stop obeying the truth of the gospel (in 5:7). Specifically, it refers to the teaching that the Galatians needed to be circumcised.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

Those arguments
-or-
That teaching
-or-
Their persuading you
-or-
The teaching of those who are trying to persuade you ?to be circumcised?

does not come from the One who calls you: The phrase the One who calls you refers to God. He is the one who called the Galatians to himself.

Paul stated that the false teaching was the idea of those leading the Galatians astray. It was not from God.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

are not from ?God? who called you ?to believe?
-or-
is not from ?God? . He invited you ?to be his followers? .

Be careful that your translation of the clause who calls you does not imply that there is another God who does not call you.

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