complete verse (Galatians 6:5)

Following are a number of back-translations of Galatians 6:5:

  • Uma: “For every one of us will be responsible for our own behavior.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Because we (incl.) each must/have to take responsibility for our (incl.) own doings.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “for it’s necessary that each one carry his own thing to be carried.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because each one is responsible for what he himself does.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Because as for the good which God is causing each one of us to do, everyone needs to attend-to/face his own individually.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because each one of us has the responsibility to judge whether we have done good or not.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Galatians 6:5

The main problem posed by this verse is its relation to verse 2. Are these verses contradictory? If not, how can one explain the relation? The context in which verse 5 appears seems to point to a different interpretation from that of verse 2. In the light of verse 4, load here seems to refer to one’s own conduct, in which case Paul may be saying “Everyone is responsible to God for his own conduct.”

Another angle that can be considered is the fact that Paul uses two different words to describe what is being carried. The burden in verse 2 seems to refer to a load which is heavy and somewhat oppressive, and therefore it would be for the person’s own good if he could get rid of it. In verse 5, however, Paul uses a word (load) which is used of a ship’s cargo or a man’s pack or a soldier’s knapsack. Accordingly, some see in this verse the figure of a soldier going to battle and bearing his own kit. The emphasis then would be on everyone doing his own share of normal duty (Moffatt “Everyone will have to bear his own load of responsibility”).

One must not, however, press the linguistic difference between the two words, for no really sharp distinctions can be drawn between them. Another possibility is to understand load in verse 5 as referring to weakness and sin, and to interpret all of verse 5 as related to verse 2a, but in the form of a paradox. What Paul would be suggesting, then, is that it is only the man who knows he has to carry his own load who is able and willing to help carry the loads of others. Thus it is possible to understand “burden” in both verses as referring to the same thing, for example, weakness, sin, et cetera, and to interpret the two verses as forming two parts of a paradox.

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 6:5

6:5

For: Verse 6:5 is the basis for the command in 6:4a that “each person should test his own work.” The Greek introduces this basis with a conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For.

Some English versions do not translate this conjunction. In some languages, it will not be necessary to translate this conjunction either.

each one should carry his own load: This clause is a metaphor. In this metaphor, the work/responsibilities that God has given each believer are compared to bearing/carrying a load. Believers must concentrate on doing the work for which they themselves are responsible.

Some ways to translate this clause are:

• Keep the metaphor. For example:

We each must carry our own load. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
each of us are responsible for carrying the load ?that God has given us?

• Change the metaphor to a simile. For example:

We must each do the work ?that God has given each of us? , like someone who is responsible/assigned to carry his own load.

• Translate the meaning directly without using a figure of speech. For example:

we are each responsible for our own conduct (New Living Translation (2004))

load: In some languages, it may be necessary to translate the word load here in 6:5 with the same word as “burden” in 6:2. In such a situation, there may be an apparent conflict between 6:2 and 6:5. On the one hand, we are to bear one another’s burdens/loads. On the other hand, we are to bear our own loads.

The words translated as “burden” and load are different in Greek. So you may have to say something like “heavy load” in 6:2 to distinguish it from load here.

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Sung version of Galatians 6

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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