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 (Hebrews 5:3)

Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 5:3:

  • Uma: “So, since Big Priests are weak too, that’s why they must offer worship-gifts to pay-for their own sins. It is not just the worship-gifts of the people that they offers, but worship-gifts to pay-for their own sins also.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “And because of his weakness that’s why he has first to sacrifice to God for his sins then he also sacrifices for the people.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And since there are also his mistakes, it’s necessary that he have something to sacrifice on behalf of his own behavior, just like there is also that which he will sacrifice because of the evil behavior of his fellow men.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So when there is that which he goes to offer for the sins of the people, he must also offer something for his own sins.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “And because he also sins, it is essential for him to make a sacrifice with which to ask for forgiveness for his own sin, and also for the sin of the people.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The high priest, because he also is not strong, must first offer a sacrifice to God to clear his sins. Then he offers sacrifice to clear the sins of the people.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on Hebrews 5:3

Because he is himself weak is perhaps a little heavy after the similar expression in verse 2, but it is clearer than Revised Standard Version‘s “Because of this.” In the Greek, “this” certainly refers to “weakness.” The rendering of weak in the clause because he is himself weak should be expressed in the same way that weak is translated in verse 2.

He must means “it is his duty as high priest.” Barclay has “he is under obligation.” The background of this verse is Leviticus 16.11-14, the high priest’s sacrifice for himself, and 16.15-19, his sacrifice for the people; see also Leviticus 9.7; 16.6, and the comments on Hebrews 2.17. He must may be expressed as “it is necessary for him” or “it is required that he.”

Offer is literally “bring toward” or “present.” This verb is often used of presenting gifts and sacrifices to God. There is no suggestion that the sacrifice might not be accepted, though of course the Old Testament contains examples of sacrifices which were in fact refused.

In a number of languages there is no such neat contrast as not only … but also. However, the same ideas may be expressed as “he must do this … he must also do that.” The last part of verse 3 may be rendered as “he must offer sacrifices to take away the sins of the people, and he must also offer sacrifices to take away his own sins.”

In a number of languages a careful distinction is made between “sins” in the sense of the actual event of doing something wrong, and “sins” as guilt which results from such wrongdoing. It is the latter sense which is focal in this context.

Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Letter of the Hebrews. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1983. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

SIL Translator’s Notes on Hebrews 5:3

5:3a–b

That is why: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as That is why refers back to 5:2b (“he himself is beset by weakness”). This statement in 5:2 implies that the OT high priests were too weak to overcome temptation. They also sinned, just as the people did. In 5:3 the author tells the result of the high priest being weak and sinful. He must also offer sacrifices for his own sins, in addition to the people’s sins.

Some other ways to translate this connection are:

and because of this (New Revised Standard Version)
-or-
and for this reason (NET Bible)

In some languages it is helpful to make the connection more explicit. For example:

Because he is weak (New Century Version)
-or-
So, since he is weak ⌊and also sins⌋
-or-
And because he also sins

he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people: This statement indicates that the high priest also sinned (in addition to the people sinning). Because of that, the high priest had to offer sacrifices for his own sins, in addition to the sacrifices that he made for the sins of the people.

Some other ways to translate this statement are:

That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins and for the sins of others. (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
So when he goes to offer a sacrifice for the sins of the people, he must also offer something for his own sins.

for the sins of the people: The phrase for the sins of the people indicates that he also offers sacrifices for the people’s sins. See the examples in the preceding note.

General Comment on 5:2–3

In 5:2 it may be more natural in some languages to change the order of clauses so that 5:2b comes at the beginning of the sentence. If you do this in your language, you may need to repeat 5:2b at the beginning of 5:3 to make that verse clear. For example:

2b Since he himself is weak, 2a he is able to be gentle with those who do not understand and who are doing wrong things. 3a And because 2b he is himself weak, 3a he must offer sacrifices 3b not only for the sins of the people 3a but also for his own sins. (New Century Version)

Translate 5:2–3 in the order that is most natural in your language.

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