The Greek and Latin that is translated as “resurrection” in English is translated in Chicahuaxtla Triqui and Pohnpeian as “live-up” (i.e. return to life) (source: Reiling / Swellengrebel) and in Iloko as panagungar: a term that stems “from the word ‘agungar,’ an agricultural term used to describe the coming back to life of a plant which was wilting but which has been watered by the farmer, or of a bulb which was apparently dead but grows again.” (Source: G. Henry Waterman in The Bible Translator 1960, p. 24ff. )
Likewise, in Matumbiyu’ya carries the meaning of “raise from the dead, resuscitate, come back from near death” and is used for dry plants that come back to life when you water them or sick children who revive after being healed. (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Estado de México Otomi, it is translated as “people will be raised from the dead,” in Teutila Cuicatec as “the dead having to come to life again,” in San Mateo del Mar Huave as “arose from the grave” (source: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.), and in Kriol as gidap laibala brom dedbala or “get up alive from the dead” (source: Sam Freney in this article .)
The Greek that is translated as “lay hands on (someone)” in English is translated in Tae’ with “‘He-pressed-down,’ a verb that in former times was used with the specific meaning of ‘to press down one’s hand on a person’s head,’ in order to fortify his soul after a dangerous experience, but in Christian usage came to refer to the gesture made when blessing a person.”
The Greek that is typically translated as “eternity,” “forever,” or “forever and ever” in English are translated in Mairasi as “mashed out infinitely.” Lloyd Peckham explains: “Bark cloth required pounding. It got longer and wider as it got pounded. Similarly, life gets pounded or mashed to lengthen it into infinity. Tubers also get mashed into the standard way of serving the staple food, like the fufu of Uganda, or like poi of Hawaii. It spreads out into infinity.” (Source: Lloyd Peckham)
In Lisu the phrase “forever and ever” is translated as ꓕꓲꓽ ꓞꓲꓼ ꓕꓲ ꓑ — thi tsi thi pa, verbatim translated as “one – lifetime – one – world.” This construction follows a traditional four-couplet construct in oral Lisu poetry that is usually in the form ABAC or ABCB. (Source: Arrington 2020, p. 57f.)
In Makonde it is often translated as navyaka or “years and years.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
Following are a number of back-translations of Hebrews 6:2:
Uma: “So, relatives, it is better that we cease for now talking about the first teaching of the Kristen religion, like teachings for people who have just become Kristen people, and let us speak about continuing-on teaching. People who have just become Kristen must be taught to repent from their useless deeds and believe in God. They are taught to request-to-be-baptized in the name of the Lord Yesus and a religion leader puts-hands-on their head. They are taught what will happen in the future: God will make dead people live again and he will punish forever people whose behavior is evil. But let us not repeat those first teachings. Let us speak-about continuing-on/further teaching, if God still gives us opportunity.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Don’t also let us (incl.) always repeat studying the teaching on bathing for cleansing the body and about placing hands on the head of people to ask blessing for him from God and the teaching about causing-to-be-alive again the dead in the future and about the everlasting judgment that God will send.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Let us not repeatedly keep on studying about baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, our being raised from the dead in the future, and God checking up in the future on all mankind,” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “the washing of the body and baptism, the placing of hands on the head of a companion, the living-again of the dead, and God’s judging of people which has no end to its result.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Probably also clear to you is the teaching concerning baptising and other means of cleansing in the sight of God, and teaching concerning placing hands on, concerning the coming alive again of those who have now died, and concerning the judgment of punishment without ending.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now it isn’t necessary any longer for me to tell you to be baptized, or that I tell you to place your hands on the believer’s heads. It is no longer necessary that I tell you that the dead bodies will resurrect. It isn’t necessary to tell you any longer that people will be judged and God will determine what will happen to each person forever.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Let us go forward is not a request for permission but an appeal for action. “Moving forward” or “going forward” may not necessarily suggest progress toward any particular goal. Therefore it may be important to say “Let us go to the goal of mature teaching.”
Mature teaching does not mean the teaching that is given by mature people, but the teaching which is appropriate for those who are mature, who are “adults in their faith,” or “like grownups as far as believing is concerned.”
Most translations and commentaries agree with Good News Translation‘s leave behind, but the Greek may also mean “omit,” “pass over” (Bijbel in Gewone Taal). Knox has “We must leave on one side, then, all discussion of our first lessons in Christ, and pass on to our full growth.” The difference of meaning is not great, but the translation should in any case avoid the idea that the readers are being asked to throw away the elementary teaching they had received. The writer means that he will not in this letter repeat the elementary teaching, and does not wish his readers to keep going over the same ground themselves. See verses 1b-2 and also comments on 7.11.
In order to avoid wrong connotations in the expression leave behind, it may be necessary to employ a negative equivalent; for example, “and not keep repeating” or “and not just stay where we are.”
This verse suggests that even the milk mentioned in 5.12 consists of distinctively Christian teaching (Revised Standard Version “the elementary doctrine of Christ”). Otherwise this verse overlaps considerably in meaning with the first lessons of God’s message in 5.12. The Christian message is literally “the word of Christ.” “Word,” probably in contrast to 5.13, takes on the meaning of “message,” that is, the Christian “Good News.” It is a message about Christ rather than a message from Christ. The problem is that the examples of “elementary doctrines of Christ” given in 6.2 have nothing specifically Christian about them. For example, as the TEV footnote shows, the word for “baptisms” in the plural may not refer to Christian baptism, which took place once for all, but to Jewish purification ceremonies. The “elementary doctrines” are unlikely to be the teaching of Jesus during his earthly life. Perhaps “Christ” in this context has the wider meaning “Messiah,” so that the “elementary teaching about the Messiah” could be partly, perhaps even entirely, Jewish teaching, which the readers would have received before they became Christian.
The first lessons may be expressed as “what we were first taught” or “what we first learned.” But if the translation “what we first learned” is combined with the Christian message, it may be necessary to restructure the relationship by saying “what we first learned about Christ.” The meaning of message is, of course, combined in the expression “what we first learned.”
In addition to the general problems discussed in the introduction to this section, these verses contain small problems of text and punctuation of the Greek, though the general sense is clear.
For the problem of punctuation, see the punctuation note in the UBS Greek text. The question is how to arrange the six items which the readers are told they should not lay again. These verses use two Greek words for “and,” one of which may indicate a closer link than the other. If this clue is followed, the grouping would be as follows:
turning away from dead works
and faith in God
baptisms and the laying on of hands and the resurrection of the dead
and the eternal judgment.
However, it is much safer to follow the meaning of the various expressions rather than rely on a small difference in the Greek. If the meaning is followed, the grouping is clearly:
turning away from dead works, and faith in God
baptisms and the laying on of hands
the resurrection of the dead and the eternal judgment.
The first pair refers to the past, the second perhaps more to worship in the present, and the third to the future.
Most translations keep the metaphor of lay … the foundation, but Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch gives the meaning in a nonfigurative way: “So we do not want to deal once more with elementary concepts”; Translator’s New Testament has “We have already taught you the fundamental things and we need not do it again.” There are not many languages in which one can keep the figurative expression “laying again a foundation” (Revised Standard Version), since a “foundation” normally has nothing to do with “elementary teaching” or “basic facts.” It is possible to render We should not lay again the foundation as “We should not again talk about the first lessons,” “… what you must first learn,” or “… what you first had to learn.”
Turning away is a figure of speech for what is traditionally translated “repentance,” a complete change of mind and direction in life. However, in current English the word “repentance” is little used outside church circles, and “repentance from” something (rather than “for” past sins) is less natural than turning away from. The translation should, however, make it clear that the turning away is both inward and outward; that is, it affects both thought and action.
The foundation mentioned in verse 1b is explained as consisting of two elements, namely, turning away from useless works and believing in God. If foundation is translated as “first lessons” or “initial teaching,” then the teaching consists of the same two elements; in other words, repentance and faith.
The phrase turning away from may be expressed as “no longer performing,” “no longer being involved in,” or “refusing to do any longer.”
“Dead works” may be (a) useless works (so Bible en français courant), actions, or a way of life which does not win God’s favor; or (b) “a life which leads to death” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “conduct which leads to death”; similarly Translator’s New Testament, Bijbel in Gewone Taal, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Phillips, Barclay). 9.14 suggests that the “dead works” are not only useless, but that they make someone unclean, as contact with a dead body would do.
Useless works may be expressed as “what one does which does no good” or “the way in which one lives which is of no help.” If, however, one adopts the meaning of “behavior which leads to death,” it may be possible to speak of “the way in which one lives which results in death” or “… which causes one’s death.” This death, however, is essentially a spiritual death, and therefore it may be possible to speak of “which causes death to one’s spirit.”
Revised Standard Version‘s “faith toward God” is awkward in English but shows that it is the opposite of turning away from “dead works.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch has “and turning to God,” implying trust in or reliance on him. Believing in God is the second part of the foundation or “first lessons.” It may be necessary to render believing in God as “how we should believe in God” or “what trusting in God really means.”
A textual problem affects the word translated teaching. Most manuscripts, like the UBS Greek text, have “of teaching,” but two early manuscripts do not have the form corresponding to “of.” This would mean that the “foundations” and the “teaching” were the same. It would probably also suggest that the “teaching” is not just about baptisms, but about the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and the eternal judgment as well. Good News Translation, like Revised Standard Version and most translations, agrees with the UBS Greek New Testament.
Good News Translation‘s the before teaching about baptisms, laying on of hands, etc. is not in the Greek. It is added because the is natural in English, where a noun such as teaching is qualified by a phrase such as about baptisms, and partly in order to suggest that these subjects are already familiar to the readers. However, this is the first time that these matters have been mentioned in this passage. Except for believing in God (compare 4.2), this is also the first time these doctrines have been mentioned in the whole letter. Therefore there is some advantage in treating them all as “new information.” This would be done by omitting the in English.
Teaching is probably not only about baptism (King James Version “the doctrine of baptisms”) but also about laying on of hands, as well as about resurrection and judgment. Since the teaching is also a part of the foundation, it may be necessary to make this clear: “this foundation involves the teaching about…” or “these first lessons include teaching about….”
For many readers, the plural baptisms is puzzling, since in the church today there is only one rite which is called baptism, and people are not usually baptized more than once. Knox‘s “different kinds of baptism” and Translator’s New Testament‘s “various baptisms” (see also Translator’s New Testament‘s Translational Note) show the reader that there is a problem but do not give him the information he needs to solve it. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy and Phillips avoid the problem by translating “baptism.” This, though clear, is perhaps not enough to give the meaning without a note. (See Note (1) on page 109 [footnote in HBKENG for 6.1a], and compare 10.22.) The plural baptisms may refer simply to multiple events of people being baptized. If it is understood in this collective sense, the translation “baptism” could be used, since the phrase “teaching about baptism” would certainly imply a number of persons being baptized. However, if the plural designates various purification ceremonies (see the footnote in TEV, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), it would be possible to give the meaning of “rituals for purifying people.”
The laying on of hands is a traditional phrase still used by most modern translations. Biblia Dios Habla Hoy has the rather heavy phrase “the ceremony of laying the hands on believers,” which makes it clear that the laying on of hands is linked with baptism, not, as elsewhere in the New Testament, with ordination or healing. If there is any danger that the phrase could be wrongly understood as meaning ordination, the translator should consider giving the correct information in a footnote or glossary note. More simply, “in baptism” could be added in the text of the translation.
A literal translation of the laying on of hands could be badly misinterpreted, since in some languages this is a common expression for arresting someone. It may therefore be necessary to use some such qualification as “ceremony involving laying on of hands,” or even “ceremony of blessing by putting hands on someone,” or “… by putting hands on believers.”
Resurrection is literally “rising again,” but the action of God is implied. Bible en français courant has a glossary note. It may be necessary to repeat a reference to teaching when mentioning the resurrection of the dead. Because the teaching involves a whole series of elements, this part of verse 2 may be introduced as “also teaching about the fact that the dead will rise,” “… the dead will come back to life,” or “… will live again.”
The word translated judgment may refer either to the process of judging or to the verdict itself. In this verse it is clearly the verdict which is eternal in the sense of remaining valid forever. Knox has “our sentence in eternity”; “the verdict for eternity” would also be possible. In 10.27 and elsewhere in the New Testament, stress is laid on the negative aspect of judgment as condemnation, but this is not the case here or in 9.14.
The phrase the eternal judgment may require considerable expansion if the essential components of meaning are to be clearly indicated. It may even be necessary to specify that this is also part of the teaching; for example, “the teaching about how God will pass judgment on people and how his verdict will always remain” or “the teaching how God’s judgment of people will always remain just that way.”
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 .
This verse continues the list of basic teachings about the Christian life.
This verse mentions four more topics that are basic Christian teachings. The phrase instruction about applies to each of these topics. Some ways to make this clear are:
• Use an introductory phrase that obviously applies to all the following topics. For example:
and other basic teachings like these:
• Use an introductory phrase or word before each topic or each two topics. For example:
teaching about baptisms or about the laying on of hands or about people being raised from death and the future judgment
• Use more than one sentence to translate the topics. For example:
They are taught to request to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and a…leader puts hands on their head. They are taught what will happen in the future. God will make dead people live again and he will punish forever people whose behavior is evil.
Remember that the author wants his listeners to realize that these matters are basic truths that new Christians learn. By now they should be mature enough to consider topics for believers who are ready for more advanced truths. They will continue to think about the beginning topics as needed, but they will already know the basic truths about them.
6:2a
baptisms:
The Greek word for baptisms literally means “washings.” It is slightly different from the usual word used for “baptism” in the NT. Scholars interpret it in different ways in this context:
(1) It refers to Christian baptism and other types of baptism.
the teaching about baptisms (Good News Translation)
(2) It refers to ceremonies to make a person ritually clean. For example:
instruction about cleansing rites (Revised English Bible)
(3) It refers only to Christian baptism. For example:
baptism (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1). In Hebrews the author spoke to Jewish Christians, who knew about different types of baptism and cleansing ceremonies. They needed to be taught the meaning of Christian baptism and how it is different from other types of baptism.
In some languages it may be helpful to make the meaning more explicit. For example:
teaching about the difference between the baptism of a believer in Christ and other baptisms -or-
purification rituals and baptism
6:2b
the laying on of hands: The action laying on of hands has a special meaning here. It refers to a Christian laying his hand or hands gently on another person (usually on his head or shoulders) to ask the Holy Spirit to come to that person. In some languages it may be necessary to use a more specific phrase. For example:
the placing of hands on the head of a companion -or-
about placing hands on the head of people to ask a blessing for him from God
The laying on of hands was done for different purposes. At baptism, it was done to ask the Holy Spirit to be with the new believer and give him power to live for the Lord. It was also done when a person was appointed to do special work for the Lord or in order to ask for healing or for a special gift for ministry.
In some languages a phrase like laying on of hands implies a wrong meaning. For example, it may imply that a person lays hands on another person to harm him or restrain him. If that is true in your language, you may need to translate only the meaning of the action. For example:
the receiving of the Holy Spirit
6:2c–d
the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment: In 6:2c–d the author lists the final two basic teachings: After people have died, God will make them alive again, and he will judge them. His decision about them will be eternal. Some ways to translate this meaning are:
dead people coming back to life, and eternal judgment (God’s Word) -or-
God making dead people live again and making an eternal judgment/decision about each of them
eternal judgment: The phrase eternal judgment refers to the future time when God will judge all human beings. At that time he will make a decision about each person. His decision will determine what will happen to each one forever.
Some other ways to translate eternal judgment are:
God’s judging of people which has no end to its result -or-
people will be judged and God will determine what will happen to each person.
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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