4Or look at ships: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, yet they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs.
The Greek in James 3:4 that is translated in some English versions as “strong winds” can also be translated with an existing specialized term in English: “gales” (see the Revised English Bible, 1989).
The Hebrew, Latin and Greek that is translated “boat” or “ship” in English is translated in Chichimeca-Jonaz as “that with which we can walk on water” (source: Ronald D. Olson in Notes on Translation January, 1968, p. 15ff.), in Chitonga as a term in combination with bwato or “dugout canoe” (source: Wendland 1987, p. 72), and in Tangale as inj am or “canoe-of water” (inj — “canoe” — on its own typically refers to a traditional type of carved-out log for sleeping) (source: Andy Warren-Rothlin).
In Kouya it is translated as ‘glʋ ‘kadʋ — “big canoe.”
Philip Saunders (p. 231) explains how the Kouya team arrived at that conclusion:
“Acts chapter 27 was a challenge! It describes Paul’s sea voyage to Italy, and finally Rome. There is a storm at sea and a shipwreck on Malta, and the chapter includes much detailed nautical vocabulary. How do you translate this for a landlocked people group, most of whom have never seen the ocean? All they know are small rivers and dugout canoes.
“We knew that we could later insert some illustrations during the final paging process which would help the Kouya readers to picture what was happening, but meanwhile we struggled to find or invent meaningful terms. The ‘ship’ was a ‘big canoe’ and the ‘passengers’ were ‘the people in the big canoe’; the ‘crew’ were the ‘workers in the big canoe’; the ‘pilot’ was the ‘driver of the big canoe’; the ‘big canoe stopping place’ was the ‘harbour’, and the ‘big canoe stopping metal’ was the ‘anchor’!”
In Lokạạ it is translated as ukalangkwaa, lit. “English canoe.” “The term was not coined for the Bible translation, but rather originated in colonial times when the English arrived in Nigeria on ships. The indigenous term for a canoe was modified to represent the large, ocean-going ship of the English.” (Source: J.A. Naudé, C.L. Miller Naudé, J.O. Obono in Acta Theologica 43/2, 2023, p. 129ff. )
Following are a number of back-translations of James 3:4:
Uma: “So also a ship on the sea: no matter how big it is and blown by a big wind, the ship is made-to-walk wherever the will of its leader with just a small [piece of] wood that is named a rudder. [a rare Uma word, probably borrowed from some coastal language; that’s why it is described first].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “A figure (for it) also is the rudder of a ship. Even though the body of the ship is big and even though the wind which blows it is strong, it is only a small rudder which directs the ship to wherever the one who holds the steering wheel wants it to go.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And even a very big ship which is carried by strong winds, we can control the way it goes by means of a very small instrument.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “It’s also like a ship, because even though it is large and it is propelled-forward by the swift wind, that which directs it toward where the driver wants to go, it is the small metal-piece at its rear.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Like that too is a sailing ship. Even though it is a really big ship and the wind is really strong which can make it go, it can-be-turned-this-way-and-that by the helmsman wherever he wants to cause it to head toward because of its rudder, even though it’s such a little thing.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now boats are big. When they meet up with a wind, they are pushed, but they don’t turn aside. Because he who steers only has to move the wheel to steer it, and the boat goes wherever he wants it to go.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The contrast between a small device and the large object that it controls is brought out in the next illustration.
Look at the ships also: the demonstrative particle rendered as Look at is used to introduce the second illustration. Since this is the second illustration, we may add “or” to indicate that this is so; for example, “Or look at…” (New Revised Standard Version), “Or take … as an example” (New International Version), and “Or think of…” (Good News Translation; so also Revised English Bible). Obviously James is interested in emphasizing the parallel between the horse and the ship. This is evident in his use of also and the same verb “to guide.” The parallel is seen in the ability of a small device to control or direct something much greater. The ships are obviously sailing ships.
Though they are so great: the big size of the ships is emphasized in contrast to the smallness of the rudder. In order to bring out this tremendous contrast, as well as the force of the small thing having such control over the big thing, it is desirable to add the conjunction “though” or “although” to go with the participle “being,” as in Revised Standard Version or “Although they are so large” (New International Version). So great is one word in Greek; it has the force of “so,” thus “so big as it is” (compare Good News Translation), or “so large though it may be” (so Revised English Bible). The word “great” can have a different sense in modern English usage and is therefore best rendered as “large” (so most translations) or “big” (so Good News Translation, Translator’s New Testament), since the focus is on the size of the ships. Care must be taken that the word used for ships does not mean modern steam ships but rather sailing vessels. In cultures where only small boats are used, we may translate, for example, “big boats that sail on the ocean” or “big boats with sails to make them move on the ocean.”
Between the two clauses they are so great and are driven by strong winds, the relationship is not very clear. It does not necessarily follow from the fact that the ships are large that they are always driven by strong winds, as winds may not always be rough. For this reason some translations (following Hort) have rendered the conjunction and as “even,” for example, “and even when they are being driven by fierce winds” (Barclay; similarly Translator’s New Testament). The New Revised Standard Version rendering obviously treats the two clauses connected by an “and” as expressing one idea, thus “though they are so large that it takes strong winds to drive them.” This is certainly one possibility to be considered. The adjective strong in Greek means basically “hard,” “harsh,” or “stiff,” and in modifying “winds” it means “strong” (so most translations) or “fierce” (Barclay, New American Bible). Some languages will have a special word for this sort of wind; for example, “gales” (Revised English Bible), or a special phrase for describing it, for example, “mad winds” (Chinese). Alternative translation possibilities for the first part of this verse may be:
• Or take, for example, large sailing ships. Though they are big and it takes strong winds to drive them….
Or, in a way similar to Contemporary English Version:
• It takes a strong wind to make a large sailing ship move, but….
They are guided by a very small rudder: this clause describes what a small rudder does, and so may be rendered as “they are guided by…,” as is done by many translations. The passive verb are guided is the same verb used in verse 3 in the active voice. The use of the same verb serves to emphasize the parallel nature of the two illustrations. In this case, however, it is used of the ships and therefore may be rendered “be steered” (Good News Translation; so also Revised English Bible). The expression very small is one word in Greek; it is a superlative of the adjective small, used here to modify rudder, in contrast to so great modifying ships. A rudder (rendered “helm” in King James Version) is normally a piece of wood or metal attached upright to a ship’s stern so that it can be turned causing the ship’s bow to turn to a desired angle or direction. It is a device that directs the course or controls the direction of the ship. Many cultures that use boats have a similar device at the rear of the boat to guide it. But in cultures where rudders or large guiding oars or paddles are unknown, we may translate, for example, “it can be guided by a small piece of wood [or, metal] at the back of it” or “the steersman can guide it by using a small piece of wood….”
Wherever the will of the pilot directs: there are several problems in this clause. First, the word rendered wherever is a particle denoting place in Greek that means basically “where”; but most translations have rendered it as “wherever,” reflecting not what is demanded by normal grammatical usage but by the context. Secondly, there is uncertainty as to the exact meaning of the word rendered will. The word appears elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 14.5, where it means a hostile “attempt” (Revised Standard Version) or “move” (Revised English Bible). It could mean physical pressure, referring to the control of the pilot’s hand on the rudder. Most commentators and translators, however, favor the other meaning involving mental decision, thus “impulse” (American Standard Version), “inclination” (New American Bible), “wish” (Barclay), or “choice” (similarly New English Bible, Revised English Bible). Others simply combine this word with the verb meaning “to decide,” or “to wish or desire,” and translate the clause as “wherever the pilot wants it to go…” (Good News Translation), or “… whatever course the helmsman chooses” (New English Bible, Revised English Bible). Finally there is the problem of the rendering of the word pilot. Pilot is the rendering favored by most American translators, and “helmsman” by most British translators. It is the person who controls the rudder, and so it may also be rendered as “steersman” (Barclay). Contemporary English Version has rendered it as “captain,” since in modern usage a captain is an officer in charge of a ship, and he is the one ultimately responsible for the course and direction a ship should take. It seems, though, that “pilot,” “steersman,” or “the person steering the ship” fits the context of a sailing ship better than “captain.”
An alternative translation model for this verse may be:
• Let us take the example of a large sailing ship. It needs a strong wind to make it move. But a pilot [or, steersman] uses only a small rudder to make it go wherever he wishes.
Quoted with permission from Loh, I-Jin and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Letter from James. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
In this paragraph, James used the illustration of how a small rudder can turn a large ship. In a similar way, the tongue, even though it is a small part of the body, can have enormous effects.
3:4a
Consider ships as well: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Consider ships as well is literally “Look, the ships also.” These words introduce James’ second comparison and call attention to that example. Use a natural expression for introducing an illustration in a way that gets the attention of the readers/hearers. For example:
Also, listen to this example of ships
-or-
Or think of a ship (Good News Translation)
ships: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as ships may refer to any kind of ship or boat. In this verse, James mentions the wind (3:4c). So it is clear that here he was thinking of sailing ships.
A sailing ship is a large boat that uses the power of the wind to move it across the water. One or more sails (very large pieces of strong cloth) are attached to tall posts on the ship. The wind blows against the cloth which in turn pushes the whole boat.
Some ways to translate this word are:
big sailing ships
-or-
huge canoes with sails
-or-
very large boats
In some languages, it is more natural to use a singular word “ship” here.
If the idea of a large boat with sails is not known by the people of your region, you may want to include an illustration at this place in your translation.
3:4b–c
Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds: In this clause, James listed two things that make it hard to control a ship: its size and the powerful winds that blow on it.
3:4c
are driven by strong winds: The clause are driven by strong winds indicates that it takes strong winds to cause these ships to move. Some other ways to translate this clause are:
are pushed by strong winds
-or-
are carried by strong winds
-or-
are blown by strong winds
The verb is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
it is pushed by strong winds (New Century Version)
• Use an active verb. For example:
strong winds…move a large sailing ship (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and seamen use strong winds to move their large sailing ships
3:4d
they are steered by a very small rudder: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as steered is from the same verb as the word translated “guide” in 3:3c. It refers to turning or changing the direction of something that is moving.
Some other ways to translate this verb are:
they are guided by a very small rudder (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
are controlled by a very small rudder (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
This verb is passive. There are at least two ways to translate it:
• Use a passive verb. For example:
it can be steered by a very small rudder (Good News Translation)
• using an active verb. For example:
a very small rudder controls that big ship (New Century Version)
-or-
the captain uses only a small rudder to make it go in any direction (Contemporary English Version)
rudder: A rudder is a device that sailors use to steer a boat. It is attached to the back or the side of the boat. In ancient boats, it consisted of a wide, flat piece of wood attached to the end of a long pole. The man who steered the boat held one end of the pole and the other end with the flat piece of wood went down into the water. By pushing or pulling the pole, he was able to change the direction that the boat was going.
Some ways to translate rudder are:
• Use a specific word. For example:
rudder
• Use a word for the piece of wood that moves and turns canoes. For example:
paddle/oar
• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
a small steering paddle/thing
Each ship had one rudder. If you have spoken of “ships” in the plural in 3:4a–b, you may need to speak of rudders in the plural.
3:4e
pilot: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as pilot refers to the man who steers a boat using a rudder. Some other ways to translate this word are:
boatman
-or-
oarsman
-or-
the sailor/man who steers
Each ship had one pilot. If you have been talking about “ships,” consider whether you will need to say “pilot” or “pilots” here.
is inclined: James emphasizes that it is the man who steers the boat who determines its direction. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
in the direction the pilot wants to cause it to go
-or-
wherever the pilot chooses to go (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
General Comment on 3:4a–d
In some languages, it may be helpful to reorder this verse so that 3:4b–c comes after 3:4d–e. For example:
4aFor another example, think about a sailing ship. 4eThe pilot directs it wherever he wishes 4dby means of a tiny rudder, 4beven though the ship may be very large 4cand only strong winds can move it.
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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.
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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