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 (James 4:17)

Following are a number of back-translations of James 4:17:

  • Uma: “So, a person who knows to do what is good, and he doesn’t do it, it is sin to him.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “So-then, whoever knows the good but does not do it, he is already sinning.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Remember that if any one of us (incl.) knows what is good that we should do and he does not do it, he has sinned against God.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “So-then, the person who knows the right-thing that he should do but he doesn’t carry-through and do it, he sins.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore consider this. The person who knows what is good, which he must be doing, but that’s not what he is doing, that is indeed his sin.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “The person who knows what good to do but does not do it, then this is a sin in that he does not want to do the good he knows.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on James 4:17

As a conclusion and a climax of his argument, James defines sin, not in terms of doing what is forbidden by God, but in failing to do what we know to be the right thing to do. It is the sin of omission.

Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin: there is a change from second person plural to third person singular at this point. The shift to a more impersonal tone indicates that James may be quoting a well-known proverbial saying.

The Revised Standard Version rendering, unfortunately, fails to bring out the connection between verses 16 and 17 that is there in Greek. The connective word is rendered variously; for example, “So” (Goodspeed, New American Bible), “then” (New International Version, New Revised Standard Version), “So then” (Barclay, Good News Translation), “Well then” (Phillips), “What it comes to is” (Revised English Bible). While we recognize that in Greek there is an obvious attempt to make a connection, we have to admit that it is by no means easy to figure out the precise relationship with the previous section. A number of attempts have been made, without much success, to relate the saying to the section(s) that come before this. One observation, however, may be made. It is quite possible that James, having told his readers what is right to do—that is, not to leave God out of their future but to take him into all of their plans—now wants to warn them as well as to encourage them that if they fail to do it they commit sin. Looking at it from another angle, it may be that James wants his readers to know that the “sin of omission” (failing to do what is right) is no less serious than the “sin of commission” (being presumptuous in leaving God out of their plans). However, if we are not convinced of a real connection here, an alternative is to take this verse as a summary of the important teachings in the previous sections. In this case we may want to make verse 17 a separate paragraph, as Good News Translation has done (so also Luther 1984, Phillips, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

The clause what is right to do is literally “to do good” (King James Version). The word “good” is an opposite of the word “evil” in verse 16. If the word is rendered as “evil” in verse 16, it will be good to have the word “good” here; thus, for example, “the good he ought to do” (New International Version). On the other hand, if we render the word “evil” in verse 16 as “wrong,” it will be appropriate to have the word “right” here; thus “the right thing to do” (Revised English Bible, New Revised Standard Version). For him it is sin means it is a sin on his part, and the clause may be rendered as “he commits sin” (similarly New Revised Standard Version) or “we are guilty of sin” (Good News Translation).

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• So, if we don’t do what we know is right, we have sinned.
• So, if you don’t do what you know is right, you have sinned (Contemporary English Version).

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 .

SIL Translator's Notes on James 4:17

4:17

Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do, yet fails to do it, is guilty of sin: In this sentence, James warned people to behave properly. He stated the warning in general terms, but he was probably warning people against making plans with a boastful attitude (4:13–16). He wanted people to be humble when they made plans for the future. (Commentators disagree on what James is talking about. There are three interpretations:(1) The verse refers to the topic of making plans with a boastful attitude (4:13–16). In this context doing the good he ought to do means being humble when making plans, as James recommended in 4:15. (Interpretation (1) is followed by Alford, page 319; Adamson (1976), page 181; Hiebert, page 280; Moo (1985), page 158.(2) In the good he ought to do the idea of “doing good” means doing good deeds (see chapter 2). The traders were guilty of trying to make a profit for themselves instead of sharing it with the poor. (Interpretation (2) is followed by Laws, page 193.)(3) The statement does not refer particularly to this paragraph, but to all the teaching that James has given so far. (Interpretation (3) is followed by Mayor, page 147; Mitton, page 172; and apparently by Revised Standard Version since that version omits the connecting word then.)All three of these interpretations are supported by different commentators. However, three points show that James meant this verse to be understood together with the verses before it (4:13–16), as in interpretation (1).First, the verse has a connecting word in the Greek, translated then. Secondly, the word good is the opposite of the word “evil” in 4:16. Thirdly, if James wanted this statement to apply to all his teaching, he would have put it near the end of chapter 5.Interpretation (1) is recommended because it is the only interpretation in which this verse is understood together with 4:13–16.)

Some other ways to translate this verse are:

Therefore, the person who knows the good thing to do in this situation, but he does not do it, he has sinned.
-or-
You know what is the right thing to do in this matter. So if you do not do it, you have sinned.

4:17a

Anyone…who knows: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Anyone who knows refers to people in general. Use whichever word is appropriate when warning people in your language. For example:

Whoever knows (God’s Word)
-or-
we know (Good News Translation)
-or-
you know (Contemporary English Version)

then: The Greek conjunction that the Berean Standard Bible translates as then here introduces the conclusion of all that James wrote in 4:13–16. Some other ways to translate this conjunction are:

So then (Good News Translation)
-or-
So (NET Bible)
-or-
Therefore

knows the right thing to do: The phrase the right thing to do refers to doing what is right. It probably refers to acting in a humble way when planning for the future.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

knows what is right to do (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
the good he ought to do (New International Version (2011 Revision))

4:17c

is guilty of sin: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as is guilty of sin is literally “to him it is sin.” This is an Old Testament expression. (Deuteronomy 15:9; 23:21–22; 24:15.) The meaning is “it is counted against him by God as sin.” In other words, God considers him guilty of committing a sin.

Some other ways to translate this phrase are:

sins (New International Version (2011 Revision))
-or-
commits sin (New Revised Standard Version)

This word also occurs in 1:15b. See the note there for more details.

Paragraph 5:1–6

5:1a

Come now: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as Come now is an idiomatic way of getting people’s attention. This expression introduces a warning. So you should use words or an expression that are natural in your language to indicate that the next words are a serious matter. James was about to say something that his hearers would not be happy to hear.

Some other ways to translate this expression are:

And now…listen to me (Good News Translation)
-or-
Pay attention to this (God’s Word)
-or-
Think carefully about what I am going to say

Here the word now is not the time word that means “at the present time.”

you who are rich: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as you who are rich is literally “the rich men.” James was probably referring to rich landowners who were not Christians.

Some other ways to translate this word are:

you rich (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
if you’re rich (God’s Word)
-or-
you(plur) who are rich

As mentioned above, in some languages it may be more natural to translate this section without using the pronouns “you.” For example:

rich people

5:1b

weep and wail: The two Greek words that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weep and wail are a doublet. This means that these two words mean almost the same thing. In some languages, both words can be translated by emphasizing one action. For example:

cry loudly

weep: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as weep means to “cry.” For example, the Contemporary English Version says:

cry

This same Greek word occurs in 4:9a.

wail: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as wail means to make a loud screaming noise that expresses great emotion. It generally includes “crying.”

Some other ways to translate this word are:

howl (English Standard Version)
-or-
cry aloud (NET Bible)

5:1c

over the misery to come upon you: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as over is a preposition. It also means “on.” For example:

over the miseries that are coming upon you (Good News Translation)
-or-
about the misery that is coming to you (God’s Word)

It is also possible to start a new sentence here. For example:

Terrible things are going to happen to you. (Contemporary English Version)

misery: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as misery is plural. For example:

miseries (Good News Translation)

This word means “great pains/ sufferings.” Some other ways to translate this word are:

terrible troubles (New Living Translation (2004 Revision))
-or-
hardships
-or-
great suffering

to come: The Greek verb that the Berean Standard Bible translates as to come means that rich people had not yet experienced this trouble. It would happen to them in the future.

In some languages, it is not natural to say that “misery” is to come. If that is true in your language, you may need to say something like:

because of the miseries that God will send/give you(plur)
-or-
because you are going to be miserable
-or-
Terrible things are going to happen to you. (Contemporary English Version)

upon you: Some other ways to translate upon you are:

on you
-or-
to you

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