The term that is translated as “resurrect” or “rise again” as referring to Jesus in English is translated in British Sign Language with a sign that combines the signs for “Jesus” and “standing on feet again.” (Source: Anna Smith)
“Resurrect” or “rise again” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
The Christian BSL website notes: “A British Sign Language (BSL) translation of Resurrection / Rise Again / Rose Again (Jesus). Jesus’ return to life three days after his death on the cross. In the translation of Rise Again or Rose Again the word AGAIN isn’t signed; signing the word AGAIN in BSL in this context would erroneously indicate that Jesus was resurrected more than once.” (see here )
Following are a number of back-translations of Luke 24:46:
Noongar: “Then Jesus told them, ‘This was written: ‘The Messiah, he must suffer and after three days, he must rise from death’.” (Source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uma: “He said: ‘In the Holy Book it is written: I the Redeemer King must undergo suffering and be killed, and on the third day live again.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “and he said to them, ‘This is what is written in the holy-book that the Almasi had to endure persecution including being killed and three days after his death he should live again.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “He said, ‘It is told in the written word of God that as for me, the king chosen by God, I would be killed and within three days from then, God would raise me up.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “and he said to them, ‘This is what was written: the Messiah must suffer and die and then live again on the third day.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “He said, ‘What was written says that it’s necessary that the Cristo experience hardship/suffering and die, and on the third day come alive again.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
The Greek Christos (Χρηστός) is typically transliterated when it appears together with Iésous (Ἰησοῦς) (Jesus). In English the transliteration is the Anglicized “Christ,” whereas in many other languages it is based on the Greek or Latin as “Kristus,” “Cristo,” or similar.
When used as a descriptive term in the New Testament — as it’s typically done in the gospels (with the possible exceptions of for instance John 1:17 and 17:3) — Christos is seen as the Greek translation of the Hebrew mashiaḥ (המשיח) (“anointed”). Accordingly, a transliteration of mashiaḥ is used, either as “Messiah” or based on the Greek or Latin as a form of “Messias.”
This transliteration is also used in the two instances where the Greek term Μεσσίας (Messias) is used in John 1:41 and 4:25.
In some languages and some translations, the term “Messiah” is supplemented with an explanation. Such as in the GermanGute Nachricht with “the Messiah, the promised savior” (Wir haben den Messias gefunden, den versprochenen Retter) or in Muna with “Messiah, the Saving King” (Mesias, Omputo Fosalamatino) (source: René van den Berg).
In predominantly Muslim areas or for Bible translations for a Muslim target group, Christos is usually transliterated from the Arabic al-Masih (ٱلْمَسِيحِ) — “Messiah.” In most cases, this practice corresponds with languages that also use a form of the Arabic Isa (عيسى) for Jesus (see Jesus). There are some exceptions, though, including modern translations in Arabic which use Yasua (يَسُوعَ) (coming from the Aramaic Yēšūa’) alongside a transliteration of al-Masih, Hausa which uses Yesu but Almahisu, and some Fula languages (Adamawa Fulfulde, Nigerian Fulfulde, and Central-Eastern Niger Fulfulde) which also use a form of Iésous (Yeesu) but Almasiihu (or Almasiifu) for Christos.
In Indonesian, while most Bible translations had already used Yesus Kristus rather than Isa al Masih, three public holidays used to be described using the term Isa Al Masih. From 2024 on, the government is using Yesus Kristus in those holiday names instead (see this article in Christianity Today ).
Other solutions that are used by a number of languages include these:
Dobel: “The important one that God had appointed to come” (source: Jock Hughes)
Noongar: Keny Mammarap or “The One Man” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Mairasi: “King of not dying for life all mashed out infinitely” (for “mashed out,” see salvation; source: Lloyd Peckham)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “One chosen by God to rule mankind” (source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Bacama: Ma Pwa a Ngɨltən: “The one God has chosen” (source: David Frank in this blog post )
Binumarien: Anutuna: originally a term that was used for a man that was blessed by elders for a task by the laying on of hands (source: Desmond Oatridges, Holzhausen 1991, p. 49f.)
Noongar: Keny Boolanga-Yira Waangki-Koorliny: “One God is Sending” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Uab Meto: Neno Anan: “Son of heaven” P. Middelkoop explains: “The idea of heavenly power bestowed on a Timorese king is rendered in the title Neno Anan. It is based on the historical fact that chiefs in general came from overseas and they who come thence are believed to have come down from heaven, from the land beyond the sea, that means the sphere of God and the ghosts of the dead. The symbolical act of anointing has been made subservient to the revelation of an eternal truth and when the term Neno Anan is used as a translation thereof, it also is made subservient to a new revelation of God in Jesus Christ. The very fact that Jesus came from heaven makes this translation hit the mark.” (Source: P. Middelkoop in The Bible Translator 1953, p. 183ff. )
In Finnish Sign Language both “Christ” and “Messiah” are translated with a sign signifying “king.” (Source: Tarja Sandholm)
“Christ / Messiah” in Finnish Sign Language (source )
Law (2013, p. 97) writes about how the Ancient GreekSeptuagint‘s translation of the Hebrew mashiah was used by the New Testament writers as a bridge between the Old and New Testaments (click or tap here to read more):
“Another important word in the New Testament that comes from the Septuagint is christos, ‘Christ.’ Christ is not part of the name of the man from Nazareth, as if ‘the Christs’ were written above the door of his family home. Rather, ‘Christ’ is an explicitly messianic title used by the writers of the New Testament who have learned this word from the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew mashiach, ‘anointed,’ which itself is often rendered in English as ‘Messiah.’ To be sure, one detects a messianic intent on the part of the Septuagint translator in some places. Amos 4:13 may have been one of these. In the Hebrew Bible, God ‘reveals his thoughts to mortals,’ but the Septuagint has ‘announcing his anointed to humans.’ A fine distinction must be made, however, between theology that was intended by the Septuagint translators and that developed by later Christian writers. In Amos 4:13 it is merely possible we have a messianic reading, but it is unquestionably the case that the New Testament writers exploit the Septuagint’s use of christos, in Amos and elsewhere, to messianic ends.”
Click or tap here to see the rest of this insight.
Like a number of other East Asian languages, Japanese uses a complex system of honorifics, i.e. a system where a number of different levels of politeness are expressed in language via words, word forms or grammatical constructs. These can range from addressing someone or referring to someone with contempt (very informal) to expressing the highest level of reference (as used in addressing or referring to God) or any number of levels in-between.
One way Japanese shows different degree of politeness is through the usage of an honorific construction where the morpheme are (され) is affixed on the verb as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. This is particularly done with verbs that have God as the agent to show a deep sense of reverence. Here, iw-are-ru (言われる) or “say” is used.
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®).
kai eipen autois ‘and he said to them,’ best understood as a continuation of the preceding clause.
houtōs gegraptai ‘thus it is written,’ i.e. ‘this is what is written.’
pathein ton Christon kai anastēnai ‘that the Messiah should suffer and rise.’ Although in the aorist the infinitives refer to prophecies to be fulfilled in the future. For the phrase itself cf. on v. 7.
(V. 47) kai kēruchthēnai … metanoian kai aphesin hamartiōn ‘and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed,’ still dependent upon gegraptai. For kērussō and metanoia cf. on 3.3; for aphesis and hamartia cf. on 1.77.
epi tō onomati autou lit. ‘upon his name,’ hence, ‘on the basis of (all that) his name (implies),’ cf. Plummer, and Acts 5.28, 40.
eis panta ta ethnē ‘to all nations,’ going with kēruchthēnai. In contrast to 12.30 and 21.24 ta ethnē here includes Israel.
arxamenoi apo Ierousalēm ‘beginning from Jerusalem,’ either to be understood as going with kēruchthēnai as a rather strong anacoluthon, implying that the unnamed agents of the preaching are to be the disciples, or to be taken with v. 48, ‘beginning from Jerusalem you are witnesses to these things.’ The former is preferable, cf. Plummer.
Translation:
Rise from the dead, see on 9.7f.
(V. 47) That repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached … to all nations, cf. on 3.3; where rather radical changes in sentence structure are required one may say, ‘that you should preach to all nations, “Repent and God will forgive you your sins.” ’ — All nations, or, ‘all (different) peoples/races/tribes,’ ‘the people of all (different) countries, or, places.’ In Toraja-Sa’dan a poetic idiom emphasizing totality is used, i.e. ‘all inhabitants (lit. contents) of the world, covered by the sky and supported by the earth.’
In his name, or, ‘calling upon his name’ (see Exegesis). In several languages ‘name’ cannot be used here (cf. on 1.49); then one may say something like, ‘appealing to him, or, to all that he has said and done,’ ‘because of what he has promised.’
Beginning from Jerusalem, i.e. that preaching should begin (or, you should start preaching) in J. and from there go further.
Quoted with permission from Reiling, J. and Swellengrebel, J.L. A Handbook on the Gospel of Luke. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1971. For this and other handbooks for translators see here . Make sure to also consult the Handbook on the Gospel of Mark for parallel or similar verses.
And He told them, “This is what is written…”: This part of the verse introduces Jesus’ explanation in 24:46b–24:47. This explanation is probably a summary of what Jesus told them as he explained the Scriptures to them in 24:45. In his explanation he referred to various sections in the Hebrew Scriptures. He summarized what the Scriptures said, rather than quoting the actual words.
Some other ways to introduce the explanation are:
Then he said to them, “This is what the Scriptures say…” -or-
He said, “In the Holy Book it is written…”
See the General Comment on 24:46a–c below for an example of using an indirect quotation here.
24:46b
The Christ will suffer: The phrase will suffer refers here to the suffering that led to the Christ’s death. His death is also implied in 24:46c. In some languages it may be necessary to make his death explicit here. For example:
that the Messiah would suffer and die (New Living Translation (2004))
The Christ: The Jews used this title to refer to the person whom God had appointed and promised to send as king and savior. The title Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word “Messiah,” and the two words have the same meaning. This title also occurred in 20:41. For more information and translation suggestions, see the note at 20:41b. See also Christ in the Glossary.
24:46c
and rise from the dead on the third day: This clause is very similar to 24:7. You may translate it in a similar way here.
General Comment on 24:46a–c
In some languages it may be more natural to use indirect speech for the quotation in 24:46. For example:
He explained that the Scriptures prophesied that he, the Messiah, must suffer and die but after three days he would live again.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.