Hand colored stencil print on momigami by Sadao Watanabe (1962). Image taken with permission from the SadaoHanga Catalogue where you can find many more images and information about Sadao Watanabe. For other images of Sadao Watanabe art works in TIPs, see here.
Following is a painting (“Jesus’ agony in the garden of Gethsemane”) by Kim Ki-chang (1913-2001):
Kim Ki-chang (pen name: Unbo) had been deaf and partially mute since the age of 7. He painted a series of 30 paintings for the “Life of Christ” cycle in 1952 during the Korean War. Kim portrayed Jesus as a seonbi / 선비, or a Joseon Period (1392-1910) gentleman scholar, wearing a gat / 갓 (hat) and dopo / 도포 (robe). For other images of Kim Ki-chang art works in TIPs, see here.
Following is a painting (“Prayer at Gethsemane”) by He Qi:
Image taken from He Qi Art . For purchasing prints of this and other artworks by He Qi go to heqiart.com . For other images of He Qi art works in TIPs, see here
Photo by NateBergin, hosted by Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license
Stained glass is not just highly decorative, it’s a medium which has been used to express important religious messages for centuries. Literacy was not widespread in the medieval and Renaissance periods and the Church used stained glass and other artworks to teach the central beliefs of Christianity. In Gothic churches, the windows were filled with extensive narrative scenes in stained glass — like huge and colorful picture storybooks — in which worshipers could ‘read’ the stories of Christ and the saints and learn what was required for their religious salvation. (Source: Victoria and Albert Museum )
Retrotraducciones en español (haga clic o pulse aquí)
El grupo llegó al lugar de Getsemaní y Jesús dijo a los discípulos: “Uds, sientense y queden esperando mientras yo voy a orar.”
Jesús llamó a Pedro, Jacobo y Juan que vinieran con él. Jesús sentió angustiado y triste y dijo: “Mi alma adentro de mi está angustiado y muy triste, siento que ahorita ya he muerto, uds 3 quedense a vigilar.”
Jesús se fue a orar a Dios que quitara su sufrimiento, Jesús caminó y se arrodilló en el suelo, inclinó su cabeza hacia el suelo y se prostró.
Oró: “Padre, mi papá, tú puedes hacer todo, por favor no dejame sufrir, es como beber una copa amarga, por favor, quitamela, pero no (haga) mi voluntad sino tú voluntad.”
Se paró y caminó hacia los discípulos y vio a los tres acostados durmiendo, y cuando vio que Pedro también estaba dormido, dijo: “Simón, ¿estás dormido? ¿No puedes mantener los ojos abiertos por un ratito, una mera hora?
Uds vigilen y oren que no caigan en tentación. El espíritu adentro de uds tiene ganas, pero la carne del cuerpo es débil.”
Otra vez Jesús caminó en la otra dirección y oró lo mismo. Adentro, los ojos de los discípulos gradualmente se cerraron y durmieron fuerte.
Jesús caminó (hacia los discípulos) y vio que estaban dormidos. Los discípulos abrieron los ojos: ¡caray! no sabían qué decirlo.
Jesús caminó hacia el otro lado y oró por tercera vez, y regresó diciendo: “Uds sigan dormidos y descansen, ya basta.
Mira, un poco por allá ya están las personas que arrestarán al hijo del hombre y lo llevarán ante pecadores.
Ya viene el hombre que me traicionará, ya levantense y vamonos.”
The group arrived at the place (called) Gethsemane and Jesus said to the disciples: “You sit down and stay here waiting while go to pray.”
Jesus called Peter, James and John to go with him. Jesus felt distressed and sad and said: “My soul is distressed in me and very sad, I feel as if I have already died now. You three stay here and keep watch.”
Jesus went off to pray that God would take away his suffering, Jesus walked and knelt down on the ground, inlcined his head to the ground and prostrated himself.
He prayed: “Father, my Dad, you can do everything, please don’t let me suffer, it’s like drinking a bitter cup, please, take it away from me, but not my will, but yours.”
He got up and walked to the disciples and saw the three of them sleeping, and when he saw that Peter also was sleeping, he said: “Simon, are you sleeping? Can you not keep your eyes open for a little while, not even one hour?
“Keep watch and pray that you don’t fall in temptation. The spirit inside you is willing but the flesh of the body is weak.”
Again, Jesus walked the other way and prayed the same way. Inside, the eyes of the disciples were gradually closing and they slept deeply.
Jesus walked over (to the disciples) and saw they were sleeping. The disciples opened their eyes: oh no!, they didn’t know what to say.
Jesus walked the other way and prayed a third time and he walked back saying: “Continue sleeping, and resting, it’s enough.
“Look, over there just a little ways off are the people who will arrest the Son of Man and will take him before sinners.
“The man who will betray me is already coming, it’s time to get up, let’s go.”
Jesus and his disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. There Jesus said to his disciples:
— Stay here, I’ll go and pray.
He took three disciples with him — Peter, James, John. The four of them went. On the way, Jesus felt a strong anxiety in his heart. He said to the disciples:
— My heart suffers! The time of my death is approaching. You stay here, stay awake, do not sleep. I will go and pray.
Jesus stepped aside, fell to the ground and began to pray:
— My God! Make this terrible suffering pass me by! You are my father! You can do everything. Please, make this suffering not happen to me. But let it be what you want, not what I want.
Then Jesus returned to the three disciples and saw that they were sleeping. He said:
— Peter! Couldn’t you stay awake for just one hour? You, disciples, be attentive, pray! Be prepared for the hour when trouble happens. The spirit is strong, but the body is weak.
Jesus went to pray again. He prayed the same words, then came back and again saw the disciples sleeping. Jesus called them, but the disciples barely opened their eyes, they could not say anything. Jesus went to pray for the third time, and when he returned, the disciples were still sleeping.
Jesus said:
— You’re sleeping sweetly. Enough! The time is coming when sinners will seize the Son of Man. Rise!
The disciples got up and followed Jesus. As they walked, they noticed a man in the distance.
Jesus said to his disciples:
— You see, a man is approaching along the road. He will betray me.
Original Russian back-translation (click or tap here):
Иисус с учениками пришли в место, которое называлось Гефсимания. Там Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Оставайтесь здесь, я же отойду помолиться.
Трех учеников — Петра, Иакова, Иоанна — он взял с собой. Вчетвером они пошли. Иисус по дороге чувствовал сильную тревогу на сердце. Он сказал ученикам:
— Сердце мое страдает! Приближается время моей смерти. Вы оставайтесь тут, бодрствуйте, не спите. Я же пойду молиться.
Иисус отошел в сторону, пал на землю и начал молиться:
— Бог мой! Сделай так, чтобы эти страшные страдания прошли мимо меня! Ты — мой отец! Ты можешь сделать все. Прошу, сделай так, чтобы не случились со мной эти страдания. Но пусть будет то, что хочешь ты, а не я.
Потом Иисус вернулся к трем ученикам и увидел, что они спят. Он сказал:
— Петр! Неужели ты не мог один только час бодрствовать? Вы, ученики, будьте внимательны, молитесь! Будьте готовы к тому часу, когда случится беда. Дух силен — а тело слабо.
Иисус снова пошел молиться. Он молился тем же словами, потом вернулся обратно и опять увидел учеников спящими. Иисус звал их, но ученики едва приоткрывали глаза, сказать ничего не могли. Иисус в третий раз отправился молиться, а когда вернулся, ученики по-прежнему спали.
Иисус сказал:
— Вы сладко спите. Довольно! Приближается время, когда грешники схватят Сына человеческого. Вставайте!
Ученики поднялись и последовали за Иисусом. По дороге они заметили вдали человека.
Иисус сказал ученикам:
— Видите, приближается человек по дороге. Он предаст меня.
“beg” or “ask,” (full expression: “ask with one’s heart coming out,” which leaves out selfish praying, for asking with the heart out leaves no place for self to hide) (Tzotzil)
“raise up one’s words to God” (implying an element of worship, as well as communication) (Miskito, Lacandon) (source of this and all above: Bratcher / Nida)
“speak to God” (Shilluk) (source: Nida 1964, p. 237)
“talk together with Great Above One (=God)” (Mairasi) (source: Enggavoter, 2004)
“beg” (waan) (Ik). Terrill Schrock (in Wycliffe Bible Translators 2016, p. 93) explains (click or tap here to read more):
What do begging and praying have to do with each other? Do you beg when you pray? Do I?
“The Ik word for ‘visitor’ is waanam, which means ‘begging person.’ Do you beg when you go visiting? The Ik do. Maybe you don’t beg, but maybe when you visit someone, you are looking for something. Maybe it’s just a listening ear.
When the Ik hear that [my wife] Amber and I are planning trip to this or that place for a certain amount of time, the letters and lists start coming. As the days dwindle before our departure, the little stack of guests grows. ‘Please, sir, remember me for the allowing: shoes, jacket (rainproof), watch, box, trousers, pens, and money for the children. Thank you, sir, for your assistance.’
“A few people come by just to greet us or spend bit of time with us. Another precious few will occasionally confide in us about their problems without asking for anything more than a listening ear. I love that.
“The other day I was in our spare bedroom praying my list of requests to God — a nice list covering most areas of my life, certainly all the points of anxiety. Then it hit me: Does God want my list, or does he want my relationship?
“I decided to try something. Instead of reading off my list of requests to God, I just talk to him about my issues without any expectation of how he should respond. I make it more about our relationship than my list, because if our personhood is like God’s personhood, then maybe God prefers our confidence and time to our lists, letters, and enumerations.”
In Luang it is translated with different shades of meaning (click or tap here to read more):
For Acts 1:14, 20:36, 21:5: kola ttieru-yawur nehla — “hold the waist and hug the neck.” (“This is the more general term for prayer and often refers to worship in prayer as opposed to petition. The Luang people spend the majority of their prayers worshiping rather than petitioning, which explains why this term often is used generically for prayer.”)
For Acts 28:9: sumbiani — “pray.” (“This term is also used generically for ‘prayer’. When praying is referred to several times in close proximity, it serves as a variation for kola ttieru-yawur nehla, in keeping with Luang discourse style. It is also used when a prayer is made up of many requests.”)
For Acts 8:15, 12:5: polu-waka — “call-ask.” (“This is a term for petition that is used especially when the need is very intense.”)
Source: Kathy Taber in Notes on Translation 1/1999, p. 9-16.
Following are a number of back-translations of Mark 14:35:
Uma: “After that, he went off a ways, and he fell/lay on his face on the ground to pray. In his prayer he requested that if possible he wouldn’t have to have that suffering.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “Then he went a-little-ways-away and he prostrated on the ground and he prayed to God that if possible the persecution which would soon come to him would not come.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And he went on a little bit father and fell on his face on the ground and prayed to God that if it were possible, he would not be caused to pass through that torment which was destined for him.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Then he went a little-ways-off and lay-face-down praying that if it were possible koma, what was to happen to him would not be-continued-with.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Jesus went away a bit from them. He went down prone and then prayed that if only it were possible/acceptable, that hardship/suffering which he would experience would-not -be-caused-to-be-carried-through.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
God transcends gender, but most languages are limited to grammatical gender expressed in pronouns. In the case of English, this is traditionally confined to “he” (or in the forms “his,” “him,” and “himself”), “she” (and “her,” “hers,” and “herself”), and “it” (and “its” and “itself”).
Modern Mandarin Chinese, however, offers another possibility. Here, the third-person singular pronoun is always pronounced the same (tā), but it is written differently according to its gender (他 is “he,” 她 is “she,” and 它/牠 is “it” and their respective derivative forms). In each of these characters, the first (or upper) part defines the gender (man, woman, or thing/animal), while the second element gives the clue to its pronunciation.
In 1930, after a full century with dozens of Chinese translations, Bible translator Wang Yuande (王元德) coined a new “godly” pronoun: 祂. Chinese readers immediately knew how to pronounce it: tā. But they also recognized that the first part of that character, signifying something spiritual, clarified that each person of the Trinity has no gender aside from being God.
While the most important Protestant and Catholic Chinese versions respectively have opted not to use 祂, some Bible translations do and it is widely used in hymnals and other Christian materials. Among the translations that use 祂 to refer to “God” were early versions of Lü Zhenzhong’s (呂振中) version (New Testament: 1946, complete Bible: 1970). R.P. Kramers (in The Bible Translator 1956, p. 152ff. ) explains why later versions of Lü’s translation did not continue with this practice: “This new way of writing ‘He,’ however, has created a minor problem of its own: must this polite form be used whenever Jesus is referred to? Lü follows the rule that, wherever Jesus is referred to as a human being, the normal tā (他) is written; where he is referred to as divine, especially after the ascension, the reverential tā (祂) is used.”
In that system one kind of pronoun is used for humans (male and female alike) and one for natural elements, non-liquid masses, and some spiritual entities (one other is used for large animals and another one for miscellaneous items). While in these languages the pronoun for spiritual entities used to be employed when referring to God, this has changed into the use of the human pronoun.
Lynell Zogbo (in The Bible Translator 1989, p. 401ff. ) explains in the following way: “From informal discussions with young Christians especially, it would appear that, at least for some people, the experience and/or concepts of Christianity are affecting the choice of pronoun for God. Some people explain that God is no longer ‘far away,’ but is somehow tangible and personal. For these speakers God has shifted over into the human category.”
In Kouya, God (the Father) and Jesus are referred to with the human pronoun ɔ, whereas the Holy Spirit is referred to with a non-human pronoun. (Northern Grebo and Western Krahn make a similar distinction.)
Eddie Arthur, a former Kouya Bible translation consultant, says the following: “We tried to insist that this shouldn’t happen, but the Kouya team members were insistent that the human pronoun for the Spirit would not work.”
In Burmese, the pronoun ko taw (ကိုယ်တော်) is used either as 2nd person (you) or 3rd person (he, him, his) reference. “This term clearly has its root in the religious language in Burmese. No ordinary persons are addressed or known by this pronoun because it is reserved for Buddhist monks, famous religious teachers, and in the case of Christianity, the Trinity.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae in The Bible Translator 2002, p. 202ff. )
In Thai, the pronoun phra`ong (พระองค์) is used, a gender-neutral pronoun which must refer to a previously introduced royal or divine being. Similarly, in Northern Khmer, which is spoken in Thailand, “an honorific divine pronoun” is used for the pronoun referring to the persons of the Trinity (source: David Thomas in The Bible Translator 1993, p. 445 ). In Urak Lawoi’, another language spoken in Thailand, the translation often uses tuhat (ตูฮัด) — “God” — ”as a divine pronoun where Thai has phra’ong even though it’s actually a noun.” (Source for Thai and Urak Lawoi’: Stephen Pattemore)
The English “Contemporary Torah” addresses the question of God and gendered pronouns by mostly avoiding pronouns in the first five books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament (unless God is referred to as “lord,” “father,” “king,” or “warrior”). It does that by either using passive constructs (“He gave us” vs. “we were given”), by using the adjective “divine” or by using “God” rather than a pronoun.
Some Protestant and Orthodox English Bibles use a referential capitalized spelling when referring to the persons of the Trinity with “He,” “His,” “Him,” or “Himself.” This includes for instance the New American Standard Bible or The Orthodox New Testament, but most translations do not. Two other languages where this is also done (in most Bible translations) are the closely related Indonesian and Malay. In both languages this follows the language usage according to the Qur’an, which in turn predicts that usage (see Soesilo in The Bible Translator 1991, p. 442ff. and The Bible Translator 1997, p. 433ff. ).
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 rare (られ) 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, ino-rare-ru (祈られる) or “pray” 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®).
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