soul

The Hebrew, Greek, and Latin that is translated as “soul” in English is translated in Chol with a term that refers to the invisible aspects of human beings (source: Robert Bascom), in Yagaria with oune or “shadow, reflection” (source: Renck, p. 81), and in Elhomwe as “heart” (source: project-specific translation notes in Paratext).

The Mandarin Chinese línghún (靈魂 / 灵魂), literally “spirit-soul,” is often used for “soul” (along with xīn [心] or “heart”). This is a term that was adopted from Buddhist sources into early Catholic writings and later also by Protestant translators. (Source: Zetzsche 1996, p. 32, see also Clara Ho-yan Chan in this article )

In Chichewa, moyo means both “soul” and “life.” (Source: Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Back Translation)

See also heart, soul, mind.

world (Chinese)

The Hebrew and Greek that is translated as “world” in English is translated in Mandarin Chinese with shìjiè (世界). While shìjiè is now the commonly used term for “world” in Chinese, it was popularized as such by Chinese Bible translations. (Source: Mak 2017, p. 241ff.)

See also world.

complete verse (Matthew 16:26)

Following are a number of back-translations of Matthew 16:26:

  • Uma: “What is the use we (incl.) gather all the riches of the world, if we (incl.) do not receive good life in the future. For there is nothing that we (incl.) may exchange for that good life.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “For a person, even if he owned all the wealth in the world, there would be no use in it if he does not have everlasting life. For there is no wealth in the world that can redeem him so that he has everlasting life.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Even if a person comes to own the whole world, it is worthless for him if he is not given life forever. For there is nothing which he can exchange so that he will be able to own life forever.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Because what do-you-suppose will a person be-able-to-gain if he comes-to-own the entire world and then his life is lost and he is punished for ever? None! Because there is nothing that a person can give-in-exchange for his life.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “For what does a person gain, even supposing all the wealth here in the world would be his, if his soul/spirit will be lost-permanently because it will have to go there to hardship/suffering which is without ending? Of course there’s nothing he can do which could free him from there.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Because the person will not gain anything even though he becomes the owner of all the world and then loses his soul. No matter how much money he will pay, yet he is not able to save his soul.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999): “What good is it if the whole world lies at your feet, but you have to pay for it with your heart? What is more precious than one’s heart?”
  • Imbabura Highland Quichua: “‘Suppose a man were to get and have all whatever there is in this world. Although it is thus, if he went and lost his soul, what good would it be? . . . ‘” (Source: S. Levinsohn in Journal of Translation 18/2022, p. 67ff. )

Translation commentary on Matthew 16:26

For what will it profit … and forfeits his life? is a rhetorical question which expects the answer “Nothing.” Therefore Good News Translation restructures the question, “Will a person gain anything if he wins the whole world but loses his life?” and follows it with the answer “Of course not!” In other languages it may be necessary to say “For a person certainly won’t gain anything at all if he wins the whole world but loses his life” or “For it is certainly of no value if, in winning the whole world, a person loses his life.” In some languages “obtain” may be better than “win.”

Man, as with “any man” in verse 24, refers to people in general, and so is equivalent to “person” (Good News Translation).

Or what shall a man give in return for his life? is also a rhetorical question which expects the answer “Nothing.” This time Good News Translation restructures it as a statement: “There is nothing he can give to regain his life.” Both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation seem to interpret life of this sentence as a person’s physical life here on earth, an interpretation which is apparently supported by New American Bible: “What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process? What can a man offer in exchange for his very self?” New English Bible seems to have a more psychological understanding: “What will a man gain by winning the whole world, at the cost of his true self? Or what can he give that will buy that self back?” However, it is more probable that the reference is to eternal life, which would be the basis for Moffatt‘s shift from “life” in verse 25 to “soul” in this verse: “What profit will it be if a man gains the whole world and forfeits his own soul?” New International Version makes this same shift.

Many translators will use the same expression for life as they did in the previous verse, such as “true life” or “life that does not end.”

For a person to gain the whole world does not mean to rule the world. It means to have “everything in the world,” or possibly “everything he wants.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .