17I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who create dissensions and hindrances, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them.
The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)
In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)
In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”
Following are a number of back-translations of Romans 16:17:
Uma: “Relatives! I really warn you to be careful of people who make divisions and who want to make you fall with their teaching(s) that are at-odds with the teaching that was taught to us. Stay-far-from people like that!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “My brothers, I beg/adjure you to be observant/careful, because there will be people who want to divide/separate you so that you are not in harmony/don’t get along. They also want to influence (you) to divert/separate you so that you no longer trust Isa Almasi because they oppose the teaching about Isa Almasi which has been taught to you. Avoid them.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Brothers, I beg you that you be on your guard; avoid those people who disturb you believers in your oneness and in your believing, for they disobey the true doctrine which was taught to you.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “Please-be-so-kind my-brothers as to beware of people who cause-you -to-separate and who turn-aside your faith because of what they teach that is contrary to the correct-things that you learned back before. Distance yourselves from them.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Listen my brothers, I tell you that you be very careful. Because there are some who only want to have wars. They separate people until they spoil the word. These people do not look well upon the word which has been taught to you. Don’t associate with these who make wars.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
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 choice of a formal plural suffix to the second person pronoun (“you” and its various forms) as shown here in the widely-used Japanese Shinkaiyaku (新改訳) Bible of 2017. In these verses, anata-gata (あなたがた) is used, combining the second person pronoun anata and the plural suffix -gata to create a formal plural pronoun (“you” [plural] in English).
Watch out for (New English Bible “keep your eye on”; Jerusalem Bible “be on your guard against”) is stronger than a translation such as “take note of” (Revised Standard Version) might suggest.
Those who cause divisions may be rendered as “those who separate people into groups,” “those who cause different groups of people to fight with one another,” or “those who cause strong differences between people.”
Upset people’s faith (New English Bible “lead others astray”) may be literally rendered as “do things to cause (people) to stumble.” In this context the people who are made to stumble are believers. In some languages it is quite meaningless to talk about “upsetting a person’s faith.” One can, however, “twist another’s faith” or “cause a believer to leave the right road.”
Who go against the teaching is a verb transform of the noun phrase “contrary to the teaching” (New American Bible). Teaching (New English Bible, Phillips, New American Bible) or “instruction” (An American Translation*) is a more acceptable term than “doctrine” (Revised Standard Version, Jerusalem Bible, Moffatt). Rather than say go against the teaching, it may be more appropriate to render “talk against the teaching,” “teach contrary to the way in which you have received the teaching,” or “teach against what you have been taught.”
You have received (so New American Bible; New English Bible “you received”) is literally “which you learned.” Several translations make this into a passive construction (Revised Standard Version “you have been taught”; An American Translation* “you were given”).
Keep away from them may be translated in a negative form, “do not associate with them” or “do not go near them.”
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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®).
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.