1:11a
For: This word introduces an explanation here. In 1:11 Paul explained why he was praying to visit the believers in Rome. Some languages may omit this word for a more natural connection.
I long to see you: The word long means “want very much” here. The Greek word is present tense, indicating that Paul was continuing to want very much to see the believers in Rome. Here are other ways to translate this clause:
I am wanting very much to see you
-or-
I really/truly want to see you
In some languages “want” already indicates continuing to do that, as in the above example.
see: Here this word implies visiting with the believers in Rome. Here are other ways to translate this word:
meet
-or-
visit
-or-
come
1:11b
impart: This word means “to share or give something.” Here it refers to giving a spiritual gift or blessing (see note below). Here are other ways to translate this word:
convey (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
give (New Century Version)
some: Here this word indicates that Paul did not know at this time which gift he would give to the believers in Rome. It does not indicate a plural: gifts. In some languages another word must be used. For example:
a/another
spiritual gift: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as gift here refers to something that is given generously, without cost to the person receiving it. Calling it a spiritual gift indicates that the gift was not a physical thing (like a chair or table). This gift benefited the believers in their “spirit” (or inner being). Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
spiritual blessing (Good News Translation)
-or-
something to encourage/bless you in your inner being
-or-
something to strengthen/benefit your insides/heart
1:11c
to strengthen you: This phrase indicates that Paul wanted the spiritual gift to make the believers in Rome more strong or firm in their faith. Here are other ways to translate this phrase:
that will help you grow strong in the Lord (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Then you will grow stronger in your faith (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
to make you strong in your hearts/spirits
-or-
in order that you will be strengthened more
Some languages must use a different word than “strong” here when referring to faith. For example:
that you may stand firm ⌊even more⌋ ⌊in your faith⌋
-or-
so that you may be truly/more straight in your faith
strengthen: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strengthen is passive. It probably implies that the thing that Paul and the believers in Corinth shared would strengthen them, not that they would strengthen themselves. For example:
that ⌊it⌋ may strengthen ⌊you and me⌋
© 2020 by SIL International®
Made available under the terms of a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License (CC BY-SA) creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0.
All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.
