Translation commentary on Romans 9:20 – 9:21

The place of these verses in Paul’s argument is to underscore the fact that a man does not have the right to question God’s actions.

My friend (so also An American Translation*, cf. New American Bible) is literally “O man” (cf. 2.1).

But who are you … to talk back to God? may be rendered as “but who do you think you are that you can talk back to God?” or “but how is it that you think you are so big (or important) that you can talk back to God?” or “… that you can object to what God has decided?”

Has the right may be translated as “is permitted to” or “is allowed to.” In some languages this may be equivalent to some form of the auxiliary “can” or “may,” both of which in English express certain aspects of permission and possibility.

The phrases for special occasions and for ordinary use are rendered in a number of ways in different translations, but the contrast is between a pot that is reserved for some special function and one in everyday use.

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 .

Translation commentary on Romans 11:5

In this and the following verse Paul applies the scripture passages to his present situation. Small number is translated by most as “remnant” (a synonym to the words used in 9.27: only a few).

God has chosen, because of his mercy (see New English Bible “selected by the grace of God”; An American Translation* “selected by God’s mercy”) is literally “according to the choice of grace.” The choice is God’s choice and the grace is God’s grace. In many contexts the nearest equivalent in English of the biblical concept of “grace” is mercy. The equivalent of because of his mercy may be “because he is so good to people” or “because he shows mercy so much.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Romans 12:4 – 12:5

The thoughts expressed in these verses have already been discussed in earlier passages, but there are a number of problems in translation.

One cannot usually say literally we have many parts in the one body. A more normal expression would be “each one of us has a body made up of different parts” or “the body of each one of us has many different parts.” All these parts have different functions may then be rendered as “each part has a different function,” “each part has its own use,” “each part works in a different way,” or “each part is for something different.”

Though we are many may be translated as “though we are many different people” or “… distinct persons.”

We are one body must be rendered in some languages as “we form one body” or “we are just like one body.”

The phrase in union with Christ may be understood as either means or cause—for example, “by being one with Christ” or “because we are one together with Christ.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Romans 14:2

On the basis of the previous verse the Good News Translation makes explicit the nature of the man’s weakness: he is weak in the faith (also New American Bible “one who is weak in faith”), though the Greek literally reads “the man who is weak.”

In a number of languages the most succinct and meaningful way of saying eats only vegetables is to translate “does not eat meat of any kind.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Romans 15:13

As in so many other instances of third person imperative, it may be necessary to introduce verse 13 by an expression of prayer—for example, “I pray that God.”

God, the source of hope (so also New American Bible, Moffatt “the God of your hope”) is literally “the God of hope.” “Of hope” is ambiguous in this context, and so the Good News Translation makes the meaning of the genitive expression clear. The source of hope may be expressed as a causative: “the one who causes us to hope.” In this context it may be more appropriate to employ only the plural “you” instead of “us”: “the one who causes you to hope.”

Fill you with all joy may be rendered as “cause you to be completely happy,” “cause you to feel happy completely in your hearts,” or even “cause your hearts to burst because of happiness.” Peace also must be understood as the goal of what God has caused: “that God may cause you to have complete happiness and to enjoy peace” or “… experience complete peace.” Peace may be expressed idiomatically in some languages—for example, “to sit down in your hearts” or “to hear quietness in your hearts.”

“In believing” (Revised Standard Version) is taken by the Good News Translation to mean “by means of believing,” and the object of this belief is supplied: by means of your faith in him. As in so many instances, means may be expressed in some languages by a clause of cause—for example, “because you believe in him.” It is perfectly proper to express this faith as “faith in Christ,” but within this particular context it seems more fitting to express it as “faith in God.”

So that your hope will continue to grow is more literally “so that you may abound in hope” (see King James Version, Revised Standard Version). The verb “to abound” is no longer in current English usage, and so some of the modern English translations restructure by making hope the object of a verb phrase (for example, the New American Bible “so that you may have hope in abundance”; An American Translation* “so that you may have overflowing hope”). The New English Bible renders “overflow with hope.” The Good News Translation restructures by making hope the subject of the intransitive verb grow, while taking the expression “you … in hope” as the equivalent of your hope. Moreover, since the tense of the Greek verb “to abound” indicates continuing action, the Good News Translation translates by continue to grow.

In a number of languages one cannot speak of “hope growing.” One can, however, “hope more and more,” “hope more firmly,” or “be more steadfast in hoping.” By the power of the Holy Spirit may be interpreted as the means and therefore become the subject of an expression of cause: “so that the Holy Spirit will cause you to have more and more hope.”

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 .

Translation commentary on Romans 16:14 – 16:15

The final phrase with them, may be interpreted as “those with whom they associate”—for example, “and all the other fellow Christians who associate with them.” The same applies to the last clause of verse 15, who are with them. The two groups of persons identified in these verses may represent persons who met in different homes for Christian fellowship and worship.

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 .