The Greek in 1 Corinthians 12:15 that is translated in English as “If the foot would say, ‘Because I am not a hand'” is translated in Alekano as “our foot cannot say to our hand,” since in that language body parts need to have an obligatory possessive designator attached (Source: Larson 1998, p. 42)
complete verse (1 Corinthians 12:15)
Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 12:15:
- Uma: “If we think of our bodies, we have feet, we have hands, and many other parts. It’s not all one part. For instance the foot says: ‘I, I am not a hand, so I’m not part of the body.’ Even so, the feet are still part of the body.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
- Yakan: “For example, the foot says, ‘I don’t belong to this body because I am not the hand,’ even if it speaks like that, it still belongs to that body.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
- Western Bukidnon Manobo: “For example, if the foot could speak he would say, ‘I’m not a part of the body because I’m not a hand.’ Now in spite of the fact that this is what he says, it’s not possible that the foot is not part of the body.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
- Kankanaey: “If for-example, a leg/foot says, ‘I’m not (empathy particle) an arm/hand, so I’m not part of the body,’ yet it is nonetheless part-of/joined-to the body, even though it says that.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
- Tagbanwa: “But even though it’s like that, all of these are a single-body-entity. For if supposing the foot/leg says, ‘I am not a hand therefore I am not a part of the body,’ isn’t it so that that’s not true? It is indeed a part of the body, even though it is not a hand.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
- Tenango Otomi: “If the foot of the person should say ‘How come I am not the hand? Then I am not a part of the person’s body’ it says, but it also is a part of the person’s body.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Corinthians 12:15
12:15a If the foot should say,
If the foot says,
-or-
⌊For example,⌋ suppose a foot were to say that
12:15b “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,”
“I am not a hand so I do not belong to the body,”
-or-
it does not belong to the body because it is not a hand.
12:15c that would not make it any less a part of the body.
it does not stop being part of the body because it said that.
-or-
Even though it is not a hand, it is still a part of the body.
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