Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 14:29:
Uma: “As for prophets who speak God’s words, there should be two or three who speak, and the rest discern what they are saying, whether it is really from God or not.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “The ones who want to speak God’s word also, it is good if up to two or three speak taking turns and the others just listen if all they say is really from God’s Spirit.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “In the same way also, those people who interpret what God had caused them to understand, for it’s allowable that only two or three speak. And it’s necessary that everyone listens and they think and they consider whether that which is spoken is right or not.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “If also there are God’s spokesmen, it is necessary that not more than two or three speak and meanwhile others are to carefully consider whether what they are saying is coming-from God.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Well, like that also when relating to everyone what God is making known. Two or three also should speak, and others should weigh-up(fig.) what they are saying, whoever has been freely-given the ability to weigh-up.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Like this also, if someone is there who speaks the words which God puts in their mind to tell the people, there should be only two or three who speak. The others should judge whether truly God has given the word which is spoken or not.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
Eugene Nida wrote the following about the translation of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek terms that are typically translated with “prophet” in English:
“The tendency in many translations is to use ‘to foretell the future’ for ‘prophesy,’ and ‘one who foretells the future’ for ‘prophet.’ This is not always a recommended usage, particularly if such expressions denote certain special native practices of spirit contact and control. It is true, of course, that prophets of the Bible did foretell the future, but this was not always their principal function. One essential significance of the Greek word prophētēs is ‘one who speaks forth,’ principally, of course, as a forth-teller of the Divine will. A translation such as ‘spokesman for God’ may often be employed profitably.” (1947, p. 234f.)
Following is a list of (back-) translations from other languages (click or tap for details):
Ayutla Mixtec: “one who talks as God’s representative”
Isthmus Mixe: “speaker for God” (source for this and two above: Viola Waterhouse in Notes on Translation August 1966, p. 86ff.)
Mezquital Otomi / Paasaal: “God’s messenger” (source: Waterhouse / Parrott in Notes on Translation October 1967, p. 1ff. and Fabian N. Dapila in The Bible Translator 2024, p. 415ff.)
Noongar: Warda Marridjiny or “News Traveling” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
Kutu: mtula ndagu or “one who gives the prediction of the past and the future” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific translation notes in Paratext)
French 1985 translation by Chouraqui: inspiré or “inspired one” (“someone in whom God has breathed [Latin: in + spiro]) (source: Watson 2023, p. 45)
In Ixcatlán Mazatec a term is used that specifically includes women. (Source: Robert Bascom)
“In some instances these spiritual terms result from adaptations reflecting the native life and culture. Among the Northern Grebo people of Liberia, a missionary wanted some adequate term for ‘prophet,’ and she was fully aware that the native word for ‘soothsayer’ or ‘diviner’ was no equivalent for the Biblical prophet who spoke forth for God. Of course, much of what the prophets said referred to the future, and though this was an essential part of much of their ministry, it was by no means all. The right word for the Gbeapo people would have to include something which would not only mean the foretelling of important events but the proclamation of truth as God’s representative among the people. At last the right word came; it was ‘God’s town-crier.’ Every morning and evening the official representative of the chief goes through the village crying out the news, delivering the orders of the chief, and announcing important coming events. ‘God’s town-crier’ would be the official representative of God, announcing to the people God’s doings, His commands, and His pronouncements for their salvation and well-being. For the Northern Grebo people the prophet is no weird person from forgotten times; he is as real as the human, moving message of the plowman Amos, who became God’s town-crier to a calloused people.” (source: Nida 1952, p. 20)
In British Sign Language it is is translated with a sign that depicts a message coming from God to a person (the upright finger) and then being passed on to others. (Source: Anna Smith)
“Prophet” in British Sign Language (source: Christian BSL, used with permission)
Paul now discusses the second half of the contrast between speaking in tongues and Christian prophecy, which has been a main feature of this chapter.
Two or three: Paul does not repeat the phrase at most from verse 27, since he will now speak more positively of Christian prophecy than of speaking in tongues. Nor does he repeat each in turn, though this idea is probably implied. The danger of several people’s talking at once would naturally be greater in the case of ecstatic speech than in inspired teaching using natural language.
The first sentence may be rendered as “Let two or three people to whom God has given a message speak.”
The others may mean “other prophets” or “other members of the Christian community.” The second, more general, meaning is preferable in translation.
Weigh (Good News Bible‘s “judge”) is the word used in 4.7 and in 11.29, 31 referring to a similar situation (see the comments); Revised English Bible “exercise their judgement upon what is said.” Bruce suggests “discuss” as a possible translation. The Christians probably did discuss the messages from God. Their aim would be to apply the prophets’ messages to the Corinthians’ situation, rather than to judge the validity of what the prophets said or of the prophets’ qualifications.
Quoted with permission from Ellingworth, Paul and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, 2nd edition. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1985/1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .