complete verse (1 Corinthians 3:21)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 3:21:

  • Uma: “So, that’s why I request, relatives: let no-one any longer boast/brag about their following mankind. Because all that you need, God has already given you as your own:” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “Therefore none of you should boast that you are an adherent/disciple of whatever man/human. Everything is given to you by God for your good.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “Therefore, it’s necessary that none of you boast, saying that he is the follower of a certain person. Because as for all of us who teach, God has given us to you so that you might be better off.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Therefore you should not boast-about mere people, because everything that exists belongs to you.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Therefore don’t elevate people and side with them. For, as for all things, they have been given to you for the benefit of you all.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “Therefore now, do not elevate people in that you say they are wise people whom you choose to follow. Because all of the teachers and all that there is on earth are all what God determined to exist in order to do good for you.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
  • Mapos Buang: “Therefore do not divide yourselves and become exuberant about individual people who have become leaders and look after you, because leaders and everything have become your possession.”(Source: Consultant Notes)

formal 2nd person plural pronoun (Japanese)

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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).

(Source: S. E. Doi, see also S. E. Doi in Journal of Translation, 18/2022, p. 37ff. )

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 3:21

So (Good News Bible‘s “then”) introduces the conclusion of Paul’s argument. One could also phrase this first sentence as “So then, no one should boast….”

Let no one boast is an older English equivalent for “No one should boast.”

For a discussion on boast, see comments on 1.29. This word is used twice as often in 1 and 2 Corinthians as in the rest of the New Testament, and may have been one of the slogans used in controversy in Corinth. Here it describes the misdirected enthusiasm that set followers of Paul, Apollos, and Peter against one another. The Greek is literally “do not boast in men.” Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente brings out the connection between this phrase and the following words: “do not boast of belonging to someone, for everything belongs to you.” The rendering “belonging to someone” seems to fit in better with verse 22 than Good News Bible‘s translation “what human beings can do.” The reference seems to be that of belonging to someone as a follower or disciple. So one may also say “Do not boast of being someone’s follower.”

The final sentence introduces a contrast rather than a logical result. Instead of being proud of being the disciple of some human being, the Corinthian Christians should realize that everything belongs to them. Good News Bible‘s “Actually” is added to express this contrast. The change to a neuter pronoun (all things) is necessary because not only people but things are mentioned in the next verse. In some languages it may be necessary to refer separately to people and things. So one could restructure the final sentence of verse 21 and the first part of verse 22 as “Everyone belongs to you—Paul, Apollos, Peter—and everything is yours—the world, life and death….”

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 .

SIL Translator’s Notes on 1 Corinthians 3:21

3:21a Therefore, stop boasting in men.

So you should no longer boast about human beings.
-or-
So then, stop talking proudly about your human ⌊leaders⌋.
-or-
Therefore, I command/urge you: Do not brag/boast about ⌊which teacher you follow⌋,

3:21b All things are yours,

All things belong to you,
-or-
because already you have everything.

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