brother (fellow believer)

The Greek that is translated in English as “brother” or “brother and sister” (in the sense of fellow believers), is translated with a specifically coined word in Kachin: “There are two terms for brother in Kachin. One is used to refer to a Christian brother. This term combines ‘older and younger brother.’ The other term is used specifically for addressing siblings. When one uses this term, one must specify if the older or younger person is involved. A parallel system exists for ‘sister’ as well. In [these verses], the term for ‘a Christian brother’ is used.” (Source: Gam Seng Shae)

In Matumbi is is translated as alongo aumini or “relative-believer.” (Source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)

In Martu Wangka it is translated as “relative” (this is also the term that is used for “follower.”) (Source: Carl Gross)

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) it is often translated as Mitchristen or “fellow Christians.”

See also brothers.

complete verse (1 Corinthians 6:8)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 6:8:

  • Uma: “Yet it’s you who are the ones who are deceiving others and defrauding others–and you are doing it to your one-faith relatives too!” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “But you are the ones doing bad and taking advantage/cheating and you do this yet to your fellow trusters in Isa.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “But as for you, you harm and you take the possessions of your fellow believers!” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “But instead of your doing that, you yourselves are the ones doing wrong and cheating, even your brothers who believe, you’re cheating (them)!” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “But well, the-whole-lot-of-you who are one brotherhood in believing are doing wrong and deceiving one another!” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “But instead, you yourselves do wrong, even robbing from your fellow believers.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

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 6:8

But marks a strong contrast with verse 7, as Good News Bible‘s “Instead” shows.

The emphatic you yourselves stresses that the situation is the opposite of what it should be. Paul is stressing that instead of patiently enduring wrong and robbery, they are actively wronging and hurting each other. Languages will have differing ways of showing this emphatic quality. One can say “Instead, you turn around and….”

Wrong and defraud represent the same Greek words as are used in 7b.

Even your own brethren: see the comments on 1 Cor. 6.6. “Even fellow Christians” is a better translation in most languages, as Paul is not referring to actual family members.

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 .