all things to all men

The now commonly-used English idiom “all things to all men” (meaning liked by everyone, usually through efforts to please them) was first coined in 1560 in the Geneva Bible. (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 283)

For other idioms in English that were coined by Bible translation, see here.

save

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The Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Latin that is translated as a form of “save” in English is translated in Shipibo-Conibo with a phrase that means literally “make to live,” which combines the meaning of “to rescue” and “to deliver from danger,” but also the concept of “to heal” or “restore to health.”

Other translations include:

  • San Blas Kuna: “help the heart”
  • Laka: “take by the hand” in the meaning of “rescue” or “deliver”
  • Huautla Mazatec: “lift out on behalf of”
  • Anuak: “have life because of”
  • Central Mazahua: “be healed in the heart”
  • Baoulé: “save one’s head”
  • Guerrero Amuzgo: “come out well”
  • Northwestern Dinka: “be helped as to his breath” (or “life”) (source for all above: Bratcher / Nida),
  • Matumbi: “rescue (from danger)” (source: Pioneer Bible Translators, project-specific notes in Paratext)
  • Noongar: barrang-ngandabat or “hold life” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • South Bolivian Quechua: “make to escape”
  • Highland Puebla Nahuatl: “cause people to come out with the aid of the hand” (source for this and one above: Nida 1947, p. 222)
  • Bariai: “retrieve one back” (source: Bariai Back Translation)

See also salvation and save (Japanese honorifics).

complete verse (1 Corinthians 9:22)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 9:22:

  • Uma: “When I am with those whose faith is not-yet strong, I behave like they do, so that I can help them to follow Kristus. To/for all people I purposely change my behavior, so that if there is any way at all, I must bring them to Kristus, even though only just a few of them.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “If I am together with those whose trust in Isa Almasi is not strong, I cause myself to be the same as they are, in order that I may influence them (that) their trusting will become strong. All kinds of people that I preach to I make myself like them in order that I can persuade some of them to trust in Isa Almasi in order that they will be saved.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “And as for those believers who do not have proper understanding, I become like them and I do not insist on what I want so that by means of me, their faith might be strengthened. And for every one that I teach the word of God to, I look for a way which is fitting to them so that I might influence them and they might come to believe in Jeuss.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “If moreover I am with people whose faith is not yet mature, I adapt my behavior to them in order to persuade them to believe properly. Therefore all kinds of people, I do my best (lit. my ability) to adapt myself to them in order that I may persuade some of them to believe.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “Well when it’s those whose belief is weak that I am teaching, who still have lots of taboos, I go along with them so that I might strengthen their belief. As long as it’s not contrary to what God has said I really do go along with everyone in whatever they do so that, hopefully, there will be those I might cause to be saved from the punishment for their sins.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “When I live where there are believers whose faith is not strong, I do like they do in order to strengthen their faith. I have done just like the people do where I speak the word in order that perhaps it will be that some of their souls will be saved.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)

Translation commentary on 1 Corinthians 9:22

In our general comment on verses 20-22 we stated that the first part of verse 22 is close in meaning to verse 21. Paul has already spoken of himself in 2.3 and 4.10 as being weak. Then in 8.7-13 he speaks of weak Christians who had come out of a pagan background. If the weak in this chapter are the group discussed in 8.7-13, it is correct to refer to them as “weak in faith” as Good News Bible does. Good News Bible also adds “like one of them,” to avoid the suggestion that Paul himself was “weak in faith.” In most languages the word weak will need to be modified in some way to show the kind of weakness about which Paul is speaking. If possible, the same word for weak should be used in both halves of the first sentence, even if this makes the translation more literal than Good News Bible.

Also in the first part of the verse, the word To will need to be expanded in translation; for example, “When I am among….” The phrase weak or “weak in faith” can be rendered more meaningfully as “people who do not believe in Jesus strongly” or “people whose faith in Jesus is weak.”

The second part of the verse sums up the thought of verses 20-22a.

Became and have become translate different tenses of the same verb, the first normally referring to a point in past time, and the second to a state continuing from the past into the present. The context, however, strongly suggests that the two tenses are used purely for variety, and no distinction between them is made in Good News Bible or New Jerusalem Bible.

The phrase by all means may be rendered as “by using every way that I possibly can.”

It should be noted that Paul does not use the word “as” (Good News Bible‘s “like”) in this verse as he did in verses 20 and 21. In this verse Paul means that he really has “become weak” (Good News Bible).

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 .