complete verse (1 Corinthians 9:24)

Following are a number of back-translations of 1 Corinthians 9:24:

  • Uma: “Relatives, don’t you know that when people run a race [lit., compete running], they all run but only one gets the prize. You also relatives, you must behave like people who are striving to run: strive to follow God’s desire until you get your prize.” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “You surely know that if comparing speed in running (a race) many are the ones running but only one is the winner and he is the one getting the reward. Na you also the ones trusting in Isa Almasi you should strive to follow God like those people running a race strive to win in order that you will receive good/blessing from God in the future.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Western Bukidnon Manobo: “You know that if there is a race, then many compete; but only one wins and is rewarded. And as for you believers in Jesus, you must be like a person who runs in a race, so that God will reward you in the future.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
  • Kankanaey: “Remember that if there is a race, all the runners do their best (lit. put-forth their ability) to run, but only one wins and is given a reward. Therefore you also, do your best so that you will gain the reward that God gives.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “If we compare our following/obeying the Lord to a contest, you know don’t you that as for those included in the running, they all run, but of course only the one who wins can receive the prize? Therefore run well so that you also will receive a prize.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tenango Otomi: “You know that where there is a field where there is a race, concerning all who enter the race, each one runs, but only one wins it. You do like this, earnestly you do what God orders you to do in order that you can win.” (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 9:24

As in 3.16 and 9.13, Do you not know may be expressed as “I am sure that you know” or “I am sure that you are aware of the fact that.” In this verse the above phrase does not introduce traditional Christian teaching but a generally known fact. The Greek of the words following this phrase is literally “those running in a race all run, but one receives the prize.” Most translations expand this considerably. “Surely you know” (Good News Bible) should link with the statement but only one receives the prize. Another way of expressing the first part of the verse is to combine the first two clauses “I am sure that you know that only one runner in a race receives the prize.”

Paul is not saying that only one Christian will persevere to the end, but that not all are certain to do so.

So run can be translated as “You should run” or “So you must run.”

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 .